The American Revolution (1775-1783)

1. The American Revolution (1775-1783)

2. Aim: What acts of Parliament lead to increased tensions between Britain and the American colonies? • Stamp Act 1765: • Required colonists to purchase special stamped paper for every legal document, license, newspaper, pamphlet, almanac • Imposed stamp duties on playing cards and dice

3. Aim: What acts of Parliament lead to increased tensions between Britain and the American colonies? • Stamp Act Protests: • Sons of Liberty organized to secretly protest the Stamp Act • Samuel Adams • Colonial Assemblies pass laws to circumvent Stamp Act • Stamp Act Congress: issued the Declaration of rights and Grievances • Stated that Parliament lacked the power to impose taxes on the colonies because colonists were not represented in Parliament • Boycott British goods • 1776 Parliament repeals the Stamp Act

4. Aim: What acts of Parliament lead to increased tensions between Britain and the American colonies? • Declaratory Act 1766: asserted Parliament’s full right to make laws that have the power to bind the colonies in all cases

5. Aim: What acts of Parliament lead to increased tensions between Britain and the American colonies? • Townshend Acts 1767: • Indirect taxes levied on imported materials • Ex: glass, lead, paint, paper • Mostly importantly tea • Colonial reaction: • Boycott • British reaction: • Stationed British troops in Boston

6. Aim: What acts of Parliament lead to increased tensions between Britain and the American colonies? • Boston Massacre 1770

7. Aim: What acts of Parliament lead to increased tensions between Britain and the American colonies? • Boston Tea Party 1773: • Tea Act- East India Company given concessions in colonial tea business • Shuts out colonial merchants

8. Aim: What acts of Parliament lead to increased tensions between Britain and the American colonies? • Intolerable Acts: 1774 • Shut down Boston harbor • Quartering Act: authorized British commanders to house soldiers in vacant private homes • General Thomas Gage appointed the new governor of Massachusetts • Martial law: rule imposed by military forces

9. Aim: How did the tensions between Britain and the colonists lead to start of the American Revolution? • First Continental Congress 1774 • 56 delegates • Philadelphia • Declaration of colonial rights • Colonies have the right to run their own affairs • Supported protests • British use of force would should warrant colonial use of force • Agreed to reconvene if demands were not met

10. Aim: How did the tensions between Britain and the colonists lead to start of the American Revolution? • Fighting at Lexington and Concord: • Minutemen: or civilian soldiers that began to stockpile firearms and gunpowder • General Gage sends troops toward Concord to investigate the stockpiling of firearms • Paul Revere, William Dawes, Samuel Prescott warn that the British are coming • Battle of Lexington

11. Aim: How did the tensions between Britain and the colonists lead to start of the American Revolution?

12. Aim: How did the tensions between Britain and the colonists lead to start of the American Revolution? • Second Continental Congress 1775: • Goal: Debate colonists next move • John Adams radical plan (Massachusetts): • Each colony set up their own government • Declare colonies independent • Name a general to lead the Continental Army • John Dickenson moderate plan (Pennsylvania): • Called for reconciliation

13. Aim: How did the tensions between Britain and the colonists lead to start of the American Revolution? • Second Continental Congress 1775: (cont.) • Appointed George Washington General of the Continental Army • Printing of paper money to pay troops • Committee to deal with foreign nations

14. Aim: How did the tensions between Britain and the colonists lead to start of the American Revolution? • Battle of Bunker Hill: • 450 colonists die • Over 1000 British • Deadliest battle of the war

15. Aim: How did the tensions between Britain and the colonists lead to start of the American Revolution?

16. Aim: How did the tensions between Britain and the colonists lead to start of the American Revolution? • Olive Branch Petition 1775: • Urged a return to “former harmony” between Britain and colonies • British reaction: • King George III rejected the petition • Stated colonies are in state of rebellion • Ordered naval blockade of American coast

17. Aim: How did the signing of the Declaration of Independence lead to opposing factions within the colonies? • Thomas Paine’s –Common Sense: • Published anonymously • Called for independence • Economic and social opportunities for all • Increase trade with foreign nations • Creation of a society free of tyranny

18. Aim: How did the signing of the Declaration of Independence lead to opposing factions within the colonies? • Thomas Jefferson drafts the Declaration of Independence: • Promotes natural rights of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” • Government power derived from the governed • Influenced by Enlightenment ideas • Right to abolish governments that challenge unalienable rights • All men are created equal • July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence adopted

19. Aim: How did the signing of the Declaration of Independence lead to opposing factions within the colonies? • Loyalists: • those who opposed independence and remained loyal to the Crown • Patriots: supporters of independence

20. Aim: What were the significant battles of the American Revolution? • Defeat in New York: • General William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe lay siege to New York • Plan was to isolate New England • Washington forced to retreat

21. Aim: What were the significant battles of the American Revolution? • Battle of Trenton: • Victory for Washington • Surprises the British Hessian (mercenary soldiers)

22. Aim: What were the significant battles of the American Revolution? • British fight for Philadelphia: • General Howe and the British capture Philadelphia • Continental Congress flees city

23. Aim: What were the significant battles of the American Revolution? • Battle of Saratoga: • American colonists are victorious • General Horatio Gates • General Howe never meets up with General Burgoyne “Gentlemen Johnny” • Result: • British troops do not venture to far inland for the remainder of the war • International aid to American Revolutionaries increase

24. Aim: What were the significant battles of the American Revolution? • Valley Forge 1777-1778

25. Aim: How did international aid help the American colonists win the Revolution? • European allies: • Friedrich von Steuben (Prussian) • Helped train colonial soldiers • Stand at attention • Execute field maneuvers • Fire and reload quickly • Wield bayonets

26. Aim: How did international aid help the American colonists win the Revolution? • European allies: (cont.) • Marquis de Lafayette (French) • French reinforces key to winning the war

27. Aim: How did international aid help the American colonists win the Revolution? • British change strategy 1778: • Shift operations to southern colonies • Goal: • Rally Loyalist support • Reclaim former colonies • Slowly fight way back north

29. Aim: How did international aid help the American colonists win the Revolution? • British change strategy 1778: (cont.) • British success in the South 1780 • General Charles Cornwallis • Capture Georgia and South Carolina • British loses in the South 1781 • Nathaniel Greene and Daniel Morgan lead Continental Army • Succeed at weaken British forces • Redcoats surrender at Cowpens, South Carolina

30. Aim: How did international aid help the American colonists win the Revolution? • British surrender at Yorktown: • French reinforcements help to defeat Cornwallis at Yorktown • October 17, 1781 Cornwallis surrenders

32. Aim: What were the effects of the American victory in the American Revolution? • Treaty of Paris1783: • John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay negotiate treaty • Recognize American independence • Set boundaries of nation • Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi River • Canada to Florida • Treaty does not specify when British would evacuate American forts • British could collect debts

33. Aim: What were the effects of the American victory in the American Revolution? • Impact: • Revolutionary ideals set a new course for American society • Class distinctions began to blur • Rise of egalitarianism • Ability, effort, and virtue • No increased rights for women or slaves • Native American interests in jeopardy • Set out to establish a Republic