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The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was an unorganized, but widespread reformtion. Religious leaders agreed that the colonists were losing their faith in religion, so individual ministers set about, preaching "revivals," throughout the colonies.This event brought religious faith back to the colonies, as well as a sense of unity and equality. Trade also was increased, because people would travel from state to state to hear the revivals. What the ministers did was renew the colonists' faith, inspire them, *cont. -
Great Awakening cont.
give them a sense of unity and equality, make trade widespread, and most importantly, the colonists started to question British authority and descisions. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian war started because the French and the British both wanted colonies, and new lands. They went to war because of this. The British won the war, reulting in the colonists being unfairly taxed, and limitations set on their living locations. -
The Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was caused by the French and Indian War. The British feared that if colonists continued to move and settle into Indian lands, it would result in more fighting. The British passed a law that prevented the colonists from moving onto Indian lands, to prevent further conflict. Most of the colonists hated this law, and some just ignored it. This event was significant because it proved that the colonists and the British had different ideas about what was best for the colonies. -
Sugar Act
Brittain maintained a standing army in North America to protect the colonists from further Indian attacks. To pay for this army, parliment decided to tax the colonists on all imported sugar and molases. The colonists loathed this law, but they had no choice but to pay the taxes. This was important, because it was the first law that parlimet designed specifically to raise money for the colonies. It led to more laws like it, and more taxes. -
Stamp Act
The colonists were complaining about the sugar act, so Prime Minister Grenville suggested the idea of the stamp act, and it was later passed. This forced the colonists to purchase an official stamp, or seal, whenever they purchased thing like newspapers, liscenses, legal documents, playing cards, etc. The colonists hated, and rebeled, to this law in particular. Some colonists just ignored it and din't buy the stamps. This event was important, because the colonists saw this as the first law *cont -
Stamp Act cont.
that parlimet had passed that wasn't on foreign trade goods to raise money from the colonies. This led to several colonies, such as New York and Massachusetts, to form secret societies, called the Sons of Liberty. The Sons of Liberty often used violence to frighten tax collectors, causing many to quit their jobs. -
Townshend Acts
The repeal of the Stamp Act led up to the Townshend Acts. Parliment passed the act, which put taxes on imported glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. Britain used the profits for military expenses, and the salaries of colonial governers. This event was important, because the colonists were actaully starting to really rebel and fight back Britain. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was the killing of five colonists by British troops.Tensions had been growing in the colonies, ever since British troops had been stationed in Massachusetts, in 1768. They were there to enfore the townshend acts. The British soldiers tried to keep trouble from arising, During the tensions between the people and the soldiers, a mob formed around a British sentry, and he was suject to verbal abuse, and harassment. Several other troops came to his side, and without orders, *cont -
Boston Massacre cont.
fired into the crwod, killing two colonists on the spot. Two other colonists later died because of injuries obtained in the shooting. Eight soliders were arrested for murder. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was another act passed byParliment of Great Britain. One of the main objectives of the act was to reduce the huge surplus of tea in the london warehouses. They wanted to undercut the price of tea smuggled into the North American colonies, to convince the colonists to purchase more tea, and unconsciously agree to Parliment's right to tax them. The colonists realized what was happening, and that is why this even was significant. This event also led to the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was ultimately caused by the Tea Act. When tea ships from Britain arrived in Boston harbor, some colonists wanted the tea to be sent back to Britain without paying any taxes. Parliment insisted on having all taxes paid. Later, on December 16th, a group of colonists dressed up as Indians boarded the ships and dumped all the tea in the harbor, destroying it. This event showed Britain that the colonists were sick of paying British taxes, and having unfair laws forced upon them. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were ultimately caused by the Boston Tea Party. The Acts were a series of laws passed by British Parliment in 1774, British merchants had lost huge amounts of money on destryed goods sent to the colonies. Boston Harbor was close for trade until the British merchants were compensated. Town meeting were banned, and Parliment's power increased. General Gage, the Biritsh commander of north American forces, was made governer of Massachusetts. But Britain had gone too far. *cont. -
Intolerable Acts
Thge other 12 colonies sent supplies to Massachusetts, and the first inter-colonial conference was called since the Stamp Act. -
Battle of Lexington/Concord
The battle of Lexington and Concord was important because it was a vital first step in the American revolution. General Gage sent 700 soldiers to Concord, just outside of Boston, to destroy the firearms colonists had been storing there. They also planned to arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams, two of the leaders in the patriot movement. Paul Rever was sent to alert Adams and Hancock. Since he wasn't sure if he could leave the city with the message, *cont. -
Battle of Lexington/Concord cont.
