Summary
From staff.memorial.spsd.org
The patriots needed help, and they got that help form The Boston Massacre. This story of British troops firing into a defenseless crowd of civilians, spread throughout the colonies. This story is what helped rally provision for the patriots; which ultimately lead to the Revolutionary War.
American Patriots
From writesong.blogspot.com
Many people were angry at Parliament but the king did not want to say this in public. These angry citizens joined secret societies, which were aimed against British authority; the greatest of which was a group called the Sons of Liberty. This small but dynamic group wanted more freedom for the colonies.
The Sons of Liberty held secret meetings, and used even violence to disrupt British regulation and cause mayhem. They premeditated boycotts, and negated to buy specific merchandise or deal with certain merchants. They would steal a plethora of paper and break into customs houses; but some went even further, and caused problem with royal agents, or Americans who did not participate in the boycotts.
The colonists could not correspond on how to react to British decrees. Some were loyal to the king, but others would censure the new policies. To British authorities, the Sons of Liberty were disloyal menaces, and if the law broken, they would be punished. King George III viewed patriotic actions as treason; he wanted authorities to be strict with these activists.
The Sons of Liberty held secret meetings, and used even violence to disrupt British regulation and cause mayhem. They premeditated boycotts, and negated to buy specific merchandise or deal with certain merchants. They would steal a plethora of paper and break into customs houses; but some went even further, and caused problem with royal agents, or Americans who did not participate in the boycotts.
The colonists could not correspond on how to react to British decrees. Some were loyal to the king, but others would censure the new policies. To British authorities, the Sons of Liberty were disloyal menaces, and if the law broken, they would be punished. King George III viewed patriotic actions as treason; he wanted authorities to be strict with these activists.
The Boston Tea Party
From en.wikipedia.org
Many colonists started to begrudge British control, over how they lived their lives and how they spent their money. As each new tax was fashioned, they felt that Parliament was gaining more power, at the expense of their rights.
One tax had to do with colonist’s favorite drink, tea. The Tea Act, passed by Parliament in 1773, endorsed the British East India Company to sell tea straight to Americans, with only a token tax on its tea. This lowered the cost to customers, collected taxes, and still made a profit for the company.
October 1773, a group of colonists in Philadelphia managed to turn back a tea ship, when it arrived in their city. A few weeks later, colonists in Boston tried to refuse a shipment and send the boats, still full of tea, back to England. After forcing the boats to sit in the Boston Harbor for an entire month, the Sons of Liberty decided to take action. On December 16, 1773, about 50 men dressed up as Indians, dumped the ships' cargo, valued at over $1 million by today’s standards, into the sea. This event has come to be known as, the Boston Tea Party.
One tax had to do with colonist’s favorite drink, tea. The Tea Act, passed by Parliament in 1773, endorsed the British East India Company to sell tea straight to Americans, with only a token tax on its tea. This lowered the cost to customers, collected taxes, and still made a profit for the company.
October 1773, a group of colonists in Philadelphia managed to turn back a tea ship, when it arrived in their city. A few weeks later, colonists in Boston tried to refuse a shipment and send the boats, still full of tea, back to England. After forcing the boats to sit in the Boston Harbor for an entire month, the Sons of Liberty decided to take action. On December 16, 1773, about 50 men dressed up as Indians, dumped the ships' cargo, valued at over $1 million by today’s standards, into the sea. This event has come to be known as, the Boston Tea Party.
Intolerable Acts
From memory.loc.gov
Many British Americans became concerned with their rights as English citizens; one right they became worried about, was their representation in government. Each colony had a legislature, allocating as their only representation, because as colonies, they did not acquire the right to elect a member to Parliament. The acts you need to become familiar with are listed below:
· The Stamp Act — this was the first tax on the Americans, this didn’t go through their assemblies first, and thus this made them appropriately angry.
· Coercive Acts — these laws were passed in response to the Boston Tea Party. Americans indeed felt coerced, or forced, to do what parliament wanted. Boston was becoming an apprehensive city, and the British did not help in this matter seeing as how they sent even more soldiers to the city.
· The Stamp Act — this was the first tax on the Americans, this didn’t go through their assemblies first, and thus this made them appropriately angry.
