THE SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE

1763-1776

Taxation Without Representation Essential Question: Following the French and Indian

War, how did the British government anger the American colonists?

Relations With Britain

After the French and Indian War, Great Britain passed laws to protect British interests in the colonies

Proclamation of 1763 Prevented colonists from moving west of the

Appalachian Mountains Keeps colonists near east coast to ensure

markets for British goods in coastal cities Allowed Britain to control fur trade on the frontier

Britain instates new taxes on colonies to help pay for cost of French and Indian War

Britain’s Trade Laws

Stricter trials for colonists who smuggled goods No trial by jury

1767 – Parliament authorized writs of assistance Allowed customs officers to enter any

location to search for smuggled goods

The Sugar Act

Lowers tax on imported molasses to discourage smuggling

Let officers seize smuggled goods without going to court

Colonists believed these violated their rights as English citizens Writs of assistance violated their right to be

secure in their homes No trial by jury Contradicts British law of “innocent until

proven guilty”

New Taxes

As British government passed new tax laws, resistance by the colonists grew

Stamp Act: This law placed a tax on almost all printed materials Newspapers Wills Playing Cards

Opposition to the Stamp Act centered on two points Parliament interfered in colonial affairs by taxing the

colonies directly Taxed colonists without their consent

Protesting the Stamp Act

Boston: Samuel Adams organizes the Sons of Liberty and burns rag figures of tax collectors, destroyed houses belonging to royal officials

Stamp Act Congress: Nine colonies drafted a petition to king and parliament

Colonial cities and citizens boycott British goods

1766 – British Parliament repeals Stamp Act 1766 – Parliament passes the Declaratory Act

Right to tax and make decisions for the British colonies in all cases

The Townshend Act

Passed in 1767 Taxes only on goods imported from

Britain Taxed at the time of entry Daughters of Liberty urged

Americans to buy only American made goods

Making Connections

What advantages did Britain gain by limiting Westward Expansion

Critical Thinking: How did the British and the colonists differ on the issue of taxes? Parliament believed that the colonists

should b taxed to pay their part of the cost of Britain’s huge debt

The colonists claimed that they shouldn’t be taxed by Parliament or taxed without their consent

Making Connections

Analyzing: We talked about the development of the American Spirit. How did the events of the 1770’s unify the colonists in their opposition to the British?

Answer the Essential Question: Following the French and Indian War, how did the British government anger the American colonists?

Building Colonial Liberty

To enforce tax laws, British troops arrived in Boston. Conflict soon erupted. On March 5, 1770, a Boston merchant wrote: “The 29th (regiment) on duty. A quarrel between the soldiers and inhabitants;… A party of the 29th… fired on the people; they killed five, wounded several others … The inhabitants are greatly enraged.” From The Diary of John Rowe

Essential Question:

How did the colonists react to British policies?

Trouble in Boston

A violent clash between townspeople and British soldiers in Boston intensified anti-British feeling in the colonies

Britain, believing colonists on the brink of rebellion sent troops to occupy the colonies

The Boston Massacre

March 5, 1770 Angry townspeople approached a

customhouse where British taxes were collected

Fight broke out between Bostonians and the soldiers

Redcoats fired, killing 5 colonists

Boston Massacre

The Word Spreads

Colonial leaders used the killings as propaganda

Boston Massacre led colonists to call for stronger boycotts on British goods

Parliament repealed the Townshend Acts except for the tax on tea

A Crisis Over Tea

1773 – British Parliament passed the Tea Act Allowed British East India Company to

have complete control of trade in America

Let the company sell tea directly to shopkeepers and bypass colonial merchants

Colonial merchants quickly called for new boycott on tea

The Boston Tea Party

1773 – Three tea ships arrive in Boston Harbor and are ordered to unload

Boston Sons of Liberty acted quickly Dressed as Mohawks, they boarded the

ship at midnight Threw 342 chests of tea overboard

Word of the act of defiance spread quickly but most colonists still see themselves as British citizens.

The Intolerable Acts – “Coercive Acts” 1774 – King George III intended to

punish the people of Massachusetts for their resistance to British law

Coercive Acts closed Boston Harbor until they paid for the ruined tea

Forced Bostonians to shelter soldiers in their homes

Other colonies send food and supplies to Boston and name these actions, “The Intolerable Acts”

Making Connections

How did Samuel Adams and Paul Revere try to sway public opinion about the Boston Massacre? Portrayed it as a deliberate slaughter of innocent

colonists Heightened colonial resistance to British laws

Answer the Essential Question: How did the colonists react to British policies? Used Boston massacre as anti-British propaganda Tea act spurred protest and boycotts Intolerable Acts led colonies to support

Massachusetts and oppose British law

A Call To Arms

Essential Question: What brought about the clash

between American colonists and British soldiers at Lexington and Concord?

