The+Road+to+Freedom

__Life in the Colonies__ Land in America was plentiful. In England less than 5% of people owned land. In the colonies generally only white male landowners or property owners could vote. City dwellers could vote by paying a fee. Because cash was scarce, farm wives bartered with their neighbors for goods and services. Families were large. Children helped around the farm. Around age six boys were "breeched" - they were given a pair of pants Around 11 many boys became apprentices. An apprentice learned a trade from an experienced craftsman.

Most children were taught to read so that they could understand the Bible. Only children from wealthy families went beyond reading to learn writing and arithmetic. Most children finished their formal education at age 7. Colonial America had high literacy rates.

Colonial readers supported a publishing industry. from 1700-1770 80 different newspapers appeared in America. Almanacs and the "captivity narrative" were popular Almanacs - calendar, weather predictions, star charts, farming advice, remedies, recipes, jokes and proverbs "captivity narrative" - a colonist captured by Native Americans described living among them.

//The Great Awakening//- religious movement. Traveling ministers preached that inner religious emotion was more important than outward religious behavior. Churches gained 20 to 50,000 new members. Inspired colonists to help others. Princeton and Brown (colleges) were founded to train ministers.

//The Enlightenment// emphasized reason and sciences as the paths to knowledge began in Europe John Locke (English philosopher) argued people have natural rights such as life, liberty and property. He challenged the belief that kings had a God-given right to rule.

Winning Freedom - British Policies

Grenville Acts - Made colonists strictly follow Navigation Acts (colonists had been trading illegally with other countries)

- Sugar Act - tax on sugar, wines and coffee and molasses

- Stamp Act - tax on almost all paper documents (newspapers, wills, contracts, pamphlets, etc.)

-Quartering Act - Required colonists to provide shelter and food for British troops

Virtual Representation - People who represented ALL of the people of the British Empire

Direct Representation - when voters of a certain area selected a representative who worked for that area

Direct tax - a tax that must be paid to the government directly but is not passed on to the consumer in the price of goods

Boycott - refusing to buy certain goods/services

Townshend Acts - import taxes were placed on goods entering the colonies New York's elected assembly was dissolved

Writs of assistance - search warrants used to enter houses or business to look for smuggled goods

Proclamation of 1763 - forbade colonists to settle West of the Appalachians

Boston Massacre - 1,000 British soldiers (known as Red Coats) in the streets of Boston 5 colonists killed after insults from both sides were hurled

Boston Tea Party- Dec. 16, 1773 members of the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Mohawk Indians, dumped the tea cargo from three ships into the Boston harbor.

Intolerable Acts - moved to punish MA for destroying the tea - closed port of Boston - wanted colonists to repay govt. for tea - MA legislature dissolved - British soldiers quartered in private homes Quebec Act - allowed French Canadians to retain their laws, language and Roman Catholic religion. Said lands W of the Appalachian Mountains and N of the Ohio River belonged to Quebec (colonists could not move to the Ohio Valley)

Continental Congress- rep. from all colonies except GA met in Philadelphia - letter to King George III - boycotted English goods

Lexington & Concord- 1775 - General Gage (British General) sent 800 soldiers to take Patriots' military supplies At dawn British soldiers at Lexington met by 70 minutemen - shooting broke out/ 8 minutemen killed

British continued their march to Concord. Fighting ended by noon - British turned back to Boston All minutemen called to arms 15mile march back to Boston shot at British from behind trees and stone walls The British march became a wild retreat!

Second Continental Congress- Representative from ALL the colonies meet in Philadelphia sign -Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1776

Early War - Advantages/Disadvantages of Colonists and British Advantages - Colonists familiar with the turf used guerrilla tactics handled weapons well (used to hunting) spread out supplies at hand

Disadvantages - Colonists not trained in warfare hadn't followed orders smaller numbers

Advantages - British more soldiers weapons trained in warfare had additional help - Loyalists and mercenaries (Hessians)

Disadvantages - British not at home/ unfamiliar with terrain supplies far away used old war tactics

Battles in the Northeast - colonistss lost battle of Bunker Hill in Boston Washington crossed the Delaware River on Xmas - defeated British

British Strategy - went N got help, came down British Defeated

Significance of Saratoga - turning point of war France began to help with guns, ships and money In return - France was given a free hand in the West Indies

Organizing the War - Colonists had to borrow $ Colonists weren't used to fighting Few military leaders

War in the W - British commander (Colonel Henry Hamilton) told Indians colonists wanted to take their land - bought scalps With victory in 1779 colonists established control of area btwn Appalachian mts. and Mississippi River.

War at Sea - John Paul Jones (a sea captain) forced the British to keep part of its naval force close to home. When asked to surrender he said "Sir, I have not yet begun to fight."

War in the S - fighting at end of war in S lots of Loyalists in S. British General Charles Cornwallis retreated to VA Washington trapped Cornwallis by land French warships block British from sea. Cornwallis surrendered his 7,500 soldiers to Washington ending British hopes of winning the war

Treaty of Paris – 1783 - British and American leaders signed peace treaty in Paris, France ending the war Great Britain recognized American independence. Boundaries were set at Canada in the N, Mississippi River in W and Florida in S. Spain was given Florida. The 13 British colonies had become the United States.

__The Meaning of Freedom__ Political Results - The British went home The colonies set about forming a government.

Social Results - Declaration of Independence emphasized the importance of human rights. (except slaves)

Economic Results The United States became one of the largest nations in the world. America took an active role in world trade. People in manufacturing, which had increased during the war, found new markets in Europe. The U.S. govt. started out in debt to allies.

PEOPLE TO KNOW:

General Gage - British officer who sent 800 soldiers to Lexington to seize the Patriots weapons

Minute Men - Patriot's who could get ready to fight in a moments notice (farmers, merchants, etc.)

George Washington - named Commander in Chief of the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress

Benjamin Franklin - represented the Colonies in France

Colonel Henry Hamilton - British Commander - encouraged scalping of Patriots

George Rogers Clark - Commander of the Kentucky militia. Established American control of the area between the Appalachian Mts. and Mississippi River

John Paul Jones - Patriot sea commander. Forced the British to keep part of it's naval fleet close to home. When asked to surrender at the height of a battle he said, "Sir, I have not yet begun to fight."

Thomas Paine - Well known writer on behalf of the Patriots. Wrote pamphlet called "Common Sense"

King George III - British King during the American Revolution

Benedict Arnold - An American traitor

General Cornwallis - British Commander who surrendered to Washington in Yorktown. Cornwallis's surrender ended the British hopes of winning the war.

Patriots - Colonists who wanted to break away from Britain and establish a new country.

Loyalists - Colonists who were loyal to the king.

Continental Army - The Colonist's army (300,000 under the leadership of Gen. Washington)

Red Coats - The British Army

treaty of alliance - Treaty in which France agreed to give the colonies guns, ships and money in exchange for a free hand in the West Indies.

Treaty of Paris - Treaty that ended the war between America and Britain. Signed in Paris in 1783.

1st Continental Congress - Met in Philadelphia in 1774 to discuss ways to deal with the British government.

2nd Continental Congress - Ratified the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.