The American Revolution

Chapter 4

Do Now: March 5th, 1770● In bullet-form,

write down as many observations as you can.

“Shot heard Round the World”Main idea: Conflict between Great Britain and the American colonies grew over issues of taxation, representation, and liberty.

● Do Now: Which of the following do you believe would upset the colonists the most and WHY?○ The Stamp Act○ The Townshend Act○ The Intolerable Acts

Lexington and Concord, Spring 1775• Redcoats were looking for hidden weapons and colonial leaders.

• Paul Revere organized riders to spread the word.

“A Glorious Day for America”• Redcoats found 70 minutemen

in Lexington.• Shot was fired.

• 8 colonists killed• 1 Brit injured

• Redcoats found nothing in Concord.• Attacked on their march back.• 174 casualties

Stamp Act● Direct tax on paper goods

○ Legal documents○ Playing cards○ Newspapers○ Every colonist was effected

● Violators faced Admiralty Courts○ No jury

Stamp Act Protests

• Sons and Daughters of Liberty.• Resistance group.• Headed by Sam Adams.

• Harassed stamp agents.• Protests, etc.

• Patrick Henry• “no taxation w/out representation!”

The Townshend Acts● Named for Charles Townshend.

○ Govt. Minister● Indirect tax on:

○ Glass, lead, paint, paper etc

○ And a .03 tax on tea■ Most popular drink in

America■ Colonists were

outraged!

Colonists Angered

• The British confiscated John Hancock's ship• claimed he was smuggling wine

• Caused rioting• British place 2,000 troops in Boston

The Boston Massacre

• Soldiers were taking jobs from the colonists• Later, colonists taunted some Redcoats and 5 colonists were killed

Boston Tea Party• British East India Tea Company

• Had no $$ and lots of tea sitting on ships because colonists were boycotting the tax

• Allowed to avoid paying tea tax so they could make $$• Colonists who sold tea had to pay the tax

• Colonists disguised as Indians dumped the tea overboard

The Intolerable Acts

King George III was furious at the colonists!

1. Shut down Boston Harbor2. Quartering Act

a. Colonists had to let British soldiers live with them

3. General Gage became the Gov. of Massa. Boston placed under Martial Law

First Continental Congress

• Philadelphia, 1774• Declaration of Colonial

Rights• Threatened to fight the

British• Promised to reconvene

in a year if their demands were not met.

The Second Continental Congress

• Militia force surrounding Boston to be called the Continental Army.• George Washington to be named Commander.

• Paper $$ to be printed to pay soldiers.

Battle of Bunker Hill, June 1775• General Thomas Gage attacked Americans on

Breed’s Hill (near Bunker Hill - misnamed)• Gage sent 2,400 troops - three separate times

• Only won because militia ran low on ammo• 450 Americans Killed• 1,000+ British Casualties

Olive Branch Petition

● The colonies sent a peace offer to King George III.○ He refused

■ Orders a blockade of America■ Declares America in rebellion

Do Now:

• How did Common Sense gain colonial support? Be specific.

Common Sense● Written by Thomas Paine

○ Verbally attacked King George III

○ Called for Independence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-LGxOll2zc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhYUyniqWlo

The Declaration of Independence

Declaring Independence

• Written by Thomas Jefferson.• Ratified on July 4th 1776.

● Preamble: Reasons for writing down the Declaration● Statement of Beliefs: Philosophy behind the document● List of Complaints: Injustices by the King● Statement of Prior Attempts to Redress Grievances: In what ways the

framers already tried to address their complaints● Declaration of Independence: What will change as a result of the

Declaration

5 Parts

What you may not know about the Dec. of Independencehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKJMWHCUoiw

Music ParodiesCauses of the Revolution - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcDxSICplPE

Declaration of Independence - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shwNBBJj15M

Common Sense - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhYUyniqWlo

King George III - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6fOi_1fu80

Patriots vs. Loyalists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ5lPeyBJmg

Taking Sides

● Patriots v. Loyalists● Quakers - did not fight● African Americans

○ Patriots - believed in their cause○ Loyalists - British promised freedom to slaves

● Native Americans - fought for the British because the Colonists were more of a threat

● TWO WARS - war for independence and civil war

Recruit a Spy for the British ArmyDuring the American Revolution both the American Continental Army and the British Army had spies to keep track of their enemy. You have been hired by the British to recruit a spy in the colonies. You must choose your spy from one of the colonists you have identified. When making your decisions use the following criteria:

1. The Spy cannot be someone who the Patriots mistrust. The spy should be a person who appears to agree with the Patriots.

2. The spy should live in a populated area where the Patriots are active and can report on Patriot activity. A colonist in a rural area will have little information to tell provide.

3. The spy should need something from the British, either money or military protection, to entice him or her to risk his or her life.

Which colonist will make the best spy? Why? ____________________________

Do NowBrainstorm strengths and weaknesses for both the colonists and the British for fighting the war. Write down 3 at minimum for each.

Hint: Think about what is necessary to win a war!

Thomas Paine’s The Crisis, Excerpt #1“THESE are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. . . .”

“I call not upon a few, but upon all . . . lay your shoulders to the wheel; better have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake. Let it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, come forth to meet and to repulse it. . . .”

