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TRANSCRIPT
Unit 3
The Power of Kings &
Men
How did the documents in place help the
Colonists in their eventual cause for freedom?
Divine Right of Kings
• Political idea that kings get their authority from God &
could not be held accountable for their actions by any
earthly power (like parliament)
• Mostly disappeared from English politics around 1688
Magna Carta
• (1215) – power of the monarch is limited
• Led to the founding of Parliament - grew in power until
James II didn’t want to share
• Parliament forced James II off his throne (Glorious
Revolution)
English Bill of Rights
• Peace offering between William of Orange (& wife Mary)
and Parliament
• Has a list of rights given to the people
Before 1763
How do events before 1763 change the
course of the colonies?
Times are changing
• Rapid population growth – from 50,000 to more than a million by
1750
• 100(+) years of the British government ignoring the colonies
• Colonial citizens are governing themselves
• Assembly determines how taxes will be spent
Conflict in Ohio Valley
• Population growth encouraged the movement of people West –
over the Appalachian mountains – land claimed by France AND
Britain
• 1754 – French built a fort here
• Fort alarmed governor of Virginia – ordered George Washington
(age 22) & the militia to drive out French
• In the woods on the way Washington’s men opened fire on French troops & killed
them
French & Indian War
• Native Americans fought with French against the British
• General Braddock (British) – sent to clear out the French from the
Ohio Valley – Washington was a volunteer – FAILED MISERABLY
• Went on for 7 years
• British Troops capture Canada in 1755
• 1763 – peace treaty giving Canada to Great Britain
A change in Britain
• 1760 – George III became king (age 22)
• Loved to pay attention to detail and be involved in affairs of the
kingdom
• Surrounded himself with advisors which weren’t generally well-
liked by his people
Changing Colonies
(and Colonists)
How do the changes taking place in the
colonies create a new identity for British
citizens living in the colonies?
Repeal of Townshend Acts
• Lord North pushed Parliament to repeal Townshend
duties – were losing money for the British merchants
• Early 1770 – all except tax on tea was repealed
Boycotting the British Goods
• Samuel Adams – led the boycott
• A peaceful form of protest that even Loyalists could support
• Women were considered the most important – they did the shopping
• Sewed dresses of homemade cloth
• Brewed tea from pine needles
• Bought only American made goods
The Boston Tea Party
• Loyalists bought British tea (tax was NBD)
• Patriots buying Dutch tea (smuggled in)
• By 1773 – British East India Company in danger of going broke
because of lack of tea consumption
• Lowered the cost to entice buyers
• Colonists not fooled
• December 16, 1773 – Sons of Liberty “unloaded” the tea
upon arrival in Boston harbor
• Disguised as Mohawks
• 90,000 pounds of tea dumped into sea – touched nothing else
Intolerable Acts
• The Colonists called them this because they were harsh
• Parliament’s punishment for Massachusetts – for the Boston Tea Party
• Boston Harbor closed to all shipping
• Massachusetts governor couldn’t even hold a meeting without colonial governor’s permission
• George III thought they would keep remind colonies of British power
• Parliament thought they would cause colonies to rebel
• Colonies began to unite in support of Massachusetts
First Continental Congress
• September 1774
• 12 colonial leaders meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Goal was to come up with a solution to the problems with Britain
• Most colonists still considered themselves from their individual colonies – NOT American
• Agreed to:
• Boycott
• Form militias
• Meet again in May if boycott didn’t work
Colonies form Militias
• Colonies appointed committees to enforce the boycott
• Formed local militias just in case
• Many militias began to act on their own
Lexington & Concord
• April 1775 – spy told General Gage colonists hiding gunpowder & weapons in Concord
• 700 troops ordered to march & seize the weapons
• Patriots waiting
• Standoff
• Someone fired
• 8 colonists dead/dying – 10 more wounded
• British claimed victory – marched on to Concord
Concord, Part 2
• Soldiers couldn’t find gunpowder & weapons – set fire to tools, tens,
& gun carriages
• Capt. Davis marched volunteers toward British – shot dead
• British expected Patriots to flee – didn’t
• Inside 2 minutes British were running
• Colonists lined road to Boston & killed 74 British soldiers on retreat
The Final Breaks
How are these events just the first steps in a
war?
