The Revolutionary War

1
The Revolutionary War
2
Events leading to war

• The French and Indian War
• England helped the colonists fight on the
  frontier
• Expensive
• England wanted the colonies to help pay

3
Events leading to war

• A number of tax acts were passed including
• The Stamp Act
• All legal documents and newspapers required a tax
  stamp

4
Events leading to war

• The Sugar Act
• A tax on molasses
• The Tea Act
• A tax on tea

5
Events leading to war

• Colonists under the leadership of men such as Sam
  Adams formed Committees of Correspondence
• Organized to assist communication between
  communities
• Goal was to maintain their freedoms

6
Events leading to war

• Other groups that organized to oppose British
  policy
• Sons of Liberty
• Minutemen
• Ready in a minutes notice

7
Events leading to war

• Boston Massacre
• Riot started by boys taunting soldiers
• Soldiers fired on the crowd
• Five people died including African-American,
  Crispus Attucks
• John Adams defended the soldiers involved
• Word went around the colonies, fanning the fires
  of revolution

8
Events leading to war

• Boston Tea Party
• Individuals dressed as Indians boarded tea
  ships in Boston Harbor and dumped the tea
  overboard

9
Events leading to war

• Britain reacted by passing the Coercive or
  Intolerable Acts, including
• Closed the port until tea paid for
• Banned meetings
• Ended elected government

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Events leading to war

• And the Quartering Act
• which required colonists to feed and house
  soldiers
• Opposed in part because it was believed it was
  being used to control committee members

11
Events leading to war

• Massachusetts was not the only place revolution
  was fomenting
• Philadelphia
• First Continental Congress
• Met to decide what to do about the Intolerable
  Acts

12
Events leading to war

• Virginia House of Burgesses
• Patrick Henry Give me Liberty or give me Death!

13
Events leading to war

• People could be divided into two basic groups
• Loyalists
• Supported the crown
• Patriots
• Supporters of independence from Britain

14
Events leading to War

• First battle
• Lexington and Concord
• Called the shot heard round the world
• April 19, 1775

15
Events leading to war

• Declaration of Independence
• Based on the ideas of John Locke and Thomas Paine
• Written mostly by Thomas Jefferson
• Asserts that people have rights that cannot be
  taken away