2. American Revolution
1752-1791
1752-1763 1763 1763 1763
French and Indian War Peace of Paris Treaty Proclamation of 1763 King George III
British Parliament law; colonists Worried that the loss of a colony
The American Revolution started would cause a decline in his empire.
Ended the French & Indian War. were forbidden to settle west of
with the French & Indian War. He struggled to enforce an
France agreed to turn most of the Appalachian Mountains. It aggressive policy against colonists.
French & Indians fought against
their North American land over to was an Indian reserve. Britain With the rise of King George III, a
the British & Americans. British &
the British. wanted to avoid another violence series of unfair acts were created.
Americans won. It was a costly Mercantilism guaranteed that trade
or war with Indians.
war. balances favored Great Britain.
3. American Revolution
1752-1791
1764 1765
Patrick Henry The Sugar Act The Stamp Act No Taxation w/o Representation
A lawyer; member of the Virginia The first of many acts created against Required that legal & paper documents Slogan used by colonists because
House of Burgesses; he argued the colonies to raise have an official stamp showing a tax had they were mad about Britain’s
against King George III; he was money to pay off the debt of the been paid. Colonists printers refused to Parliament creating taxes. Colonies
against the Stamp Act. He argued French & Indian War. Created a pay and printed comical mock-ups of the were not represented in Britain’s
that the King had no right to tax for Americans on imports like
override the laws. He declared a sugar, coffee & other goods. The stamp on their published goods. Patrick law-making body. Britain argued
sacred contract between the ruler British economic policies caused Henry spoke against the Stamp Act. colonies had “virtual
& his subjects had been broken. many colonists to resent British rule. Colonists’ protests began. Taxation: The
act of taxing. representation.”
Editor's Notes
Teacher must click on “Watch Video” (3:20) (make sure the correct website loads; there seems to be a glitch sometimes.)“AMERICAN REVOLUTION” http://www.history.com/topics/the-continental-congress/media#american-revolutionIncludes speakers: Tom Brokaw, Brian Williams, 1st Sgt. William Bodette, US Marine Corps, General David H. Petraeus, Commander, US Central Command, Newt GringrichNote: Brian Williams, from NBC nightly news, says “a can of early American whoop ass” during his description of the minutemen. 3 ½ minute video: “The American Revolution” is about the little man winning because they were fighting from their hearts, fighting for their lives. Objectives during this unit are: Discover the causes of the war, conflicts and battles, the colonists' determination and culture of Colonial America during the mid to late 1700s.
(All factual info from: http://www.history2u.com/book2_independence.htm) Bold, italic text is info from c-scope.In the French and Indian War (1752 -1763) British troops fought beside Americans militiamen, achieving victory as brothers in arms. The conflict was a costly endeavor, and England, one after another, on a people spiritually attuned to a life of freedom. British-born government officials and military personnel viewed American subjects as less sophisticated and socially inferior. Policies of mercantilism guaranteed that trade balances favored British-based businesses. Through the oppressive Navigation Acts, Americans were only allowed to trade with Great Britain, and the British government dictated all prices. Since British-manufactured products were priced higher than colonial agricultural goods, British merchants accumulated wealth while Americans struggled economically. The Peace of Paris Treaty-1763The colonies had hope to recover economically as they acquired new land.The 1763 Peace of Paris Treaty, ended the French and Indian War, and France’s agreed to turn most of their North American land over to the British. And, the colonists had trade routes.Proclamation of 1763: Indian tribes did not accept those terms b/c they had sided with the French during the war. French traders, urged the Indian tribes to start a war against the Americans. Thousands of miles of territories, were devastated, with hundreds of colonial traders massacred. After a three year struggle, British troops stopped the Indians.Desperate to avoid the expense of war, Great Britain’s King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763, establishing an Indian reserve west of the Appalachian mountains. Six thousand British troops were posted along the frontier to maintain the peace. Whites who had already settled on the Indian side of the boundary were forced out of their homes. Most colonists lost access to the waterways of the Ohio valley, as only licensed traders were allowed to cross into Indian lands.