9/15/13
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Events Leading to the American Revolution
Mr. Anderson, M.Ed., J.D.
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Review
—  The Sugar and Quartering Acts
— Describe the purpose of the Sugar Act. Why did the
colonists feel this act, as well as the Quartering Act, and
later the Stamp Act, was an act of tyranny.
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The New American
— Republicanism - subordination of self-interests to the common
good. Stability of society and authority of government lay in its
citizenry, not authoritarian or aristocratic rule.
— “Radical Whigs”- wrote about corruption and threats to
individual rights (against arbitrary power)
— Local control
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Revolution in Thought (1607 – 1763)
— Early settlers disliked England
— America’s distance and isolation weakened England’s control
— Produced rugged and independent people
— Allowed colonies to control themselves (laws and taxes)
— Produced a new civilization and culture
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Revolution in Action (1763-1789)
— Taxation without representation
— Colonial bloodshed by British
— Battles of Lexington and Concord
— Declaration of Independence
— War and separation with Britain
— Writing of the US Constitution
— A new nation
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Economic Control of the Colonies
— Theory of Mercantilism to control the colonies
— Navigation Laws of 1650
— Currency restrictions
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— Colonial bloodshed by British
— Battles of Lexington and Concord
— Declaration of Independence
— War and separation with Britain
— Writing of the US Constitution
— A new nation
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Economic Control of the Colonies
— Theory of Mercantilism to control the colonies
— Navigation Laws of 1650
— Currency restrictions
— Legislature nullification
— Legislation and taxation and how it was perceived by the
colonists
— Ultimately, colonists will have to deny both legislative and
taxation authority by Parliament
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Economic Control of the Colonies Con’t.
— Mercantilism was both good and bad, but it was the principal
of the matter:
— Colonists: Protection, tobacco monopoly, bounties
9/15/13
— Theodore Roosevelt quote:
— “Revolution broke out because Britain failed to recognize an
emerging nation when it saw one.”
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King George III
• Despised the colonies for their insubordination.
• Strong supporter of taxing the colonies
• Would not compromise with colonies
• After losing the colonies, he went insane
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Sugar Act 1764
— Indirect tax imposed on sugar imported from W. Indies
(irksome?)
— Would pad the coffers of Parliament (£140 million debt from
war)
— Enforcement of Navigation Acts
— Quartering Act of 1765
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The Royal Stamp
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Stamp Act (1765)
— Revenue for British troops stationed in America
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Sugar Act 1764
— Indirect tax imposed on sugar imported from W. Indies
(irksome?)
— Would pad the coffers of Parliament (£140 million debt from
war)
— Enforcement of Navigation Acts
— Quartering Act of 1765
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The Royal Stamp
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Stamp Act (1765)
— Revenue for British troops stationed in America
— Commercial & legal documents
— Reasonable and just?
— Admiralty courts for offenders
— Taxation w/o rep.
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Stamp Act Protests
— Stamp Act Congress (significance)
— Non-Importation agreements
— Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty
— Tarring and feathering
— Ransacking homes of unwanted officials and tax agents
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Stamp Act Protests Con’t.
— The Stamp Act was never put into effect
— Large economic impact on Britain
— Declaratory Act
— Maintained ‘absolute’ control
— 2 lines in the sand
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Townshend Duties Crisis 1767-1770
— 1767 à P. M. William Pitt, & Secretary of
the Exchequer Charles Townshend (Champagne
Charley!)
— Shift from paying taxes for Br. war
debts & quartering of troops à
paying col. govt. salaries.
— He diverted revenue collection from
internal to external tax (indirect).
9/15/13
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The Townshend Program (1767)
— Tax on lead, paper, tea, paint, and glass
the Exchequer Charles Townshend (Champagne
Charley!)
— Shift from paying taxes for Br. war
debts & quartering of troops à
paying col. govt. salaries.
— He diverted revenue collection from
internal to external tax (indirect).
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The Townshend Program (1767)
— Tax on lead, paper, tea, paint, and glass
— Taking the power of the purse away from colonial assemblies
— Increase custom officials at
American ports à established a
Board of Customs in Boston
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Townshend Protests
— Not as ‘loud’ as that of the Stamp Act
— Prosperity
— Smuggling
— Non-importation
9/15/13
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England and Her Colonies Before the Revolution
— Causes that would lead to rebellion:
— The Proclamation of 1763 -
— “No Taxation Without Representation”— Sugar Act (1764) — Stamp Act (March 1765) 19
Mercantilism revisited
— Definition — How the colonies played into it — Why did England prize its N. American colonies?
— Why didn’t England want the colonies to manufacture
goods?
