U.S. History
The Road to the American Revolutionary War:
The Battle for America’s Independence
After Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas on his 1492 voyage, many European
nations (the Spanish, the Dutch, the French and of course, the English) began to send explorers to North
America. These European countries were interested in North America mainly for economic reasons
(meaning they hoped that the “New World” would help them to make “New Money”). The leaders of
Europe believed that having more money would make them more powerful.
In the late 1500s, an English geographer named Richard Hakluty urged England to establish
colonies in North America. He argued that the colonies would provide a market for English exports.
The colonists would be consumers who would buy English made goods. This would help the English
economy. The colonies would also serve as a supply of natural resources. Hakluty was describing the
economic theory of mercantilism. In mercantilism, the mother country (England) controls trade and
attempts to transfer wealth from its colonies (America) back to the mother country. In 1585, Sir Walter
Raleigh established the first official British colony in North America on Roanoke Island in the state we
now call North Carolina. The colony failed, but this did not dissuade England from trying to establish
more colonies.
In 1608, the English created a colony in Jamestown, VA.
Twelve years later in 1620, the Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower
and established a settlement in Plymouth, MA. Throughout the
next 112 years, the British colonies continued to expand along the
Atlantic Coast of North America. By 1732, the British had
established 13 original colonies (Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Delaware, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South
Carolina, & Georgia). These colonies were grouped
geographically and economically into regions known as New
England, the Middle Colonies and the Southern Colonies.
In the 1600s and early 1700s the English and the American colonists had a “symbiotic”
relationship. The colonists benefited from their relationship with England. The English provided the
colonists with protection from Native Americans (and from the French during the French-Indian War).
They also provided the colonists with supplies they needed when they were first being established. The
English helped the colonists to establish strong governments that helped to keep order. The English
profited from their relationship with the colonists too. The English used the natural resources found in
the colonies and they exported many goods to the colonies which helped England to become wealthier
and more powerful.
At the conclusion of the French-Indian War, Britain decided that it wanted to take greater
control of the colonies. Up until this point, the colonists had been allowed a lot of freedom. The British
government passed a series of laws that greatly angered the colonists. In 1765 the Quartering Act was
passed. The Act required colonists to provide housing and supplies for the British soldiers. To pay off
some of the debt it had accrued from fighting the French-Indian War, the British increased the taxes on
the American Colonies. The Sugar Act (1764), Stamp Act (1765) and Tea Act (1773) all increased the
price that colonists had to pay for the goods they’d been importing from England.
The colonists felt as though the actions of King George III
and the British Parliament were unfair. They claimed that the
British government was tyrannical (abusing its power). The
colonists began a series of protests against the British to show
their displeasure. They boycotted British made goods, they held
demonstrations on the streets of New York, Philadelphia and
Boston and they even destroyed British goods (the most famous
incident was known as the Boston Tea Party).
To prevent further violent protests, Massachusetts Governor (and British loyalist) Thomas
Hutchinson, requested assistance from the British army. In 1768, four thousands red coast (British
soldiers) landed in the city of Boston to help maintain order. On March 5, 1770, an angry mob clashed
with several British troops. Five colonists were killed and news of the Boston Massacre fueled anti-British
sentiment in the colonies.
By the mid 1770s, the American Colonists were at a breaking point. They believed the British
government was taking advantage of them. They did not like that the British were passing laws that
affected the colonies, but would not allow the colonists to have a voice in their government (there were
no representatives from the colonies in the British Parliament). Colonists would chant “no taxation
without representation” to express their frustration with the British. In 1774, the wealthy colonists
formed the First Continental Congress to develop a plan for becoming free of British rule. Thomas
Jefferson, a member of the Congress was selected to write a letter declaring that the colonies would be
independent (no longer a part of the British Empire). On July 4, 1776, the Congress approved the letter
that Jefferson had composed which became known as the Declaration of Independence.
Name:
Date:
Core:
U.S. History
The Road to the American Revolution
Directions: Use The Road to the American Revolution: America’s Battle for Independence and the Battle
for Gelena Somez’s Independence to answer the following questions. Answer all open-ended questions
in complete sentences.
Fact Check…