-------------------Proclamation of 1763: British Parliament law; colonists were forbidden to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains, Britain wanted a buffer zone between the colonists and the Native Americans (reduce threat of violence) but the colonists wanted to settle the fertile Ohio River Valley.Despite the Indians, most white settlers in the colonies remained committed to living in peace and harmony with neighboring American Indians. Devout Christian denominations, such as Quakers, actively shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with regional tribes. However, near the end of 1763, the Paxton Boys, an unruly gang of thugs, slaughtered hundreds of peaceful Indians in western Pennsylvania, including a number of Christian converts. Marching onward to Philadelphia, they threatened to kill Quakers and other colonists deemed “Indian lovers.” The Paxton Boys’ reign of terror was abruptly ended by a Philadelphia militia group assembled by Benjamin Franklin.King George III: Feared that the loss of one group of colonies would lead to the loss of others and the eventual decline of the empire. To prevent this, the Crown maintained an aggressive policy against colonial resistance. George III struggle to enforce royal authority throughout his reign.King George III opposed the liberation of colonial government in America. Mercantilism: System by which a nation increases its wealth and power by obtaining from its colonies gold, silver, and other raw materials. It includes a favorable balance of trade. The colonies become a source of raw materials for the mother country. The colonies also are expected to be the purchasers of manufactured goods from the mother country. (Mercantilism includes the theory that a colony exists for the economic benefit of the mother country.)
3)PATRICK HENRY:The king mocked the authority of colonial legislatures, overriding Virginia laws & regulating salaries. Virginia lawyer Patrick Henry argued that the King had no right to override the laws of a representative assembly.Henry declared that a sacred contract between the ruler and his subjects had been broken.SUGAR ACT:British economic policies following the French and Indian War: To raise money to help pay off the debt incurred from the French and Indian War caused many colonists to resent British rule (e.g. Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Tea Act).King George III’s disregard for the colonists was shared by the leadership in Parliament. In 1764, the British created a series of tax policies designed to get more money from the colonists. The first was the Sugar Act, imposing new tax fees on imports paid by Americans for sugar, coffee, & other goods. Foreign products passed through British ports before delivery to the colonies at a double tax rate. A clause of the Sugar Act required those accused of violating trade laws to be tried before British naval officers, instead of a jury of peers.STAMP ACT:Required that all legal documents (diplomas, contracts, wills, newspapers) have an official stamp showing that a tax had been paid; British used this to generate revenue to help cover the cost of the French and Indian War: colonists react by rioting and Stamp Act Congress convenes (Oct 1765).Taxation: The action of taxing.British Parliament enforced the Currency Act:1764 forbidding printing any paper money not redeemable in gold or silver. In 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, making colonial printers pay a tax to obtain licensing stamps, which were required on almost every printed item (newspapers, advertisements, legal documents, and playing cards)Imported goods were taxed in the Sugar Act; Stamp Act was an internal tax on Americans for American-made goods. Patrick Henry: A member of the Virginia House of Burgesses; spoke against the Stamp Act Risking the charge of treason, Patrick Henry boldly denounced the Stamp Act & declared King George III a tyrant. James Otis, led the Stamp Act opposition in Massachusetts, while Boston businessman, Samuel Adams, organized a resistance group called the Sons of Liberty. (we will talk more about Samuel Adams & the Sons of Liberty in a moment).The policies were openly defied. Printers refused to pay the stamp tax, and printed comical mock-ups of the stamp on their published good, and colonists boycotted British-made products. To discourage further colonial defiance, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act on the same day. The new law proclaimed that the British government had the broad authority to enact any law or levy any tax on the colonies.Civil disobedience: The process of defying codes of conduct within a community or ignoring