Other Links:
Here is an excellent time-line that lists and explains the events that led to the Declaration of Independence.

More Notes: Does this image look familiar? It should! This was on the last presentation!
The "perceived unfairness" comes in the comparison of the two points of view- colonists and the British. In many instances, the British felt that they were justified by their actions which the colonists felt were intolerable. By the same token, the British were appalled by some behaviors of the colonists, who felt that they did nothing wrong. Neither side seemed willing to listen to the other, and that's when things turn violent.

Other Links:
Check out this map of what the colonies looked like before 1763.

More Notes:
This war was one of many conflicts between the British and the French. The struggle between those two nations goes way, way back! When war broke out between those two nations in Europe, fighting also would erupt in the colonies!

During the war, George Washington- fighting as a BRITISH OFFICER, gained a great deal of experience in how to fight on this continent. This experience will be very important later, as he will lead the Continental Army successfully against the British!

We call this the French and Indian War because the colonists fought the French and many of the tribes of Indians. Please recall that when it came to European colonization, the French caused the fewest problems for the Indians. Therefore, when it came time to choose sides, the Indians backed the French!

The French and Indian War formally ended with the Treaty of Paris of 1763. This treaty forced the French to formally give up its land claims in North America (including modern day Canada). Of course, just because the French government gave up the land, did not mean that all the French and Indians who were in those territories were going to leave. You can probably imagine how they would have treated British colonists who ventured across the Appalachian Mountains!

Naturally, the colonists were thrilled with this victory. Check out that map! It seems that we doubled the size of our landholdings. Land means economic opportunity- the Colonists were ready to GET RICH! So, they were very happy to be in the most powerful empire in the world, with the most powerful navy in the world, with the greatest opportunity to gain more wealth!

Video Clip:

The French and Indian War

Vocabulary:
Salutary Neglect: This was the non-enforcement of the Navigation Acts which established mercantilism

Mercantilist Laws: these were the laws of mercantilism as set up in the Navigation Acts

Stamp Tax: this was a tax placed on paper and paper goods in the colonies- each official document was to have a stamp on it

Tea Tax: this was not only a tax on tea (the favorite drink of the British), but it also gave the East India Tea Company a monopoly on the tea trade with the colonies

Sugar Tax: if you think that this was a tax on sugar, you are right!!!

Video Clips:

Proclamation of 1763

Stamp Act and Response

Sugar Act

More Notes:

The British rarely enforced the Navigation Acts which allowed the colonists to smuggle goods into the colonies (so the colonists liked salutary neglect). Even though the colonists knew they were breaking the law, they came to expect the British to accept bribes and allow it to happen. Before the war, this actually helped both sides. But when the British needed to raise more money to pay for the war, the laws were enforced, and the colonists were VERY upset. How dare those naval officers actually enforce laws that were nearly a hundred years old!

Also, what was up with the Parliament expecting the colonies to pay taxes to help pay for the war? Well, here is where perceived unfairness comes in. Taxes in Britain were actually higher than in the colonies. The war with France was very expensive, and it seemed the colonies benefited the most by gaining all that land. So Parliament and the King really felt like the colonies should help pay for the war. The colonists did not really see it that way. We saw it as more meddling in our affairs-- after all, we were paying taxes to the colony and that should have been enough! By the way, the taxes were not very successful, as the colonists boycotted these goods.

And that Proclamation of 1763-- this stated that we could not go out and settle in that land that we just won in the war! It seemed to colonists that the King and Parliament were really being unfair! However, our mother country knew that there were still Frenchies and Indians out there running around. If settlers went out, they would probably be killed. In order to protect them, more forces would be needed, forts would be built, and all that costs money. Momma country thought it was too dangerous for us to go out there on our own!

The year 1763 marks the beginning of the bad blood between the colonies and England- and the Sons of Liberty did everything they could to agitate the colonists and inspire them to separate from our Mother Country.

