The American War of Independence

The American War of Independence

Boston Tea Party

Conflict Begins

British decided to allow cheap tea to be sold to America but it was still taxed!

Militias - volunteer soldiers from the colonies , originally setup to defend against Indian or French attack

Boston - militias called minutemen, prepared to take action against the British at any moment

Americans annoyed - when the ship carrying tea arrived at the Boston port, men board the ship and throw the tea overboard.

Some of the men dressed as Native Indians

British government were furious - passed laws to close Boston port

The First Continental Congress

18th April 1775: General Gage sent British troops to Concord. At Lexington, shots fired.

Battle at Concord - British troops had to retreat to Boston

The next day, the port of Boston was surrounded by patriots - the American War of independence had begun

Americans called the laws passed by the British the Intolerable Acts

Representatives of 12 of the 13 colonies meet in Philadelphia - this meeting called the First Continental Congress

Called on Americans to not buy British goods until Intolerable Acts removed

Congress = American name for parliament

18th Century Societies

Governance

In 18th century Europe, kings & queens ruled over their subjects

- Believed they were chosen by God, inherited the throne from father/mother

People began to question this system of government, wanted more freedom

- influenced by the Enlightenment writers

- if a ruler removed/changed it is called a revolution

Three revolutions to study:

• America, part of the British empire
• France, ruled by King Louis XVI
• Ireland, controlled by Britain

The Stamp Act ended - opposition to it very strong

BUT a new tax was introduced.

The Townshend Acts - Duties/taxes on goods imported into America

Americans refused to buy British goods - instead they smuggled goods

Boston Massacre 1770

A mob of fifty men attacked a group of soldiers with stones and snowballs

Soldiers opened fire - five people killed

Americans were outraged - showed cruelty of the British.

Patriots - those that felt America should rule itself

Conclusion

What You Need to Know

• The reasons for the revolution. (No taxation without representation etc.)
• How the revolution began. (Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere, Concord and Lexington)
• The main events of the revolution (Declaration of Independence, Valley Forge, etc.)
• The results of the revolution.

The Thirteen Colonies

Governance

USA = 50 states, population approx 322 million

But in 1765, it was ruled by Spain & Britain

• Spain owned the west of the country
• Britain ruled the east of the country, where there were thirteen colonies

Each colony => elected assembly & a governor appointed by the king

Loyal to British king, George III

1765: The Stamp Act

- a tax on official documents

- taxes needed to pay for the Seven Years War (1756-63) against France

- the Act was a big mistake!

Americans furious that Britain could decide to tax them - they were used to deciding their own taxes.

They had NO representation in British parliament -

'No Taxation without Representation'

Key terms

Revolution - the overthrow of a government

Rebellion - an organised attempt by another country to overthrow a ruler/government

Colony - a territory controlled by another country that is usually far away

The Thirteen Colonies

1607: Britain founded their first colony, Virginia

Over the next 100 years, 12 more colonies grew

Settlers = British, Irish & Germans (Irish Protestants from Ulster)

1765: Colonies wealthy

In the South - cotton, rice, tobacco grown on plantations, in the North, small farms

Cities small - New York pop. of 20,000

Slaves & Native Indians treated v.badly

• Slaves worked on plantations
• Native Indians lost their land & died through diseases like smallpox