French and Indian War The British colonists tried to force the new French colonists out of the area. French and Indians fought together against these.

French and Indian War• The British colonists

tried to force the new French colonists out of the area.

• French and Indians fought together against these colonists

• War ended with the Treaty of Paris 1763 and British gained most of the French land.

Proclamation of 1763

What was it?

After the French and Indian War, England issued the Proclamation of 1763 – it restricted settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Settlers Response:

They ignored the Proclamation and continued to settle in the west.

Result:

Weakens British control because they could not ENFORCE this law.

Costs of War• The French and

Indian war left Britain with a huge war debt and more land to protect.

• To pay off the debt Britain decided to tax the colonists.

The Navigation Act

What was it?

Acts to regulate Colonial Trade – what the colonists could trade and taxes they had to pay.

Settlers Response:

Did not mind because they were rarely enforced.

Result:

British decide to enforce the laws more strictly.

The Sugar Act 1763

What was it?

Called for stricter enforcement of the Navigation Acts and force the colonies to pay taxes on more goods

Settlers Response:

Became angry at the higher cost of goods

Result:

British collect more funds from colonists.

The Stamp Act 1765

What was it?

Direct tax on legal documents and printed material (playing cards, marriage certificates and newspapers) A stamp had to be bought to put on these items. Colonists had no input on these new taxes and were ANGRY!

Settlers Response:

Secret groups of settlers called the “Sons of Liberty” begin to protest saying “No Taxation without Representation!”

Result:

British repeal the law

The Quartering Act 1765

What was it?

Required colonists to house and feed British soldiers

Settlers Response:

New York colonists refuse to follow the law

Result:

Britain suspended New York’s Legislature

The Townshend Acts 1767

What was it?

Taxed imported goods from England (glass, paper, paint and tea) to raise money for England

Settlers Response:

Boycotts and protests through Sons of Liberty led by Samuel Adams

Result:

Britain sends 4,000 troops to Boston resulting in the Boston Massacre.

The Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre ((March 5,1770March 5,1770))

A group of colonists began throwing snowballs at the Redcoats (British soldiers). The Redcoats fired on the crowd and killed five men.

The Tea Act 1773

What was it?

Britain allowed the East India Company to sell tea without going through the colonial merchants – it would put the colonial merchants out of business!

Settlers Response:

Boston Tea Party!

Tea Act Tea Act (1773)(1773)

The Boston Tea Party

What was it?

The Sons of Liberty led by Samuel Adams dressed up like Indians and threw the tea into Boston Harbor

Britain’s Response:

The Coercive Acts!

Boston Tea Party Boston Tea Party (1773)(1773)

The Intolerable Acts 1774

What was it?

Britain was ANGRY! They sent soldiers to Boston where they:

– Closed Boston Harbor– Restricted meetings– Expanded the

Quartering Acts

Colonists Response:

Sent military supplies to Boston and the First Continental Congress met

First Continental First Continental Congress Congress (1774)(1774)

5555 delegates from 12 delegates from 12 coloniescolonies

AgendaAgenda How How to to respondrespond to to British lawsBritish laws

11 vote per colony vote per colony represented.represented.

Result: Did Result: Did notnot declare independence, but declare independence, but tried for tried for peacepeace with the English. with the English. King George got angry and sent more troops

Preparing for War!

• The colonies decide to declare independence.

• Citizen soldiers began to train they were called the “minutemen” because they were ready to fight in a “minute” if needed.

• Paul Revere and others ride to Lexington and Concord to warn the minutemen that the British were coming.

The British Are The British Are Coming Coming . . .. . .

Paul ReverePaul Revere & & William DawesWilliam Dawes make make their midnight ride to warn the their midnight ride to warn the

MinutemenMinutemen of approaching British of approaching British soldiers.soldiers.

The British soldiers and the minutemen met in Lexington.

A shot was fired and the American Revolution had begun!

LexingtonLexington & & ConcordConcord – – April April 18,177518,1775

The Shot Heard Round the World

The War - Taking Sides

During the early part of the Revolutionary War the colonists were divided into 3 groups:

1)The Patriots – wanted independence from England

2)The Loyalists – wanted to remain loyal to the king also called “Tories”

3)The Neutrals – would support whoever won

Early VictoriesEthan Allen – defeated the British at Fort Ticonderoga

Henry Knox – brought cannons to use against the British

Breed’s Hill/Bunker Hill – Patriots were told “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!”

Second Continental Congress• Called for a Continental Army to

fight in the colonies

• Made George Washington commander of the Continental army

• Asked individual colonies to develop constitutions

• Sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III

The Second The Second Continental Congress Continental Congress (1775)(1775)

England Responds

• King George III declared the colonies to be in rebellion

• Blockade of colonial ports

• Sent Hessians (hired German soldiers) to fight in the colonies

Common Sense

• Thomas Paine wrote “Common Sense”

• This essay said the only way to be free and create a better society was through independence from England.

• Many Neutrals began to support the Patriots.

Thomas PaineThomas Paine: : Common SenseCommon Sense

Declaration of Independence

• After the failure of the Olive Branch Petition the colonists were aware that war would happen.

• The members of the Continental Congress passed a resolution for independence and asked Thomas Jefferson to write the declaration to declare America’s independence from British control.

Declaration of Declaration of Independence Independence

(1776)(1776)

Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration of Independence is made up of a preamble (introduction) and 3 main parts.– Declaration of Rights – lists the inalienable

rights that men are born with. Much like John Locke’s ideas of natural born rights.

