A Meeting in Philadelphia
In the eyes of King
George and British
Parliament, this meeting
was an act of Sedition. In
 Every colony EXCEPT for
other
words, treason,
Georgia sent representatives.
which
was
 Samuel
and punishable
John Adams,
John Jay, George
withWashington,
death by
hanging.
Richard
Henry
 September 1774 the Continental
Congress- 55 delegates gathered
in Philadelphia to set up a
political body that would
represent Americans and
challenge British control.
Lee and Patrick Henry
“ The distinctions
between Virginians,
Pennsylvanians, New
Yorkers, and New
Englanders are no more.
I am not a Virginian, but
an American.”
-Patrick Henry
 The delegates discussed complaints against
the British and wrote a statement of
grievances.
 They voted to boycott British trade.

In a statement of grievances, the
delegates called for the repeal of 13 acts
of Parliament. They believed these laws
violated the "laws of nature, the
principles of the English constitution,
and the several charters" of the colonies.
 Suffolk Resolves- Originally
prepared by the people of Suffolk
county Massachusetts (Boston is a
part of Suffolk County).
 These resolutions declared the
Coercive Acts to be illegal.
 These resolutions also warned
Colonies to organize militias—
groups of citizen soldiers to arm
themselves against the British.
Each member was required to
provide his own weapon. (A
musket)
 Minutemen- Militias that boasted they
would be ready to fight at a minute's notice.
 By April 1775, several thousand British
troops were in and around Boston
 King George told Parliament that the New
England Colonies were "in a state of
rebellion" and that "blows must decide" who
would control America.
 British general Thomas Gage ordered 700
troops under Lieutenant Colonel Francis
Smith to Concord, to seize and destroy all
the artillery and ammunition of the
colonists.
They were also
looking to arrest
John Hancock and
Samuel Adams
 On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere
and William Dawes rode to Lexington, a town
east of Concord, to spread the word that the
British were coming.
 A British patrol later captured Dawes and
Revere.
 Prescott continued the warning
 As the redcoats approached Lexington they
ran into about 70 waiting minutemen.
 Captain John Parker led the minutemen and
was badly outnumbered. They were about to
let the redcoats through when a shot was fired
and both sides let loose an exchange of bullets.

When the shooting ended, eight
minutemen lay dead.
“Stand your ground; don't fire unless fired upon, but
if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
-Captain John Parker
 The British continued on to Concord, and all along the road
colonists hid behind trees and fired on the soldiers.
 By the time the redcoats reached Boston, at least 174 were
wounded and 73 were dead.
 60 years later, a poet named Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote a
poem named, The Concord Hymn. In it, he penned one of the
most famous quotes of the Revolutionary war; the Americans at
Lexington and Concord had fired the "shot heard 'round the
world."
 Why did Emerson say “heard round the world”?
 The battle for independence had begun.
Stop Here
 Fort Ticonderoga near Lake Champlain in
New York was rich with military
supplies.
 Benedict Arnold (and 400 men) along with
Ethan Allen and Allen's men—the Green
Mountain Boys took the British by surprise.
 Fort Ticonderoga surrendered on May 10,
1775.

Discovery Education Video: The Revolutionary
War: An Army of Amateurs- Benedict Arnold
and Fort Ticonderoga
 Later, Arnold became a traitor to the
Patriot cause.
 On June 16, 1775, militia commanded by
Colonel William Prescott set up posts on
Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill, across the
harbor from Boston.
 Even though they put up a fight the
Americans ran out of gunpowder and
had to withdraw.
 The battle on Breed's Hill became
known as the Battle of Bunker Hill
was a British victory.
 Discovery Education Video: The
Revolutionary War- The Battle of
Bunker Hill
Low on ammunition,
Prescott reportedly
ordered, "Don't fire
until you see the whites
of their eyes."
Choosing Sides
 Loyalists- Did not think unfair taxes and laws justified a
rebellion (sided with British).
 Patriots- Believed that the colonists should have the right to
govern themselves (supported the war). The American
Revolution was not just a war between America and Britain. It
was also a civil war—Patriots against Loyalists.
 Political differences divided communities and even split families.
Benjamin Franklin's son, William, served as Royal Governor of New
Jersey. When the Revolution began, William remained loyal to Britain
and quarreled with his father never again to repair their relationship.
Form Your
Row-Groups
Pyramid Foldable: The first Battles of the
Revolutionary War
Work on a Pyramid Foldable in your Row-Groups (each student will create his/her own):

Each side must include the important people of the Battle:

John Parker, Paul Revere, Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen, Green Mountain Boys, and
William Prescott

The sequence of significant events that occurred in the course of battle (beginning to end)

Who started the battle, who had an advantage, the importance or purpose of the battle, etc.

The words Loyalist and Patriot must be somewhere on your pyramid.
1.
Battle of Lexington and Concord
2.
Fort Ticonderoga
3.
Battle of Bunkers Hill (Breed’s Hill)
4.
Map of Battles at Lexington and Concord (on the back side of the pyramid foldable)
Dec. 17 (B Day)- Due at the end of class
Dec. 18 (A Day)- 25 minutes class time to work, anything not completed will
be due in next class.
Declaring Independence

In 1774 the First Continental Congress agreed to meet again if the British failed to
address their complaints.

