The Colonies Rebel
Mr. Phipps
American History
A Changing Relationship
 All colonies, under royal charter, were under
direct control of the governor, who were
subject to the rule of king
 All Englishmen were represented in Parliament,
equally
 Colonial representation not based on population or
on geographical differences between areas of the
Commonwealth
 Rights based on Common Law and the English Bill of
Rights
 All colonists subject to the rule of law
 Must abide by trade laws--Navigation Laws
 Must pay taxes
 Must participate in military service
The Gripes
 Until 1763, colonial opposition
remained more theoretical
Colonists considered themselves loyal to
the king
Colonists enjoyed the protection of the
British commonwealth
Colonists disagreed with Parliamentary
influence and the meddling of governors-in short, no direct representation
The French and Indian War
 The outcomes of the European power
struggles had dramatic consequences for the
colonies
 France lost all its colonial positions in North
America
 Great Britain reasserted its naval dominance
 Britain is drained of money and resources, due to
the expense of the wars and the wars in Europe
 Colonists, both military and civilian, were
attacked and brutalized by natives and the
French, particularly on the frontier
Unintended Consequences
 Colonies unify in Albany
 Organized by the guidance of Benjamin Franklin,
who considered it important for colonies to discuss
colonial issues
 Important to improve communication
 Military complications
 Colonists do the majority of the fighting--and dying
during the war
 Colonists not promoted above rank of colonel
 Colonial soldiers forced to serve longer than their
length of conscription
 Colonists forced to barrack/quarter soldiers in
homes
The Proclamation
 Proclamation of 1763
 Before the war, colonists were promised transAppalachian settlement (in the Ohio Valley)
 After the war, colonists were prohibited from
settling
 Considered it an egregious abuse of authority
 Forced to pay 1/3 the cost of the war
 Although colonists didn’t start it, didn’t want to fight
it, and didn’t get settlement claims in the Ohio Valley
Post-war Problems
 Diplomatic Issues
 Angry natives--wanted security in former French
territory
 Repeatedly violated peace treaty terms--Pontiac’s Rebellion
 Spread small pox
 French natives and fur traders trapped Quebec region
 Domestic Problems (for England)
 War cost too much
 Drained too many resources
 Was culmination of 100 years of war
 Indicated the vulnerability of Britain--they could lose
battles
Tax Acts
 Taxation Laws--intended to generate
revenue to pay off the Empire’s wars
Colonists considered it unreasonable
because little of the tax was reinvested in
the colonies
Sugar Act, Currency Act, Stamp Act (on all
paper products), Quartering Act (forced to
house soldiers)
Organizing Discontent
 Radical Patriots--comprised less than 1/6 of
the colonial population, was the most vocal
group in the colonies
 Patrick Henry--”Give me liberty or give me
death”
 Sons and Daughters of Liberty--used mob violence
to protest tax acts, tarring and feathering, etc
 The Association--organized during First
Continental Congress to boycott English Goods
The British Respond
 Repealed Stamp Act
 Issued Declaratory Act--authorized governors
to legislate in the colonies
 Created foundation for enforcement of martial
law, the closing of harbors, and curfews
 Imposed customs duty
 Banned trial by jury
 Suspended New York Assembly--considered
to radical and dissenting
Organizing Opposition
 Colonists, particularly in the main cities (Boston,
Philadelphia, and New York) vocalize and
organize
 John Dikkenson published Letter from a Farmer in
Pennsylvania (1767)--argued against the right of
Parliament to legislate, contended that tax policy was
hurting the “everyman”
 Committees of Correspondence formed--Sam Adams
and James Otis
 Published propaganda denouncing Parliament and reaffirms
authority of King
 Organized inter-colonial communication system
 Adoption of Non-Importation Agreements
 Resulted in the repeal of the Townshend Act,
except for the Tea Tax
The Tea Tax of 1773
 Considered to be a catalyst for colonial unity
 Reduced tax, but gave monopoly to the
Dutch East India Co.
