Download 1 Civics and Economics Stacks Goal 1.03 Causes of American

Civics and Economics
Stacks
Goal 1.03
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Causes of American Revolution
Essential Questions: What were the causes of the American Revolution?
Who were the key people involved in the American Revolution?
How did the American Revolution end?
An understanding of important people, places, and events of the American Revolution is key to a
basic understanding of American history. This lesson outlines some of the key events and people of
the American Revolution.
Causes of the American Revolution
The primary complaint of the colonies against the British government was "taxation
without representation." Below are some of the taxes and laws imposed by the British on
the colonists that led the colonists to seek independence.
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act of 1764 placed a tax on sugar, wine, and coffee. It was
created to generate revenue for the British Parliament.
Currency Act
The Currency Act of 1764 prohibited the colonists from printing their
own money.
Stamp Act
The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765 to raise revenue to
pay a share of the empire's defense costs. The Stamp Act required the colonists to
use specially stamped paper for all official documents, newspapers, and
pamphlets. It angered many colonists, who regarded it as a violation of the right
of British subjects not to be taxed without representation. Riots broke out in
colonial cities, and American merchants pledged not to buy British goods.
Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766, yielding to the demands of
economically depressed British merchants.
Townshend Act
In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, which imposed
taxes on lead, glass, tea, paint, and paper imported by Americans from Britain.
Once again the colonists protested vigorously and boycotted British goods. In
1770, a riot occurred between British troops and citizens of Boston. The troops
fired, killing five people in the incident known as the Boston Massacre.
Tea Act
In 1773 Parliament passed the Tea Act, reducing the tax on tea in an attempt
to rescue the British East India Company from bankruptcy. The colonists refused
to buy British tea and would not permit British ships to unload it in Philadelphia
and New York City. In Boston, in the incident known as the Boston Tea Party, a
group of colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians dumped cargoes of tea from British
ships into Boston Harbor. When the government of Boston refused to pay for the
tea, the British closed the port. In retaliation, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts
in 1774—called the Intolerable Acts by the colonists—which were designed to
Civics and Economics
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Goal 1.03
punish Massachusetts and demonstrate Parliament's sovereignty.
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Significant Individuals in the American Revolution
George Washington
George Washington (1732-1799) was the commander of the
Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He turned an undisciplined,
underfunded militia into a functioning army and was able to defeat the British
forces. He is well known for leading his troops through the harsh winter at Valley
Forge and for crossing the Delaware River with his troops. He became the first
president of the United States (1789-1797).
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the third president of the
United States (1801-1809). As a delegate at the Second Continental Congress,
Jefferson was on the committee selected to draft the Declaration of Independence.
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams of Boston was an American patriot who spoke out
against British policies before the American Revolution. He protested against the
Stamp Act and played an important role in the Boston Tea Party in 1773. He later
served as governor of Massachusetts.
Benjamin Franklin
One of the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
was a great American writer, inventor, and diplomat. Franklin negotiated French
support for the colonists, signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783, and attended the
Constitutional Convention in 1787. He played the role of chief diplomat for the
colonies throughout the Revolutionary War period. His numerous innovations
include the lightning rod, bifocal spectacles, and the Franklin stove.
Thomas Paine
In 1776, Thomas Paine anonymously published the pamphlet
Common Sense that called for American independence from Great Britain. The
popular pamphlet helped encourage the issuance of the Declaration of
Independence six months later.
King George III
King George III (1738-1820) was king of Great Britain and Ireland
(1760-1820) and of Hanover (1815-1820). His government's policies fed
American colonial discontent, leading to revolution in 1775.
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry (1736-1799) was an outspoken member of the House of
Burgesses who inspired colonial patriotism with a speech in which he declared,
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
Marquis de Lafayette
Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) was a French aristocrat
who fought with the American colonists against the British in the American
Revolution. His participation at the Battle of Yorktown contributed to the
American defeat of the British and the end of the Revolutionary War. After the
American Revolution, Lafayette returned to France and was one of the leaders of
the French Revolution.
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Significant Battles of the American Revolution
Battle of Lexington
The Battle of Lexington was the first military clash of the
American Revolution. It took place on April 19, 1775, when fighting broke out
between about 70 colonial minutemen, led by Captain John Parker, and about 700
British soldiers who were on their way to Concord, Massachusetts. The American
militia had been warned by Paul Revere that the British were coming. During the
fighting, eight minutemen were killed.
Battle of Concord
Occurring hours after the Battle of Lexington, the Battle of
Concord was fought at Concord, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775. American
colonists had gathered a large amount of ammunition and military supplies at
Concord, and British general Thomas Gage sent soldiers to capture or destroy the
supplies. American patriots Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott
had warned the colonial militia, or minutemen, of the British advance. The
minutemen prevented the British advance and forced the British troops to retreat
toward Boston.
Battle of Saratoga
During the fall of 1777, two battles were fought near Saratoga,
New York. The American victory in the Battles of Saratoga helped convince the
French to recognize American independence and to provide military aid. These
battles marked a turning point in the Revolutionary War.
Battle of Yorktown
With assistance from nearly 8,000 French troops led by Marquis
de Lafayette, George Washington was able to defeat the British in the last major
battle of the Revolutionary War. British General Cornwallis surrendered to
Washington after this battle.
Treaty of Paris of 1783
The Revolutionary War officially came to an end when the United States and Great
Britain signed the Treaty of Paris. In this treaty, Great Britain recognized the
independence of the United States. The treaty also set the boundaries for the United
States at the Mississippi River in the west, Canada in the north, and Florida in the south.