Lesson 20
Do Now:
Who was Samuel Adams and how did he feel about British control over the colonies?
What did Samuel Adams persuade the Boston colonists to set up? What did the
Committee of Correspondence do? Why was it important for the other colonies,
besides Boston to have Committees? What did the Committees of Correspondence
lead to? How did colonists feel about the Tea Act? What did the Tea Act state? How
did the Tea Act affect colonial merchants? How did the colonists protest the Tea Act?
What was the Boston Tea Party? How did the British react to the Boston Tea Party?
Motivation:
Colonial statesman Samuel Adams was not happy with the continued British control
of the colonies. In 1772, he set up a Committee of Correspondence. They would
write letters to people in other towns and colonies. The letters would explain the
rights of the Colonists. Soon, other colonies had committees. This allowed the
colonists to share ideas and learn about problems as they happened. The Committee
of Correspondence was a step toward banding together to face conflict with
England. England passed a new Tea Act. The Tea Act stated that only a British
company could supply the colonists with tea. British also sold their tea for a really
cheap price. This Act would put colonial merchants out of business. Would this
continue? More businesses? To protest, the colonists refused to drink tea and they
tried to stop the tea ships from entering Boston Harbor. In December 1773, a group
of colonists dressed up as Indians and boarded three British ships that were loaded
with tea. The colonists threw all of the tea into the Boston Harbor. This protest
became known as the Boston Tea Party. The British were furious! So what was their
response???
CQ: How did the British punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party? What were
the Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts? What was the First Continental Congress?
Where di the First Continental Congress take place? What colony did not attend the
First Continental Congress? What delegates (strong leaders) were present at the
First Continental Congress? Did the members of the Continental Congress want to
break away from England? What did the members of the Continental Congress
want? What was the result of the First Continental Congress? What was the
Declaration of American Rights? What did the Declaration of American Rights as
for? How did the First Continental Congress end?
Notes:
1. As punishment, the British passes the Coercive Acts 1774 also known as the
Intolerable Acts.
2. This Act
a. closed Boston Harbor so trade suffered badly.
b. placed more British soldiers in Massachusetts
c. banned the Committee of Correspondence from having meetings
Watch Intolerable Acts 1774
3. In 1774, representatives from all of the colonies except Georgia met at
Carpenter’s hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss England’s laws.
4. This meeting was called The First Continental Congress
5. Some of the delegates present were George Washington, Samuel Adams, John
Adams and Patrick Henry.
6. At this meeting many of the colonists insisted that they were still loyal to
England
i. All they wanted were “the same rights granted other
Englishmen”
ii. They banned all trade with England till acts were repealed
iii. They trained Colonist Militia
7. (the idea of breaking away from England was not discussed at the First
Continental Congress)
8. A new spirit came out of the mitting…it was the spirit of a UNITED America.
9. Patrick Henry quote “The difference between Virginians, Pennsylvanians,
New Yorkers and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an
American”
10. The delegates sent a Declaration of American Rights to England
11. In the Declaration of American Rights they listed the unfair ways England
had treated the Colonists and asked that the Intolerable Acts be repealed.
12. If the king did not act on their declaration they would meet again in May of
1775!
Watch 2 video clips on the First Continental Congress. 1 min each
HW: Answer CQ