HOW DID THE ACTION OF CITIZENS CREATE CHANGE IN

THE AMERICAN COLONIES?

What we are going to focus on now is how citizens organized and united into two groups

PatriotsLoyalistsThen we will see how these groups of people tried to change things in the colonies

HUH??

A secret society formed to protect the rights of the colonists in the 13 colonies

They were to protect them from the British soldiers and abuses of the government

THE SONS OF LIBERTY

When Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773, protests broke out in the colonies

On Dec 16, 1773 the Sons

of Liberty unloaded over 90,000 pounds of tea shipped to the colonies from England into the Boston Harbor

They were dressed as Mohawk Indians

THE BOSTON TEA PARTY

A political protest in Edenton, North Carolina also in response to the Tea Act

Inspired by the Boston Tea Party

51 women met and signed a statement of protest vowing to give up tea and boycott all other British products until the acts were repealed

This event was a landmark (a HUGE deal) because it was a political move organized by women, who did not have a role in public politics at the time

THE EDENTON TEA PARTY

King George thought the issue was no longer about just taxing the colonies, it was about controlling them completely

“We must master them totally or leave them to themselves” he said

BUT he had no intention of leaving them to themselves

HOW DID BRITAIN RESPOND?

These Acts were passed in 1774 as a result of the King’s anger over the Boston Tea Party

THE INTOLERABLE ACTS

Shop owners in Boston close their shops in protest to the Intolerable Acts

Merchants in other cities did the same to show support

Other colonies sent food and supplies to Boston so they would not starve

The colony of Virginia called for a meeting (a congress) of all the delegates from the colonies to meet to find a solution to the problems with Britain

THE COLONIES BEGIN TO UNITE

In September 1774, about 50 leaders from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia

The delegates agreed to send a respectful

message to King George. The message urged the king to consider their complaints and to recognize their rights as citizens

The delegates also said they would boycott all British goods until Parliament repealed the Intolerable Acts.

They agreed to meet the following May if their plan didn’t work

THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

In towns and cities throughout the colonies, Patriots appointed committees to enforce the boycotts

In case the boycott didn’t work, they also organized militias (volunteer armed forces)

The militias marched and drilled

How do you think this makes the soldiers and government in Britain feel?

THE COLONIES FORM MILITIAS