Chapter

The American
Revolution
1754 –1783
SECTION 1 The Colonies Fight for Their Rights
SECTION 2 The Revolution Begins
SECTION 3 The War for Independence
SECTION 4 The War Changes American Society

George Washington at Valley Forge

1765
• Parliament
passes the 1770
Stamp Act, • British
triggering troops fire
1754 protests on colonists
• French and Indian throughout in Boston
War begins the colonies Massacre
U.S. PRESIDENTS
U.S. EVENTS
1745 1755 1765
WORLD EVENTS
1748 1751 1755 1769
• Montesquieu’s • Chinese • Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary • Steam engine is
Spirit of the Laws invade Tibet of the English Language is patented by
is published and control published James Watt
succession
to the throne
52 Chapter 2 The American Revolution
 MAKING CONNECTIONS
Why Do People Rebel?
Even today, Americans grow frustrated when the government
raises taxes. In the early colonial era, Americans grew accus-
tomed to running their own affairs. So when Britain tried
to reestablish control, tensions mounted over taxes and
basic rights.
• Why do you think colonists became angry at Britain?
• When do you think it is acceptable to rebel against a
government?

1781
• Cornwallis surrenders at
Yorktown, marking the end Generalizing on the American
1783
of the Revolutionary War Revolution Create a Concept-Map Book
• Treaty of Paris is
Foldable that details the causes and the course
1775 1776 signed, officially
• First shots of the War • Declaration of recognizing the of the American Revolutionary War. Select the
are fired at Lexington Independence independence of most important causes of the war and list them
and Concord is signed the United States inside one-half of the Concept-Map. Use the
other half to list
American Revolution
the outcomes of
1775 1785 battles during Causes of Course of
the war. the War the War

1776 1780
• Adam Smith’s treatise on • Empress Maria
mercantilism, Wealth of Theresa of Austria- )JTUPSZ 0/-*/& Chapter Overview
Nations, is published Hungary dies Visit glencoe.com to preview Chapter 2.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 53

Section 1
The Colonies Fight for Their Rights
Guide to Reading I n the mid-1700s, England and France fought a
war for control of North America. Britain emerged
from the conflict victorious. After the war, however,
Big Ideas
Struggles for Rights The colonists Parliament’s attempts to raise revenue from the colonies
used economic protest to fight the
met with resistance and protests.
power of the British Parliament.

Content Vocabulary
• customs duty (p. 57) The French and Indian War
• inflation (p. 58)
MAIN Idea Rivalry between France and England turned into a war for
• nonimportation agreement (p. 59)
control of North America.
• writ of assistance (p. 60)
HISTORY AND YOU During the colonial era, France and England were fre-
Academic Vocabulary quently at war. Can you think of similar national conflicts today? Read on to
• dominance (p. 54) learn about George Washington’s role in the French and Indian War.

• substitute (p. 59)

The French and English had been vying for dominance in Europe
People and Events to Identify since the late 1600s, fighting three major wars between 1689 and
• Albany Plan of Union (p. 55) 1748. Most of the fighting took place in Europe, but whenever France
• French and Indian War (p. 56) and England were at war, their colonies went to war as well. In 1754
• Stamp Act (p. 58) a fourth struggle began.
• Sons of Liberty (p. 59)
• Townshend Acts (p. 60)
• Boston Massacre (p. 61) The First Skirmish
In the 1740s, the British and French both became interested in the
Reading Strategy Ohio River valley. By crossing from Lake Ontario to the Ohio River
Organizing Complete a graphic orga- and following the river south to the Mississippi River, the French
nizer similar to the one below by listing could travel from New France to Louisiana very easily. Meanwhile,
the causes of the French and Indian War. British fur traders had begun entering the Ohio River valley, and
Causes British land speculators—people who bought empty land hoping to
sell it to settlers for a profit—had become interested in the region.
French and Indian
War
To block British claims in the region, the French built a chain of
forts from Lake Ontario to the Ohio River. The British governor of
Virginia tried to counter the French by building a British fort in west-
ern Pennsylvania. Before the British fort was completed, the French
seized it and built Fort Duquesne at the site. Virginia’s governor then
asked George Washington, a young officer in the Virginia militia, to
raise a force and expel the French.
As Washington’s troops marched toward the Ohio River in the
spring of 1754, they encountered a small French force near Great
Meadows. After a brief battle, Washington retreated a short distance
and built a stockade named Fort Necessity. A little over a month later,
a large French force arrived and forced Washington to surrender. As
the fighting between France and Britain expanded into a world war,
the 22-year-old Washington became a hero in the colonies for his
courageous attempt to resist the French.

