CHAPTER 4 INDEPENDENCE

PONTIACS REBELLION
-ottawa chief
-persuaded Indian tribes of the Great Lakes (delawares,senecas, shawnees, wyandots,
ojibways) to join together to halt westward movement of American pioneers
-why? Taking their land
- 1763 Pontiacs forces captured many of the western forts (except Fort Pitt,
Niagara, Detroit)
- rebellion finally put down in 1765 by colonial troops

PROCLAMATION OF 1763
British authorities created this because of Pontiacs Rebellion and to stop future
battles
Drew a line on the map along the Appalachian Mountains---Proclamation Line of
1763 which forbade settlement west of it
Land could become available for settlement if it was purchased from the Indians
Some colonial assemblies denounced it because it interfered with their western
land claims

FINANCING THE EMPIRE

Parliament needed money to protect the colonies. They chose to levy taxes on the
colonist

1. SUGAR ACT (1764)

*Tax placed on sugar, molasses that entered the colonies
* Colonists believed taxation was their own affair
* 1st law passed by Parliament with the objective of raising money in the colonies
colonists objected to this new law

2. STAMP ACT (1765)

-Levied a tax on printed material---newspapers, advertisements, playing cards, and
legal documents
-Stamped paper or stamps were placed on items to show that a tax was paid
 PROTESTS

1. NONIMPORTATION AGREEMENTS
Promised not to purchase British goods

2. STAMP ACT

Storm of protest
British didnt think well---- the tax measure would fall on the most radical
colonistsnewspaper editors, merchants and lawyers
Provoked the colonist because Parliament had not seen fit to tax the colonists
directly
James Otis--- Taxation without representation
British---- Insisted that Parliament passed laws for the entire Empire
SONS OF LIBERTY- Resisted the tax with open rebellion. In Boston, they
threatened to kill Andrew Oliver

STAMP ACT CONGRESS

-Met in New York City in 1765
-wrote a declaration to the King & a petition to repeal the Stamp Act undoubted
right of Englishmen, that no taxes be imposed on them without their consent
-Decided that the colonies would boycott: Refusal to buy, all British goods until
the law was repealed

STAMP ACT REPEALED (1766)

-British merchants pleaded with Prime Minister Rockingham to repeal the act?
why? Because the effective boycott

3. DECLARATORY ACT (1766)

-Parliament had the right to tax the colonies if it chose to

4. TOWNSHEND ACTS (1767)

 -Charles Townshend British finance minister needed money
-placed import duties on all glass, paper, lead, teas, dyes and paint
-British mistakenly concluded that Americans would accept this new tax because
it was an external tax. A tax collected outside of America.
-Colonists didnt want any taxes from London
-Colonist called for a boycott. Exports from Britain fell by 38%. Very successful
-Finally repealed in 1770

5. QUARTERING ACT (1765)

-Requiring homeowners to provide British soldiers with housing

-British had 10,000 troops in America (French & Indian War)

BOSTON MASSACRE

-March 5, 1770
-A gang of 50-60 colonists gathered at the customhouse and began taunting the
British soldiers. They threw snowballs, rocks & pieces of coal at the Redcoats on
duty. The Bostonians closed in on the Redcoats, one of the soldiers yelled fire
This story might be true but most believe it as unclear
-5 colonists were killed
-CRISPUS ATTUCKS A RUNAWAY SLAVE FIRST PERSON KILLED
-People referred to this incident as the Boston Massacre
-colonist were upset
-British soldiers were tried for murder but they were convicted to lesser crimes.
Their thumbs were branded and released.
-In essence, the mounting tensions between the colonists and the British soldiers
stationed in Boston to enforce the Townshend Acts sparked the Boston Massacre