He devised a plan to put lanterns in the Old North Church Steeple. He would light one lantern if the British were coming by land, and two if by sea. On the evening of April 18, the British were ferried by Boston Harbor to start their march on Lexington, and Revere, William Dawes, and Dr. Samuel Prescott, rode to alert the colonists that the British were coming. John Hancoack and Samuel Adams escaped by the time the British had gotten to Lexington. The colonists had been expecting a fight, *cont. -
Battle of Lexington/Concord cont.
they created a military called the minutemen. (They could prepare to fight on a moment's notice). When the British reached Lexington, there stood 75 armed minutemen and Captain Jonas Parker. The British fired, killing 8 minutemen and injuring 10 others. Although Paul Revere was captured by British, others warned the colonists, and they moved the arms from Concord into surrounding towns. The British could only destroy some of them. Minutemen began to respond to the messangers, *cont. -
Battle of Lexington/Concord cont.
and a large force of minutemen began to shape in front of the British soldiers. As the British troops went back to Boston, they were attacked by the minutemen, local farmers, and townspeople. By the time the British reached Boston, 73 British soldiers were dead, and another 174 were wounded. 49 patriots were killed, and another 39 wounded. This event was extrememly significant, because it showed the British that the colonists could fight back. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
After the battle of Lexington/Concord, the colonists' patriot military controlled the land surrounding Boston. Through their spies, the colonists learned that the British might be planning an attack on Bunker Hill. Roughly 1,600 patriots were sent to make camp at Breed's Hill, which was closer to Boston than Bunker Hill. On June 17, British General Howe led 2,600 soldiers up Breed's hill. After the British charged twice, the Americans had to retreat the third time. *cont. -
Battle of Buker Hill cont.
Although the British lost hundreds of soldiers, they gained control over Breed's Hill. This event gave the British confidence, and slightly discouraged the colonists. -
Common Sense
"Common Sense," was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, but at the time of publish, anonymous. It was signed "Written by an Englishman," and had the largest sales rate in porportion to the population, in American history. The pamphlet argued for freedom from British rule. This pamphlet was a huge milestone in the American Revolution. It inspired people to fight for their independence. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written for two different reasons: To declare independence from England, and to tell why they were declaring independence. The total document is made of about 1,400 words. 1,000 in the middle, and 400 split between the beginning and the end. It states that all men are created eual, and they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. These rights were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This meant that an individual could *cont. -
Declaration of Independence cont.
use their time, talents, and resources to pursue the direction in life that they believe will bring them satisfaction and benefits themself and others. The document also said that the purpose of government was to protect and serve the people. People can alter, abolish, or give the government power- the government got its power from the people. In the 1,000 words in the middle of the document, 25 abuses were stated about the King. These icluded abuses of: laws, legislatures, military, *cont. -
Declaration of Independence cont.
the court system, the people, and taxation. The document also included something called the "Rights of the Soverign States." This was made up of three rights: 1. All political connections with England have been dissolved. 2. The colonies are free to be free and independant states. 3. The colonies had the right to act as all other free countries. This document was one of the most important factors in the American Revolution. -
Battle of Saratoga
As British General John Burgoyne made his way through New York, planning to divide the colonies, his badly outnumbered troops clashed with the patriots at the battle of Saratoga. Burgoyne suffered a major defeat to the patriot troops under Generals Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold. He formally surrendered to Gates. This marked the greatest victory for American troops so far. -
Battle of Yorktown
The battle of Yorktown was an American and French defeat of the British. American forces were led by George Washingron, French forces were led by Comte de Rochambeau, and British forces were led by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis. This proved to be the last battle of the Revolutionary War, beause Cornwallis' surrender forced the British to negotiate an end to all of the fighting. -
Treaty of Paris
On September 3, 183, the Treaty of Paris was signed. This ended the Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the Unsited States and it's allies. The treaty was signed by Americans John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay; and British David Hartley. Hartley was representing British Monarch Kinf George III. The document stated America to be free, independant, soverign states, established boundries between England and North America, *cont. -
Treaty of Paris cont.
granted Americans fishing rights, recognizing lawful debts to be paid to creditors on either side, prisoners of war on either side to be released, all property left by the British army in the America be unharmed, Britain given access to the Mississippi River, etc. The entire American revolutiuon resulted in this event. This event ended the American Revolution- America was now free.
