Causes of the American Revolution

1. Causes of the American Revolution Canadian History 11

2. King George III • Ruled Britain from 1760-1820 • Great Britain thought of him as a hero • 13 Colonies thought of him as a tyrant; with the exception of the Loyalists

3. French and Indian War1754-1763 • This war between Britain and France ended with the victorious British deeply in debt and demanding more revenue from the colonies. With the defeat of the French, the colonies became less dependent on Britain for protection.

4. Proclamation of 1763 • This prohibited settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains.

5. Sugar Act1764 • This act raised revenue by increasing duties on sugar imported from the West Indies. • Many colonists began smuggling in sugar from the West Indies

6. Currency Act1764 • Parliament argued that colonial currency had caused a devaluation harmful to British trade. They banned American assemblies from issuing paper bills or bills of credit.

7. Quartering Act1765 • Britain ordered that colonists were to house and feed British soldiers if necessary

8. Stamp Act1765 • This required tax stamps on many items and documents including playing cards, newspapers, and marriage licenses

9. Stamp Act Congress1765 • In 1765, 27 delegates from nine colonies met in New York City and drew up a statement of rights and grievances thereby bringing colonies together in opposition to Britain.

10. Sons and Daughters of Liberty1765 • Colonists tried to fight back by imposing non-importation agreements. The Sons of Liberty often took the law into their own hands enforcing these 'agreements' by methods such as tar and feathering. • Daughters of Liberty encouraged people to wear colonial-made clothing and boycott British made clothes

11. Townshend Acts1767 • These taxes were imposed to help make the colonial officials independent of the colonists and included duties on glass, paper, and tea. Smugglers increased their activities to avoid the tax leading to more troops in Boston.

12. Boston Massacre1770 • The colonists and British soldiers openly clashed in Boston. This event was used as an example of British cruelty despite questions about how it actually occurred.

13. Boston Massacre • On March 5, 1770 a small group of colonists were up to their usual sport of tormenting British soldiers, calling them Lobsterbacks. Snowballs were thrown. • Church bells were alarmed and more men joined the mob • A riot broke out and Crispus Attucks moved to the front of the Americans. He hit a soldier with a stick and the soldier shot him • Attucks is considered to be the 1st martyr of the American Revolution • 4 more people were killed and several wounded • Paul Revere, a silversmith, completed an engraving of the incident and called it the Boston Massacre. • His engraving is often described as a piece of propaganda. It was designed to stir up the colonists’ anger toward the British.

14. The Boston Massacre

15. Tea Act1773 • To assist the failing British East India Company, the Company was given a monopoly to trade tea in America.

16. Boston Tea Party1773 • A group of colonists disguised as Indians dumped tea overboard from three ships in Boston Harbour.

17. Intolerable Acts1774 • These were passed in response to the Boston Tea Party and placed restrictions on the colonists including outlawing town meetings and the closing of Boston Harbor.

18. Quebec Act 1774 • Britain granted the Americans’ interior lands to the French Canadians for the fur trade. • For the 13 Colonies, this is the “last straw”

19. First Continental Congress1774 • In response to the Intolerable Acts, 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia from September-October, 1774. One of the main results of this was the creation of The Association calling for a boycott of British goods. • Quebec, NS & PEI • were invited but did • not attend

20. Lexington and Concord1775 • In April, British troops were ordered to Lexington and Concord to seize stores of colonial gunpowder and to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. At Lexington, open conflict occurred and eight Americans were killed. At Concord, the British troops were forced to retreat with the loss of 70 men. This was the first instance of open warfare. • The rebels who fought the British were called Minutemen

21. Second Continental Congress1775 • All 13 colonies were represented at this meeting in Philadelphia beginning May. The colonists still hoped that their grievances would be met by King George III. George Washington was named head of the Continental Army. • In that same year, rebels launched an attack on Quebec. They thought that if Quebec could be conquered, then all of the North American colonies could be pitted against Britain. • The campaign failed; however, the attack made Britain even angrier at the colonies.

22. Bunker Hill1775 • This major victory for the Colonists resulted in George III proclaiming the colonies in rebellion.

23. Outbreak of War • It is estimated that only one-third of the colonists were in favor of rebellion. One-third continued to side with the British. The last third were neutral concerning the rebellion and break from Great Britain.

24. Declaration of Independence1776 • A committee of the Continental Congress, headed by Thomas Jefferson, drew up the Declaration of Independence. • In this statement, the colonies stated that they were free and independent of British control. • The colonists were no longer fighting for their rights as English citizens – they would be fighting for their freedom as citizens of a separate country.