THE TEA ACT

-1773
- Tea was often smuggled in the colonies on Dutch ships
- Legal tea came in from Britain
- Parliament granted the East India Company a monopoly to trade tea in America
- Less expensive tea than the smuggled tea
- Colonistfree enterprise would be in danger if they bought the legal tea
- Sam Adams--- started to make plans to protest
- 50-60 men disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded 3 vessels of the East India
Comp. In Boston Harbor
- They dumped 90,000 lbs. of tea into the water
- In London, people were stunned and dismayed. Many people who sympathized
with the colonist were no longer friends. There was no looking back

COERCIVE ACTS (1774)

-Colonist called them the Intolerable Acts

- Consisted of 4 laws to punish Boston
1. Shut down the port of Boston until they were repaid for the tea
2. Any British official accused of committing a serious crime would be tried in
England
3. Soldiers would be quartered in the colonies whenever they were needed to
suppress order
4. Forbade Massachusetts colonists to hold town meetings

-Colonists responded with sympathy toward Mass. And denounced King George
III

QUEBEC ACT

-Provided for the civil Govt of Canada, the law extended the boundaries of Quebec
south to the Ohio River and west to Massachusetts
- Effect--- Wiped out western land claims of the 13 colonies

1st CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

-Met in Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774
-Every colony attended except Georgia
-Delegates declared that Parliament had no authority to legislate for the colonies
without their consent

LEXINGTON & CONCORD

-General Gage decided to move on the village of Concord to seize a supply of arms
-Hoped to capture Sam Adams & John Hancock
-Paul Revere arranged a signal to inform the countryside of any British move. If the
Br. went by water, we would show two lanterns in the North Church Steeple, & if by
land, one as a signal
-Shortly before midnight on April 18, 1775, Gage sent his men toward Lexington
Revere gave his warning

LEXINGTON April 19, 1775

-70 minutemen waited on the Lexington village green

-Were led by Capt. John Parker. He said dont fire unless fired upon, but if they
mean to have a war, let it begin here.
-Shot heard around the world
-8 minutemen killed, 10 others wounded, the minutemen retreated
-MINUTEMEN--- BE READY ON A MINUTES NOTICE

CONCORD
-1ST serious engagement
-Patriots suffered 100 casualties
-British 273 casualties
-The battle was important because it demonstrated the resolution and fighting power
of the Americans

SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

-Met in Philadelphia
-Established the Continental Army and chose George Washington as commander
-OLIVE BRANCH PETITION- Drafted by conservatives pleaded with George III. It
professed the colonists loyalty to the King and asked for his help in ending the
conflict
-Washington--- Confident, good judgement, dignity, surveyor, lived at Mount Vernon,
fought in the French & Indian War, was married to Martha Dandridge Custis

BATTLE OF BOSTON

- Took place on two hills

- 1. Bunker Hill
- 2. Breeds Hill
- 1200 American troops were led by Colonel William Prescott
- British were led by Gage
- Am. Allowed the Br. to advance to the base of the hill and opened fire. Br.
retreated in confusion. Gage then ordered a 2nd charge which was repulsed.
During the 3rd charge, Am. were forced to leave because they used up all
ammunition
- British captured both hills
- American losses-- 440 killed
- British losses1,000 killed
- Bunker Hill demonstrated that the colonist could at times trade blow for blow with
the British regulars

ARMIES
- British- 50,000-- 30,000 were mercenaries
- American- 5,000

COLONIST
- Disadvantages
1. Ill-supplied
2. Badly organized
3. Poor trained
- Advantages
1. Fighting on home soil
2. Something to fight for

REASONS FOR INDEPENDENCE

1. Believed that the British government violated their rights as English subjects
2. Colonist had already died defending these rights

SUPPORTERS FOR INDEPENDENCE

1. PATRICK HENRY- Give me liberty or give me death
2. THOMAS PAINE- Wrote the pamphlet Common Sense
- attacked the King
- sold 120,000 copies

