The Revolution Begins

1. The Revolution Begins Topic 26

2. The First Continental Congress • Closing Boston Harbor was the final straw for some colonists. • Leaders gathered and discussed what to do. • Results – Continue boycotting British goods, prepare militias for war. • Drafted the Colonists Declaration of Rights and sent it to King George III. • Goal was to get the King to correct the problems, not start a war!

3. “The shot heard around the world” • Lexington and Concord • Mass. Governor Thomas Gage was worried about militia storing weapons in Concord. • Paul Revere rode through the countryside to warn the patriots. • Minutemen waiting for British in Lexington; 18 minutemen casualties. One redcoat killed, they kept going. • British arrived at Concord and couldn’t find the hidden weapons! • Colonial minutemen attacked… • British lost 73 men, another 200 missing or wounded, and they were forced to retreat to Boston.

4. Second Continental Congress • Met again and many different opinions were present. • Agreed to begin creating State Constitutions. • Set up the Continental Army with George Washington as commander. • Sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George asking to repeal the Intolerable Acts, hoping for the best. • King George was outraged and sent 20,000 more troops to the colonies. • Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured Fort Ticonderoga to get weapons for the new army.

5. Battle of Bunker Hill • Patriot Colonel William Prescott led 1,200 minutemen up Bunker Hill, across the river from Boston, then moved them to Breed’s Hill for a better position. • British General William Howe led 2,400 Redcoats over to fight. • The first and second British attacks were fended off, but the third attack took both hills for the British. • British lost about 1,000 men, Americans lost about 400. • BUT – this proves that the Colonials are willing and able to fight the Redcoats! • Washington trained nearly 16,000 troops around Boston and used cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to force the British to leave Boston and go to Canada in March of 1776.

6. Declaring Independence from Britain • Thomas Paine and Common Sense convinced many Americans of the basic needs of a people and how King George (and monarchs) didn’t fit into those needs. • This 47 page pamphlet sold nearly ½ million copies! • The Second Continental Congress established a committee to draft a declaration…

7. The Declaration of Independence • Recall Celebrate Freedom Week lessons  • 3 members of the Committee were: John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. • Created a motto for the new country: • E Pluribus Unum • 3 Main Points: • All people have unalienable rights. • King George III had violated those rights • Colonies had the right to break away because King George had violated the “social contract”

8. The Declaration of Independence (continued) • Thomas Jefferson was the main author. • Written in June, voted on on July 2… • Adopted on July 4, 1776. • Signed by delegates from all 13 colonies (states). • Printed and distributed throughout the summer. • Meant to be read aloud to get the colonists passionate about supporting the Patriots!

9. Taking Sides • The British: soldiers from Britain sent over to squash the colonial rebellion.  Highly trained and experienced.  3,000 miles from home, constantly watching their backs. • Patriots (1/3): colonists who were fighting against the British.  Poor organization and training, few military supplies.  Defending their homeland • Loyalists (1/3): colonists who supported Great Britain and didn’t want to fight King George III.  Not much… They were usually wealthy merchants or British officials.  Hated by Patriots; tarred and feathered, forced to go to Canada or England. • Neutralists (1/3): Refused to fight or support either side.