Good
- If it wasn't for this war, America might not have gained our independence
- We formed a strong foundation from the Constitution of the United States
- We stood up for our beliefs and rights, and we made a profound change that has an affect on us today
Bad
- Thousands of people died in the course of fighting for independence
- We could have gained independence like Canada did without a war
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Why it Began
- Americans were being forced to pay taxes
- Britain began taxing the colonies, which made many of the colonists upset
- Taxes were on everyday items, such as the following:
- Playing cards
- Writing paper
- Tea
- Stamps
- Many of the colonies didn't want to break with Britain; however, Britain could not be negotiated with
- Britain began taxing the colonies, which made many of the colonists upset
- Taxes were on everyday items, such as the following:
- Playing cards
- Writing paper
- Tea
- Stamps
- Many of the colonies didn't want to break with Britain; however, Britain could not be negotiated with
Specific or Important Dates
Boston Tea Party
- Act of rebellion and an extremely huge event (342 crates of tea)
Battle of Lexington and Concord
- It was said to be what started the war because it was the first shooting
Declaration of Independence
- Gave us our independence
Treaty of Paris
- Officially ended the war
- Resolved fighting
- Act of rebellion and an extremely huge event (342 crates of tea)
Battle of Lexington and Concord
- It was said to be what started the war because it was the first shooting
Declaration of Independence
- Gave us our independence
Treaty of Paris
- Officially ended the war
- Resolved fighting
Major Events Leading up to the War
The Sugar Act (4/5/1764)
- Three-cent tax on refined sugar, and increased taxes on coffee, indigo, and certain kinds of wine
- Banned importation of rum and French wines
- The taxes were raised without the colonists having any say, opinion, or consent
The Boston Massacre (3/5/1770)
- Five American colonists were shot by British troops
- One African-American man was killed
- The British claimed rocks and other weapons were hurled at them, but the British had guns and did open fire
- This encouraged American distrust of the British military being in the colonies
Boston Tea Party (12/16/1773)
- Caused by anger and frustration on a new tax on tea
- American colonists called themselves the Sons of Liberty and disguised themselves as Mohawk Native Americans
- After boarding three British ships, they dumped 342 crates of British tea into the Boston harbor
The First Continental Congress (Philadelphia, 9/5-10/26/1774)
- Established because the colonies didn’t have a central government
- A group of 56 people from 12 colonies, which met in Philadelphia in response to the Intolerable Acts.
- Every meeting was in secrecy because they didn’t want Great Britain to know that they were united
- Three-cent tax on refined sugar, and increased taxes on coffee, indigo, and certain kinds of wine
- Banned importation of rum and French wines
- The taxes were raised without the colonists having any say, opinion, or consent
The Boston Massacre (3/5/1770)
- Five American colonists were shot by British troops
- One African-American man was killed
- The British claimed rocks and other weapons were hurled at them, but the British had guns and did open fire
- This encouraged American distrust of the British military being in the colonies
Boston Tea Party (12/16/1773)
- Caused by anger and frustration on a new tax on tea
- American colonists called themselves the Sons of Liberty and disguised themselves as Mohawk Native Americans
- After boarding three British ships, they dumped 342 crates of British tea into the Boston harbor
The First Continental Congress (Philadelphia, 9/5-10/26/1774)
- Established because the colonies didn’t have a central government
- A group of 56 people from 12 colonies, which met in Philadelphia in response to the Intolerable Acts.