– List of Grievances – list of wrongs done to the colonies by the king.

– Formal Declaration of Independence – declared that the colonies had to be free

Important People and Battles

• As the Revolutionary War began, there were several important people and battles. They even got some help from France!PEOPLE BATTLES

George Washington Trenton

Marquis de Lafayette Princeton

Baron von Steuben Saratoga

General Cornwallis Yorktown

People

• George Washington – General (military leader) of the Continental Army

• Marquis de Lafayette – Frenchman who fought with General Washington

• Baron von Steuben – Prussian officer who helped train the Continental Army soldiers

• General Cornwallis – British commander who surrendered to the Continental Army

Battles• Trenton – City in New Jersey where General

Washington and his troops defeated Hessian soldiers

• Princeton – City in New Jersey where General Washington and his troops defeated British soldiers

• Saratoga – City in New York where British troops were forced to surrender. This convinced France to help the colonists.

• Yorktown – City in Virginia where British General Cornwallis was forced to surrender. Led Britain to begin peace talks in 1782.

Treaty of Paris 1783

• After the defeat at Yorktown the British decided to end the war.

• In 1782 the Congress sent Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay and Henry Laurens to negotiate the treaty.

Terms of the Treaty of Paris 1783

• British Terms– Recognize the US as

an independent nation– Set the boundaries of

the US– Withdraw British

soldiers from America– Return Florida to

Spain

• American Terms– Agreed to allow Britain

to collect debts owed by Americans

– Agreed to allow Loyalists to go to court to recover confiscated goods and property

What does it mean?• During the early years, the colonists were

very angry with Britain because of the taxes and laws they passed. What do you think these two pictures mean?

O! the fatal StampAn Emblem of the Effects of the Stamp.

What Goes Here?Fill in the missing information based on what you have learned.

Recognize US as an

independent nation

Treaty of Paris –

British Terms

Return Florida to

Spain

Princeton

Revolutionary War Important Battles

Saratoga

George Washington

Marquis de Lafayette

Baron von Steuben

General Cornwallis

PreambleDeclaration of Rights

Formal Declaration of Independence

List of Grievances

Time Lines: Based on what you have learned answer these time line questions. 1776

Declaration of Independence written and approved by the Continental Congress

1781Revolutionary War endsThe Continental Congress agrees on the Articles of Confederation

1783 Britain recognizes the independence of the USA (Treaty of Paris)

1787US Constitution written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, PA [May 25 - Sept. 17]

1788US Constitution ratified by 9 states [June 22] and becomes the supreme law of the USA

1789George Washington elected first President of the USAMarch 4, The first Congress met

1790First Supreme Court assembled (in New York, NY, then the nation's capital); the Chief Justice was John Jay

1791The Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments) added to the Constitution

1802Marbury v. Madison - the first time that the court found that a law was unconstitutional (John Marshall was Chief Justice)

1861Abraham Lincoln elected PresidentCivil War begins (Fort Sumter)

1865Civil War ends (Lee surrenders to Grant)Amendment 13 - Slavery abolishedAbraham Lincoln assassinated

1868Amendment 14 - Rights of citizenship to all people born in USA or naturalized

1870Amendment 15 - Gives the right to vote to all citizens, regardless of color or race, but women are not mentioned

1913 Amendment 16 - Income tax begins

1920Amendment 19 - Women's suffrage (women given the right to vote)

1971 Amendment 26 - Voting age lowered to 18

1992Amendment 27 - Congressional pay increases go into effect only during the next Congressional session

_____1. Which happened first?

a.Abraham Lincoln assassinated

b.Civil War begins

c.Amendment 14

_____2. Which happened last?

a.US Constitution ratified by 9 states

b.Bill of Rights

c.Civil War ends

3.What year was the Treaty of Paris?___________

4.Where was the Nation’s Capital located in 1790?__________________________________

5.What year were women granted suffrage?______

_____6. How many years was the Civil War fought?

a.2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5

_____7. How many years was Abraham Lincoln in the office of President?•2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5

a.What year did income tax begin?_____________

b.What year was the voting age lowered?________

c.How many amendments have been made?_____

Q&ARead the following passage and answer the questions.

On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution--the Bill of Rights--and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States. Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world.

_____1. How many amendments were initially sent for ratification? a. 10 b. 12 c. 15

_____2. Which of these was the last to ratify the Constitution?

a. North Carolina b. Rhode Island c. Alabama

_____3. Which of these was not a reason for Rhode Island’s delay in ratifying the Constitution?

a.Opposed federal control of currency b. Opposed slavery c. Commercial relations

_____4. When did the last of the original 13 colonies join the United States?

a.November 1789 b. May 29, 1790 c. September 25, 1789

_____5. What is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world?

a. US Constitution b. Congress c. The Ten Amendments

The US government has three branches. The Executive branch includes the President. The Legislative branch includes laws. The Judicial branch includes the courts. An amendment is an addition to a document. The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The constitutional convention was held in 1787. Congress is bicameral because it has 2 houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The preamble is the beginning of the constitution. The Preamble begins “We the People of the United States....” There are 50 states in the USA.

Based on the paragraph above, answer these questions:

_____1. The paragraph is about: a. The US government b. Laws c. Congress

_____2. How many branches are in the US government? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3

_____3. The word bicameral means what? a. 2 camels b. 2 houses c. 2 votes

_____4. What is an addition to a document? a. An amendment b. A constitution c. A correction

_____5. Which branch includes the President? a. Executive b. Legislative c. Judicial

We The People: Government in America Reading WorksheetName:__________________Date:___________________