A Call To Arms

Many colonists were frustrated by British efforts to exert authority over the colonies. At an inn, John Adams overheard a Massachusetts farmer saying: “If Parliament can take away Mr. Hancock’s wharf…they can take away your barn and my house.” Another replied, “Well it’s high time for us to rebel. We must rebel…and we had better rebel now.” Taken from the book John Adams

The Continental Congress

September 1774 – 55 delegates from all colonies except Georgia arrived in Philadelphia

They went to establish a political body to represent American Interests and challenge British control

Delegates included John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Jay and George Washington

Decisions of the Congress

Drafted a statement of grievances calling for the repeal of 13 Acts of Parliament Believed laws violated “the laws of nature,

the principles of the English Constitution and the several charters” of the colonies

Voted to boycott British trade Called on people to arm themselves

against the British People form militias

The First Battles

Colonists expected fighting to break out in New England

Militia companies held training sessions, made bullets and stock piled rifles and muskets

Minutemen boasted they would be ready to fight on a moments notice

Britain Sends Troops

King George III sends several thousand British troops to the colonies

British learned militia was storing weapons and ammunition at Concord, MA

Troops ordered to seize weapons and arrest colonial leaders

As the British organized on April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes (Sons of Liberty) rode to Lexington (east of Concord, MA) to warn them that the British were coming

Lexington and Concord

Redcoats approached Lexington at dawn and were met by 70 militiamen

First shot is called the “shot heard ‘round the world”

Redcoats killed 8 and kept moving When they arrived at Concord, most of the

supplies had been moved Ordinary people and militia men fired at

redcoats all the way back to Boston 174 wounded, 73 dead (redcoats) The battle for independence had begun

Lexington and Concord

The Battle of Bunker Hill

June 16, 1775 British attack 1,200 militiamen to

remove them from strategic location outside of Boston

Americans ran out of gunpowder and lose the battle but killed or wounded 1,000 redcoats

British learn quickly that defeating Americans would not be quick or easy

Choosing Sides

Americans face major decision Loyalist – did not consider unfair

taxes and regulations good reason for rebellion

Patriots – Believed British rule was unbearable. Supported the war for independence

Not just a war against British. Civil War among colonists.

Venn Diagram

Answer the Essential Question: What brought about the clash

between American colonists and British soldiers at Lexington and Concord? Americans were arming themselves

because they expected confrontation Americans have an excuse to attack the

British when they march to Concord to seize weapons and ammunition

Moving Toward Independence  Essential Question:

Why did the American colonies choose to declare independence?

Moving Toward Independence Colonists debated the wisdom of pursuing

peace or declaring independence from Britain. Thomas Paine wrote: “I have heard it asserted by some, that as America has flourished under her former connection with Great Britain, the same connection is necessary towards her future happiness… Nothing can be more (false)… We may as well assert that because a child has thrived upon milk, that it is never to have meat… A government of our own is our natural right.”

From Common Sense

Colonial Leaders Emerge

When the Second Continental Congress met for the first time, many leaders were not yet ready to call for independence

Delegates included George Washington, John Adams, John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson

Printed money, set up post office Created the Continental Army and

named George Washington the commander

The Colonies Take The Offense Washington realized the men lacked

discipline, organization and leadership

Worked hard to shape armed civilians into an army

March 1776, Continental Army attacked British forces in Boston with cannon fire

British troops retreated to Nova Scotia

Moving Toward Independence In early 1776, support for the

position of absolute independence was growing. In January 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet called Common Sense. In bold language, Paine called for complete independence. Common Sense greatly influenced opinion throughout the colonies.

Moving Toward Independence Thomas Jefferson is selected to write

the Declaration of Independence Drew on the philosophies of English

philosopher John Locke Believed people were born with natural

rights to life, liberty and property If a government interfered with these

rights it could be rightfully overthrown Jefferson’s draft was approved with a

few changes on July 4, 1776

The Declaration of Independence Announced the birth of a new nation and committed

Americans to a struggle for independence John Hancock was the first to sign ahead of 56 other

delegates Declaration has 4 major sections including a

preamble or introduction Colonists list the rights they think they should have and

their complaints against Britain Proclaims the existence of a new nation “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are

created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”