The Pre Revolution in America The Beginnings of

The Pre – Revolution in America

The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking � The American Revolution was 169 years in the making. � The distance British colonists enjoyed from their kings made direct rule nearly impossible. � The Pilgrims committed themselves to self rule in the form of the Mayflower Compact before they had ever set foot on the new continent. � Town meetings were quickly the norm throughout New England.

The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking � Events in the early part of the eighteenth century (1700’s) made independence from Britain even more inevitable. � The stage had long been set for Americans to assert their independence from their British brothers and sisters. � Many events transpired between the years of 1763 and 1776 that served as short-term causes of the Revolution

The Trial of John Peter Zenger �No democracy has existed in the modern world without the existence of a free press. �Newspapers allow for the exchange of ideas and for the voicing of dissent. �When a corrupt government holds power, the press becomes a critical weapon. �The trial of John Peter Zenger, a New York printer, was an important step toward this most precious freedom for American colonists.

The Trial of John Peter Zenger �John Peter Zenger was a German immigrant who printed The New York Weekly Journal. �This harshly pointed out the actions of the corrupt royal governor, William S. Cosby. �In 1733, Zenger was accused of libel. �Zenger was accused of published information that was opposed to the government. �He never denied printing the pieces.

The Trial of John Peter Zenger � The first jury was packed with individuals on Cosby's payroll. � Zenger's wife Anna kept the presses rolling. � Her reports resulted in replacing Cosby's jury with a true jury of Zenger's peers. � The most famous lawyer in the colonies, Andrew Hamilton of Philadelphia, stepped up to defend Zenger. � The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

The Trial of John Peter Zenger � Zenger and Hamilton were hailed as heroes. � Another building block of liberty was in place. � Although true freedom of the press was not known until the passage of the First Amendment. � Newspaper publishers felt freer to print their honest views. � As the American Revolution approached, this freedom would become ever more vital.

The French and Indian War �Round four of the global struggle between England France began in 1754. �Unlike three previous conflicts, this war began in America. �French and British soldiers fought each other over control of the Ohio Valley.

Colonial America

The French and Indian War � At stake were: � 1 - the lucrative fur trade � 2 - access to the all-important Mississippi River. � A squadron of soldiers led by a brash, unknown, twenty-two year old George Washington attacked a French stronghold named Fort Duquesne. � Soon after the attack, Washington's troops were forced to surrender. � Shortly after that, a second British force also met with defeat.

The French and Indian War �When news of this reached London, war was declared. �The conflict was known in Europe as the Seven Years War. �Americans would call this the French and Indian War. �The first phase of this war was a disaster for Britain.

French and Indian War (7 Years War)

The French and Indian War �The turning point in the war came when William Pitt took over the wartime operations for the British. �He believed North America was critical for England's global domination. �Pitt turned recruitment and supplies over to local authorities in America and promised to reimburse them for their efforts.

The French and Indian War �Militarily, the tide began to turn, as the British captured Louisbourg, an important strategic port the British used to close the St. Lawrence Seaway. �The death blow to the French cause was struck in Quebec in 1759. �The French chapter of North American history had ended in a bloody finale.

The Events Leading to Independence �In 1763, few would have predicted that by 1776 a revolution would be unfolding in British America. �The ingredients of discontent seemed lacking — at least on the surface. �The colonies were not in a state of economic crisis; in fact, they were relatively prosperous. �Furthermore, the colonies were not unified.

The Events Leading to Independence �Benjamin Franklin discovered this quite clearly when he devised the Albany Plan of Union in 1754. �This plan was known as the slogan "Join, or Die, " �This plan was soundly defeated.

“Join or Die”

The Events Leading to Independence �What led the 13 colonies to set aside their differences and unanimously declare their independence? �The colonists felt unfairly taxed, watched over like children, and ignored in their attempts to address grievances.

The Events Leading to Independence

The Events Leading to Independence �The British found the colonists unwilling to pay their fair share for the running of the Empire. �Every action by one side brought an equally strong response from the other. �Before long, the point of no return was reached.