Video Clips:

Boston Massacre

Boston Tea Party

More Notes:
Boycotts in the American Colonies became very common between 1763 and 1776. If we refused to buy the goods that were being taxed, then we would not be paying taxes. The most successful boycott was of the Stamp Tax. Not a single stamp was sold in the colonies, and the act was revoked by Parliament! Sometimes, tax collectors "pushed the issue" (fearing that they would lose their jobs) to which colonists sometimes replied with violence. Tarring and feathering was not really common, but it did happen! (and mostly in Boston)

The Boston Massacre was another highly controversial event. A small mob of colonists were harassing the guard at a customs house. The guard called for back-up. Eight British soldiers on patrol came to his rescue- but a large crowd had gathered by the time the soldiers entered the street. Angered by other events, the colonists began throwing snow, ice, sticks and rocks at the soldiers. After the crowd was ordered to disperse- they refused, and shots were fired. Five colonists were killed in the "massacre". The term massacre implies that many more would have died, but that was not the case. So why call it that? Purely propaganda- if colonists in Virginia and Georgia read about what really happened, they may have felt that the Bostonians got what they deserved. But if they were "massacred", then that would cause an outrage.

The Boston Tea Party was another event that hurt relations with Britain. After the Tea Tax went into effect, several ships from the East India Tea Company arrived in the port. The Sons of Liberty stormed the ship and demanded that the captain return to England with his cargo. That was not a good deal for the captain, as he would not be paid unless the tea was unloaded on the dock. He had to write a letter back home to find out what he should do (keep in mind, he just wanted to get paid for the job). One night the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Indians, went back on the ship and dumped all of the tea into the harbor. It destroyed thousands of dollars worth of tea- and was a strong show of protest. There was no violence against the captain or crew, they just tore up the tea.

Okay, so now you may be thinking that these Sons of Liberty are a bunch of smugglers, agitators and vandals... YEP!

Other Links:
This link gives more info on the opposition to the Stamp Act and other taxes!

Click here to learn more about the Boston Massacre!

Want more on the Boston Tea Party? Then click here.

Vocabulary:

intolerable: this implies the worst of the worst- and absolutely wrong

insurrection: a rebellion, usually violent

Video Clips:

The Intolerable Acts

First Continental Congress

More Notes:
The British East India Tea Company was very upset with the people of Boston for destroying their stuff. In response, Parliament passed what they called "the Coercive Acts"- but to turn into propaganda, the colonists referred to them as "Intolerable Acts". These laws did the following:
1) Closed the port of Boston until the destroyed tea was paid for (for some reason the East India Tea Company was not willing to take a financial loss due to vandalism).
2) Revoked the Massachusetts Charter and placed the colony under control of the King (they obviously could not keep order by themselves).
3) The Quartering Act forced the colonists of Massachusetts to pay for and house more British soldiers (to keep the order and prevent future problems- this was like a police presence).
4) Gave royal governors the right to prosecute cases against smugglers outside the colony (which would prevent jury tampering by the smugglers).
5) Invoked martial law (military rule) in Boston until order was restored.
Obviously, you can see why the colonists hated these laws... But where were the problems? If you identify Boston as the hotspot, you are CORRECT! So why would people in Virginia care? Well, the propaganda made us believe that if it could happen in Boston, it could happen anywhere!

So, what are the colonists going to do about it? They decided to have a meeting- The First Continental Congress. Twelve of the colonies sent representatives (not Georgia)- to discuss the plan of action. Believe it or not (and you better believe it), declaring independence was NOT AN OPTION! This congress did two very important things:
1) Created the "Olive Branch Petition" (letter asking the King for something) which asked the King to lighten up on the colonists so that we could go back to being good loyal colonists.
2) They agreed to meet again next year to discuss any future actions (this marks the beginning of a continued unified government in the colonies)!

We did NOT WANT INDEPENDENCE YET!!!

Other Links:
Click here to learn more about the "Intolerable Acts" and how the Colonists responded.

This link provides more information on the First Continental Congress!

Vocabulary:
minutemen: volunteer soldiers who would be ready to fight the British "on a minute's notice"

skirmish: generally considered a small battle

munitions: guns and ammunition and stuff like that

Video Clips:

"The British are Coming"- here is a little clip about the ride of Paul Revere- leading to Lexington and Concord!

Lexington and Concord

More Notes:
In 1775, tensions in Massachusetts had reached the boiling point. British soldiers had secured warrants for the arrests of John Hancock and Samuel Adams, and they also had word that the colonists were stockpiling weapons in Lexington and Concord. As the British soldiers marched towards the towns, they were stopped by minutemen who fired upon them from behind fences and trees. These professional British soldiers were forced to retreat back to the safety of Boston (where more British soldiers were stationed).

We call this the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" because these are considered the first shots of the Revolutionary War. It was heard around the world because our successful revolution caused others to revolt and establish more democratic systems!

More Links:
This video clip discusses the "Shot Heard 'Round the World".

Read more about Lexington and Concord on this page.