Road to the American Revolution 1754 -1763

Road to the American Revolution

1754 -1763

French and Indian War • Great Britain and the Colonists VS. French and Indians • They fought for control of of Northwest Territory • G. B. won and took control of North America from Mississippi River to Atlantic Ocean

French and Indian War • War caused a split between colonists and Great Britain • Colonists no longer saw themselves as British citizens • War created a large debt in G. B.

Proclamation of 1763

Proclamation of 1763 • G. B. wanted to tighten control of colonists • Banned all settlements west of Appalachian Mountains • Too expensive to protect colonists from Native Americans

Stamp Act • G. B. wanted to raise money to pay for debt • Taxed all legal documents, newspapers, and other printed material • “NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION” became colonists battlecry

Stamp Act • Colonists boycotted tax and G. B. repealed it

Boston Massacre

Boston Massacre (1770) • Colonists were protesting taxes at a British tax House • British soldiers fired into crowd killing 5 protesters • Crispus Attucks, blk man – FIRST PERSON TO DIE IN REVOLUTION

Boston Tea Party

Boston Tea Party (17 • Colonists threw tea into Boston Harbor to protest tax on Non-British Tea • British King George III shut down Mass Gov’t and put British Soldiers in control

Intolerable Acts • King George’s response to Boston Tea Party • Eliminated the powers of most colonial governments • Only local gov’t loyal to King were allowed to remain in power

First Continental Congress (1775) • Representatives from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia to protest Intolerable Acts (Georgia Excluded) • Formally Requested an end to Intolerable Acts • Started a boycott of all British goods

First Continental Congress • Called formation of colonial militias • Planned to meet in one year to assess goals

Second Continental Congress (1776) • 2 nd meeting in Philadelphia among 12 colonies • Colonists realized King George would not meet their demands • Decided to go to war for Independence • Hired Thomas Jefferson to write Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence • 1 st Part – Definition of gov’t: based on social contract and natural rights of John Locke • TJ natural rights were life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness

Declaration of Independence • 2 nd Part – List of crimes commited by King George on colonists • 3 rd Part – Statement of Independence