 With local enforcement of the Nonimportation agreements, tea shipments were
left unloaded in Boston Harbor
 Colonists protested by dumping thousands of
crates, nearly $2 million in tea, into the
harbor
The “Intolerable Acts”
 In response to the Boston “Tea Party”,
England closes harbor until reparations
are paid
 Restricted meetings in throughout the
city
 Instituted martial law
 Re-enacted the Quartering Act
A Cry for Unity
 The First Continental Congress (Sept. 1774)
 Intended to facilitate communication between the
colonies and resistance leaders
 Voted for a complete boycott of British goods
 Legitimized the resistance movement by including
colonial heavyweights--George Washington, John
Adams, Patrick Henry, and 52 other delegates
from around the colonies
 Issued the Declaration of Rights and Grievances-an articulate condemnation of Parliamentary
abuses
 Simultaneously (and secretly) trained local militias
Lexington and Concord, April
1775
 British sent detachment of troops to
seize cache of colonial weapons and
gunpowder
 British intended to capture Sam Adams
and John Hancock
 When colonists refused to disperse,
shots were fired, beginning the first
salvo of the Revolutionary War
Pre-War Fighting
 May 1775--Benedict Arnold captures
Ticonderoga and Crown Point
(important garrisons)
 June 1775--Battle of Bunker Hill
(actually Breed’s Hill), colonists
ultimately forced to abandon due to
low supplies
 Winter, 1775--Battle of Quebec
Common Sense, 1776
 Needing to boost morale, Thomas Paine
writes Common Sense, an easy to read, but
eloquent explanation for the revolution
 The pamphlet would be the most widely
circulated book of the Revolution, read at
campfires by the Continental army
 Made the war a war of ideas, not just
rebellion
The Second Continental
Congress
 Colonists forced to deal with the
violence of Lexington and Concord
 Military Preparedness
Appointed George Washington (as most
experienced military officer) General of
the Continental Army
Raised an army
Ordered naval confrontation
Mobilizing for War
 Political Preparations
 Authorized the writing of individual state
constitutions
 Issued the Olive Branch Petition, a final
plea/ultimatum to the King--ignored
 Asked Richard Henry Lee to craft an
“Independence Resolution”--but too weakly
worded
 Invited Thomas Jefferson to write the
Declaration of Independence--a formal statement
of grievances and the declaration of a new
country
The British War Machine
 Strengths
 Weaknesses
 Had a larger population
 Had chronic domestic
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(3:1)
More money
Had manufacturing
facilities, factories, and
industries
Stronger and better trained
army and navy
Had supply of mercenary
soldiers (German Hessians)
Had established
bureaucracy and
government
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problems
Problems with France, who
wanted revenge
Series of long civil wars and
world wars
Had a confused and inept
bureaucracy
Had no desire for war
Had second rate generals
Required long supply trains
Had little knowledge of the
terrain
Colonial Assets
 Strengths
 Weaknesses
 Excellent leadership
 Poorly organized, little
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(Washington, Adams,
Franklin, Lafayette, etc)
Waging a defensive battle
Had knowledge of the
terrain
Self-sustaining, had
limitless food supplies
Better riflemen
Fighting for a cause
(justice, liberty, freedom,
blah, blah, blah)
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unity between the
colonies
No money, and no
central currency
Inter-colonial jealousy,
over borders and trade
No military supplies
Undisciplined and
untrained army
No navy
The War
 Dec. 1776--Battle of Trenton-Washington surprises
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British forces in New Jersey (crossed the Delaware, etc)
Oct. 1777--Battle of Saratoga, British forces crushed and
boosted morale of Continental army
1778--The Revolution becomes a world war--most other
countries ally with the United States and promise
recognition as a new country, hoping to destroy the
British Empire
1781--American and French attack on Yorktown
1783--Treaty of Paris--Adams, Franklin, and Jay accept
surrender and hash out diplomatic relationship with
England, France, and Spai