Unit 2: What shaped the Founders’
thinking about government?
Lesson 7
What experiences led to the
American Revolution?
Learning Targets
At the conclusion of this lesson, you should be able to
1. Identify the basic ideas of
constitutional government embodied in
the American colonial governments
2. Describe British policies and why the
colonists began to resist British control
3. Describe American actions that led to
armed resistance and the writing of the
Declaration of Independence
Terms to Understand
Charter
Committees of correspondence
Daughters of Liberty
First Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
Sons of Liberty
Writs of assistance
1. Which ideas did the colonists in
America use to create their governments?
• To establish a British colony, one
generally needed to have a _______ from
the king
• In creating their own governments, the
colonists tried to do ___________ things.
–The colonist tried to _______________
themselves from abuse of power by
the __________ government and their
____________________ government
1.
Which ideas did the colonists in America use to
create their governments? Cont…….
• All ________ governments were based
on the following ideas:
1. Natural rights: to life,__________,
and property
2. Representative government:
________________ representatives
3. Rule of law: No one had _________
power – everyone had to ______ the
law
1.
Which ideas did the colonists in America use to
create their governments? Cont…….
4. Separation of powers : _____ branches
• Executive branch – _________carried out
and enforced the law (appointed by king
or owner of the colony)
• Legislative branch – Legislatures with 2
house _____________ the laws
• Judicial branch – judges or magistrates
(appointed by governor) responsible for
handling _____________ about the laws
5. Checks and balances: ___________ power
between branches
2. Why did the British government
tighten control over the colonies?
• The cost of the war against France
left the British with a large ________
debt.
• Parliament saw the colonies as a
__________ of much-needed money
• Parliament thought the colonist
should help pay _________ portion.
2. Why did the British government tighten control
over the colonies?
British Laws (paraphrase)
• Proclamation of 1763:
• Sugar Act of 1764:
• Stamp Act, 1765:
• Quartering Act, 1765:
• Declaratory Act, 1766:
• Teas Act, 1773:
2. Why did the British government tighten
control over the colonies? Cont…
The laws went ________ the colonists’
belief in representative government
Famous rally cry:
“No taxation without representation”
What does the rally cry infer???
3.
How did the colonists resist British
control?
• Independent voluntary group resisting the British
ways called _____________________________–
eventually ___________ colonies were linked by
committees of correspondence
• Sons of Liberty
– resistance of the Stamp Act and ___________
• Daughters of Liberty
– Resistance or ___________British trade/goods
and drinking tea
3.
How did the colonists resist British control?
Cont….
• Two well known ____________ that resulted in violence:
– The Boston _________, 1770: Group protestors outside of
the tax customs house
– The Boston _____ Party, 1773: Protesting British goods
• The committees of correspondence called for
_____________________from all the colonies to meet in a
general congress once a year.
– First Continental Congress: _______ trade with Great Britain
– War began April 19, __________________
– Second Continental Congress:
• Organized a __________________________ Army
• George Washington _______________ the army
• One year later: Document written by a ____________ to
declare the colonists independence.
{Declaration of Independence}
4.
Why are these rights important?
Page 63
Which right do you think is the most
important right between the 4 stories?
Choose one and explain why?
• An illustration of 4 events resulting from the
enforcement of British laws in the colonies.