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A Case in Point…
— The Slave Trade and the Southern Colonies
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— Middle Passage
— Amount of labor needed
— Definition — How the colonies played into it — Why did England prize its N. American colonies?
— Why didn’t England want the colonies to manufacture
goods?
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9/15/13
A Case in Point…
— The Slave Trade and the Southern Colonies
— Middle Passage
— Amount of labor needed
— By 1750, 40% of Virginia’s pop. Were Africans.
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Trade and Navigation Acts
— Raise money to pay for the French and Indian War
— Wars are expensive (Iraq & Afghanistan)
— So how do we go about paying for them?
— Why do we pay taxes? Do we like paying them?
— Do we receive services from our government in return?
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What if we didn’t? What then…
— “Salutary neglect”— Colonial Legislatures
— Salaries were determined by Royal officials
— Most were lawyers
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Writs of Assistance
— An open-ended warrant allowing British officers to search the
homes of colonists
— Enforced in the New England colonies of Mass. And NH.
(where the smuggling of goods was common)
— Fully Transferrable
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The Natural Rights of Man (1690)
— John Locke (political philosopher)
— Life, liberty, and property
— Natural, God-given rights that belong to ALL HUMAN
BEINGS (not alienable – cannot be taken away)
— Ancient Greece (~500 B.C.E.)
— Magna Carta (1215) Runnymede, England
— The Petition of Right (1626)
— Social Contract (1651) Thomas Hobbes, philosopher
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The Natural Rights of Man (1690)
— John Locke (political philosopher)
— Life, liberty, and property
— Natural, God-given rights that belong to ALL HUMAN
BEINGS (not alienable – cannot be taken away)
9/15/13
— Ancient Greece (~500 B.C.E.)
— Magna Carta (1215) Runnymede, England
— The Petition of Right (1626)
— Social Contract (1651) Thomas Hobbes, philosopher
— English Bill of Rights (1689)
— Jefferson and the Enlightenment
— Declaration of Independence
— Rule of law & “unalienable rights”
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Journal Entry #5
— Explain why England prized its North American colonies and
why England didn’t want the colonies to manufacture
goods?
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Great Britain’s Need to Tax Her Colonies
— The three major tax programs:
— The Grenville Program (1764) (finance minister)
— The Townshend Program (1767)
— The Intolerable Acts (1774)
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The Grenville Program
— Stronger writs - transferrable, no “cause” necessary
— Sugar Act - meant to raise revenue (James Otis)
— Currency Act — Quartering Act — Stamp Act - newspapers, pamphlets, legal doc. ($)
— Declaratory Act - make laws in all matters
ALL THIS IN ADDITION TO CURRENT IMPORT TAXES
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The Townsend Program (Con’t.)
— Example made of New York - when New York refused to
enforce the tax, the British customs commission suspended
the New York assembly for failure to comply.
— Extreme colonial opposition
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Colonial Opposition
— Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty
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— Declaratory Act - make laws in all matters
ALL THIS IN ADDITION TO CURRENT IMPORT TAXES
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The Townsend Program (Con’t.)
— Example made of New York - when New York refused to
enforce the tax, the British customs commission suspended
the New York assembly for failure to comply.
9/15/13
— Extreme colonial opposition
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Colonial Opposition
— Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty
— Boston Sons of Liberty - led by Samuel Adams
— Used fear to intimidate stamp distributors
— Led to the repeal of the stamp act
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Boston Massacre (1770)
— Happened when the British military attempted to but down
resistance to the Townshend Acts
— March 5, 1770, confrontation b/tw large crowd & 9 British
soldiers
— 5 colonists dead – 6 wounded
— The rest of the story… (repealed the Townsend Taxes)
— 8 British Soldiers & 1 Officer tried for murder
— All acquitted – 2 convicted of vol. manslaughter
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Boston Massacre
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Boston Massacre
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Period of Calm
— The Gaspee Affair - HMS Gaspee
— Abraham Whipple (packet boat Hannah)
— John Brown
—  Committee of Correspondence - coordinated resistance
throughout the colonies
—  John Adams, James Otis
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Schooner Gaspee’
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Tea Act of 1773
— British East India trading Co. was struggling
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—  Committee of Correspondence - coordinated resistance
throughout the colonies
—  John Adams, James Otis
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Schooner Gaspee’
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Tea Act of 1773
— British East India trading Co. was struggling
9/15/13
— Allowed to sell tea in America without paying taxes
— Would make it cheaper than smuggled tea
— Colonists seized this tea (dressed up like Indians)
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The Boston Tea Party
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The Intolerable Acts (1774)
— AKA the “Coercive Acts”
— Directed Against Boston
— Town meetings once a year
— Abolished the court system of Mass, set up a military
government controlled by General Thomas Gage
— Martial law
— Led to the First Continental Congress
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1st Continental Congress
— Sept. 5, 1774
— Gathering of 56 delegates from 12 colonies (GA)
— Called for a renewed boycott to British goods
— Nov. 18 - George III “The New England governments are in a
state of rebellion, blows must decide.”
