-
French and Indian War
French and Indian War- Started in Ohio Valley by George Washington
- Became world-wide conflict - Seven Years War
- British reinforcements/generals sent to America
- France successful at first, defending frontier forts
- Great leadership/altered strategy allowed British to win war
- After they took Louisbourg, British made their way down the St. Lawrence R. to take defeat French forces at their settlements
- 2 main settlements = Quebec and Montreal
- French flag flew for the last time over Canada -
Proclamation of 1763
Royal Proclamation of 1763- Established by British govt. in London
- Prohibited settlement beyond Appalachian Mountains
- Not meant to “oppress” colonists but rather to work out the problems with Natives in the area and also to prevent another Pontiac-like uprising
- Americans were still angered by this legislation
- Colonists didn’t abide by Proclamation =
- Many still headed west, in defiance of the Proclamation -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act Song- Modified Sugar &Molasses Act
- Sugar Act, reduced tax on gallon of molasses from 6 pence to 3 pence, but added more foreign goods (sugar, coffee, printed fabric) ®ulated Colonies' export of lumber and iron
- First Lord of Treasury ensured merchants paid tax by increasing British naval presence along American coast
- Enforced tax on molasses caused decline in manufacture of rum, disrupted trade with many the Colonies' economic partners
- Major reason for the Stamp Act revolt -
Quatering Act
One of the Causes of the American Revolution: The Quartering Act- British policy enforced onto American colonies
- Allowed British troops to take shelter and supplies from the colonists -
Stamp Act Congress
- Meeting of representatives from 13 colonies in a building that would later become Federal Hall in NYC
- Discussed Stamp Act - recently passed by Parliament of Great Britain
- Adopted Declaration of Rights and Grievances – no one convinced to sign
- Congress consisted of delegates from 9/13 colonies
- Colonies did not send delegates: Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and New Hampshire
- 1st organized American action in prelude to American Revolution
-
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act- Britain passed the Stamp Act which imposed tax on legal documents, newspapers and even playing cards
- 1st direct tax on American colonists and was resisted
- Successful American campaign = confidence to Americans for avoiding future taxes -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act- Declaration by British Parliament that accompanied repeal of Stamp Act
- Govt. had to repeal Stamp Act because boycotts hurt British trade
- Stated Parliament's authority was the same in America as in Britain
- Also asserted Parliament's authority to make laws binding on the American colonies -
Townshend Acts
- British parliamentary wanted tax American colonists
- 4 acts imposed duties on imports of lead, paint, glass, paper, tea
- Board of customs commissioners to enforce collection
- Colonial quartering of British troops revived
- Colonists protested - taxation without representation, resisted compliance
- Nonimportation agreements w/ colonial merchants cut British imports in half
- All the duties except tax on tea were repealed
-
British troops occupy Boston
- British troops land in Boston to enforce Townshend duties (passed in June 1767)(taxes on paint, paper, tea, etc.)
- Troops presence doesn’t sit well with locals = street fights
- One clash between soldiers and mob (March 1770) left 5 dead
- Some call it the Boston Massacre while others call it the incident on King Street
-
Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre- Between British troops and crowd in Boston
- After provocation of throwing snow/ice balls by the colonists
- British soldiers say they heard someone shout “fire!”
- They fired on the mob and killed five men
- Contributed to unpopularity of British in the years leading up to American Revolution -
Townshend Acts repealed, except tea tax
- Colonists drafted nonimportation agreements and boycotted English goods
- English merchants felt loss of revenue
- Townshend Acts repealed with exception of tax on tea
-
Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party- When British repealed Townsend Act they removed all taxes on goods except for tea focal point of colonists anger
- On evening of December 16, 1773, group of men calling themselves "Sons of Liberty" went to Boston Harbor
- Dressed as Mohawk Indians
- Boarded three British ships: the Beaver, the Eleanor and the Dartmouth
- Dumped forty-five tons of tea into the Boston Harbor -
Quebec Act
- Established Quebec's government and extended its borders
- Provided a governor, appointed council, religious freedom for Roman Catholics, and use of the French civil code
- Attempted to resolve problem of making the colony a province of British North America, tried to build French-Canadian loyalty to British
- Extended the borders of Quebec (include land b/w Ohio and Mississippi rivers)
- One of the Intolerable Acts --> American Revolution
-
"Intolerable Acts"
- Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts passed after Boston Tea Party
- Angered - British Parliament instituted 5 Coercive Acts to punish colonists
- Colonists even more angered by new acts (which stripped colonists of many freedoms and replaced them with limitations)
- These acts include: o The Boston Port Bill - June 1, 1774 o The Quartering Act - March 24, 1765 o The Administration of Justice Act - May 20, 1774 o Massachusetts Government Act - May 20, 1774 o The Quebec Act - May 20, 1774
-
First Continental Congress
-Brought together representatives from every colony but Georgia &Philadelphia
-Discuss response to Intolerable Acts, how to assert rights with British government, wanted to appear as united colonies
-Purpose not to seek independence from Britain
-3 objectives: compose statement of colonial rights, identify British parliaments violation of rights, provide plan to convince Britain to restore rights
-Agreed to boycott British goods, passed resolutions asserting colonial rights
-Agreed to meet again -
Battle of Concord
First Revolutionary Battle at Lexington & Concord- Battle of Lexington set stage for Battle of Concord
- British general Thomas Gage &his troops searched Concord for weapons &100 soldiers stayed at Old North Bridge
- Minutemen gathered from towns
- Neither side wanted to fight but tension built
- Before British could cross the bridge, shot was fired
- John Buttrick ordered the minutemen to fire
- 3 British soldiers died on battleground
- Minutemen inflicted many casualties on the redcoats during their journey back to Boston -
Battle of Lexington
The Battle of Lexington-Conflict @ beginning of Revolutionary War in Lexington, Massachusetts
-American force on Lexington green after hearing from dispatch riders (Paul Revere) that British force were coming to Concord to confiscate provincial military supplies
-British soldiers fired after hearing gunshot (which side shot came from unsure and maybe accidental)
-Fight @North Bridge over Concord River, Colonists capable of using armed force to resist British regulars
-British retreat to Boston -
Second Continental Congress
Jefferson and 2nd Continental Congress write Declaration- State House in Philadelphia
- Few delegates hadn't been at First Continental Congress,some included:Thomas Jefferson,Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock
- Made important decisions:Completely break away from Great Britain,May 1776 - officially put colonies in state of defense,Organized militia of colonies better=American Continental Army,June 1776 – Congress appointed Washington commander-in-chief of Army,Began printing paper $
– 1 of most imp. govt. meetings in US history
– Wrote &signed Dec. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
British Victory at Bunker Hill--1st major battle of American Revolution
-> 15,000 colonial troops assembled near Boston to prevent British army from occupying hills
-Colonists fortified Breed's Hill(withstood cannonade from British ships inBoston Harbor,fought off assualts by British troop but later forced to retreat)
-British won, but gave encouragement to revolutionary cause -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Thomas Paine's Common Sense- Pamphlet written in America by Englishman Thomas Paine
- Called for American independence and union of American colonies
- Propaganda influenced colonists to pursue Revolutionary War
- Interesting fact: Paine's “Crisis” papers, issued from 1776 to 1783, were each signed “Common Sense”