54 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

 The French and Indian War, 1754–1763
0 200 kilometers NEWFOUNDLAND
0 200 miles Gulf of
Albers Equal-Area projection St. Lawrence

Sept. 18, 1759: British

R.
NEW forces led by Wolfe

ce
FRANCE capture Quebec July 26, 1758: French

ren
surrender Louisbourg

Law
Sept. 8, 1760: French
45°N

St.
surrender Montreal
TI A
CO
IN
QU
GON
VAS
AL
Maine NO
July 26, 1759: British troops capture (part of Mass.) Port
Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga) Royal October, 1755: British
Lake deport 6,000 Acadian
Champlain Fall of 1755: Colonial troops farmers and disperse them
August 27, 1758: Fort are defeated at Crown Point among the colonies
Frontenac captured
by the British August 9, 1757:
Fort British surrender N
N.H.
e Ontario Oswego Fort William Henry ATLANTIC
L ak E OCEAN 60°W
Boston
Fort Niagara OI CY New W
S Albany
QU RA York
Mass.

Hudson R.
IROFEDE S 40°N
N
rie CO Conn. R.I.
eE 65°W
Lak
70°W
July 9, 1755: Braddock
defeated by French and Indian
British advance NEW troops at Fort Duquesne New York
French advance FRANCE New Jersey
Pennsylvania
British victory
io R .

Philadelphia
French victory
Maryland
Oh

Fort
Virginia Delaware
July 4, 1754: Washington
surrenders at Fort Necessity 75°W

Analyzing GEOGRAPHY
1. Location Where did most of the British victories
occur?
2. Movement From which colonial port did the
British fleet sail to conquer Quebec?

The Albany Conference the Iroquois refused an alliance with the

Even before fighting started, the British British, they did agree to remain neutral. The
government had urged its colonies to work colonies agreed that Britain should appoint
together to prepare for the coming war. The one supreme commander of all British troops
government also suggested that the colonies in the colonies. The conference also issued the
negotiate an alliance with the Iroquois. The Albany Plan of Union, a proposal devel-
Iroquois controlled western New York—terri- oped by a committee led by Benjamin
tory the French had to pass through to reach Franklin. The Plan of Union proposed that the
the Ohio River. In response, delegates from colonies unite to form a federal government.
seven colonies met with Iroquois leaders at Although the colonies rejected the plan, it
Albany, New York, in June 1754. showed that many colonial leaders had begun
This meeting, known as the Albany to think about joining together for their com-
Conference, achieved several things. Although mon defense.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 55