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Journal Entry #6
— Explain the direct result of the Intolerable Acts. What was this
government body’s decision and what was King George III’s
reaction?
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The War for Independence
— Opening conflict (1775)
— Lexington and Concord (April 18, 1775) - Concord was
home to a store - house of weapons. (20 miles from Boston)
& arrest Rebel Leaders Sam Adams & John Hancock
—  800 British troops reached Lexington first where they
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— Nov. 18 - George III “The New England governments are in a
state of rebellion, blows must decide.”
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Journal Entry #6
— Explain the direct result of the Intolerable Acts. What was this
government body’s decision and what was King George III’s
reaction?
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The War for Independence
— Opening conflict (1775)
— Lexington and Concord (April 18, 1775) - Concord was
home to a store - house of weapons. (20 miles from Boston)
& arrest Rebel Leaders Sam Adams & John Hancock
—  800 British troops reached Lexington first where they
encountered 70 armed militia (minutemen) refused to
disperse quickly enough
— 8 colonists dead
Marched on to Concord, but on their way back … forced to
retreat to Boston
British - 70 KIA/170 W
Colonists - 90 KIA
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Ralph Waldo Emerson
Concord Hymn
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.
9/15/13
The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.
On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.
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1
Strengths & Weaknesses
— British
— Well-equipped, disciplined & trained Army
— World’s finest Navy
— Provided support by transporting & landing troops &
protecting supply lines
— 50,000 Loyalist fought w/ them
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When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.
42
1
2
9/15/13
Strengths & Weaknesses
— British
— Well-equipped, disciplined & trained Army
— World’s finest Navy
— Provided support by transporting & landing troops &
protecting supply lines
— 50,000 Loyalist fought w/ them
— Hired 30,000 mercenaries
— Colonists (Americans)
— 1/3 Patriots; 1/3 Loyalists or Tories; 1/3 Neutral
— Fighting on their own territory
— Many Officers – familiar w/ tactics that worked in the French
& Indian War – troops inexperienced
— Moral advantage
— G.W. – Exceptional Commander
— French
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Mood of the Colonists -
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2nd Continental Congress
— (May 1775) - appointed a committee to write the Dec. of
Indep.
— Preamble
— Declaration of rights (Locke and natural rights)
— Complaints against the king
— Resolution of independence
— Still not in open rebellion (maintained loyalty)
— George Washington selected (June 15, 1775) as the
commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the
American Revolutionary War
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Commander-in-Chief
of the Continental Army
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Second Continental Congress
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— Still not in open rebellion (maintained loyalty)
— George Washington selected (June 15, 1775) as the
commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the
American Revolutionary War
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Commander-in-Chief
of the Continental Army
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Second Continental Congress
— Olive Branch Petition (July 1775)
— Professing American loyalty to the crown & begging the king
to prevent further hostilities
— Prohibitory Act (1775)
— December 22, 1775
— Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act, which instituted a
naval blockade of all American ports and halted the
colonies’ trade with the world and among each other.
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Battle of Bunker Hill
— (Breed’s Hill) Bunker Hill overlooking Boston
— June 17, 1775
9/15/13
— 3 waves of attacks
— British - 1100 casualties
— Americans - 400 casualties
— British Military Victory, but American Moral Victory
— The Redcoats retreat from Boston. Gen. Washington & his
men take it over…
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Battle of Bunker Hill
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Battle of Bunker Hill
— The British suffered over 40% casualties.
• 2,250 men
• 1,054 injured
• 226 killed
• Americans: Moral victory
• 800 men
• 140 killed
• 271 wounded
• King George III sends 10,000 Hessian soldiers
to help put down the rebellion.
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Battle of Bunker Hill
— The British suffered over 40% casualties.
• 2,250 men
• 1,054 injured
• 226 killed
• Americans: Moral victory
• 800 men
• 140 killed
• 271 wounded
• King George III sends 10,000 Hessian soldiers
to help put down the rebellion.
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Thomas Paine’s
Common Sense (1776)
— Eloquent case for establishing indep. gov’t.
