Coercive Acts 1774 also Intolerable Acts closed Boston

• • Coercive Acts (1774): (also Intolerable Acts) closed Boston Harbor until payment made for tea British officials in America tried back in English courts British troops quartered Reduced a colony’s self-govt.

st 1 • • • Continental Congress (1774) 56 delegates met in Phil. (except GA) Approved arming and training a militia Banned trade with Britain until Coercive Acts repealed Wanted peace with Britain To meet again in May 1775

King George III – saw colonies as disobedient children

Minutemen – farmers and artisans in colonial army (ready in a moment’s notice)

Boston’s North Church – Dr. Joseph Warren planned to flash one light if by land, two if by sea; waiting riders Wm. Dawes and Paul Revere; rode to Lexington

Lexington – first shot fired; 8 colonists died and 10 wounded; 1 British wounded; British victory

Concord – Redcoats burned colonial gun powder North Bridge – 3 Redcoats, 2 Minutemen killed in battle; British retreated (American victory)

Emerson wrote poem “Shot heard around the World”

2 nd Continental Congress (1775) All 13 colonies chose George Washington to build Continental Army

Olive Branch Petition – begged King to stop war and make peace with colonists George III declared Americans rebels: War is imminent John Dickenson