 The British Triumph Growing Discontent
In 1755 the new British commander in chief, MAIN Idea The British decision to stop colonists
General Edward Braddock, arrived in Virginia from settling new western lands and to impose new
with 1,400 British troops. After linking up with taxes led to widespread protests.
450 local militia troops, Braddock appointed
HISTORY AND YOU The English Bill of Rights
Lieutenant Colonel George Washington to guarantees certain individual rights. Can you recall
serve as his aide. He then marched west some of these rights? Read on to learn how
intending to attack Fort Duquesne. Parliament denied these rights to colonists.
Seven miles from the fort, French and Native
American forces ambushed the British. Great Britain’s victory in 1763 left the coun-
Braddock was killed. His troops panicked and try deeply in debt. It had to pay not only the
only Washington saved them from disaster. As cost of the war but also the cost of governing
shots whizzed past him—leaving four holes in and defending its new territories. Many British
his hat and clothes—Washington rallied the officials thought that the colonies should pay
men and organized a retreat. part of the costs, especially the cost of station-
The successful ambush emboldened the ing British troops there. As the British govern-
Delaware people, and they began attacking ment adopted new policies to solve its financial
British settlers in western Pennsylvania. For problems, resentment began to grow in the
the next two years, the French and Indian American colonies.
War, as it was called, raged along the frontier.
In 1756 the fighting between Britain and France
spread to Europe, where it later became known The Proclamation
as the Seven Years’ War.
Gradually, the British fleet cut off the flow of of 1763
supplies and reinforcements to the colonies In the spring of 1763, Pontiac, the chief of
from France. The Iroquois, realizing the tide the Ottawa people, decided to go to war against
was turning in favor of the British, pressured the British. After uniting several Native
the Delaware to end their attacks. With their American groups, including the Ottawa,
Native American allies giving up, the French Delaware, Shawnee, and Seneca peoples,
found themselves badly outnumbered. In 1759 Pontiac’s forces attacked forts along the fron-
a British fleet commanded by General James tier and burned down several towns before
Wolfe sailed to Quebec, the capital of New British troops were able to stop them. Pontiac’s
France. After defeating the French troops War did not surprise British officials. They had
defending the city, the British seized Quebec been expecting trouble since 1758, when
and took control of New France. Elsewhere in reports first indicated that settlers were mov-
the world, the fighting continued. When the ing into western Pennsylvania in defiance of
Spanish joined forces with the French in 1761, the colony’s treaty with the region’s Native
Britain seized Spain’s colonies in Cuba and the Americans.
Philippines. British leaders did not want to bear the cost
The Treaty of Paris finally ended the war in of another war. Many officials also owned
1763. Except for a few offshore islands, the shares in fur-trading companies operating in
treaty eliminated French power in North the region, and they knew a war would disrupt
America. New France became part of the trade. They decided that the best solution was
British Empire, as did all of Louisiana east of to limit western settlement until new treaties
the Mississippi, except for New Orleans. To get could be negotiated.
Cuba and the Philippines back, Spain gave In early October, King George III issued the
Florida to Britain. To compensate Spain, the Proclamation of 1763. The Proclamation drew
French then signed a separate treaty giving the a line from north to south along the Appalachian
Spanish control of New Orleans and all of Mountains and declared that colonists could
Louisiana west of the Mississippi. not settle west of that line without the British
government’s permission. This enraged many
Examining Why were the French farmers and land speculators, who wanted
and the British interested in the Ohio River valley? access to the land.

56 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

 The Proclamation of 1763 and Grenville’s
50°N Reforms

Hudson’s Bay Company

Quebec Maine
(part of 45°N
Mass.)

N.H.
New Mass.
York
Conn.
R.I.
How Did Britain Anger Colonists
Pa. 40°N
After the French and Indian War?
Indian N.J.
S
AIN

Reserve Md. • Proclamation of 1763 lim-

NT

r Del. ited western settlement.

Rive
MOU

Ohio
• Vice-admiralty court in
Spanish Virginia
Louisiana ATLANTIC Halifax began dealing with
N
Tennessee

HIA

OCEAN smugglers.
AC

L
PA
• Sugar Act of 1764 imposed
er

North 35°N
Riv

Ri v
er
AP Carolina new taxes on trade and
i
ipp

South required accused smugglers

s
Missis

Carolina N to prove their innocence.

• Currency Act of 1764
Georgia
W E banned use of paper ▲ George Grenville
money. developed many of
West Florida S
30°N • Stamp Act imposed direct the policies that
tax on printed materials. angered the colonists.

Original 13 Colonies
East
Gulf of Mexico Florida Other British Territory
Spanish Territory
0 200 kilometers
Proclamation Line of 1763 Analyzing GEOGRAPHY
0 200 miles
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection 25°N 1. Location At what physical barrier did the
90°W 85°W 80°W 75°W 70°W
Proclamation of 1763 set the western boundary of
the colonies?
2. Movement Why do you think colonists wanted
to move west of that boundary?

Customs Reform Scotia. Unlike colonial courts, where the juries

were often sympathetic to smugglers, vice-
At the same time the Royal Proclamation admiralty courts were run by naval officers.
Act was angering western farmers, eastern These courts had no juries and did not follow
merchants were objecting to new tax policies. British common law, a violation of the tradi-
In 1763 George Grenville became prime min- tional English right to a jury of one’s peers.
ister and first lord of the Treasury. Grenville Sending colonists to distant Nova Scotia also
had to find a way to reduce Britain’s debt and violated their right to a speedy trial.
pay for the 10,000 British troops now stationed Among those tried by the vice-admiralty
in North America. court was John Hancock. Hancock had made a
Grenville knew that merchants were smug- fortune in the sugar trade, smuggling molasses
gling many goods into and out of the colonies from French colonies in the Caribbean.
without paying customs duties, taxes on Defending Hancock was a young lawyer
imports and exports. He convinced Parliament named John Adams. Adams argued that the
to pass a law allowing smugglers to be tried at use of vice-admiralty courts denied colonists
a new vice-admiralty court in Halifax, Nova their rights as British citizens.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 57

