Causes of American Revolution
Chapter 5
Mercantilism Navigation Acts
Prevented Colonial Merchants to use _______ ships
Prevented colonial merchants to trade with ________
Proclamation of 1763 King George prevented colonists to go
across Appalachian Mountains to settle Purpose
Prevent fighting with natives Ppl from Britain can go there, not colonists
Reaction Speculators were upset because they bought
lands west of Appalachian Mountains
French and Indian war Britain was in massive debt Wonder who’s going to pay the debt…
Section 1: Taxation Without Representation
Writs of Assistance Legal Documents which allowed customs
officers to enter anywhere for smuggled goods
Smugglers forced to Vice-admiralty courts where there were no juries
Sugar Act Lowered tax on molasses imported by
colonists Officers seize goods without going to court
Purpose to Writs of A. & Sugar Convince colonial merchants to end smuggling
Reaction to Sugar & W.o.A.
Stamp Act Tax on all printed goods labeled by a stamp
Problems Parliament ignored self government James Otis- “Taxation with Representation is
Tyranny”
Reactions to Stamp Act Patrick Henry convinced Virginia assembly
to pass resolution only Virginia can tax Virginians
Samuel Adams formed Sons of Liberty Burned effigies Tarred and feathered tax collectors
Reactions to Stamp Act Stamp Act Congress
Petition to Parliament and king that colonies can not be taxed by them
Merchants boycotted
Non importation agreements- Agreement not to buy British goods
Stamp Act Repealed Stamp Act was canceled
Parliament passed Declaratory Act Parliament was allowed to tax colonies
Townshend Acts Taxed on glass, tea, paper, and lead
exported to colonists
Reactions Daughters of Liberty
Made homemade fabrics and goods
Section 2: Building Colonial Unity
Boston… Around 2,000 British soldiers stationed in
Boston Soldiers stole items or took jobs
Boston Massacre https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BOWMV-YKLo
Paul Revere made engraving to spread propaganda against British
Committees of Correspondence revived by Sam Adams. This committee brought up grievances against Britain and many other committees were formed.
Tea Act 1773 Townshend Acts were repealed except on
tea
British East India Company did not pay tax to export tea
BEIC sold directly to shopkeepers, not colonial merchants
Tea Act 1773 Reaction
Angry at monopoly “We’ll part with our tea”- Daughters of Liberty https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR77JNqdOI0
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts 1774 Closed Boston Harbor
Massachusetts colonists lost rights
Bostonians were forced to allow redcoats to stay in their homes
Quebec Act Set up permanent government for French
Catholics in Quebec
Section 3: A Call to Arms
Continental Congress Met at Philadelphia Purpose
Establish political body Challenge the British government
Delegates
1. Samuel Adams
2. John Adams (younger cousin)
3. Richard Henry Lee
4. Patrick Henry
5. George Washington
Decisions of Congress Grievances against all acts
Boycott all British commerce
Suffolk Resolves County in Massachusetts formed militias
Militia: citizen soldiers
Minutemen Minutemen- companies (group of soldiers)
ready to fight in a minute’s notice
British soldiers… British general ordered to destroy weapons
at Concord
Paul Revere and William Dawes warned peoples and Sam Adams
Lexington & Concord https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_KOu09z_GA
The Battle of Bunker Hill Colonel William Prescott waited on top with
1,200 militia men “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”.
British redcoats charged up the hill 3 times, failing the first two times
Colonists lost because ran out of ammo
The Battle of Bunker Hill Fun Fact: It wasn’t fought on Bunker hill,
they actually fought on Breed’s hill
Choosing Sides1. Loyalists
a. Did not consider taxation and regulations a good reason to rebel
b. Officeholders
c. Expected Britain to win the war
2. Patriots
a. Determined to win American Independence
Section 4: Moving Toward Independence
Second Continental Congress Govern colonies Print money Post Office (Benjamin Franklin in charge) Committees to speak with Native
Americans Formed Continental Army (George
Washington as its commander)
Second Continental Congress Sent a Olive Branch Petition to King
George Reaction
King George sends 30,000 Hessian mercenaries
Colonies Attack! Benedict Arnold fails taking Quebec from
Britain
George Washington trains undisciplined militia He retakes Boston from the British redcoats
Thomas Paine Wrote pamphlet called Common Sense
Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson wrote it
Ideas inspired from John Locke – “People born with natural rights to life, liberty, and property”
Governments formed to protect citizens’ rights, citizens have power to overthrow if rights are
Declaration of Independence Sections
Preamble
Rights colonists ought to have and complaints against Britain
Conclusion claiming independence
Grievances against King George III
Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776