SettingtheStageRevolutioninthe

Colonies
Inthisunit,youwilllearnwhysomecolonistswantedtoreplace
Britishrulewithanindependentgovernment.Youwillalsolearn
aboutthelong,difficultstruggletogainthatindependence.
Inthe1760s,GreatBritainbeganpassingnewtradeandtaxlaws
forthecoloniesandenforcingoldlawspassedyearsbefore.
Pictureasouthernricefarmerwhoisrequiredbylawtosellhis
croponlytoEngland,evenifhemightgetahigherprice
elsewhere.Orthinkofanorthernmerchanthavingtopayanewtaxonpaperataximposedby
adistantgovernmentinwhichhehadnorepresentation.Howdoyouthinktheyfeltaboutsuch
lawsandtaxes?
ColonistswhosupportedGreatBritainspoliciesandBritishrulewereknownasLoyalists.Those
whoresistedcalledthemselvesPatriots.Whenthecoloniesdeclaredindependence,Patriots
wereopposedbymanyLoyalistsaswellasBritishtroops.
Themapontheoppositepageshowsthephysicalgeographyofthe13colonies.Knowingthe
landwasoneadvantagePatriotforceshadoverBritishtroopsintheAmericanRevolution.
Themapsbelowshow(left)wherecolonistslivedin1775and(right)whereLoyalistsupportwas
strong.Thesesettlementpatterns,alongwiththecoloniesphysicalgeographyandregionsof
Loyaliststrength,helpedtoshapethemilitarystrategiesoftherevolution.