CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

• Between the French and British
• Over land
• Native Americans fought for both
• Starring George Washington!

ALBANY CONFERENCE

• Meeting between colonists and Natives
• First time people thought to work together

TREATY OF PARIS

• Now Britain has all this land....
• Yeah, free land!
• What do you mean?
• I do what I want!

WAR COSTS $$$

• To pay for the F&I War, GB needs $$$
• Shouldn't the colonies help pay?
• Heck no!

PROCLAMATION OF 1763

• Pontiac led a war against the colonists.
• Parliament didn't really want to intervene.
• Colonists can't move past the Appalachian Mts.
• Colonists basically ignore it...
• I do what I want!

NO CUDDLIN' FOR SMUGGLIN'

• George Grenville- new prime minister
• Needed to pay for war and troops
• Need to collect custom duties
• Send smugglers to court in Nova Scotia
• Violated colonists rights

JOHN ADAMS POPS UP TO DEFEND JOHN HANCOCK

SUGAR ACT

• Tax on sugar, coffee, and other things from foreign colonies
• Disrupted trade
• Smugglers were guilty until proven innocent
• Did not have to follow due process
• "no taxation without representation!"

CURRENCY ACT OF 1764

• Slow down inflation
• No more paper $$$$
• "But we like it!"
• It's easier to pay back loans

STAMPIN' UP!

• Stamps (taxes) on most printed materials
• First direct tax on colonists
• Caused a ruckus
• Sons of Liberty tar and feather attackers

STAMP ACT CONGRESS

• John Dickinson wrote Declaration of Rights and Grievances
• Said only the colonists could tax the colonists
• Asked King George to repeal Stamp Act
• Colonists boycotted British goods
• GB gave in, but passed the Declaratory Act

TOWNSHEND ACTS

• Lower property taxes...higher consumer taxes
• Revenue Act of 1767
• Law could act without due process
• WRITS OF ASSISTANCE-barge right in!

MASSACHUSETTS REFUSES TO GIVE IN

VIRGINIA RESOLVES

BOSTON "BEATDOWN"

• 3/5/1770
• Snowball fight gone awry
• John Adams defends "lobster backs"
• Parliament repeals most taxes

GASPEE AFFAIR

• British ship that got up in the colonists' business
• When it ran aground, they burned it!
• GB sent investigators
• Led to COMMITTEES OF CORRESPONDENCE
• Helped unify colonies (sort of)

TEA'D OFF

• The Tea Act: tax on tea
• The colonists want the right to choose
• Don't drink the tea!
• Boston Tea Party
• Dumped 342 chests of tea in Boston Harbor

CLOSE IT DOWN!

THE COERCIVE ACTS

• King George is a little miffed
• AKA the Intolerable Acts
• Closed Boston, banned town meetings, appointed officials
• Also sort of revamped Quartering Act
• Also sort of made people Canadian (Quebec Act)

1ST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

• "Give me liberty or give me death!"
• 12/13 colonies (no Georgia)
• Sort of all over the place
• Declaration of Rights and Grievances
• "We're loyal, but what the heck?"

YOU'RE GETTING WARMER

• Everything is ratcheting up
• Minutemen are ready and waiting

LEXINGTON AND CONCORD

• Midnight ride of ... William Dawes?
• The shot heard 'round the world.
• Lil' skirmish
• Beginnings of guerrilla warfare

2ND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

• Adopt a military and put GW in charge
• Send Olive Branch Petition
• Eventually writes the Declaration of Independence
• Create post office, navy and the Marines

BATTLE OF BUNKER (BREED'S HILL)

• Marched and built fortifications at night
• Americans lose, but gain a lot
• Fighting elsewhere leads GB to hire Hessians

COMMON SENSE

• Written by Thomas Paine
• We read it, it's pretty persuasive
• Turns the tide for a lot of people

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

• July 4th, 1776
• Lots of Enlightenment ideas!
• Best breakup letter ever!
• Also my birthday!