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
- Richard Henry Lee (VA) that these United Colonies are & of right ought to be,
free & independent States & that all political connection between them and the
State of Great Britain is totally dissolved.
- Written by Thomas Jefferson
- Signed on July 4, 1776
- John Hancock was the first person to sign it. (President of the 2nd Continental
Congress)
- Two parts
- Part One--- General statements of principles
+ People are entitled to certain rights that government cant take away
from them.
+ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, & the
pursuit of Happiness.
+ Goals of good govt for all peoples
+ Principles stated reflect ideals
- Part Two--- List specific grievances against King George III
+ Didnt attack Parliament, 1 person (good tactic)

LOYALISTS (TORIES)
- Loyal to the King, thousands fled Boston
- New England 10% of the population
- South- major100,000 left the country, never well organized

FIGHTING THE WAR

- Continental Army constantly faced shortages
- Disease plagued the colonists
- Food spread germs
- Dysentery killed thousands
- Troop shortages
1. Washington seldom had 16,000 Continentals
2. Continentals usually served between 3 months and one year
3. 5,000 Afro-Americans fought

BRITISH TAKE NEW YORK CITY

- General Howe defeated the Patriots at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights on August
27, 1776
- Howe takes over New York City
- Washington retreats to New Jersey
- Howe waiting for reinforcements lets Washington slip away, Howe let the chance
to end the war slip away

BATTLE OF TRENTON
-December 25, 1776, Washington wanted to catch the enemy by surprise crossed the
Delaware River
- He defeated an encampment of Hessian soldiers
- They were sleeping off the effects of their Christmas party
- 1,000 men and officers surrendered

BATTLE AT SARATOGA
- 3 armies to meet in Albany (British)
1. Johnny Burgoyne- Come from Canada
2. Barry St. Leger- Come east from Lake Ontario
3. HoweIn New York, march north to join the other two
- Gentlemen Johnny Burgoyne was part politician, part-poet, part gambler, part
ladies man, brave soldier, who was respected and was loved and admired by his
men took too long
- St. Leger was also too slow
- Howe- Magnificent disregard for the plan
+ Wasted time trying to trap Washington in New Jersey
+ Took bulk of his army off by sea to attack Philadelphia leaving a small force
to aid Burgoyne
+ In essence, he adopted a different plan for himself
- Howe took Philadelphia even though Washingtons troops fought gallantly at
Brandywine and Germantown
- Patriots won the Battle of Saratoga
- Saratoga was the turning point of the war
- It convinced France to support the colonists

EUROPEAN POWERS AID AMERICA

- French aid provided America with gold, supplies, troops & ships
- France also declared war on Britain
- Spain joined the war as an ally of France

WAR IN THE WEST AND SOUTH

-George Rogers Clark overran British posts in the West
-Nathaniel Greene in the South
+ He used guerrilla warfare: Wearing down the enemy in hit-and-run skirmishes
while avoiding direct battles

WINTER AT VALLEY FORGE

-Located outside Philadelphia
-Terrible suffering--- Cold, hunger and disease
-Lafayette---the unfortunate soldiers had neither coats, nor hats, no shirts, no
shoes, their feet and legs froze til they grew black and it was often necessary to
amputate them
-Officers resigned---- Washington said he was afraid of being left alone with the
soldiers only
-Enlisted men couldnt resign; they deserted by the hundreds

YORKTOWN
- Cornwallis (Br) marched north into Virginia, where he joined forces with Benedict
Arnold
- Arnold a traitor, was upset by what he considered unjust criticism of his
generalship--- He sold out to the British in 1780
- Cornwallis took up a defensive position at Yorktown
- Washington, De Grasse, Rochambeau made complex plans to bottle Cornwallis up
- De Grassewon control of the Cheasapeake
- Washington- finest hour as commander. Struck the British at Yorktown. Clinton
(Br.) thought he would strike at New York
- Washington and Rochambeau reached Yorktown
- Lafayette joined them and brought troops from the west
- Cornwallis was surrounded, therefore, he surrendered 7,000 British soldiers

TREATY OF PARIS (1783)

- Britain recognized the Independence of the United States
- American boundaries
1. Canada on the North
2. Mississippi River on the West
3. Florida in the South
4. Right to fish in Canadian waters