National Portrait Gallery, London
 The Sugar Act to the popular expression, “No taxation with-
out representation.”
In addition to stepping up enforcement of Despite the protests, the Sugar Act remained
customs duties, Grenville also introduced the in force, and Grenville pressed ahead
American Revenue Act of 1764, better known with other new policies. To slow inflation,
as the Sugar Act. The act raised the tax rates on Parliament passed the Currency Act of 1764.
imports of raw sugar and molasses. It also This act banned the use of paper money in the
placed new taxes on silk, wine, coffee, pimento, colonies, because it tended to lose its value
and indigo. quickly. The act angered colonial farmers and
Merchants throughout the colonies com- artisans who liked paper money precisely
plained to Parliament that the Sugar Act hurt because it lost value quickly. They could use
trade. Many were also furious that the act vio- paper money to pay back loans, and since the
lated several traditional English rights. Under money was not worth as much as when they
the act, merchants accused of smuggling were borrowed it, the loans were easier to pay
presumed guilty unless proven innocent. The back.
act also let officials seize goods without due
process—proper court procedures—in some
circumstances, and prevented lawsuits by mer- The Stamp Act Crisis
chants whose goods had been improperly Although the Sugar Act began to bring in
seized. revenue for Britain, Grenville did not believe it
In many colonial cities, pamphlets circulated would cover all of the government’s expenses
condemning the Sugar Act. In one pamphlet in America. To raise more money, he asked
James Otis argued that although Parliament Parliament to pass the Stamp Act.
could impose taxes to regulate trade, taxing Enacted in March 1765, the Stamp Act
Americans to pay for British programs was dif- required stamps to be placed on most printed
ferent because the colonies had no representa- materials, including newspapers, pamphlets,
tives in Parliament. Otis’s arguments gave rise posters, wills, mortgages, deeds, licenses,

1765
Protesting Government Actions
Americans have a long tradition of exercising freedom of
speech and assembly to protest unpopular government actions.
In 1765, for example, the British Stamp Act enraged the colonists.
Many, like Patrick Henry of Virginia, spoke publicly against the act.
At the same time, groups such as the Sons of Liberty organized
demonstrations and other forms of protest. The tradition continues
today. In Seattle, Washington, in 2002, thousands of angry
protesters demonstrated for days against United States
involvement in the World Trade Organization (WTO). These
demonstrators believed the WTO’s support for globalization
damages local economies at home and abroad.

▲ Patrick Henry speaks out in protest against the Stamp Act

in the Virginia House of Burgesses.

58 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

The Granger Collection, New York
diplomas, even playing cards. Unlike previous tives, and not Parliament, had the right to tax
taxes, which had always been imposed on them. The congress further petitioned King
trade, the stamp tax was a direct tax—the first George III for relief and asked Parliament to
Britain had ever levied on the colonists. repeal the Stamp Act.
As word of the Stamp Act spread through When the Stamp Act went into effect on
the colonies in the spring of 1765, a huge debate November 1, 1765, the colonists ignored it.
began. Roused by Patrick Henry’s speeches, the Instead, they began to boycott all British goods.
Virginia House of Burgesses passed resolutions People substituted sage and sassafras for
declaring that Virginians were entitled to the imported tea. They stopped buying British
rights of British people and could be taxed only cloth. In New York, 200 merchants signed a
by their own representatives. Other colonial nonimportation agreement, pledging not to
assemblies passed similar resolutions. buy any British goods until Parliament repealed
By the summer of 1765, a group called the the Stamp Act.
Sons of Liberty was organizing huge demon- The boycott had a powerful effect in Britain.
strations and intimidating stamp distributors. Thousands of workers lost their jobs as orders
In August, a crowd in Boston hung effigies— from the colonies were cancelled and British
crude stuffed figures meant to represent per- merchants could not collect money the colonies
sons—of several British officials, including owed them. With protests mounting in both
Boston’s stamp agent. Britain and the American colonies, British law-
In October, representatives from nine colo- makers repealed the act in 1766. To assert its
nies met for what became known as the Stamp authority, however, Parliament also passed the
Act Congress. Together, they issued the Declaratory Act.This act affirmed that Parliament
Declaration of Rights and Grievances, drafted had the power to make laws for the colonies.
by a wealthy lawyer from Pennsylvania named
John Dickinson. The resolutions declared that Evaluating How was the Stamp
because taxation depended upon representa- Act different from other taxes Britain had imposed on
tion, only the colonists’ political representa- the colonies?