— One of the most influential pamphlets ever written
— Anonymous
— Contrary to common sense for a large continent to be ruled
by a small distant island & for people to pledge allegiance to
corrupt & unjust government
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Thomas Paine – Common Sense
— Republic
— Not the first to bring it up
— Power flowed from the people themselves (popular consent)
— Not from a powerful, corrupt & despotic gov’t.
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Journal Entry #7
9/15/13
— Describe the battle of Lexington & Concord. What was the
significance of this event? What was the mood of the
colonists at this point?
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Declaration of Independence
— Thomas Jefferson: VA Attorney
— Richard Lee of VA
— Formally Adopted
— July 04, 1776
— Taxation
— Trial by jury
— Military dictatorship
— Army/trade/violence
Fall of King George III
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Declaration of Independence
— Thomas Jefferson: VA Attorney
— Richard Lee of VA
— Formally Adopted
— July 04, 1776
— Taxation
— Trial by jury
— Military dictatorship
— Army/trade/violence
9/15/13
Fall of King George III
King George’s statue is torn down by Patriots in New York City
after the Declaration of Independence is signed by the 2nd
Continental Congress
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Patriots v. Loyalists
— Whigs & Tories
— Minority Movement as rebellions go
— War of Propaganda
— “The Americans would be less dangerous if they had a
regular army”
— 16% were loyalists or ~50,000 Americans
— Geographic differences
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Loyalist/Patriot
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Summer & Fall 1776
— New York: 500 ships and 35,000 men
— Washington routed at Long Island; fled across Delaware River
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BATTLES!!!
— 1776 — Battle of Long Island (Aug) - 1st major battle of the War for
Independence
— British capture of New York
— Washington’s Continental Army was able to escape
capture – fled to PA
— Casualties
— Americans - 312/1407
— British - 377/350
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BATTLES!!!
— 1776 — Battle of Long Island (Aug) - 1st major battle of the War for
Independence
— British capture of New York
— Washington’s Continental Army was able to escape
capture – fled to PA
— Casualties
— Americans - 312/1407
— British - 377/350
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Long Island, New York
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Battle of Long Island
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Battle of Trenton - Dec. 26, 1776
9/15/13
— Occurred after Washington’s escape from New York across
the Delaware
— A daring crossing to surround the Mercenary army of 1400
Hessians.
— Mindset of Washington’s troops
— Nearly the entire Hessian contingent was captured with
almost no losses to the Americans
— THIS WAS A HUGE MORALE BOOST FOR THE
AMERICANS
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Battle of Trenton Map
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Crossing the Delaware River
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A More Accurate Depiction
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BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE (1777)
— Significance — The British took Philadelphia, the capitol of the
Revolutionary movement
— Continental Congress had to flee
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BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE Map
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Battle of Saratoga
— AKA the turning point of the war
— Resulted in the surrender of an entire British army of 9000
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BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE (1777)
— Significance — The British took Philadelphia, the capitol of the
Revolutionary movement
— Continental Congress had to flee
71
BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE Map
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Battle of Saratoga
— AKA the turning point of the war
— Resulted in the surrender of an entire British army of 9000
men invading New York from Canada.
— The French will support us after this battle
9/15/13
— Filled with military blunders on the side of the British
— Lack of communication
— General Benedict Arnold of the Continental Army played
a large role in this victory for the Americans
— He would later switch sides and fight for the British
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Surrender of General Burgoyne to General Gates
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Valley Forge
— Winter of 1777 - 1778
— War during this time
— Poor clothing, food, few blankets (why)
— Disease, sickness, starvation
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General Washington
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Victories in the West & South
— Siege at Yorktown — Washington & Jean-Baptiste-Donatien de Vimeur count de
Rochambeau
— (French commander who aided the Americans – Lt. Gen.)
— Marquis de Lafayette – Major General of the Continental
Army
— Last major land battle of the War for Independence
— French would surround Cornwallis’ fleet in the
Chesapeake Bay
78
Last Major Battle
79
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The Treaty of Paris (1783)
— Officially ended the War for Independence
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— (French commander who aided the Americans – Lt. Gen.)
— Marquis de Lafayette – Major General of the Continental
Army
— Last major land battle of the War for Independence
— French would surround Cornwallis’ fleet in the
Chesapeake Bay
78
9/15/13
Last Major Battle
79
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The Treaty of Paris (1783)
— Officially ended the War for Independence
— The 13 United States of America became autonomous &
independent
— John Adams, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson went to England &
worked out the details
— Ratified by the Congress of the Confederacy
— Took several weeks for news to reach the countryside of
America
— Territory gained… MS river to the W., Great Lakes to the N. &
Spanish Florida to the S.
— Britain w/d its remaining troops from U.S. territory
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