THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. I. Causes of the Revolution A. French and Indian War 1. France, Spain, Indians VS England – England wins 2. Taxes placed on colonists.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

I. Causes of the Revolution

A. French and Indian War

1. France, Spain, Indians VS England – England wins

2. Taxes placed on colonists to help pay for protection of colonies and to pay off war debt.

B. Taxation Without Representation

1. The Sugar Act (1764)

a. England began enforcing a tax on molasses (used to make rum)

b. Smugglers go to trial in England’s courts

2. Stamp Act (1765)

a. Tax on all printed material

3. Townsend Act (1767)a. Tax on imported goods like coffee, tea, wine, glass, and paint.

4. Tea Act (1773) – the last straw

a. Told colonists they could only buy tea from the East India Tea Company – a British companyb. Colonists did not like being told where they could buy tea, even though it made their tea cheaper.

WRITING ASSINGMENT – PUT IT RIGHT IN YOUR NOTES:Imagine you are a colonist in the 1773, you are

suddenly confronted with a lot of extra rules and taxes. Create a magazine ad that expresses how you feel about England and their new rules. In your ad you will need to tell your fellow colonists about these new laws, how they effect their lives, and what they can do about it. Make them JUMP out a people, this is an ad.

C. Arguments against British laws

1. Consent of the governed a. Governments can rule only as long as citizens agree to be ruled.

2. Representative government a. People have a right to elect people to represent them and make decisions that effect their lives.

3. Limited government a. People have natural rights government can’t take away

b. Such as life, liberty and property

D. Actions of the Colonists

1. The Boston Massacre

a. Frightened British soldiers fired into a crowd of angry Boston citizens – 5 dead, 6 wounded.

WRITING ASSISNMENT (IN YOUR NOTES – write the question) 1. Describe in detail each depiction of the Boston Massacre.2. Which depiction is more realistic and WHY?3. Why would Paul Revere make a print that is historically inaccurate?

2. The Boston Tea Party (1773)a. The Sons of Liberty – a group in Boston trying to stir people to action against Britain – they often used violence and intimidation to accomplish their goal.b. Sons of Liberty dress up like Indians and throw 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor

WRITING ASSINGMENT:You are a member of the Sons of Liberty and you have just participated in the Boston Tea Party or the Boston Massacre. Write a letter to a friend in Georgia telling them about what happened and why it happened and England’s reaction. Include specific details about the event – be creative, make it fun to read. AT LEAST ONE PAGE!

E. England’s reaction – The Intolerable Acts1. Boston Port Act

a. England closed the Boston port until the Tea was paid for

2. Massachusetts Government Act

a. Massachusetts cannot elect officials or hold meetings without approval of Royal Governor

3. The Quartering Act (1774)

a. All colonists are required to house and feed British soldiers

II. Revolution – time for action.

B. Second Continental Congress (May 1775)

1. Delegates from all colonies meet to decide what to doa. Would it be war or peace?

A. Battle of Lexington and Concord

1. British troops try to destroy patriot military supplies.2. Colonial messengers alert minutemen who go to Concord to fight the British Redcoats

3. First battle of War for Independence

a. Colonial victory

2. July 4, 1776 – Declaration of Independence

3. Georgia Delegates:a. Button Gwinnettb. Lyman Hallc. George Walton

Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, & John AdamsWhy didn’t the declaration say anything about slavery?

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

C. More on the declaration of independence

1. The declaration included the following ideas:

a. All men are created equal

b. Everyone is born with certain right, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

c. Government gets its power from the people

d. The people can get rid of a government they no longer approve of.

D. Where did these ideas come from?

Look back in your notes, match these ideas from the Declaration of Independence with the arguments against British rule.

III. Georgia in the Revolution

A. Whigs (patriots) vs. Tories (loyalists)

1. Most Whigs lived in the backcountry and had been in Georgia longer

2. Most Tories lived on the coast and relied on England for trade.

B. Savannah held by British troops for most of the war.

1. Whigs controlled Georgia from 1776 - 1778

2. British troops took Georgia in 1778 and held it until the end of the war (1783)

3. Siege of Savannah

a. In 1779 a group of patriots and French soldiers tried to retake Savannah

b. The siege failed after 3 weeks – British troops lost 150 men, Americans and French lost 1,000- Count Casmir Pulaski was killed in a cavalry charge.

IV. End of War

A. Treaty of Paris 1783

1. British General Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown

NOW … the newly freed STATES had to deal with a whole new set of problems …