What led
to the writing of
the
Declaration
Of
Independence
and the
Revolutionary
War?
America before Independence
French and Indian War



Britain helped
colonists defeat
French in war
Britain needed
money to pay for
war expenses
Taxed colonists,
restricted
settlements and
limited self-govt.
Sugar Act and Stamp Act


British taxed
colonists on many
of the goods
coming into the
colonies from other
places
British imposed
taxes upon all
paper products and
stamped the item
once the tax had
been played.
Parliamentary Acts
Currency Act: prohibited American colonist from
issuing their own currency
 Quartering Act: required the colonist to provide
shelter and supplies to British troops
 Stamp Act: required stamps to be purchased and
placed on newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets,
legal documents, and playing cards
 Townshend Act: taxes on glass, lead, paint,
paper, and tea
 Tea act: permitted the British East India Tea
Comp. to sell tea at a lower price than colonial
tea companies

“No Taxation
Without
Representation!”
Boston Tea Party


A protest against the Tea Act of 1773. The Tea
Act let the British East India Tea Company
bypass tea merchants and sell directly to colonist
Colonist dressed as Indians and dumped British
tea into Boston harbor
March 5, 1770
Encounter between British troops and
citizens of Boston
 Patriots antagonized British troops, who
were quartered in Boston to discourage
demonstrations against the Townshend
Acts.
 British troops fired on the Patriots,killing 5
people


Boston Massacre
King George III passes the
“Intolerable Acts”



The Royal Navy
blockades the Boston
Harbor so no colonial
goods could be sent out
until tea was paid for.
Colonists had to quarter
the British soldiers.
The King assigned
British General Gage to
be Massachusetts
governor.
Search for
First
Freedom
Continental
Congress
meets in
Philadelphia
This is the
first real
attempt at
independence
First Continental Congress
 1774
 Discussed
problems in
Boston, Massachusetts and
how to make peace with
Britain
 Conclusion
◦ Continue to boycott British
goods
◦ Britain refused to listen
Conflict at Lexington and
Concord
•British General Gage
learns of hidden
weapons in Concord
•Paul Revere and
William Dawes
make midnight ride
to warn
Minutemen(militia)
of approaching
British soldiers
Lexington & Concord
•
•
•
•
First violent encounter of the War
No one knew who fired 1st shot
Colonists - 8 dead, 10 wounded
British marched to Concord but
found nothing
– Colonists hid everything….knew they
were coming
– Colonia militia fought them the entire
way back to Boston – 200 British killed
Second Continental Congress
• Representatives
brought money
to help establish
the Continental
Army
• Also decided to
declare
independence from
Britain.
• And to create a
document of
independence
Declaration of
Independence
Who:
Thomas Jefferson, John
Adams, Ben Franklin &
others
Why:
To declare publicly reasons
for independence from
England.
What:
•All men are equal.
•Right to life, liberty and
pursuit of happiness.
Beginnings of war – Dark Hours
• George Washington in command
• Had to raise troops
– 230,000 soldiers in Continental Army
– 145,000 local militia
– African Americans were not allowed to
serve in the Continental Army as per
Washington’s orders
– Britain promised freedom to any slave
who fought for Britain – Dunmore's
Proclamation
Military Strategies
The Americans
Attrition: inflict
heavy casualties
on the British.
Guerilla tactics
[fight an
insurgent war 
you don’t have
to win a battle,
just wear the
British down]
Make an
alliance with
one of Britain’s
enemies.
The British
Break the
colonies in half
by getting
between the
No. & the So.
Blockade the
ports to
prevent the
flow of goods
and supplies
from an ally.
“Divide and
Conquer”  use
the Loyalists.
1775: Battle
New York
 1776: Battle
Trenton
 1777: Battle
Saratoga
 1781: Battle
Yorktown

of
of
of
of
Major battles
Defeat in New York
• Washington moved his troops to
New York – Long Island
• Colonists lost 1,000 men
• British lost <400
• Defeat in New was a major problem
for Colonial army and the British
were confident of victory.
New York City in Flames
(1776)
Battle of Trenton, NJ
• British General Howe Missed a
golden opportunity…Philadelphia!
• He had his troops break for the
holidays…Christmas, in Trenton
• December 25, 1776…Washington
and 2400 men crossed Delaware
River
• British were all sleeping
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851
Battle of Saratoga:
“Turning Point”
of the War?
A modern-day re-enactment
Saratoga:
• Fall of 1777, the
colonists forced the
surrender of 6,000
British troops at the
Battle of Saratoga.
• It was the first major
victory for the
Continental army.
Foreign interest
• Victory at Saratoga boosted foreign
interest
• Marquis de Lafayette – French
officer-helped colonist with strategy.
• Spain – Also jumped in to help
• Both hated the British and helped to
reduce impact of British navy
Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:
“The World Turned Upside Down!”
Victory at Yorktown



Washington had initially
planned to attack New York
in 1781 but now he
marched south with his
French allies
The American-French force
began to besiege the town
and, unable to get
supplies, Cornwallis was
forced to surrender
On 19th October, 1781 the
British marched out of
Yorktown.
North America After the
Treaty of Paris, 1783
Treaty of Paris
New nation of America is
to be established
 French, Spanish, Russians
all get parts of North
America and Caribbean
 British North America
continues to exist,
modern day Canada
 Debts should be paid to
British