2002

MAKING CONNECTIONS
1. Identifying Central Issues What were the
reasons for the protests in 1765 and 2002?
2. Comparing How were the protests in 1765
against the Stamp Act similar to the protests in
2002 against the WTO policies?

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 59

 The Townshend Acts their innocence. The Townshend Acts, like the
Sugar Act, also allowed officials to seize pri-
MAIN Idea Colonists continued to deny vate property under certain circumstances
Parliament had the right to tax them and began without following due process.
organizing resistance to new taxes. To help customs officers arrest smugglers,
HISTORY AND YOU Have you ever disagreed with the Revenue Act legalized the use of writs of
a policy at your school? Did you speak up about it? assistance. The writs were general search
Read on to learn how the colonists reacted to the warrants that enabled customs officers to enter
Townshend Acts.
any location during the day to look for evi-
dence of smuggling.
During the Stamp Act crisis, Britain’s finan-
cial problems had worsened. Protests in Britain
had forced Parliament to lower property taxes Action and Reaction
there, yet somehow the government had to The Townshend Acts infuriated many colo-
pay for its troops in America. In 1767 Charles nists. During the winter of 1767–1768, John
Townshend, the new chancellor of the Exche- Dickinson published a series of essays entitled
quer, introduced new regulations and taxes. Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Dickinson
These came to be called the Townshend Acts. reasserted that only assemblies elected by the
One of the Townshend Acts was the Revenue colonists had the right to tax them. In addition,
Act of 1767. This act put new customs duties he called on the colonies to become “firmly
on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea imported bound together” to “form one body politic” to
by the colonies. Violators of the Revenue Act resist the Townshend Acts.
had to face trial in vice-admiralty courts, where Less than a month after Dickinson’s first
they were presumed guilty and had to prove essay appeared, the Massachusetts assembly

Samuel Adams
1722–1803
A passionate defender of colo-
nial rights, Boston’s Sam Adams
was either a saint or a scoun-
drel—depending on who was
describing him. Adams enjoyed his
reputation as a fiery agitator.
“Where there is a spark of patri-
otic fire,” he once declared, “we
will enkindle it.”
Born in Boston, Adams gradu-
ated from Harvard College in
Sam Adams played
1740. He briefly studied law,
an important role in
worked as a clerk and merchant,
organizing resistance to
and managed a brewery before the Stamp Act and the
being elected tax collector for Boston. As tensions with Britain Townshend Acts in Boston.
increased, Adams discovered his true talents: speaking out against To the right, an engraving
British tax laws and organizing resistance against them. He helped shows protestors in Boston
organize the Boston chapter of the Sons of Liberty. Adams forged an burning British stamps.
anti-British alliance of merchants, lawyers, and other members of The British cartoon above
the social elite with artisans, shopkeepers, and common laborers, all shows George Grenville
of whom worked together to protest British tax policies. carrying a tiny coffin
labeled “Miss Ame-Stamp
How did Sam Adams become a leader in the protests born 1765 died 1766.”
against British tax laws?

