
The ideas of the Enlightenment and the
perceived unfairness of British policies
provoked debate and resistance by the
American colonists.
Salutary Neglect:
English policy of
leaving the colonies to
develop on their own.
The main goal of
England: To make
money
The rivalry in North America between Britain
and France led to the French and Indian War,
in which the French were driven out of Canada
and their territories west of the Appalachian
Mountains. Over Ohio River Valley
 English will abandon policy of salutary neglect
and take a more forceful approach in colonies.

North America in 1750

Results…
›
›
›
›
›
›

Britain has world empire
Britain - huge debt; large area to defend
bitter feelings between Britain and colonies
Colonists see Brits are not invincible
Colonial trade limited
Americans work together to defeat a common
enemy (1st time)
Without this war, the American Revolution
would not have occurred!
War increases colonial unity, How?
 Increased perception that colonies
should be Independent

› Spanish and Indians weaker
› French Gone

Colonists believe they can roam free

Mercantilism fully embraced and
enforced
› Navigation Acts
› Restrictions on production
› No Currency in America – use gold
and silver
› Privy council could over rule colonial
law
As a result of the war, Britain took several
actions that angered the American colonies
and led to the American Revolution. These
included
-Sugar Act(Revenue Act of 1764)- duty on
sugar and other luxuries, leads to stricter
enforcement of Navigation Acts, smugglers no
longer get trial by jury.
-Quartering Act- required colonists to provide
food and living quarters for British soldiers.

-the Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited
settlement west of the Appalachian
Mountains, a region that was costly for the
British to protect.
-new taxes on legal documents (the “Stamp
Act”), tea, and sugar, to pay costs incurred
during the French and Indian War and for
British troops to protect colonists.
Leads to the formation of the Sons and Daughters of
Liberty & Stamp Act Congress to protest the act.

Colonial Reaction: “Stamp Act Congress”
› 9 colonies
› “No Taxation w/o representation verse
“Virtual Representation”
› External/Internal Taxes
› Send list of grievances to King
 Parliament repeals act
 Declaratory Act

Starts Boycotts – people make own
products
The Boston Massacre took place when
British troops fired on anti-British
demonstrators. March 1770
---5 colonists killed, used as propaganda to incite
anti-British feelings.

Resistance to British rule in the colonies
mounted, leading to war:
 The Boston Tea Party occurred, 1773.
 The First Continental Congress was called,
to which all of the colonies except Georgia
sent representatives—the first time most of the
colonies had acted together. No desire for
independence-How should we react to these
attacks on our liberties?
Boston Tea Party (1773)

Coercive Acts- 1) closed the port of Boston, no
trade until tea was paid for. 2) reduced power of
Mass. Legislature. 3) royal officials accused of
crimes would be tried in England. 4) expanded the
Quartering Act to private homes.
 Quebec Act-established Roman Catholicism as
official religion of Quebec, set up gov’t without
representative assembly, and extended Quebec’s
boundary to Ohio River

1st Continental Congress 1774
› All colonies except Georgia sent representatives,
colonies act together first time
› List of grievances “Declaration of Rights”
 Rejected

“These are the times that try men’s souls.
The summer soldier and the sunshine
patriot will in this crisis shrink from the
service of their country; but he that
stands it now deserves the love and
thanks of man and woman.” Paine The
American Crisis
The Regulars Are Coming . . .
Paul Revere & William Dawes make their
midnight ride to warn the Minutemen of
approaching British soldiers.
Start of War

War began when the “Minutemen” in
Massachusetts fought a brief skirmish with
British troops at Lexington and Concord.








Colonies:
2.5 million citizens
Weak gov’t & navy
Little money or
weapons
Colonial jealousy
Strong leaders
Defensive war
France








England:
7.5 million citizens
Strong navy
Large, well
equipped army
Loyalists
Weak military
leaders
Distance
France
Colonist Type
Description
Examples
Patriots
Complete independence Paine, Henry, John and
Confiscate loyalist
Sam Adams,
property
Washington, New
England Presbyterians
and Congregationalist
Loyalists
(Tories)
Believed that taxation of
the colonies was
justified to pay for
British troops to protect
American settlers from
Indian attacks, Many
leave during and after
the war
Neutrals
The many colonists who Westerners
tried to stay as
uninvolved in the war as
possible
William Franklin (Ben’s
son) Southerners,
Anglican Church
members
Military Strategies
The Americans
The British
Philadelphia, May 1775–
-George Washington appointed head of colonial
army, Benedict Arnold sent to invade
Canada, Navy & Marine Corps organized.
-Olive Branch Petition sent to King George,
July 1775, last ditch effort at peace, pledged
loyalty and asked king to protect their rights.

Famous Statment made by Partick
Henry, a patriot, was...
"...Give me Liberty or give me
Death"






Bunker Hill-June 1775- Americans inflict heavy
casualties, retreat because they run out of ammunition.
Common Sense- Jan. 1776
Declaration of Independence- July 4th 1776
Saratoga- victory is turning point of war- France now joins
the colonists
Yorktown-1781- last major battle of the revolution, French
army & navy help defeat the British in Virginia- Cornwallis
surrenders
Treaty of Paris 1783 ends war
Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:
“The World Turned Upside Down!”
Painted by John Trumbull, 1797

The American rebels
won their
independence
because the British
government grew tired
of the struggle soon
after the French
agreed to help the
Americans.

Diplomatic
-Benjamin Franklin negotiated a Treaty of
Alliance with France--1778.
-The war did not have popular support in
Great Britain.

Military
-George Washington, general of the
American army, avoided any situation that
threatened the destruction of his army, and his
leadership kept the army together when defeat
seemed inevitable.
-Americans benefited from the presence of
the French army and navy at the Battle of
Yorktown, which ended the war with an
American victory.
Recognize US
independence
 Gives all land east of
Mississippi and South
of the Great Lakes to
Florida

› Why so much?
› Good deal for US –
Brits pulling US from
French
What differences existed among Americans
concerning separation from Great Britain?
 What factors contributed to the victory of the
American rebels?
