The Road to Independence

1. The Road to Independence

2. The Intolerable Acts 1774 • Laws to punish the Massachusetts colony and serve warning to others • England called them Coercive Acts • Closed the port of Boston until destroyed tea paid for • Banned Committees of Correspondence • Allowed troops to house wherever necessary • British Officials to stand trial in England • General Thomas Gage appointed Governor of MA

3. Reactions to Intolerable Acts • Colonies offered support • Sent food and money to Boston • Committees of Correspondence called for a meeting of colonial delegates

4. First Continental CongressSeptember 1774 • Delegates from colonies (except GA) met in Philadelphia • Voted to ban all trade with Britain until Intolerable Acts are repealed • Called on each colony to begin training troops • Determined to uphold colonial rights • Not ready to call for independence • Agreed to meet in 7 months, if necessary

6. England’s Reaction to Colonists • Held firm, not going to give in this time • Increased restrictions on colonial trade • Sent more troops

7. Colonists prepare to fightFall 1774 • John Hancock headed Committee of Safety (power to call out militia) • Colonial Leaders thought fight would be short

8. The Midnight Ride • Spies were on both sides • Gage learned that MA was storing arms and ammunition in Concord, 20 miles NW of Boston • Gage learned that Sam Adams and John Hancock were in Lexington • April 18, 1775 ordered the arrest of Adams and Hancock in Lexington and to destroy supplies in Concord

9. The Midnight Ride • Paul Revere, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott were charged with spreading the news about British troop movements • System of signals to alert colonists: • One lamp burned in the Old North Church steeple= by land • Two lamps burned in the Old North Church steeple= by sea • Revere would cross the water from Boston to Charlestown and ride to Lexington, Dawes and Prescott the land route

11. The Shot Heard ‘Round the World • Dawn April 19, 1774: 700 British troops reach Lexington • Captain John Parker and 70 Militiamen stand waiting • Who fired first? 8 militia men were dead • British continue march to Concord and destroy military supplies

12. First Battle • 4,000 Minutemen and Militia arrive • Fight British at a bridge, north of town, forcing British to retreat! • Militia lined the road and peppered the retreating British • However 1,000 more redcoats arrive and saved British from total destruction in their scramble back to Boston • 20,000 militia then surround Boston

13. Second Continental CongressMay 10, 1775 • Agree to form a Continental Army • Appoints George Washington as commandeering General • Authorizes the printing of paper money to pay troops

14. Battle of Bunker Hill • June 1775, Militia seize Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill, behind Charlestown • Colonials built fortifications on the hill • British General Howe marches troops up to seize the Hill. • Colonial Colonel Thomas Prescott orders “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes” • Militia unleashed bullets on the British

15. Battle of Bunker Hill • British fell back, then charged again. • The colonial militia were forced off the hill • 1,000 British dead, 400 militia dead

16. Olive Branch Petition • Still hoping for a peaceful solution • July 1775, sent a petition to King George III asking for a restoration of harmony • King George rejects the petition • Blocks American ships from leaving ports • Sends thousands of Hessians (Germans) to fight

17. Continental Army • Troops had little training • Poorly equipped • Barely had enough gunpowder for one battle • Summer 1775, Washington arrives at camp • Gathered supplies • Trained army

18. Boston, 1776 • Boston is surrounded by militia • 59 Cannons arrive from Ft Ticonderoga • Washington threatens to bomb the city • British General Howe withdraws in March 1776 • Loyalists homes and properties seized

19. Common Sense Pamphlet • Written by Thomas Paine • Helped to convince Americans that a break with England was a necessity • Made a strong case for independence • Called King George III “The Royal Brute” • Argued that all monarchies were corrupt • Disagreed with economic arguments for remaining with England

20. Independence • Majority of Continental Congress did not support independence. • May 1776, adopted a resolution authorizing each of the colonies to establish own government • June 1776, Richard Henry Lee of VA called the colonies “free and independent states” and that they dissolve from England

21. Declaration of Independence • After a debate, Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration • Chosen because he was from VA and a good writer • Ben Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston helped also • July 2, 1776 Congress debated again • July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence passed • Colonies now considered themselves independent. • John Hancock first to sign (he was president of Congress)

23. Declaration of Independence • People have unalienable rights (rights that the government cannot take away) • If a government disregards these rights, it loses its right to govern • The people then have the right to abolish that government by force if necessary and form a new government • “the people” were only free white men, not women or slaves

24. Declaration of Independence • Declared the colonies free and independent states • John Hancock urged the delegates to stand together in a mutual defense • King George considered this treason • Each knew if they lost the war, each would be hanged.