Thomas Paine’s The Crisis, Excerpt #3“He that is not a supporter of the independent States of America . . . is, in the American sense of the word, A TORY; and the instant that he endeavors to bring his toryism into practice, he becomes A TRAITOR.”

“America, till now, could never be called a free country, because her legislation depended on the will of a man three thousand miles distant, whose interest was in opposition to ours, and who, by a single “no,” could forbid what law he pleased.”

“ . . . after the coolest reflections on the matter, this must be allowed, that Britain was too jealous of America to govern it justly; too ignorant of it to govern it well; and too far distant from it to govern it at all.”

Thomas Paine’s The Crisis, Excerpt #4“We know the cause which we are engaged in . . . We are not moved by the gloomy smile of a worthless king, but by the ardent glow of generous patriotism. We fight not to enslave, but to set a country free, and to make room upon the earth for honest men to live in.”

Thomas Paine’s The Crisis, Excerpt #5“It is the object only of war that makes it honorable. And if there was ever a just war since the world began, it is this in which America is now engaged. She invaded no land . . . hired no mercenaries. . . . She wanted nothing from you [England], and was indebted for nothing to you: and thus circumstanced, her defence is honorable and her prosperity is certain.”

Section 3: Struggling toward SaratogaDo Now: The Declaration of Independence was just signed and adopted. As a member of the Continental Congress, how would you begin to prepare for the expected British response?

Hint: Think about the strengths and weaknesses we discussed yesterday.

New York, Summer 1776● General William Howe and brother Admiral Richard Howe

joined forces and sailed into New York Harbor in the summer of 1776○ 32,000 Troops○ Hessians

■ German Mercenaries

● Washington had 23,000○ Poor, untrained

● The British had pushed Washington’s army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania

Battle of New York

Battle of Trenton, Christmas 1776● George Washington, stuck after the loss in New

York○ Their objective was to capture Trenton, NJ

● 2,400 Americans attacked drunk Hessians on Christmas night○ 30 Hessians Killed○ 918 Captured

Battle of Trenton

Fight for Philadelphia, Spring 1777● General Howe began to capture Philadelphia

○ His troops came from New York and sailed to Chesapeake Bay and landed near Philly in August

● The Continental Congress fled the city knowing they were coming

● Washington’s troops unsuccessfully blocked them at Brandywine Creek

● The British captured Philly and General Howe took advantage of the capital’s Loyalists

Victory at Saratoga• British General John Burgoyne

• Canada to Albany – he wanted to meet General Howe’s troops as they came from New York - cut off New England

• Burgoyne set out with 4,000 redcoats, 3,000 mercenaries, and 1,000 Mohawk under his command

• Tough terrain slowed Burgoyne down, causing him to stay put with low supplies

• General Horatio Gates (Patriot) gathered militiamen all over NY and NE to fight Burgoyne• A lot of troops, after multiple battles, finally surrounded Burgoyne

at Saratoga = Surrendered on October 17th, 1777

● Britain changed their game plan○ kept troops to the coast, so they could get easy supplies

● The French now openly supported the Patriots● France signed an alliance with the Colonists, also

recognized them as independent (Feb 1778)● France also agreed to not ally with Britain until

they recognized the colonies as independent

TURNING POINT OF THE WAR

Valley Forge, Pennsylvania● American soldiers were in winter camp

○ Awful conditions○ Frostbite○ Amputations○ 2,000 men died!

Financing the war● Congress ran out of hard currency - silver and

gold○ Sold bonds to American investors

● Printed money, called Continentals○ Inflation

● Profiteering○ Selling scarce goods for profit (selling the items way

higher than what the cost should be)

European Allies Shift the Balance• Friedrich Von Steuben

• Prussian officer who helped train Americans

• Marquis de Lafayette• French officer who helped Washington• Led American troops

49

The British Move South

• After their defeat at Saratoga the British moved south• To rally loyalist support

• To reclaim lost colonies• Slowly fight back north

50

Early British Success in the South

• Savannah, Georgia, 1778• Charles Town, SC, 1780

• 8,500 British soldiers• 5,500 Americans were prisoners

• Thousands of slaves joined the British• Given their freedom

• Camden, SC, 1780• Forts all across the state

51

British Losses in 1781• Cowpens, SC

• Greene and Morgan ordered to capture Cornwallis• American forces win

• Guilford Court House, North Carolina• Greene asks Lafayette for reinforcements• British win but lose 25% of their troops

Yorktown

• Cornwallis wants to go after Von Steuben and Lafayette• Failed attempt

• The British made a huge mistake by camping on a peninsula.

53

Victory at Yorktown, 1781

• 17,000 American and French troops surrounded the British• After 3 weeks of shelling the British surrendered• October 17th, 1781 - Surrender

54

Seeking Peace

• America, England, France, and Spain were involved in peace talks• Paris, France• All had individual desires

Treaty of Paris, 1783

• America independent• Border set

• To Mississippi River

• America agreed to pay back Tories• Never happened!

• All nations are now recognizing the United States of America

The War Becomes a Symbol of Liberty

• Egalitarianism• Equality of people• Hard work got you better things

• Applied to white men only!• America had to now create a government

• Tough task

• Rejected British system of government• Government of the People• Who should be involved?