Colonial American Conflict

Events that led to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War

Conflict Between France and England

1755

– International war started between France and England

– Fought mostly in North America, India, and Europe

– French and Indian War

American History

– Seven Years War

European History

French and Indian War

French Side

– France

– Native American tribes associated with the Huron

English Side

– England

– American Colonists

– Iroquois Tribes

Enemies of the Huron

England Victorious

France gave up everything in North America.

Pontiacs Rebellion

Near the end of the war, tribes in the west rebelled.

England put down rebellion after an expensive fight.

Proclamation of 1763 – Settlement west of

Proclamation Line prohibited.

Predicting Results

Predict how the application of the Proclamation of 1763 affected the American colonists.

– Indian Problems?

– Freedom?

– Land Prices?

Salutary Neglect

Until French and Indian War, English government ignored the American colonies.

– Americans became used to managing themselves.

– Taxes were low

– Americans were very profitable

Salutary Neglect

In your notes, write, in your own words, a definition of salutary neglect.

Then write a brief statement explaining why such neglect would be a problem for the British when they started to crack down.

War Debt

Debt following the war required England to seek new sources of revenue.

Government control increased

Taxes increased

Navigation Acts

Laws that regulated the trade of the colonies

– With England

– Between the Colonies

– With other nations

Trade with England

No finished goods could be made in the colonies.

Only raw materials could be produced.

– Colonies had to trade only with England.

– Smuggling became a profitable business

John Hancock was a prominent smuggler

– English government used Writs of Assistance to find illegal goods.

General search warrants

Writs of Assistance

How do writs of assistance differ from search warrants issued today?

– Specific probable cause (reason).

– Specific list of what is being searched for.

– Specific location must be identified.

– Time period for search limited.

Sugar Act - 1764

Tax on Sugar and things that contained sugar was lowered

– Penalties for smuggling were increased.

Accused sent to England for trial.

– Idea was to encourage compliance with paying the tax – which would decrease smuggling.

– Colonists were very angry

They did not like taxes – but hated regulation even more.

1765 – Stamp Act

Direct tax on paper items First direct tax on the American colonists

– Stamp Tax became very unpopular. Americans protested vigorously

– Stamp Act Congress First time colonies acted together to

protest English policies. – Boycotts – Non-importation agreements – Sons of Liberty

Gangs of colonists – violently protested the Stamp Act.

Sons of Liberty

Local gangs of anti-British Americans.

– Used terror and violence to resist English law.

– Most important unit was in Boston.

Samuel Adams was the leader.

– Paul Revere

– John Hancock

Samuel Adams

John Hancock Paul Revere

Stamp Act Repealed

Merchants in England were hurt seriously by the boycotts.

– Pressured the government to repeal the tax

Townshend Acts

Replaced the Stamp Act

Taxes were collected on imported goods. – Indirect Tax – tax became part of the price.

Colonists – angry at any tax by this time. – Protests continued

– Sons of Liberty as active as before.

These taxes were also repealed

British sent more troops to America – Especially Boston

Outbreak of Violence

Winter, 1770 in Boston

Conflict between British soldiers and Boston radicals.

Boston Massacre

– Provoked by the people, British soldiers fired their guns on the crowd.

Several were killed

First bloodshed in this increasing conflict.

– Crispus Attucks

Committees of Correspondence

Local groups set up to communicate with committees in other towns. (1772)

– Most colonies had Committees of Correspondence that communicated quickly (Horseback couriers) with each other.

– Colonists could communicate far faster than the English authorities.

8-9 weeks to get to England / 8-9 weeks to get back to the colonies.

Tea Act

British government – still trying to control the colonies

– Tea Act – granted a monopoly to a company to sell tea in the colonies.

Even though colonist drank tea as their beverage of choice – most boycotted tea.

– Sons of Liberty even threatened people who purchased or sold tea.

Boston Tea Party

Sons of Liberty raid on tea ships in Boston Harbor.

– Threw tea into the water to ruin it.

– Violent protest against regulations concerning tea.

British Reaction

Coercive Acts

– Closed Boston Harbor

– Limited the operation of Massachusetts town meetings.

– Required the Quartering of British troops in private homes.

– Took away Massachusetts land in the west.

Intolerable Acts

Colonists began to call the Coercive Acts – the Intolerable Acts.

– Massachusetts reacted

Local militia units began to mobilize

– Continental Congress called to discuss the crisis.

Philadelphia

12 of the American Colonies attended

Boston, 1775

General Gage ordered to capture militia supplies and arrest colonial leaders.

– Samuel Adams and John Hancock were in Concord.

– Paul Revere

Warnings

April 19, 1775

Lexington and Concord

– First battles in the Revolutionary war

British Retreat

As the British retreated to Boston

– Minutemen harassed them the entire way

– About 80 British and 50 colonials were killed that day.

Siege

Colonial Militia surrounded Boston

Colonial troops

– Without leadership

Militia units bickered with each other

– Smallpox outbreak

Fort Ticonderoga

British Fort

Captured by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold

– Green Mountain Boys

Fort contained dozens of Cannons

Ft Ticonderoga

Bunker Hill – June, 1775

British attempt to break the siege.

Attack American positions near Charlestown.

Battle of Bunker Hill

– Breeds Hill

– “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”

Bunker Hill

Tactical victory for the British.

British suffered great losses

– 226 dead and more than 800 wounded

– Americans had 140 killed

People Have to Decide

Loyalists / Tories

– Americans who remained loyal to England and the King.

Patriots / Rebels

– Americans who favored independence.

2nd Continental Congress

Meeting of Colonial leaders in Philadelphia.

– Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, John Adams, George Washington, John Hancock, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson

– Hancock was elected President of the Congress.

2nd Continental Congress

Began to govern the colonies.

– Not yet united

Negotiated with Indian tribes and other nations.

Created the Continental Army

– George Washington appointed commander

Olive Branch Petition

Congress attempted to make peace with the king.

– King George III refused to cooperate

War was now assured

Dorchester Heights

Cannons from Ft Ticonderoga placed there.

Forced the British to flee Boston

War Moves to New York

General Washington decided to move his army to New York City.

Thomas Paine

Common Sense – Booklet that argued

that it was time for Americans to totally separate from England.

Independence Debate

Congress continued to debate the future of America.

Richard Henry Lee proposed (Summer 1776) that the colonies become independent.

A committee was appointed to write a document.

Thomas Jefferson

Authored the Declaration of Independence

Finally approved by the Congress on July 4, 1776.

United States was born.