Alabama High School Graduation Exam

1
Alabama High School Graduation Exam

• The American Revolution and
• The War of 1812

2
Causes

• There are many causes for the colonists revolt
  against Great Britain. These include
• 1. Taxation
• 2. The French and Indian War
• 3. Lack of Free Trade
• 4. Boston Massacre
• 5. Boston Tea Party
• 6. Lexington and Concord

3
Taxation

• The colonists were not allowed to have
  representatives in the British Parliament, so
  each tax became law without their consent. This
  angered the colonists. Some of these taxes
  included
• 1. Sugar Act 1764
• 2. The Stamp Act 1765
• 3. Quartering Act 1765
• 4. Declaratory Act 1766
• 5. The Townshend Acts 1767
• 6. Tea Act 1773
• 7. Intolerable Acts 1774

4
The French and Indian War

• The War between French colonists and their native
  American allies in Canada and American Colonists
  and their Native American allies. 1754 1763.
• The war was called the Seven Years War in Europe.
• The British won control of Canada.
• The British government under King George III went
  into debt fighting the war.
• New taxes were placed on the colonists (example
  Sugar Act), in order to pay for the war. This
  angered the colonists.
• The Proclamation of 1763 by the King prevented
  the American colonists from settling west beyond
  the Appalachian Mountains and this further
  angered the colonists.

5
Lack of free trade

• England practiced the economic system of
  colonialism with its 13 colonies.
• Under this arrangement, the colonies supplied its
  raw materials such as lumber to England in return
  for England selling the goods manufactured from
  them back to the colonies.
• England did not allow the colonists to openly
  trade with other countries, thus creating a
  monopoly.
• The Navigation Acts of 1651 and 1696 was passed
  by Britain to prevent the colonists from trading
  with other countries. British custom agents were
  issued a writ of assistance to search any
  colonial ship, house or store for foreign goods
  and seize them.
• This angered the colonists.

6
The Boston Massacre

• The colonists would regularly insult the British
  troops who enforced the Townshend Acts.
• On March 5, 1770, colonists shouted insults at
  British Troops at the Boston Customs House.
• For some reason, a soldier heard the word fire
  and shot into the crowd killing 5 people
  including a free black sailor named Crispus
  Attucks.
• The incident angered the colonists sparking
  protests throughout the colonies.

7
The Boston Tea Party

• The colonists boycotted all British goods that
  had a tax on it including tea.
• The Tea Act of 1773 was a tax on tea imported to
  the colonies from Britain.
• On December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and other
  members of The Sons of Liberty dressed as Native
  Americans snuck aboard a British tea Ship and
  dumped the tea into Boston Harbor.
• In response, Parliament passed the Intolerable
  Acts and closed Boston Harbor.
• In response, colonial leaders organized the First
  Continental Congress in 1774.

8
Lexington and Concord

• Through out the colonies various colonial leaders
  called for independence from England
• Patrick Henry of Virginia stated in his speech
  Give Me Liberty or Give me Death.
• Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet Common Sense
  pushing for independence from England.
• The colony of Massachusetts organized the
  Minutemen, a local militia.
• On April 18, 1775, 700 British Soldiers marched
  toward Concord, Massachusetts to seize Patriot
  weapons.
• Paul Revere, a Patriot rode on horse back warning
  that the British are coming.
• The Minutemen met the opposing British troops at
  Lexington.
• The Battle continued at Concord and the American
  Revolution had begun.

9
The Second Continental Congress

• On May 10, 1775, delegates met in Philadelphia to
  decide what to do next.
• The Congress sent one last peace proposal to King
  George III called the Olive Branch Petition. It
  was rejected by the King with the Prohibitory Act
  which branded those at the Congress as traitors
  punishable by death.
• The Congress then moved to appoint General George
  Washington as commander of the Continental Army.
• This would later led to the Declaration of
  Independence by the 13 colonies.

10
Declaration of Independence

• In the Spring of 1776, the Congress created a
  committee to draft a formal declaration of
  colonial independence.
• It became a foundation for a new American
  government based on John Lockes idea of Natural
  Rights Life, liberty and property or
  happiness
• Principles All men are created equal, have
  unalienable or rights given at birth, government
  exists with the consent of the governed and can
  be changed if the government becomes unjust.
• Written by Thomas Jefferson and signed on July 4,
  1776

11
Major Battles of the War

• April 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord-
  first battles of the war.
• June 1775- Battle of Bunker Hill British
  suffered heavy losses in their victory.
• December 1777- Battle of Saratoga- The Patriot
  victory convinced France to help the
  colonists.
• Winter 177-1778 Valley Forge- Washington with
  the help of foreign generals prepared the
  troops.
• 1778 -1781 Fighting shifted to the South. Battle
  of Cowpens 1781. Use of Guerrilla warfare.
• October 1781- Yorktown- Washington with the help
  of the French fleet captured General Cornwallis
  and the British Army.

12
Treaty of Paris 1783

• September 3, 1783, Britain formally recognized
  the United States as a separate country.
• In 1812, war would once again break out between
  the United States and Britain.
• The war was over the impressment of American
  sailors into the British Navy and seizing
  American ships.

13
War of 1812

• In June of 1812, President James Madison called
  for war with Britain.
• Major Battles
• 1. Horseshoe Bend in Alabama- General Andrew
  Jackson defeats the British allies the Creek
  Indians.
• 2. Battle of Fort McHenry- During the battle,
  Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner
  our National Anthem.
• 3. Battle of New Orleans- Battle fought after
  the peace treaty was signed in Ghent. News of
  the Treaty did not reach the Americans in time.
  Made Andrew Jackson a hero and later a future
  President.
• 4. Treaty of Ghent Ended the war in 1814

14
Consequences of the wars

• Other European countries recognized the rights of
  the United States.
• Nationalism or a feeling of pride in ones country
  grew in the United States.
• America was forced to develop its own industries
  and not rely on England.
• Created a unique democratic republic with a
  strong federal government and a Constitution.