The Second Continental Congress met on May 10, 1775.
 Many of the delegates from the First Continental Congress returned and some
new delegates also joined them:

John Hancock of Massachusetts was a wealthy merchant who funded many
Patriot groups including the Sons of Liberty. Because of his popularity amongst the
Patriot movement he was chosen as President of the Second Continental Congress.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most respected men in the colonies, he had
been a leader in the Pennsylvania legislature. In 1765 he represented the colonies in
London and helped win repeal of the Stamp Act.

Thomas Jefferson was only 32 at the time and was known as a brilliant thinker
 The delegates at the Second Continental
Congress had much to discuss. Though
American and British blood had been spilled,
they were not ready to vote for a break from
Britain.
 The Continental Congress began governing the
colonies.
 It authorized the printing of money
 Set up a post office, with Franklin in charge.
 Formed committees to handle relations with
Native Americans and foreign countries.

Most important, it created the Continental
Army.
 They chose George Washington to
lead them.
 The delegates then offered Britain a last chance to avoid war.
 They sent a petition, or formal request, to George III.
 Olive Branch Petition- The delegates sent a petition to
George III assuring the king that the colonists wanted peace.

The king rejected the petition. Instead, he prepared for war.

He hired more than 30,000 German troops, called Hessians.
The British colonists, Patriots and Loyalists, saw them as
mercenaries.
 British troops in Canada were planning to invade New York.
 A unit of Patriots decided to strike first and marched
north from Fort Ticonderoga and captured Montreal.
 Washington reached the Boston area in July 1775, a few
weeks after the Battle of Bunker Hill.
 Although the size of the colonial force grew every day,
Washington realized that the men were disorganized and
lacked discipline.
 Washington began the task of turning armed civilians
into soldiers.
 In need of weapons, he arranged to have dozens of cannons
hauled 300 miles from Fort Ticonderoga.
 In March 1776, Washington
moved soldiers and cannons
into position overlooking
Boston, while the redcoats
slept.
 British General William
Howe, surprised, commanded
his soldiers to board ships and
withdraw from Boston.
 Although many colonists held
on to hope that the colonies
could remain part of Great
Britain, support for
independence was growing.
 Thomas Paine called for complete break with British rule
in his pamphlet Common Sense.
"Every thing that is
right or reasonable
pleads for separation.
The blood of the slain,
the weeping voice of
nature cries, ‘TIS
TIME TO PART."
 Jefferson wrote the
Declaration of Independence
and drew on ideas from
English philosopher John
Locke.
 He believed that people
are born with certain
natural rights to life,
liberty, and property.
 People form governments
to protect those rights,
and that a government
interfering with those
rights could rightfully be
overthrown.
 Twelve colonies voted for
independence on July 2,
1776 (New York did not
vote). After the vote,
Thomas Jefferson wrote a
rough draft of a
Declaration of
Independence. After
making some changes to
Jefferson’s draft, delegates
approved the document
on July 4, 1776.
 John Hancock was the
first to sign it. He
signed using huge
letters because he
wanted King George
to be able to read it
without his glasses.
December 4th, 2012
Journal 23
Write a letter of grievances against your
parents.
Homelearning
•Achieve 3000-The Story of the States due by
next Friday.
•Begin reviewing for test
Remediation:
Chapt. 5 Lesson 4 Guided Reading
1.John and Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry,
Richard Henry Lee, and George
Washington
2.He represented the colonies in front of
parliament in 1765 and successfully gained
the repeal of the Stamp Act.
3.Authorized the printing of money
4.Created a Post Office which was to be led by
Benjamin Franklin
5.Created the Continental Army
6.Mercenaries from Germany that were hired
by King George. He hired a total of 30,000
of them.
7.Washington ordered canons to be moved
from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston where
they were positioned to surround the city.
The British ordered a retreat once they
found out that they were surrounded by
artillery.
1. Complete independence from Britain
2. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert
Livingston, Robert Sherman. Jefferson was asked to write the first
draft.
3. People are born with certain natural rights to life, liberty, and
property ( the pursuit of Happiness). People form governments to
protect those rights and that a government interfering with those
rights could rightfully be overthrown.
Just a few possible answers for #4
4. Inalienable Rights:
a.Life, Liberty, and Property (Pursuit of
Happiness)
b.Alter or abolish disruptive governments
Grievances:
c. Kept standing armies amongst the colonies
d.Appointed only loyalist judges
e. Refused Assent to local Laws/Suspended local
governments
f. Suspended local Governors
Did you find any others?
The Declaration has four
major sections:
 The first section, called the Preamble, explains why the
Continental Congress drew up the Declaration of
Independence.
 The second section, called the Declaration of Natural Rights,
lists the rights of citizens. It goes on to explain that, in a republic,
people form a government to protect their rights.
 The third section, called the List of Grievances, lists the
colonist’s complaints against the British government. Notice that
King George III is singled out for blame.
 The fourth section, called the Resolution of Independence,
declares the colonies are “Free and Independent States” with full
power to make war, to form alliances, and to trade with other
countries.
In your groups, find evidence in each section
of the Declaration of Independence that
supports the summaries of each section that
we just discussed. Use pages 96-97 in your
book.
 Preamble
 Declaration of Natural Rights
 List and explain 5 grievances mentioned in the
Declaration.
 Resolution of Independence by the United States.