American
Revolution
TCI chapter 5
5.1: Introduction
O 1750s: Great Britain & colonies (Col.)
O fought vs. French & Indian allies
O The French and Indian War:
O Great Britain huge debts
O vast new empire to protect
O To solve its problems –
O British gov. passed new laws
O tightened economic, political & geographic control
of the colonies.
O Some = placed new taxes on the Col.
O Colonists = stunned
O Had not paid large % of taxes in over 70
years
O Monarch = ocean away
O Had created local governments by the
people to resolve colonial issues
5.2: Before 1763
O Rapid growth = colonial self-government
O American concept = freedom of ideals;
economic opportunity
O Colonial assemblies = det. Who paid what &
how spent
F/I war =
O conflict over Ohio River Valley region
O 7 years (1754 – 1763)
O Treaty of Paris = ended war
O England = all lands east of Mississippi River
5.3 Early British Actions in the Colonies
O 1760: King George crowned; proud &
stubborn, take-charge kind of ruler
O Proclamation of 1763:
O due to Pontiac’s Rebellion
O No settlement beyond Appalachian Mtns.
O Settlers already beyond
O British increased to +7,500 Regulars
Stamp Act
O B. needed to pay off large war debt
O Prime Minister Greenville – tax colonies
O 1765: Stamp Act required colonists to buy
stamp for every piece of paper used
O Newspapers, wills, licenses, playing cards,
etc.
O Col. Offended – violation of rights; no
representation in Parliament
Colonial responses
O Loyalists (those loyal to Britain) refused to
buy stamps (boycot)
O Patriots more violent
O Sons of Liberty – terrorized tax collectors
O Tar & feather
O Mock burying alive CT before tax collector
O Parliament repealed (canceled) Stamp Act
Quartering Act
O Anger re: Stamp Act began to fade but Q.A.
created in 1765
O Law ordered colonial assemblies to provide
B. troops with
O quarters (housing)
O Candles, firing, bedding, cooking utensils,
salt, vinegar, beer & cider
O NJ protested; NY refused to provide funds
5.4 Townshend Acts
O Charles Townshend – retain B. presence in
America
O 1767: Townshend Acts = duty (tax) such as
glass, paint, paper, and tea
O response
O Sam Adams (gifted at stirring protests)
O Boycotting
O Women = refused to purchase & made supplies
instead
O Law repealed
Lord North
O Townshend duties = losing money for crown
O Repeal all but keep tea tax
O Bostonians = worst trouble makers of all
O British Regulars red uniforms =
“lobsterbacks”
O Increased troop presence to squelch trouble
Boston Massacre
O March 5, 1770: Col. Mob throwing rocks,
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snowballs & ice balls at troops guarding Boston
Customs House
Mob pressed forward, soldier knocked to ground
Troops opened fire
Crispus Attucks = first to die
Troops = tried for murder
Sam Adams called incident “massacre”
Paul Revere = engraving of incident
Two sides of B. Massacre
O Loyalists – saw incident as need for troop
presence
O Patriots – increased troops incraesed
tensions
O John Adams (lawyer & cousin to Sam
Adams)
O Represented troops under need for fair trial
O Argued self-defense
O Won the case; voice of fairness
Boston Tea Party
O 1773: duty on tax & restricted imports from
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East India Tea Co.
Lowered cost but still angered col. Due to
lack of rep. in Parliament
Smuggled Dutch Tea instead
Argued E. India Co. = monopoly
12-16-1773: Sons of Liberty dressed as
Mohawk Indians & dumped 90,000 lbs. of
tea into Boston Harbor
5.7 Intolerable Acts
O Angered Parliament – passed new series of
laws
O Coercive Acts (British name) aka Intolerable
Acts (Colonists)
O 1. closed B. Harbor until ruined tea paid for
O 2. gov. of MA = under B. control
O 3. B. soldiers accused of murder = tried in
England (not col.)
O 4. Increase troops in colonies
Virginian response
O Support Bostonians
O Called for congress (meeting) of delegates
from all colnies
O Find peaceful solution to conflicts with G.B.
O Not all colonists agreed – Loyalists said they
would side with the King if forced between
the two sides
First Continental Congress
O September 1774: 50+ leaders form 12
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colonies met in Philadelphia
Patrick Henry unified groups’ thinking
“I am not a Virginian, but an American.”
Agreed to send respectful message to King
George
Msg urged king to consider complaints
Increase boycott of B. goods until Parliament
repealed Intolerable Acts
Additional responses
O Col. Formed militias (citizen groups who drill
to fight with weapons if necessary)
O Minutemen: New Englanders who swore to
fight in “minutes” notice
O Gunpowder, cannons, weapons = stolen &
secured by colonists for possible fighting
5.8 Lexington & Concord
O April 18, 1775: General Gage (British) sent
troops to confiscate weapons hidden in
Concord
O Paul Revere & 3 others rode on horses
waking townspeople & warning militias
British troops coming
O Dawn Lexington Green – random shot (Shot
heard ‘round the world)
O British fired in response – killed & wounded
several Americans
Lexington & Concord
O Marched on to Concord
O Colonists had taken shot & powder from
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storage
Formed militias to ambush upon B. troops
march back to Boston
Concord North Bridge = confrontation – Am.
Held their ground
B. - 74 dead; 200 missing or wounded
Am. – 49 dead; 41 wounded; increased
colonial support to rebel