Overview+of+American+Revolution

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The Revolutionary War began in 1775 and ended in 1783. The Revolutionary War really began in 1750 when French soldiers set out along the Ohio Valley to conquer B British lands. French started off by, setting up forts along the way. One fort that the French built was Fort Duquesne in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. In 1754, the Virginian governor sent out 150 soldiers to get back control. twenty-one year old young adult, George Washington, led the Virginians to battle with the French. Washington soon began to think that the French soldiers had another group behind them, so he quickly started Fort Necessity. Days later, the French and their Indian allies seized the fort. The Virginians had to surrender to the French because they were outnumbered. Before long, the French and British formed alliances with some of the American Indian tribes. In Albany, New York colonial leaders met in 1754 to talk over war. Ben Franklin{Benjamin Franklin} coming from Pennsylvania recommended what now is the Albany Plan of Union. Franklin said in order to beat the French the colonies had to perform under one government. His plan was only rejected because colonies were not willing to work with each other. General Edward Braddock was leader of the British at this time. At Fort Duquesne, over 1,800 British and colonial troops marched to attack the French. Braddock worked with George Washington in many wars.

King George III


King George III was the leader of Britain. He tried to end the war by making The Proclamation of 1763. The Proclamation of 1763. The proclamation said that anybody west of the Appalachian Mountains had to leave because the Indians owned the land. In April of1764, the Sugar Act was passed to pass taxes on sugar and molasses. Soon many more taxes were passed. The next act was the Stamp Act, which was sent out in March of 1765. It passed taxes on paper goods such as newspapers, legal documents, playing cards and books. The colonists were angry because they had no representation in Parliament. James Otis, of Massachusetts, was the only one to speak out against the Stamp Act. The colonists who spoke out against the Stamp Act repeated the words “No Taxation Without Representation”. Patrick Henry, a colonist, was accused of treason because he spoke out against his own government by opposing the Stamp Act. Benjamin Franklin spoke to Parliament to take back the Act.Eventually, the Stamp Act failed because it was illegal and the colonists would not buy the products because they were aware of this.

In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Act.It taxed glass, tea, paint, and paper that were brought into the colonies. The Townshend was passed and Parliament was still able to make laws for the colonists.The Daughters of Libertytold colonists to stop drinking British tea because of this unfair act.Instead, they drank tea made from local plants.Merchants in Boston wouldn’t receive taxed goods.Some colonists even refused to paint their houses because of the taxes. The Townshend Act was also a failure for the British due to the fact that sales went down on British goods because the colonists refused to pay the taxes. In 1770, the Parliament took off all the Townshend Act except for the tax on tea.Colonists were still angered and refusing to buy British tea. media type="youtube" key="EtUbU2SiA78" width="472" height="317" Having so many British soldiers in Boston caused many fights.The colonists made fun of the soldiers and called them names such as, “lobsters” and “redcoats.”They would also throw dirty snowballs and rocks at the soldiers. One day in Boston on March 5, 1770 a large crowd of angry colonists surrounded several British soldiers and shouted insults at them. The British in return threw rocks and snowballs at the colonists. As the colonists moved toward the British, the British opened fire killing three colonists and two died later. A former sailor from Massachusetts named Crispus Attucks was killed on that day. Many thought that he was the first person killed in the fight for freedom. Paul Revere was a Boston silversmith supported the colonists by making a picture called //The Bloody Massacre.// The shooting soon became known as the Boston Massacre. In 1773, the Tea Act was passed by Parliament, giving Britain’s East India Company sole control of the tea market. The East India Company was able to legally sell tea to the colonies and was able to sell the tea for less than the colonial merchants. On the night of December 16, 1773, 150 members of the Sons of Liberty decided to dress as Mohawk Indians and march to the Boston Harbor. When they arrived at the docks they boarded the ships and broke open 342 chests of tea and dumped it into the harbor to prevent the British from importing tea.Without importation there couldn’t be taxation.This protest became known as the Boston Tea Party.

