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Chapter Summary
netw rks
The American Revolution, 1754–1783
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Why do people rebel?
This chapter examines the motivations behind the American
Revolution, major events of the war, and some of the effects of the
war on American society.
The Colonies Fight
for Their Rights
• Defending the colonies in the French and
Indian War cost Great Britain a great deal
of money.
• The British cracked down on smuggling;
colonists believed their rights were being
violated.
• Colonists were angered by laws such as
the Proclamation Act, the Sugar Act, and
the Currency Act.
• British troops fired on militia at Lexington
and Concord.
• The Declaration of Independence was
issued on July 4, 1776.
• The American colonies united as the United
States of America.
The War for Independence
• A Revolutionary War between American
forces, led by George Washington, and
British forces raged from 1775 to 1780.
• The British army was well funded and well
trained; the Americans responded with
guerrilla tactics.
• Colonial leaders, including George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick
Henry, protested the Townshend Acts.
• Great Britain’s war effort was hindered by
other conflicts.
• The Boston Massacre convinced many that
the British were tyrants.
The Revolution Begins
• In 1773, British efforts to help the East
India Company led to the Boston Tea
Party.
• The Intolerable Acts imposed strict
regulations and outraged many colonists.
• The British refused to compromise with the
Continental Congress, leading to a boycott.
• Colonists were divided; Loyalists opposed
independence; Patriots supported it;
others were unsure.
• Thomas Paine published his pamphlet
Common Sense to promote American
independence.
• The American victory at Saratoga brought
France into the war as an American ally.
• The American victory at Kings Mountain
encouraged Southern farmers to organize
forces.
• The American victory at Yorktown led to
the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which formally
ended the Revolutionary War.
Effects of the American
Revolution
• American states began writing
constitutions based on republican ideas,
such as religious freedom.
• Voting rights expanded.
• Northern American states gradually ended
slavery; Southern states still held many
slaves.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
• The 1765 Stamp Act led to colonial
protests, the Stamp Act Congress, and a
boycott of British goods.
NAME _______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________
Chapter Summary
Cont.
netw rks
The American Revolution, 1754–1783
• Education and opportunities for women
began to increase.
• Native Americans were not recognized for
their contributions to American
independence.
• Loyalists fled north, leading to the creation
of the new colonies of Upper and Lower
Canada.
• A new American culture emerged based on
republican values.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.