Unit 4
Revolution
How the colonists became the greates country in the world.
French & Indian War: Expand to the Mississippi River, New Taxes
Civil Disobedience: Boycott, Boston Tea Party, Sons of Liberty
Continental Congress: John & Samuel Adams, Ben Franklin, Washington, Jefferson
Declaration of Independence: 28 Grievances against King George III
Battles: Lexington/Concord, Saratoga, Valley Forge, Yorktown
Where It Began
Ben Franklin’s Illustration to convince the 13 Colonies to join together against the French during the French & Indian War.
This was the first time anyone had publicly suggested uniting the colonies.
Causes of the Revolution
Proclamation Line of 1763 – Prevented the colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Sugar Act – England now enforcing taxes for trading with other countries, which causes smuggling of sugar and molasses.
New Taxes – Stamp Act, Townshend Act, Tea Act, which cause colonial unrest. Colonist were angered by not having a voice in Parliament, which violated their rights as Englishmen.
Sons of Liberty – Protest group formed to influence public opinion with newspapers, pamphlets, and political cartoons as well as boycotts and assemblies. Their rallie cry became…
“NO Taxation WITHOUT Representation”
Boston Massacre – Dispute between English soldiers and colonists that left FIVE dead.
Boston Tea Party – Sons of Liberty dump 45 tons of tea into the Boston Harbor while dressed as Mohawk Indians.
Intolerable Acts – British response to the Boston Tea Party that closed the Boston Harbor, banned their assembles, appointed English governors, and “quartered” troops in people’s homes and unoccupied buildings.
Founding Fathers
The Continental Congress
Met in 1775 in Philadelphia, PA to make decisions about the war such as electing
George Washington as the leader of the Continental Army.
Thomas Paine, the finest orator of his time, convinced the House of Burgesses as well as the rest of the colonies to support a complete separation from England and the Declaration of Independence.
His most famous work is the pamphlet, Common Sense, which discussed the “ridiculous nature of America being ruled by a small, distant island across a vast ocean.”