the policies and government of a state or nation when the civil laws are considered unjust. Examples of civil disobedience include nonviolent actions such as boycotts , protests and refusal to pay taxes.Boycott: To refuse to have dealings with, usually to express disapproval of certain conditions.NO TAXATION W/O REPRESENTATION:Lack of representation in Parliament: Since the formation of the colonies, the colonists had set up their own legislative assemblies; colonist were unhappy about Britain’s insistence on the supremacy of Parliament (taxation); the debate turned into one regarding representation. The colonists did not have direct representation in Britain’s law-making body (parliament); Britain argued that the colonies had “virtual representation.”The Stamp Act Crisis and its significance:The Stamp Act was widely opposed by the colonies. Protests set a pattern of resistance that led to the American independence. During the Stamp Act, Americans argued that there was a difference between taxing them for revenue and taxing them for the regulation of trade. They felt Britain did not have authority to tax them for revenue.The colonies resisted being taxed and used the slogan“No taxation without representation”. They believed that when they are taxed, the government takes away their private property & they would have the right to do so only with permission of its citizens. Since they had no representation in parliament they had no right to tax its colonial residents.In 1765, James Otis gathered delegates from nine colonies and assembled “the Stamp Act Congress” in New York City. They declared that that no taxes should be imposed on the people without their consent. Their slogan, “no taxation without representation,” was widely echoed throughout the colonies.
Video 1: “Colonist Protest British Policies” (3:00)http://www.history.com/topics/the-continental-congress/media#colonists-protest-british-policiesVideo about: Sugar, Stamp, Townshend, Intolerable, Quartering Act, Boston Tea Party Video 2: “Boston Massacre Sparks a Revolution”(1:30)http://www.history.com/topics/the-continental-congress/media#boston-massacre-helps-spark-the-american-revolutionThe shooting of several men by British soldiers in 1770 enflames passions in the colonies.5)TOWNSHEND ACTS:British assumed that since the Americans resisted the Stamp tax, but not the Sugar tax, they would only oppose levies on colonial-made products. And in 1767, Charles Townshend directed the government to levy new colonial taxes on such British products as glass, lead, paint dyes, paper, and tea. As part of the Townshend Acts, Parliament included a measure to enforce the tax by allowing British agents to search any home, plantation, or place of business for prohibited goods. The New York legislature was replaced with a British appointees. The measure was largely a retaliation against New York for hosting the Stamp Act Congress.John Dickinson, the Philadelphia lawyer, called for peaceful resistance of the Townshend Acts through petitions and renewed boycotts of British products. In 1768, the Massachusetts legislature produced their own condemnation of the Townshend Acts through a letter, drafted by Samuel Adams and endorsed by seven other colonies. In response, the British government ordered the governor of Massachusetts to disband the colony’s legislature.Peaceful colonial resistance to the Townshend Acts was met with further intimidation by customs agents and soldiers. In June of 1768, British troops were dispatched to the Massachusetts port of Boston. Colonial boycotts intensified, reducing British imports by half. Major American ports were closed to British vessels. Colonists evaded the tea tax by smuggling foreign tea from Holland. Nevertheless, British troops remained a menacing presence in Boston, and it was only a matter of time before colonial resistance turned violent. Video: “Colonist Protest British Policies” 3 minuteshttp://www.history.com/topics/the-continental-congress/media#colonists-protest-british-policiesVideo about: Sugar, Stamp, Townshend, Intolerable, Quartering Act, Boston Tea Party Video: “Boston Massacre Sparks a Revolution”1 ½ minutehttp://www.history.com/topics/the-continental-congress/media#boston-massacre-helps-spark-the-american-revolutionThe shooting of several men by British soldiers in 1770 enflames passions in the colonies. ARTWORK: C-scope says student’s must recognize the artwork.Most Massachusetts towns were characterized by Christian morality; however, Boston’s waterfront taverns were often filled with a rough group of society. In a city of 16,000 colonists, the British government had moved in 4,000 troops. An unjust atmosphere was fueled by lots of tavern alcohol, and in 1770, a group of young Bostonians began throwing