American Revolution

American Revolution

​Enlightenment ideas about political rights and good government spread throughout Europe and spread across the Atlantic Ocean. This lead to the American Revolution

Elements of a Revolution

1.) Dissident Elites
2.) Mass Frustration
3.) Shared Motivation
4.) State Crisis

Open Ended

This is a picture of the Boston Massacre that happened before the American Revolution. What are some things you notice about this picture? What do you think is happening?

Sugar Act (1764) – Taxed sugar, molasses, and other goods, which hurt colonial merchants and rum producers.

Stamp Act (1765) – Required colonists to buy special stamped paper for legal documents, newspapers, and even playing cards. This led to widespread protests.

Townshend Acts (1767) – Taxed imported goods like glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea. Colonists responded with boycotts.

Tea Act (1773) – Gave the British East India Company a monopoly on selling tea in the colonies, leading to the Boston Tea Party

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Types of Taxes Imposed on Colonists

​Great Britain was heavily taxing the colonies in North America. Colonists did not have representation in Parliament. This led to protests and actions to try and change these issues.

What caused the American Revolution?

Multiple Choice

What was the colonists main objection to British Taxes?

• The colonists were being taxed without their consent

• They wanted to give more money to the monarchy

• The taxes were fair

• They were represented in parliament and they didn't want to be

Multiple Choice

Which of the following categories do the taxes fall under?

• Mass Frustration

• Dissident Elites

• Shared Motivation

• State Crisis

Parliament sent soldiers to Boston to keep order among the protests.

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Boston Massacre

​On March 5, 1770 soldiers fought with a group of colonists. British soldiers fired into a group of colonists, killing 5 people.

​A massacre is a killing of a large number of helpless people

Another protest happened on December 16, 1773.

​This was aimed at the high taxes on imported tea. Colonists destroyed three ships full of British Tea and Britain respond by sending more troops to boston

​Boston Tea Party

Multiple Choice

The Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre are examples of _____ that took place before the American Revolution

• battles

• support for monarchy

• protests

• ceremonies

Multiple Choice

Which of the following do the protests by American Colonists fall under?

• Dissident Elites

• Mass Frustration

• Shared Motivation

• State Crisis

In 1775 the Revolution broke out when British troops marched into towns near Boston. On the way they exchanged shots with Colonists. This marked the beginning of the Revolution.

The American Revolution Begins

Open Ended

The American Revolution happened, because ________.

Example: The scientific revolution happened, because people started using reason to solve their problems.

After long debates America decided to declare independence on July 4, 1776

This document was written by Thomas Jefferson who was inspired by enlightenment ideas of democracy and rule of the people.

The Declaration of Independence

Multiple Choice

What era inspired the Declaration of Independence?

• Enlightenment

• Ancient China

• Mesoamerica

• Middle Ages

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the Declaration of Independence an example of?

• Dissident Elites

• Mass Frustration

• Shared Motivation

• State Crisis

​Even though the colonists were facing off against the most powerful army on earth, with the help of France and the leadership of George Washington, the British surrendered in 1781

​Victory for America

Multiple Choice

Why was the colonists victory over Great Britain surprising?

• They were going to war with the most powerful army on Earth

• France was helping Great Britain

• Great Britain said they would never surrender

• Great Britain was weak

Originally, the United States had a weak central government but people soon realized that this type of government could not solve many problems so they had to find a way to check and balance the central government

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Establishing a New Government

State Representation

​Because colonists were taxed without representation they wanted to make sure they had representation in the government.

States eventually had representatives based on the population of their states.

Slaves only counted as 3/5 of the population (although they had no rights and could not vote)

Open Ended

Why do you think slaveowners wanted their slaves to be counted as part of the population?