· Coercive Acts — these laws were passed in response to the Boston Tea Party. Americans indeed felt coerced, or forced, to do what parliament wanted. Boston was becoming an apprehensive city, and the British did not help in this matter seeing as how they sent even more soldiers to the city.
Assemblies Outside the Law
When the British government ended the elected government of Massachusetts, the colonists simply formed a new government.
The members of a provincial congress, called the Massachusetts assembly, met away from the city of Boston, on October 7, 1774. Under the direction of John Hancock, this provincial congress assumed all powers of the colony, including the power to raise a militia. It was America's first free government; and soon, additional colonies followed in their footsteps. They often relocated the assemblies from town to town to evade getting caught.
Committees of Correspondence aided with communication between the provincial congresses, this was done by writing and carrying letters. Later, during the Revolutionary War, they communicated with foreign governments in this way.
During the tense years before the Revolutionary War, provincial congresses, set up Committees of Safety to ensure the daily operation of the government. These committees acted as the uppermost level of régime, supporting the pronouncements of the provincial congresses and having the power to call out the militia.
The members of a provincial congress, called the Massachusetts assembly, met away from the city of Boston, on October 7, 1774. Under the direction of John Hancock, this provincial congress assumed all powers of the colony, including the power to raise a militia. It was America's first free government; and soon, additional colonies followed in their footsteps. They often relocated the assemblies from town to town to evade getting caught.
Committees of Correspondence aided with communication between the provincial congresses, this was done by writing and carrying letters. Later, during the Revolutionary War, they communicated with foreign governments in this way.
During the tense years before the Revolutionary War, provincial congresses, set up Committees of Safety to ensure the daily operation of the government. These committees acted as the uppermost level of régime, supporting the pronouncements of the provincial congresses and having the power to call out the militia.
The First Continental Congress
From cdn.dipity.com
The First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, in Carpenters' Hall, in 1774. After the demands of the Intolerable Acts, many Americans decided that local action against the British was not working. It was time to come together.
During the fall of 1774, representatives from each of the provincial congresses met in Philadelphia, for the First Continental Congress. They conversed about how to deal with the British government; their main goal was to find a way to push for their rights from within the British government, but not to fight against it.
The First Continental Congress took four direct actions:
1. Approved the Suffolk Resolves, after much quarrel. The Suffolk Resolves declared the Intolerable Acts to be against British law, established colonial militias, and approved a Patriot government in Massachusetts.
2. Established the Continental Association, which provided a means for creating a boycott of British goods and printing the names of merchants who did not go along with the boycott.
3. Wrote directly to King George III, in a Declaration of Rights and Grievances.
4. Agreed to meet again the following spring, if England did not take steps to address their complaints.
During the fall of 1774, representatives from each of the provincial congresses met in Philadelphia, for the First Continental Congress. They conversed about how to deal with the British government; their main goal was to find a way to push for their rights from within the British government, but not to fight against it.
The First Continental Congress took four direct actions:
1. Approved the Suffolk Resolves, after much quarrel. The Suffolk Resolves declared the Intolerable Acts to be against British law, established colonial militias, and approved a Patriot government in Massachusetts.
2. Established the Continental Association, which provided a means for creating a boycott of British goods and printing the names of merchants who did not go along with the boycott.
3. Wrote directly to King George III, in a Declaration of Rights and Grievances.
4. Agreed to meet again the following spring, if England did not take steps to address their complaints.
Martial Law
Liberty poles were cyphers of defiance, as soon as the soldiers took one down, another would materialize. The new royal governor was a soldier that presented to the colonists that Britain would use lethal military force, if it were necessary. General Thomas Gage arrived from England on May 13, 1774. Four large assemblies of soldiers followed Gage, showing that Britain was not backing down concerning the Intolerable Acts. Gage faced a problem; how to enforce British laws without causing a war? Gage placed Massachusetts under martial law, or military rule. General Gage was determined to keep the Americans, particularly the Sons of Liberty, from attaining weapons. Colonial farmers all had their own guns, but the British wanted to make undisputedly sure they did not have enough gunpowder and bullets to cause difficulty.