In March of 1774, to punish the colonists of Massachusetts Parliament passed a new set of laws. The colonists began to call the laws the Coercive Acts because colonists were coerced into following them. One of the laws that was passed in Boston closed the port until the colonists paid for the destroyed tea. In order to enforce the law, Parliament commanded that the British navy create a blockade on Boston Harbor.As further punishment, Parliament stopped Massachusetts’s legislation from making any laws and put the colony under the control of Britain. Everything that Massachusetts did had to be approved by British General Thomas Gage before it took place.Britain also ordered that the colonists feed and house British soldiers. Many colonists expressed that these laws were “intolerable.” These laws became known as the Intolerable Acts. These laws were viewed as harsh and made the colonists feel that Britain was now a common enemy.

In June 1774, William Pitt, a member of Congress, advised the British to adopt a more gentle way of governing America.At this time the colonies feared that Britain was going to take stronger action to enforce its laws.In September 1774, colony representatives met in Philadelphia to create a plan to respond to Britain.This meeting was the first of its kind and became known as the First Continental Congress.At this meeting the delegates sent a signed request to the king asking him to respect their rights to life and liberty, the right to assemble, and the right to a trial by a jury.May 10, 1775 was the day set for Parliament to respond.At that point trade was stopped with Britain and the colonies formed militias.

The militias formed by the colonists came to be known as Minutemen because they were ready to fight in a minute’s notice. In April 1775, British General Gage ordered 700 soldiers to march to Lexington and Concord.There they were to arrest Adams and Hancock, two leaders of the Sons of Liberty, and find the weapons that the Minutemen were storing. The march was supposed to be secret, however, Paul Revere found out and warned Adams and Hancock. When the British arrived in Lexington, the Minutemen were waiting for them and ready to stand their ground.The Minutemen were ordered, ““Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have war, let it begin here.”” (Reflections, pg 340). It is unknown who shot first, but shots rang out. Eight Minutemen were killed and the British continued their march to Concord to get the weapons.However, the weapons had been moved and when the British returned to Boston the Minutemen began firing. 73 British were killed and 174 wounded but fewer than 100 colonists had been killed or wounded.The shots fired at Lexington became known as “the shot heard round the world.” This was the beginning of the creation of the United States of America and began the long battle called the American Revolution.

The fighting at Lexington and Concord caused for a Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775.All colonies but Georgia had representation.The opinions were divided but by June, all colonies were at least prepared for war.The first step was to form an army known as the Continental Army.All 13 colonies united to create a full-time army.George Washington was chosen to the army’s commander in chief.To supply the army with guns, food, and uniforms each colony was asked to contribute money. Congress also decided to print its own money called the Continental currency.Congress paid soldiers with bills called continentals. Colonists wanted to solve their differences with Britain but thought they could not be settled.Thomas Paine changed that thinking when he wrote the colonists should rule themselves in his pamphlet //Common Sense.//Colonists began to talk about this pamphlet and many began to call for independence.On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee rose and told his fellow delegates at the Second Continental Congress that the 13 colonies no longer owed loyalty to the king. He called for a resolution of independence.Congress debated this and then chose a committee to write a declaration about independence and send it to the king.The committee included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, and Roger Sherman.Jefferson did most the writing because he had studied government and law.For 17 days, he wrote and rewrote the draft of the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence was carefully thought out.The first part is called the Preamble and states why the Declaration is needed.Jefferson argued that some events leave people no choice but to form a new nation. The second part describes the colonist’s ideas about government, including liberty and equality.The longest part of the Declaration included the colonist’s complaints against the British king and Parliament. The last part of the Declaration stated that the colonies were free and independent.On June 28 Congress read Jefferson’s draft aloud to the delegates.The draft was discussed and changes were made.On July 2, the delegates approved Richard Henry Lee’s resolution and ties were cut with Britain.The American colonies were free and independent.On July 4, 1776, Congress voted to accept the Declaration of Independence.12 colonies voted, but New York did not.On July 8 crowds gathered at the State House, now known as Independence Hall.Bells rang out and Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence publicly.The people’s reactions were so amazing that John Adams told his wife that Independence Day should be celebrated ““from this time forward evermore.”” (Reflections, pg.351.)

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[] (for the video above)

[]( for the song below)

author:Richard Shuckburg publisher:USA Flag Site published:2002

Yankee Doodle Lyrics Father and I went down to camp, Along with Captain Gooding; And there we saw the men and boys, As thick as hasty pudding.