The Royal Proclamation of 1763 �The Native Americans, who had allied with the French during the Seven Years' War, continued to fight after the peace had been reached. �The last thing the British government wanted were American colonists crossing the Appalachians fueling French and Native American resentment.

The Royal Proclamation of 1763 �The solution seemed simple. �The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued. �This declared the boundaries of settlement for inhabitants of the 13 colonies to be Appalachia. �But what seemed simple to the British was not acceptable to their colonial subjects.

The Royal Proclamation of 1763

The Stamp Act Controversy �Something was dreadfully wrong in the American colonies. �All of sudden after 150 years of permitting relative self-rule, Britain was exercising direct influence over colonial life. �Writs of assistance, or search warrants, were granted to British customs inspectors to search colonial ships.

The Stamp Act Controversy � Worst of all, the British now began levying taxes against American colonists. � The tradition of receiving permission for levying taxes dated back hundreds of years in British history. � But the colonists had no representation in the British Parliament. � To tax them without offering representation was to deny their traditional rights as English subjects.

The Stamp Act Controversy �The Stamp Act of 1765 was not the first attempt to tax the American colonies. �Parliament had passed the Sugar Act and Currency Act the previous year (1764). �When Parliament passed the Stamp Act in March 1765, things changed. �It was the first direct tax on the American colonies.

The Stamp Act Controversy �Every legal document had to be written on specially stamped paper, showing proof of payment. �Deeds, wills, marriage licenses — contracts of any sort — were not recognized as legal in a court of law unless they were prepared on this paper. �American activists sprang into action.

The Stamp Act Controversy

The Stamp Act Controversy � Taxation in this manner and the Quartering Act (which required the American colonies to provide food and shelter for British troops) were soundly thrashed in colonial assemblies. � The colonists enacted widespread boycotts of British goods. � Radical groups such as the Sons and Daughters of Liberty did not hesitate to harass tax collectors. � The Stamp Act was repealed the following year.

The Boston Patriots � Although patriots could be found in any of the 13 colonies, nowhere were they more numerous than in the city of Boston. � Boston was the leading voice against British authority. � It was, after all, the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. � Fierce patriots such as Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere were all citizens of one great city: Boston.

The Boston Patriots Samuel Adams �Samuel Adams was perhaps the fieriest supporter of American liberty in the 13 colonies. �His skills as a political organizer drove the colonies toward declaring independence. �Adams chaired the Boston town meeting that preceded the infamous tea party. �He served as an active member of the Sons of Liberty

Samuel Adams

The Boston Patriots John Adams �John Adams, Samuel's second cousin, was no less a patriot. �He provided the wording of the resistance message sent to George III. �John Adams was a member of the committee of five who drafted the Declaration of Independence.

John Adams

The Boston Patriots John Hancock �The man with the famous signature — John Hancock. �Hancock made the British mad as a major smuggler. �As a man of great wealth, he had much to lose by resisting Britain. But, he did not bend. �The seizure of one of his ships brought a response from Bostonians that led directly to British occupation in 1768.

John Hancock

The Boston Patriots Paul Revere �As a silversmith, he was a man of humbler means, but his attitudes about Britain were anything but humble. �His famous midnight ride that warned of the advancing British troops was only one of his revolutionary actions.

Paul Revere

The Boston Massacre �The showdown between the British and the Americans was not simply a war of words. �Blood was shed over this clash of ideals. �Although fighting between American minutemen and the British redcoats did not begin until 1775, the 1770 Boston Massacre gave each side a taste of what was to come.

The Boston Massacre �On March 5, 1770, the inevitable happened. �A mob of about 60 angry townspeople descended upon the guard at the Customs House. �When reinforcements were called, the crowd became more unruly, hurling rocks and snowballs at the British soldiers.

The Boston Massacre �In the heat of the confusing melee, the British fired without Captain Thomas Preston's command. �British bullets took the lives of 5 men, including Crispus Attucks, a former slave. �Captain Preston and four of his men were cleared of all charges in the trial that followed.

Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre �Despite the verdict of the soldiers' trial, Americans did not forget the lesson they had learned from this experience. �What was the lesson? �Americans learned that the British would use force when necessary to keep the Americans obedient.

