LEADING TO THE
REVOLUTION
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE COLONIES THAT LED TO
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
INTEREST IN THE COLONIES
• At first, British were not
interested in the
Colonies
• Fighting wars in Europe
• Far away / Poor communication
• Religious separation
• Colonists became
comfortable with ruling
themselves
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR
• French and Indian War
(1754-1763 AD)
• British and Colonists fight
together against the
French and Native
Americans.
• British and Colonists win
• Very expensive war
• British think the Colonists
should pay their fair share
• Britain raises taxes in both
Great Britain and the
colonies.
PROCLAMATION OF 1763 AD
• Bans colonists from settling in
western lands.
• Meant to reduce tensions
between colonists and
Native-Americans.
• British could remove its army
and save money.
• Angered colonists that their
freedom to expand westward
was being taken away.
SUGAR ACT OF 1764 AD
• Meant to stop colonists
from smuggling goods
in/out of the colonies.
• British Navy has increased
power to search colonial
ships.
• Set taxes on sugar and
other items.
• Raw materials had to go
straight to Britain.
• Passed without the
consent of the colonists
STAMP ACT OF 1765 AD
• Every printed piece of
paper required a tax.
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Legal documents
Newspapers
Pamphlets
Deck of Cards
• Colonists feared taxation
was getting out of control.
• Passed to raise money
without consent of the
colonists
QUARTERING ACT OF 1765 AD
• British troops move
away from frontier and
towards cities.
• Not enough room in
barracks or inns
• Citizens forced to
house and feed them
• Angered colonists
because they never
consented to this law.
DECLARATORY ACT OF 1766 AD
• Accomplished two things…
1. Repealed the Stamp Act
2. “Declared” Parliament’s right
to pass laws for the colonies
• Angered the colonists
• Parliament overlooked the last
100 years of colonists governing
themselves
• Colonists were not represented
in Parliament
TEA ACT OF 1773 AD
• The colonists could only
buy tea from the East
India Company, a British
company that was
struggling.
• Angered the colonists
that they could not buy
tea freely from any
company they wanted.
• Colonists did not consent
to the law.
REFLECTION
Yesterday, you were asked to reflect on whether or
not you believed that the colonists were acting like
ungrateful children when the British taxed them.
Continue your reflection based on what you learned
today about the Quartering Act, Declaratory Act
and the Tea Act. Are the colonists still acting like
ungrateful children?
Please respond in one paragraph (beneath
yesterday’s paragraph).
THE COLONIES BY 1773
• Many colonists upset
• Proclamation of 1763
• Increased Taxes without
Representation
• Quartering of Soldiers
• Declaratory Act of 1766
• Boston Massacre
• Colonies… “on edge”
• Northeast / Boston
• Colonists begin resisting
COLONISTS BEGIN TO RESIST
• “Committees of Correspondence”
• “Sons of Liberty”
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Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and John Hancock
Organized resistance to Parliament’s Acts
Attacked homes of tax collectors
Rioted in city streets
Burned effigies of British soldiers
Smuggled weapons and other goods
• “Daughters of Liberty”
• Spun own yarn instead of buying British
• Gave up drinking tea
THE BREAKING POINT
• Intolerable Acts passed
• By 1774, the colonists
have had enough
• Each colony (except
Georgia) agreed to send
representatives to discuss
the situation
• First Continental Congress
• Voted to ban all trade with
Great Britain
• Wrote letters to the King to
change policies
• King did not listen
BATTLE OF LEXINGTON AND CONCORD
• April 19, 1775
• British troops rush to towns
of Lexington and Concord
• Arsenals of Weapons
• Colonists were warned
ahead of time
• Americans fired upon the
British and forced them to
retreat.
• Beginning of the American
Revolution
• “Shot heard ‘round the world”
SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
May of 1775 – December of 1776
Decided to resist Great Britain
Organized the Continental Army
General George Washington
Drafted a document to explain
why the colonies were leaving
Great Britain
• Declaration of Independence
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