Yankee doodle, keep it up, Yankee doodle dandy; Mind the music and the step, And with the girls be handy.

There was Captain Washington Upon a slapping stallion, A-giving orders to his men, I guess there was a million.

And then the feathers on his hat, They looked so' tarnal fin-a, I wanted pockily to get To give to my Jemima.

And then we saw a swamping gun, Large as a log of maple; Upon a deuced little cart, A load for father's cattle.

And every time they shoot it off, It takes a horn of powder; It makes a noise like father's gun, Only a nation louder.

I went as nigh to one myself, As' Siah's underpinning; And father went as nigh agin, I thought the deuce was in him.

We saw a little barrel, too, The heads were made of leather; They knocked upon it with little clubs, And called the folks together.

And there they'd fife away like fun, And play on cornstalk fiddles, And some had ribbons red as blood, All bound around their middles.

The troopers, too, would gallop up And fire right in our faces; It scared me almost to death To see them run such races.

Uncle Sam came there to change Some pancakes and some onions, For' lasses cake to carry home To give his wife and young ones.

But I can't tell half I see They kept up such a smother; So I took my hat off, made a bow, And scampered home to mother.

Cousin Simon grew so bold, I thought he would have cocked it; It scared me so I streaked it off, And hung by father's pocket.

And there I saw a pumpkin shell, As big as mother's basin; And every time they touched it off, They scampered like the nation.

Yankee doodle, keep it up, Yankee doodle dandy; Mind the music and the step, And with the girls be handy.

[] ( for the timeline)

Bulleted list of people that were involved in the Revolutionary War [] ( for the timeline) _ __Timeline 1754-1763 The French and Indian War__ _ 1763 October 7 The Proclamation of 1763 _ 1764 April 5 Sugar Act September 1 The Currency Act
 * George Washington
 * King George III
 * British Soldiers
 * Colonists
 * John Adams
 * Samuel Adams
 * Benjamin Franklin
 * American Indians
 * General Edward Braddock
 * Sons of Liberty
 * Daughters of Liberty
 * Thomas Jefferson
 * John Hancock
 * William Pitt
 * Paul Revere
 * Patrick Henry
 * James Otis
 * Crispus Attucks
 * General Thomas Gage
 * Minuitemen
 * Robert R. Livingston
 * Roger Sherman
 * Colonel John Nixon
 * Richard Henry Lee
 * First Continential Congress
 * Second Continential Congress

1765 March 22 The Stamp Act March 24 The Quartering Act of 1765 May 29 Patrick Henry "If this be Treason" speech

1767 June 29 The Townshend Act _ __1770 March 5 the Boston Massacre__

__1773 May 10 The Tea Act December 16 The Tea Boston Party__

1774 May 31-June 22 Intoeralbe Acts September 5 - October 26 the First Continential Congress met in Philadelphia _ __1775 May 10 the Second Continential Congress met in Philadelphia June 15 George Washington was named Commander in Chief June 17 Battle of Bunker Hill July 3 Washington assumed command of the Continential army__

__1776 June 29 The First Virginia Constitution July 1-4 Congress debates and revises the Declatation of Independance July 4 Congress adopts The Declaration July 8 Declaration was read in public August 2 delegates started to sign the Declaration December 26 Washington crossed Deleware and captures Trenton from Hessians June 14 Flag Resolution__ _ __1778 Febuary 6 The United States and France sign the French Alliance__ _ __1781 March 2 The Articles of Confederation adopted__

__1783 September 3 The United States and Great Britain sign the Treaty of Paris December 23 Washington resigns as commander__ _ 1787 September 17 U.S Constitution signed

__1788 U.S Constitution adopted__

Bibliography

1. [] Copyright ©1999-2010 by the Independence Hall Association, a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1942. Publishing electronically as ushistory.org. On the Internet since July 4, 1995 //2. []Richard N. Venable (1763--1838), Charlotte Court House on 6 June 1793//// Established in 1765, Charlotte Court House. // 3.http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/declaration.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thebsreport.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/the-declaration-of-independence-what-does-it-mean/&usg= 4.[youtube.com|www. youtube.com] 5.Reflections:Making a New Nation, Dr. Priscilla H. Porter,Harcourt school publishers, 2007