USHC 1.3: Causes of the Revolution

Std 1.3 Essential Questions

• What impact did the Declaration of Independence have?

• What were the results of the American Revolution?

Std 1.3 vocabulary

• American Revolution• Declaration Of

Independence• George III• Boston Massacre• Democracy• First Continental

Congress

• Salutary Neglect• Sons Of Liberty• Stamp Act• Sugar Act• Tax• Taxation Without

Representation• Town Meeting

Note suggestions:

• Remember highlighted in red are the important topics to remember.

• Don’t feel that you have to write down every word. Put in your own words.

The Proclamation of 1763• What Was It?

– Line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains

– Colonists forbidden from settling west of the line• Intended to keep colonists from

expanding reduce conflicts with N.A. tribes

• How Did Colonists Respond?– Didn’t agree with policy

• Thought because G.B. won the war, they should be able to expand

– Many ignored it and settled anyway

– Some see it as British interference

The Stamp Act of 1765• What Was It?– British law that taxed any

piece of paper or paper product used in the colonies• A stamp had to be bought for

every piece– Examples: newspapers,

pamphlets, posters, wills, deeds, diplomas, dice, playing cards

– 1st direct tax placed on colonists• Intended only to raise revenue

The Stamp Act of 1765

• Why Was It Important?– Quite frankly, it TICKED THE

COLONISTS OFF!• King is committing treason!• “no taxation without representation!”

– Touches off series of events that will result in harsher treatment by British

• How Did Colonists Respond?– Most can only grumble & pay tax– Patrick Henry proposes ‘resolves’

“those favoring taxes are against us”– Sons of Liberty are formed– Stamp Act Congress

• Nine colonies send reps. & submit formal protest

• Eventually Act is repealed

The Quartering Act of 1765

• What Was It?– Law which told colonists they

had to house any British soldier that may need place to live• Increasing number of soldiers in

colonies need shelter– Had to give housing, food &

transportation to soldiers

• How Did Colonists Respond– Mass meetings and

demonstrations against– Debates in H. of B. – Agreed to boycott all British

goods• Nonimportation agreement

between 200 merchants in NY

The Townshend Acts of 1767

• What Was It?– Series of four laws – Placed duties, or taxes, on

goods imported from England• Examples: lead, glass, paper,

paint and tea– Stopped N.Y. Assembly from

meeting until its paid dues of Quartering Act

• Why Was It Important– Another example of

“taxation without representation”

The Boston Massacre—March 5th, 1770

• What Was It?– Street fight between British

soldiers and a Boston mob (Patriots?)• In all, five were left dead and six

(ten?) others wounded– Details cloudy but we do know…

• Angry mob forms around British soldier verbal abuse, throw objects eight Red Coats called for backup shot fired British fire into angry mob

– Inquiry into incident leads to arrest of eight soldiers• 6 acquitted, 2 charged with

manslaughter branding is punishment

The Boston Massacre—March 5th, 1770• Why Is It Important?

– Colonists now have proof that their ‘rights’ were threatened• Physical violence on top of

political threat & taxation– Sparks widespread outrage

THROUGHOUT the thirteen colonies

• How did Colonists Respond?– Propaganda battle between

Patriots & pro-British colonists• A Short Narrative of the Horrid

Massacre vs. A Fair Account of the Late Unhappy Disturbance in Boston

The Boston Tea Party—Dec. 16, 1773

• What Was It– Protest by Sons of Liberty when

British authorities refused to return 3 ships of taxed tea to England• Cost already lowered but still taxed

– 150 men board three ships, access cargo-hold and dump 342 crates containing tea into Boston Harbor• Worth $800,000 today

• How Did Colonists Respond– Those in Boston cheered on in

support– Similar ‘tea parties’ spread

The Intolerable (Coercive) Acts—1774 • What Were They– Harsh set of laws passed by

Parliament as punishment for the Boston Tea Party• Boston Port Act Closed until

East India Company paid compensation

• MA Government Act Nearly all officials now appointed by king AND only one town meeting a year allowed

• “Murder Act” British soldiers allowed to stand trial in England

• Updated Quartering Act

The Intolerable (Coercive) Acts—1774

• How Did Colonists Respond?– View acts as a violation of their

natural rights & colonial charters• “A most wicked system for destroying

the liberty of America.”– Encouraged colonists from other

colonies to join the ‘fight’ with MA

• Why Is It Important?– ‘Straw that broke the camels back’– Form the First Continental

Congress• Created Continental Association

agree to boycott British goods & end exports to Britain

• Pledge support to MA if MA ever subjected to attack

Conflict at Lexington and Concord•British General Gage learns of hidden weapons in Concord•Two lanterns hung in church tower to warn the British coming by “sea” (Charles River)•Paul Revere and William Dawes make midnight ride to warn Minutemen of approaching British soldiers

Military Strategies

Attrition [the Brits had a long supply line].Guerilla tactics [fight an insurgent war you don’t have to win a battle, just wear the British down]Make an alliance with one of Britain’s enemies.

The American

s

The BritishBreak the colonies in half by getting between the No. & the So.Blockade the ports to prevent the flow of goods and supplies from an ally.“Divide and Conquer” use the Loyalists.

Phase I: The Northern Campaign[1775-1776]

Bunker Hill (June, 1775)

The British suffered over 40% casualties.

Phase II:NY & PA

[1777-1778]

Washington Crossing the Delaware

Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851

Saratoga: “Turning Point” of the War?

A modern-day re-enactment

Phase III: The Southern Strategy [1780-1781]

Britain’s “Southern Strategy”Britain thought that there were more

Loyalists in the South.Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving.The British win a number of small victories, but cannot pacify the countryside [similar to U. S. failures in Vietnam!]Francis Marion and Thomas Sumter (Guerilla war)Holds Cornwallis in south much longer that expected, helps win the war.

The Battle of Yorktown (1781)

Count de Rochambeau

AdmiralDe Grasse

Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:

Painted by John Trumbull, 1797“The World Turned Upside

Down!”

Std 1.3 Essential Questions

• What impact did the Declaration of Independence have?

• What were the results of the American Revolution?

Std 1.3 Essential Questions• What impact did the Declaration of Independence have?

Document explaining why the colonies were breaking away from England. Discuss the purpose of government, John Locke’s natural rights, and the reasons why they should break away from the king who was violating these rights. Impact other countries in the world (French Revolution).

• What were the results of the American Revolution? American victory over Cornwallis at Yorktown with the help of the French fleet; George Washington seen as new leader.