The Boston Tea Party �Governor Thomas Hutchinson allowed three ships carrying tea to enter Boston Harbor. �Before the tax could be collected, Bostonians took action. �Radical townspeople stormed the ships and tossed 342 chests of tea into the water. �Disguised as Native Americans, the offenders could not be identified.

The Intolerable Acts �Someone was going to pay. �Parliament was fed up with colonial antics. �The British could tolerate strongly worded letters or trade boycotts. �But they saw the destruction of 342 chests of tea as destruction of property by Boston thugs who did not even have the courage to admit responsibility.

The Intolerable Acts �The British called their responsive measures to the Boston Tea Party the Coercive Acts. �They were seen by Americans as malicious and were called the Intolerable Acts. �INTOLERABLE ACTS � 1. Boston Port Act � 2. Massachusetts Government Act � 3. Administration of Justice Act � 4. Quebec Act

Sons and Daughters of Liberty �They were the ones who were not afraid. �They knew that talk and politics alone would not bring an end to British tyranny. �They were American patriots — northern and southern, young and old, male and female. �They were the Sons and Daughters of Liberty.

Sons and Daughters of Liberty �Like other secret clubs at the time, the Sons of Liberty had many rituals. �They had secret code words, medals, and symbols. �Originally formed in response to the Stamp Act, their activities were far more than ceremonial.

Sons and Daughters of Liberty �Another important function of the Sons of Liberty was correspondence. �These clubs could be found up and down the colonial seaboard. �Often they coordinated their activities. �These individuals risked their lives and reputations to fight against tyranny. �In the end, they are remembered as heroes.

First Continental Congress � Americans were fed up. The "Intolerable" Acts were more than the colonies could stand. � In the summer that followed Parliament's attempt to punish Boston, sentiment for the patriot cause increased dramatically. � It was time once again for inter-colonial action. � Thus, on September 1774, the First Continental Congress was convened in Philadelphia.

First Continental Congress �Only Georgia withheld a delegation. �A declaration of colonial rights was drafted and sent to London. �Much of the debate revolved around defining the colonies' relationship with England.

First Continental Congress � A plan introduced by Joseph Galloway of Pennsylvania proposed an imperial union with Britain. � Under this program, all acts of Parliament would have to be approved by an American assembly to take effect. � Such an arrangement, if accepted by London, might have postponed revolution. � But the delegations voted against it — by one vote.

Second Continental Congress �In May 1775, with Redcoats once again storming Boston, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia. �The majority of delegates were not seeking independence from Britain. �Only radicals like John & Samuel Adams were of this mindset. �In fact, that July Congress approved the Olive Branch Petition, a direct appeal to the king.

Second Continental Congress �The American delegates pleaded with George III to attempt peaceful resolution and declared their loyalty to the Crown. �The King refused this petition and declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion. �King George ordered Hessian mercenaries to bring the colonists under control. �The men in Philadelphia were now wanted for treason.

The Declaration of Independence �On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution to the Congress that declared the thirteen colonies "free and independent states. " �Congress did not act on the resolution immediately. A vote was set for early July. �A subcommittee of five, including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, was selected to choose the careful wording.

The Declaration of Independence �The declaration is divided into three main parts. �The first was a simple statement of intent. �The second section is a list of grievances; that is, why the colonies deemed independence appropriate. �The third section officially dissolves ties with Britain.

The Declaration of Independence � The Declaration of Independence shows modern readers the courage taken by each delegate who would sign. � They were now officially guilty of treason and would hang in the gallows if taken before a royal court. � Jefferson watched painfully as the other delegates tweaked his prose. � Finally on July 4, 1776, the colonies approved the document. � The vote was twelve to zero, with the New York delegation abstaining.

The Declaration of Independence �As president of the Congress, John Hancock scrawled his famous signature across the bottom and history was made. �If the American effort was successful, they would be hailed as heroes. �If it failed, they would be hanged as traitors.

The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence �The signers of the Declaration of Independence from Georgia � 1. Button Gwinnett � 2. George Walton � 3. Lyman Hall