The

American
Revolution
 Origins of the American
Revolution
• For about two centuries, Americans was ruled
under the British Crown.
“The American War of Independence” or
“American Revolution” was fought between
(1775-1783).
 Suggested Top Ten Causes
• 1) Taxation Without • 6) Immunity for Corrupt,
Representation Abusive British Officers

• 2) No Free Trade • 7) Direct Control of the

Criminal Justice System
• 3) Unlimited Search and •
Seizure 8) Guilty by Parliament -
no guarantee of trial by
• 4) Destruction of Colonial jury
Government
• • 9) Forced Quartering of
5) Oppression of Political Soldiers
Protesters
• 10) Closure of the Boston
Port
 Three major circumstances
led up to the American
• The Boston Revolution
Massacre
(March 5,1770)
• British tried to intimidate the
Americans but they were tired
of being “slaves” to the British.
• Patriots antagonized British
troops, who were quartered in
Boston to discourage
demonstrations against the
Townshend Acts.
• British troops fired on the
Patriots, killing 5 people.
• Boston Tea Party
(1773)
• British East India Co.:
– Had monopoly of tea; in
May British gave money
to them to lower tea
prices and they would
only trade with pro-
British merchants.
– In September 500,000
pounds of tea flooded the
markets.
– In December 16
colonists threw a
shipment of tea into
Boston Harbor. They did
not like tea taxes.
• The Stamp Act
(March 22, 1770 –
effective November 1st)
• This tax was imposed by the British Parliament to American
colonist.
– This law puts a tax on anything printed on paper, such as
cards legal paper, wills, diplomas, newspapers, pamphlets,
marriage certificates, etc.
• Increasing the taxes made the colonist angrier. The protests
created mobs throughout the colonies to rebel against the
Stamp Act.
• The colonists stopped buying stamps to demonstrates their
resentments.
• King George repealed the Stamp Act on March 1766.
 Overview

• Britain helped the colonists defeat the French in

the “French and Indian War”.
• Now Britain needed money to pay for incurred
war expenses.
• Britain decided to tax the colonists, restrict new
settlements and limit the self-governing powers
of the colonists.
 Characters

• At the time, revolutionaries were called

'Patriots', 'Whigs', 'Congress-men', or
'Americans'.

• The word "patriot" refers to a person in the

colonies who sided with the American
Revolution.
• Patriots - The Revolutionaries
– Revolutionaries were called 'Patriots', 'Whigs',
'Congress-men', or 'Americans'.
• Loyalists and neutrals
– 15-20% of the population remained loyal to the British
Crown; "Loyalists", "Tories", or "King's men".
• Neutral
– Native Americans
– Some African-American slaves
– The Quakers
• Others
• Women participation.
BATTLE OF LEXINGTON (APRIL 19, 1775)
BATTLE OF FORT TICONDEROGA (MAY 10, 1775)
BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL (JUNE 16, 1775)
BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND (AUGUST 27, 1776)
 BATTLE OF SARATOGA
(SEPTEMBER 19 - OCTOBER 17, 1777)
BATTLE OF YORKTOWN
(OCTOBER 9 – 17, 1781)
 Results and Consequences

• Following the Battle of Bunker Hill in June

1775, the Patriots had control of most of
the territory.
• In all thirteen colonies, Patriots had
elected conventions and legislatures; new
constitutions were enacted.
• They declared they were states now, not
colonies.
• Thomas Paine published a political pamphlet entitled
“Common Sense”.
• On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress
appointed a committee to prepare a draft declaration
of independence.
• On July 2, 1776, Congress voted the independence of
the United States; two days later, on July 4, it adopted
the Declaration of Independence.
• The Second Continental Congress approved the
Articles for ratification by the States on November
15, 1777, and began operating.
• The Continental Congress was dissolved.
Declaration of Independence
(1776)
Independence Hall
 Impact in Europe
• The American war of independence was fought
between the British Colonies in North America and
the British Crown.
• It had an impact on how Europeans saw their
Monarchs.
o French Revolution took placed a few years
o French revolutionaries executed their Monarchs.

• People questioned the Divine Right of monarchs.

• It caused loses to the English Exports outside Europe.
 References
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution

• http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/bmassacre.ht
m

• http://www.kidport.com/reflib/usahistory/AmericanRev
olution/TeaParty.htm#Events

• http://americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/stamp.htm