Aim: What were the major causes
of the American Revolution?
The French and Indian War
A War Between France and England in North
America over control of the Ohio River Valley
The French and Indian War
Why?
1- Great Britain begins
to enforce laws and
tax colonists to pay
for war
2- The End of salutary
neglect
• Imaginary
line created
at
Appalachian
Mts. to keep
settlers from
moving west
The Boston Massacre
•British soldiers killing innocent colonists
•The truth- Colonists were harassing the soldiers
• Used as Propaganda to convince colonists to support revolution
• Colonists
denied
chance at
free land
Stamp Act
First Direct Tax on all
printed materials
– Letters, newspapers, playing
cards
Tax is passed without
their consent
Quartering Act
Colonists could
be forced to
allow British
soldiers in their
home
Invasion of
Privacy and cost
money to feed
the soldiers
The Townshend Acts
• Taxes on
glass, tea,
paint, paper,
and lead
• No taxation
without
representation
The Tea Act
• Maintained a tax
on tea
• Gave British East
India Company a
monopoly of tea
sales
• Hurt colonists who
sold tea
• Results in the
Boston Tea Party
Disguised as Native Americans
The Intolerable Acts
• Laws passed to
punish Boston
for the Tea Party
• New Quartering
Act
• Closed Boston
Harbor
• Colonial Govt. of
Massachusetts is
shut down
Albany Plan of Union
1.
2.
3.
Represents a
different colony
Georgia missing
and New England
contains 4 colonies
weakness in being
separate and
Strength in unity
Unsuccessful because colonies were
unwilling to give up control over their own
affairs.
“No Taxation without
Representation”
• No Representatives
= no voice or say in
Parliament
= no right to tax
• Believed that only
colonial
governments could
tax them
Who had the Advantage?
One advantage missing is that the help the colonists received from
the French
• Money, Soldiers, and a Navy
The Colonists felt
they were being
denied rights that
those in Great
Britain enjoyed!
Patriots
demanded
independence
What does Thomas Paine mean by
naming his Pamphlet “Common Sense”?
What are some reasons
why an individual would
chose to be a Loyalist?
Loyalists
wanted to
remain part of
Britain
Thomas Paine
What does Thomas Paine mean by
naming his Pamphlet “Common Sense”?
Common
Sense that
we should
revolt and be
independent
Treaty of
Paris
1783
• America Gains
Independence
• Gains land up
to the
Mississippi
River
Major Arguments
1. An island should not be able to rule a
continent, especially one that is so
far away
Thomas Paine
• Propaganda
• Convinced
colonists that
Independence
was necessary
2. Remaining a part of Britain will drag
America into European wars
3. No true mother would harm her
children so terribly
John Adams, Feb. 13, 1818
The Revolution was effected before the War
commenced. The Revolution was in the
minds and hearts of the people; a change in
their religious sentiments of their duties and
obligations.... This radical change in the
principles, opinions, sentiments, and
affections of the people, was the real
American Revolution.
John Adams believed the real
revolution was getting people to
believe that a monarchy was wrong
and a democracy was right!