The American Independence War

In the 1750s, France and Britain were fighting in Europe. The war was now spreading to North America. British colonists wanted to take over French land in North America and the fur trade in the French territory. British soldiers fought against French soldiers and Native Americans (called THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR from 1754 – 1763). Some experts say this was the first world war, because it was fought on 2 continents. Native Americans joined in the battle against the British because they were afraid the British would take over their land. The war ended in 1759 when the British conquered the French Quebec (present Canada). In the peace treaty of 1763 the British got most of the French land in North America.

1700 The situation before the outbreak of the War of Independence Exercise 1: The two maps show the colonies of Britain, France and Spain in North America. Colour the maps! After the war between Britain and France in the middle of the 18th century most of the colour changed from blue into red. Explain! _______________________________________________________________________________________

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Exercise 2: What do the abbreviations stand for? What does Franklin want? Who should join in what? What began in that year? Do you think he is right with his statement?

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1754: cartoon by Benjamin Franklin (He was one of the Founding Fathers of the USA. He was interested in politics. His grandparents moved as colonists from Britain to North America).

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Also as a result of the war, the British began taxing the colonists to pay for the war. The British Army helped the British colonists to win the war against the French Army and the Native Americans. The war was expensive and that was why the colonists should give money (pay taxes) to the British king.

The colonists were now strong enough themselves. They didn’t need the help and protection of the British army anymore. The Indians were weak, there were no more other enemies and the seas around the continent kept invaders away.

The 13 colonies on the east coast grew and grew. After 150 years since colonization started, there lived some million people. Most of them were born on American ground, had never been to England and didn’t like the idea of paying money to the English king. Now for over 150 years, after the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth, most parts of North America were governed by England. The colonists wanted to send their own politicians to the British Parliament, that they can decide together on taxes. The British King put a tax on all documents, newspapers and magazines called the Stamp Act. There were also taxes on glass. In this conflict the British King wanted to find a compromise. He cancelled most of the taxes, but not the tax on tea. One day in 1773 the British sent tea to Boston. Normally now the settlers had to pay money, but that day some of them just threw the tea into the sea. This event was called “The Boston Tea Party”.

So the colonists made the British King angry. He let Boston harbor close and sent more soldiers of the British army and a war began. After the French-Indian War, that the British won, the French gave again money, ships and weapons and even sent soldiers to help the colonists as revenge. The British army had 42.000 soldiers and 3.000 men which the British government had bought from different German princes. On both sides people from other countries were paid to fight (mercenaries = Söldner). But by 1775, 2 500 000 people lived in the 13 colonies of North America and most of them didn’t want to be under British rule anymore. The war of independence broke out.

Exercise 3: Write a dialogue between 2 people with different opinions on an extra worksheet about question a or b. a) Should France take part in the American Independence War or not? or b) Should the colonists in America stay loyal to the British Crown and pay taxes or should they start fighting to become independent? The 4 statements in the speech bubbles of the people can help you.

After the beginning of the first shootings some important Americans of all colonies met in Philadelphia to decide what to do. They agreed on a list and wrote down what they wanted. This meeting was called the first Congress (Latin: congredere = coming together). King George didn’t read the list, when he got it, but sent more troops. The colonists decided that they needed a real army. The politicians at Congress made another George the commander in Chief George Washington. Now the American general George was fighting against the British King George.

1775 Boston, USA: The Statue of the British King George is overturned by angry people

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of independence was declared. Although the war was not over yet,the United States of America were born. In 1777, they adopted their flag, with one star and one stripe for each state.The colonists won the war after some years. The British had to agree to their Declaration of Independence. The last British troops left in 1782.

We the colonists are not alone, because we have allies, such as France. King Louis XVI wants revenge on the British for the French defeat twenty years ago. This is why France gives us munitions, weapons, food and money. France declared war on Britain and sent ships and soldiers.

I am one of a group of colonists who wish to be loyal to Britain. We are called loyalist and like the British king. But we are not the majority here. At the end of the war, many of us will have to flee to Canada or to Great Britain.

I am one of many German soldiers who are fighting on the side of the British. We were hired by our princes as mercenaries who get money and were shipped from Hamburg to Boston. With our help the colonists lost many battles in the first years.

My name is General Steuben and I was an officer in the Prussian army. In 1778 I began training the 13.000 colonists and transformed them into a more powerful army commanded by George Washington. After problems in the beginning, we won more and more battles.

Exercise 4: Why were the chances of the British king so bad to win this war? Think of distance, majority (number of people/ soldiers), knowledge of location, motivation.

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The settlers got their own country, that they called the United States of America. They got a constitution with laws like: All men are created equal. And they got democracy in 1789. There was no more king but a President. The first one they voted for was George Washington, the successful military general in the war against the British. Later the capital and one state were named after him. In 1803 Napoleon - the emperor of France, sold the land west of the Mississippi River to the new country USA for 15 million dollars.

After Napoleon sold the middle of present-USA to the US-American government

Within the next one hundred years the population rose from 4 to 90 million people. The Native North American population became less because of the fights against the Whites, the illnesses that they brought from Europe and because of hunger. At the end of the 19th century they were put like prisoners into small reservations, often poor land that the Whites didn’t want.

Exercise 5: Make a mindmap on an extra worksheet: stem = American War of Independence! branches = where, when, who, why/ reasons, results! Twigs = (You)……………………..!