- Every meeting was in secrecy because they didn’t want Great Britain to know that they were united
Major Events in the War
The Battles of Lexington and Concord (4/19/1775)
- First shots fired between American and British troops
- Unknown who fired first
- British occupied Boston and were marching on Concord
- This event was said to have started the war
Battle of Bunker Hill (6/17/1775)
- Two day rivalry
- The Americans had occupied Breed’s Hill, which helped them protect the shipyard of nearby Boston
- The commander of the American forces, Colonel William Prescott, advised, “Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
Declaration of Independence (8/2/1776)
- A document declaring the independence of the 13 American Colonies from Great Britain
- Written by Thomas Jefferson
- Adopted 7/4/1776, but signed 8/2/1776
- As a result, America celebrates Independence Day on July 4th every year
British capture Charleston (5/12/1780)
- This is the first British victory in a few months
- It gave Britain control of many Southern colonies
- Charleston is where many of the Southern colonies surrendered
Lord North resigned as British Prime Minister (3/20/1782)
- Lord North was the Prime Minister of Great Britain
- He focused on economic problems
- He was involved with the Tea Act
- He tried to resign several times during the war, but King George III wouldn’t allow that to happen
- A year after Yorktown was when North finally resigned for good
Treaty of Paris (9/3/1783)
- When signed by the United States and Great Britain, the war officially ended
- It was signed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay
- Britain removed all of its troops from the new nation
- The United States agreed to allow British troops still in America to leave, they agreed not to persecute loyalists in America and allow those that left America to return, and they also agreed to pay all existing debts owed to Great Britain.
- First shots fired between American and British troops
- Unknown who fired first
- British occupied Boston and were marching on Concord
- This event was said to have started the war
Battle of Bunker Hill (6/17/1775)
- Two day rivalry
- The Americans had occupied Breed’s Hill, which helped them protect the shipyard of nearby Boston
- The commander of the American forces, Colonel William Prescott, advised, “Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
Declaration of Independence (8/2/1776)
- A document declaring the independence of the 13 American Colonies from Great Britain
- Written by Thomas Jefferson
- Adopted 7/4/1776, but signed 8/2/1776
- As a result, America celebrates Independence Day on July 4th every year
British capture Charleston (5/12/1780)
- This is the first British victory in a few months
- It gave Britain control of many Southern colonies
- Charleston is where many of the Southern colonies surrendered
Lord North resigned as British Prime Minister (3/20/1782)
- Lord North was the Prime Minister of Great Britain
- He focused on economic problems
- He was involved with the Tea Act
- He tried to resign several times during the war, but King George III wouldn’t allow that to happen
- A year after Yorktown was when North finally resigned for good
Treaty of Paris (9/3/1783)
- When signed by the United States and Great Britain, the war officially ended
- It was signed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay
- Britain removed all of its troops from the new nation
- The United States agreed to allow British troops still in America to leave, they agreed not to persecute loyalists in America and allow those that left America to return, and they also agreed to pay all existing debts owed to Great Britain.
How it Ended
- America wins the war
- Ended in 1783
- February 4, 1783 - England officially declares an end to hostilities in America.
- April 11, 1783 - Congress officially declares an end to the Revolutionary War.
- September 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris is signed by the United States and Great Britain, which recognizes the independence of the United States
- Ended in 1783
- February 4, 1783 - England officially declares an end to hostilities in America.
- April 11, 1783 - Congress officially declares an end to the Revolutionary War.
- September 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris is signed by the United States and Great Britain, which recognizes the independence of the United States
Sources
"American Revolution." World Book Encyclopedia. 16. 2006. Print.
"American Revolution." The American Revolution (Boston Massacre) 2001-2007 Web.20 May 2009. http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/hevents/bmassacr.asp
"American Revolutionary War." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web.17 May 2009.
The Declaration of Independence." Independence Hall Association. 1999. Independence Hall Association,. Web.17 May 2009.
Google, "The American Revolution." Kidport Reference Library 1998-2009 Web.17 May 2009.
"American Revolution." The American Revolution (Boston Massacre) 2001-2007 Web.20 May 2009. http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/hevents/bmassacr.asp
"American Revolutionary War." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web.17 May 2009.
The Declaration of Independence." Independence Hall Association. 1999. Independence Hall Association,. Web.17 May 2009.
Google, "The American Revolution." Kidport Reference Library 1998-2009 Web.17 May 2009.
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