American Revolution Era, 1775 - 1783

Taxation without Representation Boston Massacre Boston Tea Party Unalienable Rights Battles of Lexington and Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown Declaration of Independence Articles of Confederation American Revolution Era, 1775 - 1783

1776 • Adoption of the Declaration of Independence • *Main Author: Thomas Jefferson • *Committee Included: Ben Franklin, John Adams, Roger Livingston • *“Common Sense” • Written by: Thomas Paine .

Causes of the American Revolution • Proclamation of 1763 • Stamp Act • Intolerable Acts • Mercantilism • Lack of representation in Congress • British economic policies following the French and Indian War

Proclamation of 1763 • British Parliament law; colonists were forbidden to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains, *Britain wanted a buffer zone between the colonists and the Native Americans, but the colonists wanted to settle the fertile Ohio River Valley

Stamp Act, 1765 • Required all legal documents and papers have an official stamp showing that a tax had been paid. • British used this to generate revenue to help cover the cost of the French and Indian War; • colonists reacted by rioting through groups such as the Sons of Liberty; • Stamp Act Congress meets in October, 1765, to take action and ask Parliament to repeal the act

Coercive / Intolerable Acts, 1774 • Closed the port of Boston until tea was paid for • Restructured Massachusetts government by taking away local control • Troops were quartered in Boston and British officials accused of crimes were sent to England or Canada for trial • Colonists reacted by boycotting British goods • First Continental Congress is formed, September, 1774

Mercantilism • A system by which a nation increases its wealth and power by obtaining from its colonies gold, silver, and other raw materials. • It includes a favorable balance of trade. • The colonies became a source of raw materials for the mother country (England.) • The colonies are expected to be the purchasers of manufactured goods from the mother country. • Belief that a colony exists for the economic benefit of the mother country.

Taxation without Representation • Since the formation of the colonies, the colonists had set up their own legislative assemblies. • Colonists were unhappy about Britain’s insistence on the supremacy of Parliament (taxation). • The debate turned into one regarding representation in Britain’s law-making body (Parliament). • Britain argued that the colonies had “virtual representation.”

Abigail Adams • Wife of John Adams • Served as John Adams’ confidant and support while he served in the Continental Congress, when John and others were considering a declaration of independence. • Abigail reminded him to “remember the ladies”; take care of the women who could not hold themselves bound by laws in which they had no voice. • Advocate for women’s rights.

John Adams • Lawyer and politician • Defended the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre • A member of the Continental Congress (representing Massachusetts) • Strong supporter of independence • Member of the committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence

Wentworth Cheswell • African American Patriot • Like Paul Revere, he made an all-night ride back from Boston to warn his community to the impending British invasion • Served in the Continental Army • Fought at the Battle of Saratoga

Sam Adams • American Patriot • Played a role in many of the events which contributed to the Revolution • Including: Sons of Liberty, organized opposition to the Stamp Act and the Boston Massacre • Member of the Continental Congress (representing Massachusetts) • Cousin to John Adams

Mercy Otis Warren • Wife of a Massachusetts Patriot • Anonymously wrote several propaganda pieces supporting the Patriot cause

James Armistead • Slave in Virginia • *Marquis de Lafayette recruited him as a spy for the Continental Army. • *Posed as a double agent, forger and servant at British headquarters. • *He moved freely between the lines with vital information on British troop movements for Lafayette • *Contributed to the American victory at Yorktown.

Benjamin Franklin • A member of the committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence. • *Spent most of the time during the American Revolution in France. • *He represented the colonies as the American envoy starting in 1776 and returned in 1785. • *He negotiated the alliance with France for support after the victory at Saratoga. • *Member of the committee that negotiated the terms for the Treaty of Paris in 1783 that ended the war

Bernardo de’ Galvez • Spanish nobleman • *Became governor of the Spanish province of Louisiana (January 1777) • *protected American ships in the port of New Orleans • *helped transport war supplies • *took up arms to fight the British and protect Louisiana

Crispus Attucks • African American male • Unemployed dockworker in Boston, MA • Became the first casualty (first to die) of the American Revolution • Shot and killed in what became known as the Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770

King George III • King of England during the Revolutionary Era • *Feared the loss of one group of colonies would lead to the loss of others and the eventual decline of the empire. • *To prevent this, the Crown maintained an aggressive policy against colonial resistance. • George III struggled to enforce royal authority throughout his reign.

