THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
By: Sarah H.
I created this web page on the following Georgia Performance Standard.
SS4H4 The student will explain the causes, events, and results of the American
Revolution.
a. trace the events that shaped the revolutionary movement in America including: the
French and Indian War, British Imperial Policy that led to the 1765 Stamp Act,
the slogan "no taxation without representation," and the activities of the Sons
of Liberty, and the Boston Tea Party
b. explain the writing of the Declaration of Independence including who wrote it, how
it was written, why it was necessary, and how it was a response to tyranny and
the abuse of power
c. describe the major events of the Revolution and explain the factors leading to
American victory and British defeat: including the Battles of Lexington and
Concord, and Yorktown
d. describe key individuals in the American Revolution with emphasis on King
George III, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,
Benedict Arnold, Patrick Henry, and John Adams
Boston Tea Party
When the Dartmouth, the first boat, reached Boston, Massachusetts on November 27, 1773 with a cargo of tea on board, the Sons of Liberty did not let the captains take the tea off the ship and make the colony pay the tax for the tea. So they dressed up as Mohawk Indians. People got in boats and took the tea and threw it in the water. They did it at night.
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was fought because the French moved into the British land. The British discovered the attack and fought back. It lasted 1754 to 1763. It happened mostly in Canada.
The Slogan "No Taxation Without Representation"
"No Taxation Without Representation" means that the colonists did not want to be taxed without a representative from every colony attending the government meetings.
British Imperial Policy that led to 1765 Stamp Act
or
Click Here for more about the colonists reaction
In 1765, the British Imperial Policy, the British rules, were formed to protest the colonies and make them follow British rule. The colonies got mad and the British imposed the Stamp Act of 1765.
Activities of the Sons of Liberty
There are a lot of activities the Sons of Liberty did. I have made a table of the events and activities.
| Acts of The Sons Of Liberty | Date Happened | Why? |
| Boston Tea Party | December 16. 1773 | Because the colonists were tired of paying taxes on tea |
| Protest against Stamp Act | 1765 | They did not want to pay taxes for anything printed on paper literally everything. |
Declaration of Independence
Who wrote it? Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration of Independence! Benjamin Franklin (PA), John Adams (MA), Robert R. Livingston (NY), and Roger Sherman (CN) helped.
How did they write it? They started drafting it on June 11, 1776. Then Thomas Jefferson started writing the 4 parts. When they finished the draft they brought it to Congress and they approved. The delegates, the people who wrote it, made changes and then brought it back to Congress and they approved once again on July 4, 1776 (which is now Independence Day or The Fourth of July).
Why was it necessary? It was for the independence for the USA. They needed independence from England. They also wanted a government with representatives from each colony.
The Declaration of Independence was calm and kind way to respond to abusive power. They wrote it to be free from Parliament.
Major Events
I have made a table to show you the major events.
| Major Events | Where | Why |
| Battle of Concord | Concord, MA | To keep the guns and other weapons safe from the British |
| Battle of Lexington | Lexington, MA |
No specific reason. It was just one small battle of the war. |
| Battle of Yorktown | Yorktown, PA | One battle was lost in the Carolina Campaign, so they wanted revenge. |
Important People to The War
This is a list of the key individuals in the war.
King George 111-the king of England during the war
George Washington-the Continental Army general and was the president after the war
Benjamin Franklin-helped write the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson-wrote most of the Declaration. we gave him most of the credit
Benedict Arnold-a very famous traitor to the US because the British offered him big bucks to spy on the colonists
Patrick Henry-He made the speech "Give me liberty or give me death"
John Adams-helped edit the Declaration of Independence