The American Revolution
“Fighting Begins in the North”
Olive Branch Petition
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Even though the battles of Lexington and
Concord had already been fought, many
colonists were still hoping that there could
be a peaceful solution to the conflict
Colonial delegates met at the Second
Continental Congress in Philadelphia to
discuss the peaceful resolution. The end
product of the meeting was the Olive
Branch Petition. In it, they declared their
loyalty to the king and asked him to repeal
the intolerable acts.
The king was furious when he heard about
the petition. How dare those colonists rise
up against the great country of England.
The king’s response to the petition was to
send 20,000 more troops to the colonies.
When the Continental Congress learned of
the king’s decision, they weren’t very happy.
They were trying to make peace, and the
king was replying with aggression. Colonial
leaders like John and Sam Adams began
to plan for a war with England
What was the purpose of the Olive
Branch Petition?
A.) To declare independence from England
B.) To express loyalty to England following
Lexington and Concord
C.) To demand representation in Parliament
D.) To get the colonists to go to church
Fort Ticonderoga
I am Ethan Allen!! I
have a passion for
Independence
and Allen, another colonial
• Ethan
Furniture!!!
leader, decided to take matters
into his own hands. He led a
group of soldiers into Fort
Ticonderoga in the middle of
the night and captured the fort
quite easily. The fort gave
them much needed cannons
and a key route into Canada.
• The continental congress also
put George Washington in
charge of the Continental
Army.
Advantages and Disadvantages
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The colonies had split into two
groups. The patriots who favored
war with England, and the
Loyalists who wished to stay
loyal to the king.
Both the Colonists and the English
had advantages and
disadvantages. For instance, the
Colonists had few weapons,
poorly trained troops, and no
navy, but they also were fighting
with great passion and they were
fighting on home soil.
The British had the best army and
navy in the world, but they were
3000 miles from home. It took
months to get supplies and news
from England.
Battle of Bunker Hill
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During the first year of fighting, much of the
conflict happened in and around Boston.
Colonial troops surrounded Boston so that
the Redcoats couldn’t leave. Even before
Washington reached Boston, the colonists
took action. 1200 Men gathered on Bunker
hill, a hill near Boston Harbor to attack
British ships. The men realized that their
was an even better position on Breed’s hill
so they moved there.
When morning came, the colonists fired
their cannons at the ships and shot the
English soldiers. The English were able to
push the colonists back, but they lost 1000
men doing so. The colonists only lost 400.
The battle of Bunker Hill was the first major
battle of the American Revolution.
When Washington arrived, he quickly
organized the troops. England quickly
realized that they couldn’t hold Boston
anymore, and they left. The king was not
giving up, though. He ordered a blockade
of all colonial ports. Nothing could come in
and nothing could go out.