The Road to Revolution

1. The Road to Revolution Simulation created by Mrs. Janiak Objective: to understand the choices, decisions and process of revolution before 1776.

3. Background Information • Mercantilism: England determined the economic and political relations with the colonists. • Navigation Acts: England tightly controlled trade in the Americas, colonists were forbidden to import goods from any other country. • Smuggling: along the entire Atlantic coast, businesses smuggled goods in and out of the colonies to avoid English taxes.

4. Background Information • Unhappiness had been brewing in the colonies for more than 20 years before the Revolution. • Many problems began after the French & Indian War 1754-1763- • The war was a struggle between France & Britain for territory and power. • Many American Indians fought on the French side, so colonists called it the French & Indian War.

5. Britain Won! • Because the British won the French & Indian War, they had a much larger empire to control so they passed the Proclamation of 1763- no colonists could settle west of the Appalachian Mountains, but many did so anyway.

6. Appalachian Mountains

7. For protection • The British kept a long chain of forts and sent more soldiers to maintain peace. • The British believed the colonists should pay for the protection but colonists thought they could defend themselves. • Parliament decided to charge money from the colonies…

8. From this point forward… • You will be in your historical group to simulate the road to revolution. • There are 4 groups: • British • Loyalists • Moderates • Patriots

9. Read the group information • You all will be given an information sheet that explains the beliefs of your group. • For the simulation your group will make decisions based on what you believe the actual group would have done in reality. • Now… read your group information silently.

10. Let’s begin! • For each step in the road to revolution, your group will decide what to do or what actions should be taken according to the beliefs of the group. • Write your beliefs down on the worksheet provided, do not share aloud with the class or discuss with other groups.

11. 1764- Sugar Act • Parliament placed taxes on sugar and other non-British imports (basically anything not directly from Britain). • Tax was enforced by Britain. • Law mainly affected merchants in New England and the Middle Colonies.

12. 1765- Quartering Act • Since there were British troops in the colonies to protect British territory… • Under the terms of this legislation, each colonial assembly was directed to provide for the basic needs of soldiers stationed within its borders. Specified items included bedding, cooking utensils, firewood, beer or cider and candles. This law was expanded and required colonists to feed and house British troops in their homes.

13. Required colonists to buy a stamp for every piece of paper they used. Newspapers and documents had to printed on stamped paper. Even playing cards had to be stamped! This tax affected a wide range of people in the colonies 1765- Stamp Act

15. 1766- Stamp Act Removed but… • Parliament passed the Declaratory Act- reaffirming its right to govern the colonies. • Parliament declared that it could make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever” • Over the next several years, it imposed new taxes and regulations.

16. 1767- Townshend Acts • Taxes on British glass, lead, paints, paper, & tea. • Parliament intended for the Acts to raise money for their revenue. • Colonists saw this as a direct taxes in disguise.

17. Parliament removes the Townshend Acts but… • Keeps the tea tax! • Remember tea was the popular drink for people back then that everyone drank!

18. 1773- Tea Act • Parliament gave the British East India Company the sole right to sell tea in the colonies. • Designed to help the struggling company stay in business.

19. 1774- Intolerable Acts • Parliament passed a series of acts so harsh that the colonists called them the Intolerable Acts. • These laws closed Boston Harbor, shut down civilian courts, and placed Massachusetts under strict British control. • More troops sent to Boston. • In Massachusetts- town meetings were banned, a British governor was appointed and colonists lost the right to govern themselves.

20. Final Decisions… • With your group, review what your group of colonists believe what must be done at this point in 1774. • Then list the complaints your group has with the British. (British group- list the complaints you have with the colonists.) • Create a solution with an explanation why your group believes that solution will work (full sentences please!).

21. Writing your Declaration • Individually: • Using the list of complaints and then the solution you wrote on the chart, write a declaration on the student page of your notebook. (Full sentences!) • 1st paragraph: complaints • 2nd paragraph: solution • Write it as if you are making a formal declaration (“We the loyalists hereby proclaim…..”)

22. Come together!

23. John Adams Video Quickwrite: • Why is there a long silence after the voting is complete? 2.How dangerous was their decision?

24. DOI Opener: (left side, below John Adams video quick write) • What reasons did the colonists have for writing the Declaration of Independence?

25. Declaration of Independence • Written in 1776 after King George had refused to respond to the colonists grievances to unite the colonies against the British empire • John Dunlap prints the Declaration of Independence. These prints are now called "Dunlap Broadsides." Twenty-four copies are known to exist, two of which are in the Library of Congress. One of these was Washington's personal copy.

26. Declaration video Discuss the statement in Morgan Freeman’s introduction to the reading that highlights the contradictions between the ideals of the Declaration and the “sometimes painful realities of American life.” • Consider the impact of reading the Declaration aloud, as opposed to silently.

27. 2. What is the tone in the Declaration? Did the actors portray that tone in their reading?

28. Discuss the statement in Morgan Freeman’s introduction to the reading that highlights the contradictions between the ideals of the Declaration and the “sometimes painful realities of American life.” 3. What could be some contradictions of the ideals and actual reality, where they haven’t matched up in U.S. history?

29. Grievances (formal complaints) in the D.O.I. • Write next to each grievance in the D.O.I.- either an O, A in the margin.

30. And then what happened? • April 18, 1775- Minutemen called into action, met British troops in Lexington. • “shot heard around the world” (no is sure who shot first but it began the fight) • 1783- American and British sign the Treaty of Paris ending the war • Britain recognized American independence