60 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

(tl)The Granger Collection, New York
began organizing resistance against Britain. Among the leaders of
this resistance was Sam Adams, cousin of John Adams. In February
1768, Sam Adams, with the help of James Otis, drafted a “circular
Section 1 REVIEW
letter”for the Massachusetts assembly to pass and circulate to other
colonies criticizing the Townshend Acts. British officials ordered
the Massachusetts assembly to withdraw the letter. The assembly Vocabulary
refused. Furious, the British government ordered the Massachusetts 1. Explain the significance of: Albany Plan
assembly dissolved. In August 1768, the merchants of Boston and of Union, French and Indian War, customs
New York responded by signing nonimportation agreements, duty, inflation, Stamp Act, Sons of Liberty,
promising not to import any goods from Britain. Philadelphia’s nonimportation agreement, Townshend
merchants joined the boycott in March 1769. Acts, writ of assistance, Boston Massacre.
In May 1769 Virginia’s House of Burgesses passed the Virginia
Resolves, stating that only the House could tax Virginians. When Main Ideas
Britain dissolved the House of Burgesses, its leaders—including 2. Explaining What did the Albany Plan of
George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson— Union demonstrate?
immediately called the members to a convention. This conven-
tion then passed a nonimportation law, blocking the sale of British 3. Describing How did the colonists fight
goods in Virginia. the Stamp Act, and what was the result?
As the boycott spread, Americans again stopped drinking
4. Stating What did John Dickinson sug-
British tea or buying British cloth. Women’s groups, known as the
gest that the colonies should do in his
Daughters of Liberty, began spinning their own rough cloth,
Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania?
called “homespun.” Wearing homespun became a sign of patrio-
tism. Throughout the colonies, the Sons of Liberty encouraged Critical Thinking
people to support the boycotts. In 1769 colonial imports from
5. Big Ideas What argument did the
Britain declined sharply from what they had been in 1768.
Stamp Act Congress make in protest
against the British taxes?
The Boston Massacre 6. Categorizing Use a graphic organizer
In the fall of 1768, as violence against customs officers in Boston similar to the one below to list the acts
increased, Britain dispatched roughly 1,000 troops to the city to passed by the British Parliament and the
maintain order. Bostonians referred to the British troops stationed colonists’ reactions to each.
there as “lobster backs”because of the red coats they wore. Crowds Act Colonists’ Reactions
constantly heckled and harassed the troops. On March 5, 1770, a
crowd of colonists began taunting and throwing snowballs at a
British soldier guarding a customs house. His call for help brought
Captain Thomas Preston and a squad of soldiers.
In the midst of the tumult, the troops began firing into the
crowd. According to accounts, the first colonist to die was a man
7. Analyzing Visuals Study the political
of African and Native American descent known as both Michael
cartoon on page 55, and then summarize
Johnson and Crispus Attucks. When the smoke cleared, three
its main idea.
people lay dead, two more would die later, and six others were
wounded. The shootings became known as the Boston Massacre. Writing About History
Colonial newspapers portrayed the British as tyrants who were
8. Persuasive Writing Suppose that you
willing to kill people who stood up for their rights.
are a member of the Sons of Liberty. Write
News of the Boston Massacre raced like lightning across the
a pamphlet explaining what your group
colonies. It might have set off a revolution, but only a few weeks
does and urging other colonists to join.
later, news arrived that the British had repealed almost all of the
Townshend Acts. Parliament kept one tax—a tax on tea—to
uphold its right to tax the colonies. At the same time, it allowed
the colonial assemblies to resume meeting. Peace and stability
)JTUPSZ 0/-*/&
returned to the colonies, but only temporarily.
Study Central To review this section, go to
Examining What was stated in the Virginia Resolves glencoe.com and click on Study Central.
passed by Virginia’s House of Burgesses?

61
 ANALYZING
1
PRIMARY
SOURCES Engraving, 1774
▲
“The Bostonians Paying the Excise-man, or Tarring
and Feathering” depicts the Sons of Liberty tarring and
feathering a British customs officer.
Boston: Hotbed
of Revolution
The growing dispute
between colonists and British
authorities centered on the
extent of Parliament’s power
over the colonies, particularly
the power to levy taxes. Boston
was a center of protest against
British policies. When, on the
night of March 5, 1770, British
soldiers fired into a crowd,
killing or injuring 11 people,
colonists were quick to declare
the event a “massacre,” even
though exactly what occurred
is debatable.
Study these primary sources
and answer the questions that
follow.

2 3
Political Essay, 1767 Political Essay, 1774
“From what has been said, I think this uncontrovertible con- “To suppose, that by sending out a colony, the
clusion may be deduced, that when a ruling state obliges a nation established an independent power; that
dependent state to take certain commodities from her alone, it when, by indulgence and favour, emigrants are
is implied in the nature of that obligation; is essentially requi- become rich, they shall not contribute to their own
site to give it the least degree of justice; and is inseparably defence, but at their own pleasure; and that they
united with it, in order to preserve any share of freedom to the shall not be included, like millions of their fellow
dependent state; that those commodities should never be subjects, in the general system of representation;
loaded with duties, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF LEVYING involves such an accumulation of absurdity, as
MONEY ON THE DEPENDENT STATE. nothing but the show of patriotism could palliate.
Upon the whole, the single question is, whether the parlia- He that accepts protection, stipulates obedi-
ment can legally impose duties to be paid by the people of ence. We have always protected the Americans;
these colonies only, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF RAISING A we may therefore subject them to government.
REVENUE, on commodities which she obliges us to take from The less is included in the greater. That power
her alone, or, in other words, whether the parliament can which can take away life, may seize upon property.
legally take money out of our pockets, without our consent.” The parliament may enact, for America, a law of
capital punishment; it may therefore establish a
—John Dickinson, “Letter From a Farmer in Pennsylvania,
mode and proportion of taxation.”
to the Inhabitants of the British Colonies,”
Pennsylvania Gazette, December 10, 1767 —Samuel Johnson, The Patriot

