Causes of the American Revolution: Part II



Causes of the American Revolution: Part II

By 1767 many colonists were upset with their mother country, Great Britain for several reasons. One reason being the economic system of mercantilism, the other being the taxes passed against them. Colonists were split between loyalists and patriots. Many patriots had made secret organizations like the Sons of Liberty that smuggled in untaxed goods and harassed British officials.

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By 1770 there were many British troops in the 13 colonies to protect the loyalists and to enforce British business. On March 5th, a group of 13 British soldiers was confronted by a large group of angry colonists. When some of the colonists got too close to the soldiers, one of the soldiers began clubbing the unarmed colonists. More and more colonists showed up to protest and they began to throw chunks of ice and wood at the soldiers. Out of fear, one of the soldiers fired into the crowd, then the rest did. 11 colonists were shot, 5 died. The British claimed that they were outnumbered and fired in self defense, but the colonists called it the “Boston Massacre”. Newspapers all over the 13 colonies ran stories about it that convinced many colonists to become patriots.

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In 1773, the Sons of Liberty protested the Tea Act by having the Boston Tea Party. Disguised as Mohawk Native Americans, they went on board British ships and dumped 45 tons of tea into Boston Harbor. Nothing else was damaged or stolen, and no people were hurt. This angered the British greatly and they soon got revenge…

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In 1774, the British passed the Intolerable Acts to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party.

1. Colonists in Boston were no longer able to elect people to make local decisions - - only the king could make decisions for them.

2. Colonists could only go to court in Great Britain. This meant that the British would win all of their court cases against the colonists.

3. The Boston Port Act said that Boston Harbor was shut down until colonists paid for the tea they dumped overboard. Since the harbor was shut down, it was hard for people in Boston to get supplies like food and medicine. Colonists from the other 12 colonies sent them supplies to help them survive.

4. The Quartering Act – This said that British soldiers could move into the colonist’s homes, and that it was the colonist’s job to provide them with food and clothing.

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On top of all of these laws, colonists also began reading books by a man named John Locke. His books were about people’s natural rights, such as life, liberty (freedom) and the pursuit of happiness. These laws, and people reading John Locke’s books would eventually cause colonists to start training troops and collecting weapons to kick out the British. In 1775 the first battle between British troops and the trained colonist soldiers known as minutemen, or militia, fought the battles of Lexington and Concord. The surprise attacks by the colonists were successful against the British troops and the colonists won.

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Even after all of these events, many loyalists and patriots did not want a big war, they still remembered the destruction of the French and Indian War. For several months after the battles of Lexington and Concord the colonists tried to tell the British to repeal (get rid of) the Intolerable Acts to prevent further fighting. The British king refused giving the colonists anything that they wanted, and in the summer of 1776, the Second Continental Congress, a group of leaders from around the 13 Colonies (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Hancock etc.) and wrote the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration was mostly written by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. There were several parts to it:

• Introduction/Preamble: Says why independence is important. Gives a list of rights (life, liberty (freedom) and the pursuit of happiness) and says it is the government’s job to protect these rights, and if the government does not, it is the people’s job to remove that government.

• List of Grievances: A long list of ways that the British have not protected the rights of the colonists.

• Conclusion: The colonists say that since the British government has not protected the rights of the colonists, the colonies are now independent from Great Britain.

After the Declaration, the colonists soon began to fight the Revolutionary War against the British…

1. Why was the Boston Massacre important for the independence movement throughout the entire 13 colonies?

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2. How did the British reaction to the Boston Tea Party backfire?

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3.) Which of the Intolerable Acts do you find is the worst, why?

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4.) Put this statement in your own words:

“The combination of the taxation without representation and the John Locke’s writing had a big impact on the Declaration Independence.”

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