1. Before it became an independent nation, the United States was once a colony of which European
country? ____________________________.
2. Which of the following best describes mercantilism?
a. An economic theory in which a small colony seeks out a larger country to act as its “big
brother”. The larger nation protects the small colony in exchange for money and natural
resources.
b. A political theory in which a large nation takes over a smaller country to become more
powerful.
c. An economic theory in which a large nation establishes colonies. The large nation helps
the colonies to become strong (by providing protection and supplies) so that one day,
the colonies will become independent nations.
d. An economic theory in which a large nation establishes colonies. The large nation uses
the colonies to increase its wealth. The large nation does this by taking natural resources
from the colony and forcing the colonists to buy their products.
3. Identify 2 ways that the British helped the American colonists.
a. __________________________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________________________
4. Identify 2 ways that the American colonists helped the British.
a. __________________________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________________________
5. What was the Quartering Act (1765)? _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
6. According to the text, why did the British impose so many new taxes on the American colonies
in the late 1700s?
a. The British were angry at the American colonists for trying to rebel against them so they
started raising taxes as a way to punish the American colonists.
b. The British borrowed a lot of money to protect the colonies during the French-Indian
War and they needed to pay back the money they borrowed so they taxed the colonists.
c. The British wanted to establish new colonies in Australia, but they did not have enough
money to start these new colonies so they taxed the American colonists.
d. The British were greedy and wanted to make more money. A fast way to do that was to
raise taxes on the American colonists.
7. Briefly describe what happened at the “B
Boston Massacre” in 1770. __________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
8. Explain what the colonists meant when they shouted “n
no taxation without representation”. ____
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
9. Identify 2 similarities between Gelena Somez’s battle for independence and the colonists’ battle
for independence.
a). _________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
b). _________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
=
Name:
Date:
Core:
U.S. History
Reader Response:
The Road to the American Revolution
Does Britain
deserve a piece
of the pie???
Directions: Answer the following question using ATIC.
Was Great Britain entitled to some land and money from the American colonists in the late 1700s?
Explain your position using evidence from the text (ATIC).
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Structuring Your Response
________________________________________________________________________________
(A)nswer: State whether or not your believe the
________________________________________________________________________________
British are entitled to any land/money from the
colonists provide a brief “because” statement (the
________________________________________________________________________________
because statement should be fairly general)
(T)ext: Provide evidence from the text that supports
________________________________________________________________________________
your position. Look for facts that show that the
British are or aren’t entitled to compensation from
________________________________________________________________________________
the colonists.
________________________________________________________________________________
(I)nference: Explain how the evidence you cited
________________________________________________________________________________
proves that the British are or aren’t entitled to some
compensation. You must define the word “entitled”
________________________________________________________________________________
in this part of your response. You may want to look
back to your vocab builder for this part of your
response.
________________________________________________________________________________
(C)onclusion: Summarize your argument in a single
________________________________________________________________________________
sentence.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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4
Exemplary
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

Insightful, well
organized, and fluent
Deep understanding
of text is
demonstrated
Specific references to
text are used to
support ideas
Text references are
well interpreted and
clearly connected to
response
3
Proficient




Thoughtful, organized,
and fluent
Clear understanding of
the text is
demonstrated
Relevant references to
text are used to
support ideas
Text references are
explained and
connected to response
2
Progressing




Organized and
somewhat fluent
Basic understanding
of text is displayed
Somehwat relevant
example from text is
used to support ideas
Text references are
somewhat connected
to response
1
Beginning




Disorganized or
confusing
Limited or no
understanding of text is
displayed
Limited or no examples
from text are used to
support ideas
Text reference seems
irrelevant to response