I.
The Road to War
a. Trouble with Britain
i. Anger in the colonies
1. Parliament needed money to help pay for the war they
just had with France so they decided to pass a tax on 13
colonies.
2. Tax-money that a gov’t regularly collects from its people
3. Stamp Act: tax colonists had to pay on newspapers, legal
papers, and playing cards-1765
4. Colonists were angry with these taxes because they had
no say (no taxation without representation)
5. Groups called “Sons of Liberty” formed and burned
papers that were being taxed.
6. 1766 parliament repeals (withdraws) Stamp Act.
7. 1767- Townshend Act is passed that taxes glass, lead,
paint, and tea
8. Colonists were so angry that they boycotted buying,
selling, or using any of these products
9. Colonists also agreed not to import items from G.B.
(bring items in from another country)
ii. Time for a Tea Party
1. In Dec. 1773 angry colonist, disguised as Native
Americans boarded a British Ship in Boston Harbor and
dumped 342 chests of tea into water.
2. British closed harbor as a result
3. William Franklin, son of Ben, was governor of NJ and
sided with GB, but many of his people did not.
4. 1774 colonists boarded British ship in Greenwich, NJ
and burned tea.
b. Loyalists and Patriots
i. The First Continental Congress
1. Quartering Act-allowed British Troops to live in
colonists’ homes.
2. First Continental Congress-Sept 1774 meeting in
Philadelphia where delegates from 12 colonies (no
Georgia) addressed concerns
3. Not yet ready to break away from GB but wanted
parliament to act more fairly
4. Declaration of Rights – letter written at meeting that
states concerns and wishes
5. Delegates meet again in May 1775
ii. War Breaks Out
1. Minutemen-members of a militia in Massachusetts that
would be ready to fight in 60 seconds.
2. British soldiers were sent to arrest two Amer. leaders in
April 1775 in Lexington, MA so the minutemen fought
back and lost.
3. The minutemen won later that day in the Battle of
Concord.
4. A month later delegates have the Second Continental
Congress in May 1775.
a. Create official army
b. George Washington is commander in chief
c. Postal service created
d. Navy created
iii. Different Opinions
1. Even though the British were treating the colonist
unfairly, breaking free meant facing an unknown future.
2. Loyalists-people who supported GB during the
American Rev.
3. Patriots: people who supported independence from GB
4. Some families were broken apart by these differing
opinions.
c. Declaring Independence
i. The Declaration of Independence
1. Throughout the spring and summer of 1776, the Second
Continental Congress continued to meet.
2. The men decided it was time to break away from England.
3. The delegates chose 5 men to write the Declaration of
Independence.
4. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to prepare the first draft
5. Declaration of Independence: A document stating the
colonists’ complaints against GB and King George III.
a. It stated if a gov’t does not treat its people properly,
the people have the right to change the gov’t.
b. It declared that “all men are created equal”
c. It declared that people have rights such as “life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
6. On July 4, 1776, Congress approved the Declaration of
Independence and on the 8th, it was read aloud to the
public in Philadelphia at Ind. Hall
ii. The Pledge of Signers
1. 5 signers from NJ and one of them was John Witherspoon,
a clergyman and teacher.
2. Signing this document meant risking your life.
a. Arrested/hanged
b. Property taken or destroyed
3. Ben Franklin helped prepare Dec of Ind and signing this
document meant war with Britain was certain.