snowballs at a British guard outside. When the soldier called for the assistance of nearby British guards, other colonists joined the fight, quickly transforming the group into a large mob. Some Bostonians placed rocks inside their snowballs, inflicting pain on their targets. Facing the prospect of death or serious injury by stoning, eight terrified British redcoat soldiers aimed their guns at the mob and fired. Five Bostonians were killed. Though the colonial hooligans had started the brawl, they were supported by fellow colonists for resisting British oppression. Those killed were immortalized as the first martyrs of an American revolution. Among dead was an African-American dockworker, Crispus Attucks. Samuel Adams named the incident the “Boston Massacre.” Concerned that the British sentries would not receive a fair trial, John Adams (second cousin of Samuel) and fellow lawyer Josiah Quincy volunteered to defend them. Though opposed to British tyranny, the two law partners were devout Christians who believed that truth and justice should prevail over emotional zealotry. In the end, six Redcoats were acquitted, while two received reduced charges with light sentences.While most colonies maintained peaceful relations with Great Britain, Americans and British hostilities endured in the New England region. In June 1772, the hated British customs ship, that was known for harassing colonial trading ships, ran along the Rhode Island coast. Seizing an opportunity for revenge, a group of colonists in Indian disguises boarded the ship and set it ablaze. Witnesses to the event refused to reveal the identities of the guilty to British investigators. The Boston MassacreA Behind-the-Scenes Look At Paul Revere's Most Famous EngravingWhen Paul Revere first began selling his color prints of "The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street" in Boston, he was doing what any like-minded patriot with his talents in 1770 would have done. Only, Paul Revere did it faster than anyone else, including two other artist-engravers who also created prints of the Massacre that year. Twenty-one days before — on the night of March 5, 1770 — five men had been shot to death in Boston town by British soldiers. Sparking the event known as the Boston Massacre was a mob of men and boys taunting a guard at the city's customs house. When other British soldiers came to the guard's support, a free-for-all ensued and shots were fired into the crowd. Four died on the spot and a fifth died after four days. Six others were wounded. The presence of British troops in Boston had long been a sore point among Boston's politicians. Paul Revere wasted no time in capitalizing on the Massacre to highlight British tyranny and stir up anti-British sentiment among his fellow colonists. As you will see, Revere's historic engraving is long on political propaganda and short on accuracy or aesthetics.Notice how the British Grenadiers are shown standing in a straight line shooting their rifles in a regular volley, whereas when the disturbance actually erupted both sides were belligerent and riotous. Notice also that Revere's engraving shows a blue sky. Only a wisp of a moon suggests that the riot occurred after nine o'clock on a cold winter night. Notice too the absence of snow and ice on the street, and Crispus Attucks — a black man lying on the ground closest to the British soldiers — is shown to be white. As a result of his death in the Boston Massacre, Crispus Attucks emerged as the most famous of all the black men to fight in the cause of the Revolution, and become its first martyr. In his rush to produce his engraving Revere employed the talents of Christian Remick to colorize the print. Remick's choice of colors is simple yet effective. Notice the use of red for the British uniforms and the blood. The other colors — blue, green, brown and black — all contribute to make this print what is arguably the most famous in America. Few historians would deny that the Boston Massacre proved to be a milestone in America's road to independence. By popularizing the tragic event, Paul Revere's print became "the first powerful influence in forming an outspoken anti-British public opinion," one which the revolutionary leaders had almost lost hope of achieving. Documentation has come to light over the years revealing details on the other Boston Massacre paintings. Revere copied an engraver’s drawings of the Massacre, produced his own engraving, and three weeks after the occurrence was advertising his prints for sale in Boston's newspapers. By the time the original engraver’s prints hit the street, Revere's print had flooded the market. A third engraving was made that also depicted the event. Except for a number of minor differences, all three prints appear alike.