Continental Army
• The idea of John Adams – a Continental army – troops from
all colonies
• George Washington chosen as leader – after the Battle of
Bunker Hill
• Very undersupplied – BUT Washington made rumors they had
plenty
British Abandon Boston
• March 1776 – cannons suddenly aimed at Boston
• General Howe (British) – chooses to run rather than
fight
• Go to Canada
• Many Loyalists run away also
Second Continental Congress
• July 1776 (Several months later than planned)
• 12 colonies voted for independence
• New York didn’t vote
• Slavery compromise - no mention of Jefferson’s original anti-slavery comments
• Southerners didn’t like Jefferson’s anti-slavery comments
• Northerners didn’t either
• July 4, 1776 – Declaration of Independence signed
The Beginning of the
End?
Why did the Colonials have little chance at
winning the War?
Great Britain Almost Wins
• Using New York City as a base, British troops would kill the
rebellion beginning with Massachusetts
• Washington had the declaration read out loud to his soldiers –
used it to build up their spirits – they had ALL of the colonies
behind them
Defeat in New York
• August 1776 – armies met in Brooklyn
• More than 3 times as many Continental soldiers lost than British
• Howe (British General) stopped the attack & waited for
Washington to surrender
• Officer Mifflin ordered retreat because Washington wouldn’t
The Beginning of the End?
• Many defeats followed the battle of New York City
• Little food made soldiers weak from hunger
• Weather became cold
• Soldiers began to lose faith – many began to leave
• The Continental army was running low of men
Another Pep Talk
• Washington read from The Crisis by Thomas Paine
• Men felt bolder & began to gain hope again
Minority Groups in the
War
How were minority groups such as African
Americans important to the war effort?
African Americans Early in the War
• Prince Estabrook – first man to fall at Lexington & Concord
• Several men also defended the Concord Bridge
• Cuff Wittenmore – awarded a British soldier’s sword for fighting
bravely at the Battle of Bunker & Breeds Hill
• Several other men recognized early on for their bravery &
victories
Washington’s Views
• Washington didn’t want the army to be a safe place for a runaway slave
• banned black men from joining the Continental army
• Many slave owners didn’t want to risk their property being damaged in
the war
• Many also afraid that the slaves would turn on their masters first
The British Intelligence
• British promised freedom to any slaves or indentured servants
who would join their side – many ran away
• Lord Dunmore soon had 300 soldiers (in a month) in the Ethopian
Regiment
• Had a patch which read “Liberty to Slaves”
• In 5 months – had 30,000 former slaves in various roles in the
army
• General Henry Knox certifies Romeo Smith's
status as a free man, January 9, 1784.
(Gilder Lehrman Collection)
Washington Changes His Mind
• December 1775 – Washington allows free black soldiers into Continental army
• Soldiers under him didn’t care if free or slave
• Later in 1776
• Middle & New England colonies – began to accept free blacks & slaves into integrated ranks
• Southern Colonies – slaves only recruited for support roles (didn’t like the idea of arming them)
• Slave owners promised money if their property was damaged/set free
• By end of war – several states begin to make steps to get rid of slavery
The End
How did the American Revolution change the
world?
Cornwallis Surrenders
• October 19, 1781 – 2 lines of American and French soldiers
watched 8,000 British troops laid down their weapons on the road
to Yorktown
• Cornwallis wasn’t there – stayed in his tent
British Reaction
• Many British in England easily accepted the defeat
• Months later, George III accepted it
The Treaty of Paris
• Early 1783 – representatives of the United States & Great Britain
signed a peace treaty in Paris
• 3 main parts:
• Great Britain recognized the US as an independent nation
• Great Britain gave up all claims to lands between the Atlantic Coast & Mississippi
river from the Canadian Border to Florida
• US agreed to return all rights & property taken from Loyalists during the war
Long-term Impact
• Led to the French Revolution – 1789
• King Louis & his wife & most nobles would be put to
death as a result