62 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

The Granger Collection, New York
 4 5
Engraving, 1770
Letter, 1770 ▲
The Bloody Massacre, by Paul Revere
“[T]he Mob proceeded to a [S]entinel posted
upon the Custom House, at a small Distance from
the Guard, and Attacked him. . . . Captain Preston
. . . hearing the [S]entinel was in Danger of being
Murdered, he detached a sergeant and twelve
Men to relieve him. . . . This Party as well as the
[S]entinel was immediately attacked, Some [colo-
nists] throwing Bricks, Stones, Pieces of Ice and
Snow-Balls at them, whilst others advanced up to
their Bayonets, and endeavored to close with
them, to use their Bludgeons and Clubs; calling
out to [the soldiers] to fire if they dared, and pro-
voking them to it by the most Opprobrious
Language.
Captain Preston stood between the Soldiers
and the Mob . . . using every conciliating Method
to perswade [sic] them to retire peaceably. . . .
All he could say had no Effect, and one of the
Soldiers, receiving a violent Blow, instantly fired
. . . and the Mob . . . attacked with greater
Violence, continually Striking at the Soldiers and
pelting them, and calling out to them to fire. The
Soldiers at length perceiving their Lives in Danger,
6
and hearing the Word Fire all round them, three Newspaper Account, 1770
or four of them fired one after another, and again “Thirty or forty persons, mostly lads, being . . . gathered in
three more in the same hurry and Confusion. . . . King-street, Capt. Preston, with a party of men with charged
Some have swore Captain Preston gave bayonets, came from the main guard to the Commissioners
Orders to fire; others who were near, that the house, the soldiers pushing their bayonets, crying, Make way!
Soldiers fired without Orders from the They took place by the custom-house, and continuing to push
Provocation they received. None can deny to drive the people off, pricked some in several places; on
the Attack made upon the Troops, but differ which [the colonists] were clamorous, and, it is said, threw
in the Degree of violence in the Attack.” snow-balls. On this, the Captain commanded them to fire, and
—Thomas Gage, commander in chief of all British more snow-balls coming, he again said, Damn you, Fire, be the
North American soldiers, consequence what it will! One solider then fired . . . [and] the
explaining the events of March 5, 1770 soldiers continued the fire, successively, till 7 or 8, or as some
say 11 guns were discharged.”
—“A Particular Account of the Most Barbarous
and Horrid Massacre,”
Essex [Mass.] Gazette, March 6, 1770

1. Identifying Consider the image presented in Source 1 3. Contrasting How do the accounts of the events of
from a British point of view. What is going on in the pic- March 5, 1770, differ in Source 4 and Source 6? Which do
ture? What image of American colonists is presented? you find more convincing?
2. Contrasting Compare the arguments made in Source 2 4. Analyzing How does the engraving in Source 5 portray
and Source 3. How do they differ on the right of Parliament the Boston Massacre? Does this depiction more accurately
to tax the colonists? reflect the account given in Source 4 or Source 6? Why?

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 63

Section 2
The Revolution Begins
Guide to Reading A fter years of escalating tensions, a true revolt
against British rule began in the colonies in the
1770s. The colonists established a new government for
Big Ideas
Government and Society The colo- themselves and organized militias to combat what they
nists formed the Continental Congress
saw as British tyranny.
to act as a government during the
American Revolution.

