The American Revolution

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The American Revolution

• 1775-1783

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Brain Pop American Revolution
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The American Revolution

• 1775 to 1783
• An armed conflict broke out between Britain and
  her 13 colonies
• The 13 colonies did not want to pay increased
  taxes to Britain.

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Patriots

• If you fought against the British and wanted to
  become an independent nation, you were called a
  patriot.

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Patriots

• The patriots started off as a small group of
  radicals, such as Sam Adams, John Hancock, Sons
  of Liberty, the Continental Congress George
  Washington.
• The Patriots came from every level of colonial
  society
• George Washington Thomas Jefferson were two of
  the wealthiest men in North America
• Paul Revere was a silversmith
• John Hancock was a rich merchant
• The Minutemen were ordinary people who objected
  to taxation because most of them were poor.

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Loyalists

• A loyalist was someone who joined the British
  side of the war.
• The political name for the Loyalists was Tories.

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Loyalists

• The Loyalists were divided into two groups
• The active Loyalists were those who were not
  scared by the tarring and feathering that was
  going on in many communities throughout the
  colonies. They were the targets of persecution
  since they openly supported the king. Many were
  officials of the British government, such as
  customs officers who collected the Tea Tax.
• The inactive Loyalists were those who continued
  to support the king, but did got get involved in
  the violence that followed.

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Loyalists

• Loyalists tended to be recent immigrants to North
  America.
• Not all were British. Some were German and
  Dutch. These groups feared that the revolution
  would threaten their language, religion and
  customs.
• The Patriots wanted a Democratic Government that
  would be ruled by the majority vote however, the
  Germans and Dutch were minorities.

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Molly Brant

• A Mohawk, who became a leader of her people and
  one of the most important Loyalists.
• She was married to Sir William Johnson, the
  Superintendent of Indians in British North
  America. He helped establish the Proclamation
  Line.
• She was head of The Society of Six Nations
  Matrons. Women had high status and their advice
  was listened to in all matters, including peace
  and war.
• Her advice was to remain loyal to Britain.

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Molly Brant

• By 1774, Iroquois chiefs were ready for war
  against the Patriots, who were paying no
  attention to the Proclamation Line.
• Her brother, Joseph Brant, began recruiting
  warriors for the Loyalist forces
• In the spring of 1777, Molly was forced to move
  from Mohawk Valley because Patriots had destroyed
  her home.
• Colonel John Butler asked to settle at Fort
  Niagara.
• He knew Molly would be able to convince the
  Iroquois to fight with the British.
• It was said that one word from Molly Brant is
  more taken notice of by the Six Nations than a
  thousand words from a white man.

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Molly Brant

• Molly and the Iroquois were shocked by the terms
  of the peace treaty. The British king had given
  away their land to the Patriots.
• Molly was offered a pension of 100 a year for
  her help during the war.
• The Iroquois Loyalists were offered new land near
  the Bay of Quinte and along the banks of the
  Grand River.
• Molly was offered money to return to Mohawk
  Valley. They wanted her to help control the
  Natives that were returning their and finding
  their taken over by new settlers.
• Molly considered this a bribe and instead moved
  to Quebec and never stepped foot on American Soil
  again.

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Neutral

• Quakers and Mennonites did not believe in
  fighting and were excused from military duty, but
  they had to pay special taxes for this privilege.
• Quebec and Nova Scotia

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Loyalists

• The Loyalist regiments faced more dangers than
  the regular British soldiers.
• The Patriots looked on the Loyalists as traitors,
  so they were harder on them.
• Tarring and feathering was used by Patriots to
  terrorize Loyalists.
• There not many actual cases however, the threat
  became the most effective weapon against the
  Loyalists

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Patriot Victory

• In 1776, the Patriots had an army of 18,000 of
  poorly armed and trained men.
• The British had a force of 30,000.
• Yet, the Patriots were victors.
• How did this happen?

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Patriot Victory

• The British could easily conqueror cities
  however, they had trouble in the countryside.
• The Patriots shot at them from behind trees and
  used other hit-and-run tactics.
• This guerilla warfare wore down the British army.
• The Patriots gained experience and started
  winning battles.
• In 1778, France signed an alliance with the
  Patriots.
• In 1781, the British surrendered to George
  Washingtons army

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The Treaty of Paris

• The peace treaty went into effect in 1783
• In the treaty, Britain agreed to do the
  following
• Recognize American Independence
• Turn over to the United States all the land from
  the Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast
  between the Great Lakes and Florida
• Give the Americans fishing rights off the coast
  of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
• In return, Britain wanted the Loyalists paid back
  for the losses they suffered during the war. The
  Congress agreed, but the Loyalists were never
  paid.

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Evacuation of the Loyalists

• After the peace treaty was signed, Loyalist
  soldiers often found that they could not return
  home.
• The Law of Forfeiture in NY allowed rebel agents
  to evict the wives and children of British
  regiments. They then sold the property to
  Patriots at a fraction of the value.
• Thousands of Loyalists were in refugee camps in
  New York City
• Loyalist forces were rewarded for their role in
  the war. Many were transported to British
  colonies, such as NS.
• They received special land grants for their
  service.
• Sir Guy Carleton had a difficult time evacuating
  the Loyalists.
• There were not enough ships to carry the people,
  so the convoys had to make several trips.
• As a result, the Loyalists were set ashore in the
  wilderness with only what they could carry.

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Creation of New Brunswick

• The Loyalists were given a few supplies salted
  meat, biscuits, flour, tools, guns and tents.
• The arrival of the Loyalists had a profound
  effect on the colonies.
• Many of the Loyalists who arrived in the St. John
  River Valley, NS were well educated. They had
  their own ideas about how the colony should be
  run. Halifax was far away and unconcerned about
  the Loyalists.
• The St. John Loyalists therefore wanted their
  settlement to become a separate colony.
• In 1784, the British government created the new
  colony of New Brunswick.

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Impact on Canada

• Thousands of Loyalists fled to present-day
  Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and
  PEI.
• By 1784, 40,000 Loyalists had arrived in British
  North America.
• The Loyalists who came to these British colonies
  cleared and settled new land.
• They helped to open up and develop the land that
  would one day become Canada.