Road to Revolution

1763-1775

Focus Questions

1. How did the Seven Years War bring on a crisis of empire between the colonies and the crown?

2. How did British policies from 1764-1775 appear to violate colonial and economic rights, to what extent did these changes cause the American Revolution?

3. How did British military strategy develop and then fail during the Revolution?

4. How did the Revolution affect the lives of women and African Americans?

Mercantilism and Colonial Grievances

Georgia was the only colony to be formed by Britain.

 mercantilism The Navigation Law of 1650 Pontiac’s War Proclamation of 1763 Salutary Neglect John Locke

Coercive (Intolerable) Acts

1 Parliament punished the people of Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party by restricting colonists' rights.  The laws made restrictions on town meetings, closed harbors and the Quebec Act was passed that same year.

2 1st Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in order to discuss colonial grievances over the Intolerable Acts.  The 13 colonies, excluding Georgia, sent 55 men to the convention. After 7 weeks -

Declaration of Rights: solemn appeals to other British-American colonies, to the king, and to the British people. 

The Association was the most important outcome of the Congress.  It called for a complete boycott of British goods; nonimportation, nonexportation, and nonconsumption.

'The Shot Heard Around the World'

April 1775, the British commander in Boston sent a detachment of troops to Lexington.  They were to seize provisions of colonial gunpowder and to capture the "rebel" leaders (Samuel Adams and John Hancock). 

This incident was labeled as the "Lexington Massacre."  When the British went on to Concord, they were met with American resistance and there were over 300 casualties and 70 deaths. 

War not a Rebellion

Strengths

Great Britain

population was over 3 times as large as the population of America. 

had a much greater economic wealth and naval power.

Colonists

Marquis de Lafayette- French general in the colonial army, his services were invaluable in securing further aid from France.

The Articles of Confederation was adopted in 1781.  It was the first written constitution adopted by colonists.

Knowledge of the land

Weaknesses

Great Britain

rebellion in Ireland, and France,

Britain was therefore forced to divert much of its military power and concentration away from the Americas. 

Britain's army in America had to operate under numerous difficulties; provisions were short and soldiers were treated brutally.

Colonists

•Due to the lack of money in America, Continental Congress was forced to print "Continental" paper money.  •this money depreciated significantly and individual states were forced to print their own paper money.