From then on, the Sons of Liberty kept a cautious eye on Gage's undertakings. Spies on both sides tried to learn what the other was going to do; the colonists wanted to know if there would be any future attempts to remove weapons. Some colonists began to train for war and hide guns and gunpowder. General Gage had an extremely challenging job because he wanted to keep the peace, but at the same time, had to make sure the colonists were not planning any attack on his men.
From then on, the Sons of Liberty kept a cautious eye on Gage's undertakings. Spies on both sides tried to learn what the other was going to do; the colonists wanted to know if there would be any future attempts to remove weapons. Some colonists began to train for war and hide guns and gunpowder. General Gage had an extremely challenging job because he wanted to keep the peace, but at the same time, had to make sure the colonists were not planning any attack on his men.
The Shot Heard 'Round the World
On the night of April 14, 1775, General Gage sent 700 soldiers to do two things:
1. Destroy or take away all the guns the Massachusetts militia had at Concord.
2. Arrest the two Patriots who were causing the most trouble: Sam Adams and John Hancock.
The Patriots found out about Gage’s plans, and the leader of Concord's militia moved his supplies to safety days before the British could even get there. People in Boston sent messengers to tell of that the British soldiers that were on their way. They used lamps in the top of the Old North Church in Boston to signal a secret code. Horse riders such as Paul Revere raced to the towns to gather the minutemen. After Paul Revere got word to the village of Lexington, they put together their own militia of about 70 men.
Soon after sunrise on April 19, 1775, the minutemen and British regulars faced off in Lexington, Massachusetts. No one knows who fired the first shot, called the "shot heard 'round the world." But that shot sparked the American Revolution. The British recoiled to Boston but were fired upon by colonial farmers along the way. Many soldiers were slain and wounded by the time they returned to the city. The colonists then began to organize themselves to fight; the war had begun.
1. Destroy or take away all the guns the Massachusetts militia had at Concord.
2. Arrest the two Patriots who were causing the most trouble: Sam Adams and John Hancock.
The Patriots found out about Gage’s plans, and the leader of Concord's militia moved his supplies to safety days before the British could even get there. People in Boston sent messengers to tell of that the British soldiers that were on their way. They used lamps in the top of the Old North Church in Boston to signal a secret code. Horse riders such as Paul Revere raced to the towns to gather the minutemen. After Paul Revere got word to the village of Lexington, they put together their own militia of about 70 men.
Soon after sunrise on April 19, 1775, the minutemen and British regulars faced off in Lexington, Massachusetts. No one knows who fired the first shot, called the "shot heard 'round the world." But that shot sparked the American Revolution. The British recoiled to Boston but were fired upon by colonial farmers along the way. Many soldiers were slain and wounded by the time they returned to the city. The colonists then began to organize themselves to fight; the war had begun.
The Second Continental Congress
Colonies, again, sent representatives to discuss the problems with the king. The Second Continental Congress agreed to meet again in Philadelphia in May of 1775. Some were still loyal to the king, and hoped for peace, but others wanted to oppose the British government… even if it meant war. On May 10, 1775, John Hancock led the Second Continental Congress. As time passed and the conflict got worse, many members, led by John Adams of Massachusetts, began to call for American Independence. Congress took several steps to prepare the colonies for war.
Declaration of Independence
From en.wikipedia.org
1. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted, or approved, the Declaration of Independence. This document, written by Thomas Jefferson with some changes by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, set out the reasons why the colonies were pulling away from the mother country. Its text was similar to the Enlightenment teaching of John Locke:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
The idea of the “consent of the governed” had now become a declared purpose.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
The idea of the “consent of the governed” had now become a declared purpose.
Common Sense
From hua.umf.maine.edu
In the January before the Declaration of Independence was signed, Thomas Paine published a paper without putting his name on it. It was called “Common Sense”. Using some words from the Bible and the emotions of the Great Awakening, Paine set forth the reasoning behind independence in a way that everyone could understand. Common Sense became a best seller, both in America and in Europe. Along with the exciting words of the Declaration, it did much to move public opinion toward independence.
“Government by kings was first introduced into the world by the Heathens, from whom the children of Israel copied the custom. It was the most prosperous (best) invention the Devil ever set on foot . . .”
“Government by kings was first introduced into the world by the Heathens, from whom the children of Israel copied the custom. It was the most prosperous (best) invention the Devil ever set on foot . . .”
All information is from APEX section 2.2.6!