AMERICAN REVOLUTION
What Caused the American
Revolution?
 MONEY! Taxation and Trade
 13 colonies established for different purposes
 Each had own gov’t and rarely worked together
 Each had different economies, goals and needs
 By 1760 -1.5million colonists
What Caused the American
Revolution?
 Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
Confederacy : 5 nations
joined together.
 1 leader observed that if the
colonies worked together,
much stronger
What are some
advantages and
disadvantages to this
idea?
What Caused the American
Revolution?
Triangle trade- Merchants could only sell goods to
Britain
 the opposite flow was illegal
 Colonies were economically dependent
Protection
 British army
 British capture of New France-Threat gone
American merchants
 British ships, American materials
 British first, American second
What Caused the American
Revolution?
 When Britain kept:
 taxation fair and trade duties
low
 Out of colonial affairs
 Things seemed fine
 How was the coming
revolution, revolutionary?
 Britain- Colony serves
Britain’s needs
 Colonists- have right to make
decisions
 Fighting British Empire???
A very BIG deal.
Colonial Dissatisfaction
because….
 Their interests ignored and
rights violated
 Britain gave land to F.N. too
easily.
 The Royal Proclamation gave
Ohio River land to F.N.
 Americans settlers wanted this
land
Colonial Dissatisfaction
Because….
Rich Rule
 Sugar Act
 1764
 Sugar and by-products:
molasses
 Then:
 Molasses had VERY high
tax. Not enforced
 Easy to smuggle
 NOW:
 tax lower, Detailed records
 $$ -Molasses and rum
increased
Low-key protest by Boston
merchants
Colonial Dissatisfaction
because…
 Stamp Act - 1765
 Britain needed money after
war with France
 British stamp for all goods
and documents.
 Taxation without
representation
 Tarred and feathered tax
collectors
 This tax was a total
disaster- repealed after 1
year
Colonial Dissatisfaction
because…
Townshend Acts 1767
 Revenue Act(1767): paint,
paper, lead, glass, TEA
 Not for profit, for control
 Writs of assistance and
search warrants- customs
 Vice Admiral Court
Act(1768)- Courts
without juries
 Punish smugglers
Colonial Dissatisfaction
because…
 Quartering Act(1765):
“put up” soldiers in homes
 Boston Massacre
 March 5, 1770
 Custom’s House-
taunting
 Added guards
 Citizens used snowballs
and sticks
 Guards Reaction:
gun fire
 5 dead
Colonial Dissatisfaction
 Boston Tea Party- 1773
 Political Protest by
“Son’s of Liberty”
 Disguised themselves
 Dumped off ships
 Why? Taxation without
representation
 Consequences??
Intolerable Acts
Colonial Dissatisfaction
Because…
 The Intolerable Acts
 Boston Port Act
 Massachusetts Government Act
 Gov’t appointed. Meetings 1x/yr
 Administration of Justice Act
 British trials held in different
colonies, or Britain
 Quartering Act- ramped up
Colonial Dissatisfaction
Because…
 Quebec Act 1774
 French and Catholic
 Expanded Quebec
borders
 Result: First Continental
Congress
 12 colonies (Georgia
missing)
 Boycott goods, send
petition
Revolution led to independence
 Battle of Lexington
And Concord
 Battle of Bunker Hill
 Battle of White Plains
 Battle of Trenton
 Battle of Saratoga
 Battle of Monmouth
 Battle of Kings
Mountain
 Battle of Yorktown
 Battle of Quebec- 1775

Led by Benedict Arnold and
Richard Montgomery
 Avoid British marching from
north
 Failure solidified Canadian
loyalty
 Montgomery died, Arnold
wounded, 400 soldiers
prisoner
Declaring Independence
 Until 1776, no clear
goal.
 What are we fighting
for, specifically
 Constitutional Monarchy?
 Independent republic?
 Colonial Independence?
 Benjamin Thomas
Jefferson and John Adams
agreed on Republic
Outlined goal in Declaration
of Independence
 Did not end war
 Continued until
1781
 Paved the way for
 Worker rights,
 Women rights
 Human rights
(slavery)
 Ideals inspired
French Revolution
Changes to North America
 Britain fighting
Spanish, Dutch,
French, and US.
 1783- signed
agreements with all
 Agreed to acknowledge
US as separate and
sovereign
Changes to North America
 Loyalists: 1/5 favoured British
rule
 Patriots abused Loyalists
 ½ million black slaves
 Many signers had slaves
 10’s of thousands
fought/helped Britain
 British Loyalists brought
slaves to Canada…disgusting
abolitionists
 3000 Black Loyalists moved
to Nova Scotia: still
represented today
Changes to North America
Nova Scotia
 Language would keep
Quebec out of US
 ¾ of Nova Scotians- New
Englanders
 Why not them?
 Halifax major British
Naval port- wealthy
merchants
 Privateers raided
 Massive economic damage
 Solidified British Loyalty
Changes to North America
 Haudenosaunee Confederacy
chose to stay Neutral
 Good relations with Sir William
Johnson
 Joseph Brant- led Mohawk
and Loyalists.
 1783 Brant protested
 1784 Mohawks given land along
Grand River
 Treaty did not mention F.N.
 Brant and Confederacy, betrayed
Changes to North America
 1783
 Britain builds up
population
 First: Loyalists
 Colonies were small
 No unity
 French vs English
 Inland vs Coast
 Constitutional Act 1791
 Upper and Lower
Canada
 Upper-Ontario
 Protestant, English, British
law
 Lower- Quebec
 Catholic, French, French
law