Notes for American Revolution

Maria Mignano

First section: French Indian War, early eighteenth century
-Frenchmen from Canada and Englishmen from British colonies claimed Canada and Ohio Valley, including the Mississippi and St. Lawrence Rivers. Frenchmen claimed it first. (informal claims)
- The British colonists want to grow and have farms on that land.
-French became worried about the British taking their land, so they built forts on Crown Point on Lake Champlain, and on the Wabash, Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. British made their own forts at Oswego and Halifax.
-Government granted lands in the Ohio Valley to the Ohio Company and traders to set up bases in the region.
-In 1750, French representatives met in Paris to try to settle the dispute. No progress was made.
-In 1752, Marques Duquesne was made the leader of New French. He had instructions to take over Ohio Valley and remove British presence from area.
-In 1753, he sent troops to the western part of Pennsylvania. There they built forts at Presque Island and Waterford.
-Same time, Robert Dinwiddie, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, was granting land in the Ohio Valley to citizens of his colony. This what inevitably led to the French- Indian war.
-Dinwiddie sent George Washington to the French forts with a letter demanding that the French leave this region. The mission failed. Washington found a great place for a fort.
- In 1754, the British built Fort Prince George at that spot.
-Washington received a report that nearby Frenchmen wanted to attack. He launched a strike against the French camp. This was the first enlargement of the yet undeclared, French- Indian war.
-Washington won that battle but he was defeated by a force sent by Fort Duquesne. This left French in command of the entire region west of the Allegheny Mountains.
-1755, Major General Edward Braddock was sent to America, became the commander-in-chief of British forces.
-He captured Fort Duquesne.
-10 miles away from Fort Duquesne the British were defeated once. Major General Edward Braddock died days after battle.
-Even throughout all this military activity, war was never called between the French and British till 1756. As the war went on, British got upper hand.
-in 1759 Major General Jeffrey Amherst took over as commander-in-chief of British forces.
-June 27-September 18th in 1759, 9,000 British soldiers captured Quebec from French. (Quebec was most powerful fort.)
-By 1760, British captured all North America from the French.
-February 10, 1763, the control was established in the Treaty of Paris. The treaty states that the British gets all of North America east of the Mississippi, other than New Orleans. The French gave all of New Orleans, and the land West of Mississippi to Spain, as compensation for Spain's surrendering Florida to the British.
-the Native Americans stayed hostile to the British till 1764.



Second section: British impose acts on Colonist
-Proclamation Act, 1763
-Settlers can no longer go west of the Appellation Mountains.

-Sugar Act, 1764
-Put taxes on sugar and other sugar cane products

-The Stamp Act, 1765
-13 colonies act separately.
-Tax on printed material, To buy printed material
-had to buy a stamp to prove that you paid the British act
-"No taxation without representation." You would be sent to jail without trail if you refused to pay stamp act
-Colonists say they are just like British and should have the same rights. In 1776, stamp act was repealed.
-Patrick Henry wrote about unfair taxes (from Virginia)
-Samuel Adams from Boston made beer ingredients (Samuel Adams beer), got people fired up.
-Sons of Liberty
-Harassed the British tax collectors

-Declaratory Act, 1766
-England could do whatever it wanted to; the other colonies had no say in any of the acts made
-9 of the 13 colonies wrote letter to the king in England

-Townshend Revenue Act, 1776
-Tax on lead, glass, paint, and tea.
-Colonists are extremely mad about the tax on tea. They buy tea a lot.
-Samuel Adams had idea to boycott anything made in England
-Daughters of Liberty made clothes themselves

-Tea act (1773)
-Able to be sold directly to the colonies, even though it had tax (lowered the cost of British tea, but colonists must buy their tea)
-people would tell the boats carrying tea to turn around. They didn't accept it
-They would let it rot on boat

-Coercive Acts and Intolerable Acts
-Boston harbor gets closed till Boston pays for the tea. No more trades in harbor till tea is paid
-Boston refuses to pay
-Colonies banded together to send food and other supplies to Boston.



Section three: Colonist begin opposing the British rule
-Boston Massacre, 1770
-British send guards to Custom House (Where goods are being shipped to) to protect guards.
-Boston people throw different items at the guards. Guards fire back with guns, killing 5 Bostonians. The first time blood was shed between the colonies.
-John Adams defends British in court to show we respect the law
-British found not guilty for firing. They protected themselves.
-After massacre, all taxes were appealed, except for the tea tax (king wanted to show that he was still in charge.) This stopped boycott.

-Boston Tea Party (December 18, 1773)
-Sam Adams (part of the group, Sons of Liberty), dress as Mohawk Indians, board the ships, dump 342 chests of tea into harbor
-Parliament passes several laws, called the Coercive Acts and the Intolerable Acts, only made for Boston.

-Continental Congress, 1774
-Colonies unite to fight back. 12/13 colonies participate
-Delegates from each colony get together to talk about situation. (Georgia doesn't join. Georgia was not that affected. Still had relationship with Brittan)
-George Washington, Samuel Adams, John J, Thomas Edison, Patrick Henry had big roles.
-Demand to get the rights to peace and liberty. If these demands were not met, no more trades with Britain.



Fourth section: Major Battles of Revolution
-Battle of Lexington & Concord, 1774
-First actual battle
-Colonist made a military of minute men. They could get ready in fight in a minutes time
-British troops are stationed in Boston. They hear colonist have gun powder and bullets so they march to Lexington and Concord.
-Paul Revere and Gawdes ride ahead of British to warn colonist about the British on the way to Concord and Lexington.
-Shots from British are fired. Minute men run away. Colonist hid supplies so British didn't get them.
-British march back to Boston, the colonist shoot at them.
-Around 80 died and over 200 were injured.
-Colonist made an actual army. They chose Washington as their leader because he had experience.

-Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775
-Colonist went to Breeds Hill. It's up high so it is easy to defend
- Colonists running out of gun powder. They said, "Don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes." to save gun powder.
-smaller battles happened throughout the years
-Colonist wanted peace and freedom from British rule, so the following year we wrote the Declaration of Independence.



Fifth section : Source
-http://www.philaprintshop.com/frchintx.html
-The American Revolution for Kids Causes of the Revolution 1765-1774 Schlessinger Media
-Lexington Concord and Independent, Aims Video Company