Haym Solomon • Polish-born Jewish immigrant to America • Played an important role in financing the American Revolution • Arrested by the British as a spy • Used by the British as an interpreter with their German troops • Helped British prisoners escape and encouraged German soldiers to desert the British Army • Became a broker to the French consul and paymaster to French troops in the American Revolution

Patrick Henry • Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses • Spoke against the Stamp Act • Famous quote, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” • During the American Revolution he served in the Continental Army

Thomas Jefferson • Virginian • Early leader in the American Revolution • Delegate to the Constinental Congress in Philadelphia in 1776 • Member of the committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence • Chief author of the Declaration of Independence

Marquis de Lafayette • French aristocrat who joined Washington and his troops at Valley Forge, PA • *Played a leading role in both the American and French Revolutions • *Respected the concepts of liberty and freedom and a constitutional government • *Commanded forces under George Washington as a major-general in the Continental Army

Thomas Paine • Propagandist • Journalist • In January, 1776, published a pamphlet, “Common Sense” • Persuaded many Americans to join the Patriot cause.

George Washington • Virginian • *surveyor, planter • *a soldier in the French and Indian War • *a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses • *commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution

Issues Surrounding Important Events of the American Revo. • Declaring Independence • Writing the Articles of Confederation • Battles of Lexington and Concord • Battle of Saratoga • Battle of Yorktown • Enduring the winter at Valley Forge • Signing the Treaty of Paris 1783

Declaration of Independence • Reaction to King George III’s refusal to acknowledge the colonial requests/demands, “dissolve the political bands” with Britain, provided philosophy for the establishment of the new nation • “…all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” • Listed grievances against the King of England • Written by Thomas Jefferson • July 4, 1776 • Second Continental Congress; Philadelphia

Writing of the Articles of Confederation • Occurred at the Second Continental Congress • Created a new form of government for the independent colonies • Included one branch – a Congress • Each state had one vote • Created a very weak government with no executive

Major Battles of the Revolution • Lexington and Concord: Shot ‘heard round the world; first battles of the American Revolution; April 19, 1775 • Saratoga: turning point of the war; France joined the colonists after this victory, tipping the scales in their favor • Yorktown: surrender of Cornwallis to the British CSY

Enduring the Winter at Valley Forge • after suffering several defeats, Washington took his army to Valley Forge for the winter of 1777 • Outbreak of small pox • Martha Washington came to help care for the men • The men were trained by Frederick von Steuben to become a more professional army rather than militias • Thomas Paine wrote “American Crisis” to encourage the men to stay the course and follow through with the revolution to the end

Treaty of Paris, 1783 • Peace treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized American independence • Great Britain gave up almost all of its land claims in North America • Boundaries extended to Canada in the north, the Mississippi River in the west, and Florida in the South

. • Grievance in Declaration of Independence • Constitution • Taxation without representation • All states have representation in Congress, which sets taxes • King has absolute power • Congress has the power to override Presidential veto • Colonists not allowed to speak out against the King • 1st Amendment – Freedom of Speech • Quartering Act forced colonists to house troops • 3rd Amendment – No quartering of Troops • allowed homes to be searched without warrants • 4th Amendment – No unwarranted search & seizure • No trial by jury of peers • 6th amendment—Speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury • 7th amendment—Right of trial by jury

. • Fundamental rights, or natural rights, guaranteed to people naturally instead of by the law. • In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson said these are the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Civil Disobedience • The concept of refusing to follow laws within a community or ignoring the policies and government of a state or a nation when a person considers the laws unjust.*Refusing to follow laws considered to be unlawful and/or unconstitutional. • *Examples include boycotts, protests, refusal to pay taxes • *Boston Tea Party is an example of civil disobedience.

Different Points of View of Interest Groups During the American Revolution • Loyalists – these were colonists who remained loyal to the British monarchy and did not feel taxation was a reason to declare independence or break away from the mother country.

. • Patriots were colonists who favored breaking away from Great Britain and becoming an independent country

. • Founder of the United States Navy • Led raids on British vessels during the American Revolution • During a fight with a British vessel he was told to surrender. Instead, Jones said, “I have not yet begun to fight” and was able to defeat the attacking British ship.

John Paul Jones • *Song sung by British military to mock the unorganized colonial “Yankees” who served in the French and Indian War with British soldiers. • *The meaning of the song implies that the Americans are so “simple” they think simply sticking a feather in a cap would make them fashion leaders.

Boston Massacre • Fighting between the British and the French for control of North America. • *Allies of the French were the Native Americans, or Indians. • *Broke out in the Ohio River Valley in 1756. Throughout the world it was known as the Seven Years’ War • *Ben Franklin suggested that the colonies join together to fight against the French in the Albany Plan of Union.*This was the first attempt to unify the colonies • *French and Indians were defeated. • * British became in debt because of the war and taxed the

Different Points of View of Interest Groups During the American Revolution • Engraving of the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere • March 5, 1770 • Event in which British soldiers fired into a crowd of unarmed citizens of Boston • Killed five • This engraving was used as propaganda to encourage patriotic sympathies and support for American Independence • Paul Rever, a silversmith and engraver, was also a member of the Boston Sons of Liberty

American Revolution Era, 1775 - 1783