The Road to the Revolution: What led to the writing of the Declaration Of Independence and the

2. The Road to the Revolution: What led to the writing of the Declaration Of Independence and the Revolutionary War?

3. Navigation Acts The Navigation Acts of 1660 and 1696 restricted American trade in the following ways; • Only British ships could transport imported and exported goods from the colonies. • The only people who were allowed to trade with the colonies had to be British citizens. • Commodities such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton wool which were produced in the colonies could be exported only to British ports.

4. French and Indian War • Britain helped colonists to defeat the French in war • Britain needed money to pay for war expenses • Taxed colonists, restricted settlements and limited self-govt.

5. Writs of Assistance • Legal documents allowing British officers to search for smuggled goods without warning • Established in 1764 • Devised to monitor colonial trading to prevent evasion of the Navigation Acts • England saw colonies as a source of Revenue (money) • Colonists become outraged!!!

6. Revenue • Source of incoming money • England saw the colonies as a source of incoming money $$$$$

7. Sugar Act and Stamp Act • British taxed colonists on many of the goods coming into the colonies from other places • British imposed taxes upon all paper products and stamped the item once the tax had been payed.

8. Sugar Act of 1764 • Stop molasses smuggling between colonies and the French West Indies • Lowered taxes on imported molasses • Set-up courts where accused smugglers were tried by a British judge and NOT a jury

9. Stamp Act 1765 • Placed a tax on almost all printed materials – newspapers, pamphlets, wills, playing cards • Taxed colonists directly • Passed by Parliament without colonial vote or consent • Rally Cry: “No taxation without Representation”

10. “No Taxation Without Representation!” Colonistsreact… Phrase coined by James Otis – believed that if you tax the colonists, they should be allowed to vote for members of Parliament

11. Patrick Henry’s speech • Sons and Daughters of Liberty • Benjamin Franklin’s visit to Parliament • Boston Massacre Various protests:

12. Patrick Henry • Vocal patriot advocating colonial rights • Believed only the colonists had the right to tax the colonists

13. Sons of Liberty • Organized in Boston by Samuel Adams • Protested by burning effigies • Raided and destroyed homes of British officials • Spread propaganda • Organized boycotts

14. Daughters of Liberty • Colonial women organized groups to support the boycott of British goods • Urged Americans to wear homemade clothing and to produce their own goods

15. Protests Effigies - rag dolls representing unpopular tax collectors Boycotts – refusal to buy goods

16. RepealThe Funeral of the Stamp Act • To get rid of • British merchants rallied for the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766 • Americans successfully Boycotted British goods

17. Declaratory Act • Replaced the repealed Stamp Act • Allowed parliament the right to tax and to make decisions “in all cases whatsoever.”

18. Townshend Acts • Created in 1767 • Taxed imported goods at the port of entry: glass, paper, tea, lead and other basic goods • Enforced by Writs of Assistance – upset colonists

19. Boston Massacre

20. Boston Massacre Facts • King George III Sent 700 troops to Boston on October 1, 1768 – set up camp on town green • Harassed colonists and interfered with their daily lives • March 5, 1770, colonists antagonized soldiers by throwing rocks and ice • Soldiers fired 7 shots into the crowed – 5 colonists died including Crispus Attucks • Depicted by Paul Revere as a massacre • Effective propaganda, as colonist depicted as heroes, soldiers as evil villains • John Adams successfully defended British soldiers saying acted in self defense

21. Committee of Correspondence • Revived by Samuel Adams in 1772 • Used to circulate colonist’s grievances against the Britain

22. Tea Act of 1773 • Passed by Parliament to keep the British East India Tea Company in business • Allowed the tea company to ship its surplus tea to the colonies without paying taxes • Colonists boycotted the tea – rather smuggle colonial tea, and refused to accept British tea at ports.

24. Boston Tea Party • Lower price on British tea • Colonists still pay taxes • Boycotted British tea • Sons of Liberty dressed in disguise and dumped British tea overboard

25. Boston Tea Party Facts • December 16, 1773 • British governor in Boston ordered the tea from the ships to be unloaded • Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the ships at midnight • Threw 342 chests of tea into the harbor • Tea valued at $70,000; today over $1,000,000

26. King George III passes the“Intolerable Acts” • Official name – Coercive Acts • Created to punish Massachusetts • Closed the Boston Harbor until colonists paid for damaged tea • Prohibited town meetings • Forced colonists to quarter the British soldiers. • The King assigned British General Gage to be Massachusetts governor.

27. Intolerable Acts • Purpose: Punish colonists for Tea Party • Result: Helped to unify colonists

28. First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia

29. First Continental Congress • Group of prominent colonial leaders • Met September 1774 • Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Jay, George Washington, Patrick Henry & more • Drafted a statement of grievances • Called for the repeal of the 13 Acts of Parliament • Voted to boycott all British goods and trade • Passed a resolution to form a militia • Meet again in 7 months • Key step in American history as delegates determined to uphold colonial rights

30. First Continental Congress

31. British General Gage learns of hidden weapons in Concord. Also, John Hancock and Samuel Adams in nearby Lexington. • 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 Conflict at Lexington and Concord

32. Battles of Lexington and Concord • First military engagements of the Revolution • April 19, 1775 • Known as the “shot heard ‘round the world”

33. Second Continental Congress Representatives brought money to help establish… the Continental Army (i.e. pay soldiers, buy guns, bullets, food, and uniforms

34. Second Continental Congress • May 10, 1775 • Also present: Ben Franklin, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson • Congress began to govern the colonies • Authorized the printing of money • Set up Post Office with Franklin in charge • Created committees to communicate with Native Americans • Created the Continental Army with Washington in charge • Sent the Olive Branch Petition

35. Second Continental Congress

36. Olive Branch Petition • One last chance to avoid war by protecting the colonists’ rights • King refused to read it • Sent 30,000 paid Hessian soldiers instead

37. Common Sense • Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine • Using plain language, it urged for complete independence from Great Britain – three points: • All men, not just land owners, have right to vote • Kings ruling by will of God is ridiculous and all monarchies are corrupt • The new nation can survive on its own and not be economically tied to England

38. Common Sense

39. declaration : (n) independence : (n) an official statement the freedom to govern on one’s own.

40. Who was involved? • Benjamin Franklin • John Adams • Robert R. Livingston • Roger Sherman • Thomas Jefferson

41. Where did it all take place? This is a replica of the Graff house where Jefferson wrote the majority of the 1st draft of the Declaration of Independence. The original building (at this location) was destroyed in 1888.

42. What did it look like? Who wrote the first draft?

43. Who signed it first?

44. The Declaration of Independence • July 4, 1776 • Written by Thomas Jefferson • Signed 1st by John Hancock • Two major ideas: • Every person has natural and unalienable rights the government cannot take away: life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness • If a government disregards these rights – the people have the right to abolish that government by force if necessary and form a new government • Contains 4 major sections • Preamble or introduction • Listed rights colonists should have • Listed grievances against the British • Proclaims the existence of a new country

45. What happened after it was signed and where is it now?

46. What happened to the 56 signers? • Have you ever wondered what happened to the fifty six men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. • What kind of men were they? • Twenty four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well death would be the cost if captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

47. Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. • Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. • At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. • Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

48. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. • Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates. • Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education.

49. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." • They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!