Content Vocabulary
• committee of correspondence (p. 64)
Massachusetts Defies Britain
• minuteman (p. 68) MAIN Idea When Parliament punished Massachusetts for the Boston Tea
Party, the colonists organized the First Continental Congress.
Academic Vocabulary HISTORY AND YOU Is it ever acceptable to break the law to make a politi-
• enforce (p. 67) cal point? Read how some colonists responded to unpopular laws.
• submit (p. 73)

People and Events to Identify Despite the tragedy of the Boston Massacre, the British decision to
• Boston Tea Party (p. 66) repeal the Townshend Acts had ended another crisis in colonial rela-
• Intolerable Acts (p. 67) tions. For more than two years, the situation remained calm. Then, in
• Loyalist (p. 68) the spring of 1772, a new crisis began. Britain introduced several new
• Patriot (p. 68) policies that again ignited the flames of rebellion in the American
• Battle of Bunker Hill (p. 70) colonies. This time the fire could not be put out.
• Thomas Paine (p. 73)
• Declaration of Independence (p. 73)
The Gaspee Affair
Reading Strategy After Britain repealed the Townshend Acts, trade with the
Organizing Use the major headings of American colonies resumed, and so did smuggling. To intercept
the section to create an outline similar smugglers, the British sent customs ships to patrol North American
to the one below, with information waters. One such ship was the Gaspee, stationed off the coast of
about the rising tensions between the Rhode Island. Many Rhode Islanders hated the commander of the
colonies and Britain. Gaspee because he often searched ships without a warrant and sent
his crew ashore to seize food without paying for it. In June 1772,
The Revolution Begins
I. Massachusetts Defies Britain when the Gaspee ran aground, some 150 colonists seized and burned
A.
B. the ship.
C. The attack outraged the British. They sent a commission to investi-
D.
II. gate and gave it authority to take suspects to Britain for trial. This
angered the colonists, who believed it violated their right to a trial by
a jury of their peers. Rhode Island’s assembly then sent a letter to the
other colonies asking for help.
After the Virginia House of Burgesses received the letter in March
1773, one of its members, Thomas Jefferson, suggested that each
colony create a committee of correspondence to communicate
with the other colonies about British activities. These committees of
correspondence helped unify the colonies and shape public opinion.
They also helped colonial leaders coordinate their plans for resisting
the British.

64 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

 The Boston Tea Party, December 1773 Some 150 raiders disguised
themselves as Native Ameri-
cans, boarded the British ships,
and threw the tea overboard.

A large crowd gathered on

the pier to cheer the raiders
and to make it difficult for
any British troops that might
What Were the Coercive Acts? arrive to get to the ships.

Britain responded to the Boston Tea Party with four

acts intended to punish Massachusetts and reassert
British authority:
1. Boston Port Act ▲ This lithograph, titled The Destruction of Tea at Boston
• Closed the port of Boston until Massachusetts paid for the tea Harbor, was created by engravers Currier & Ives in 1846.
2. Massachusetts Government Act The engravers depict the scene in daylight—most likely to
• Banned town meetings make the image clearer—although it happened at night.
• Required all sheriffs, council members, and judges to be
appointed by the British governor
3. Administration of Justice Act Analyzing VISUALS
• Allowed trials of British soldiers and officials to be transferred 1. Explaining What was the purpose of the Boston
to Britain to protect them from American juries
Port Act?
4. Quartering Act
• Required local officials to lodge British troops at the scene of a 2. Drawing Conclusions Why would the British want
disturbance; in private homes, if necessary to ban town meetings?

The Boston Tea Party Dutch tea. The act also allowed the East India
Company to sell directly to shopkeepers,
In May 1773, Britain’s new prime minister, bypassing American merchants who usually
Lord North, made a serious mistake. He distributed the tea. The Tea Act enraged the
decided to help the struggling British East colonial merchants, who feared it was the first
India Company. Corrupt management and step by the British to squeeze them out of
costly wars in India had put the company business.
deeply in debt. At the same time, British taxes In October 1773, the East India Company
on tea had encouraged colonial merchants to shipped 1,253 chests of tea to Boston, New
smuggle in cheaper Dutch tea. As a result, the York, Philadelphia, and Charles Town. The
company had in its warehouses over 17 million committees of correspondence decided that
pounds of tea that it needed to sell quickly. they must not allow the tea to be unloaded.
To help the company, Parliament passed the When the first shipments arrived in New York
Tea Act of 1773. The Tea Act refunded four- and Philadelphia, the colonists forced the
fifths of the taxes the company had to pay to agents for the East India Company to return
ship tea to the colonies, leaving only the home with the tea. In Charles Town, customs
Townshend Tax. East India Company tea could officers seized the tea and stored it in a local
now be sold at lower prices than smuggled warehouse where it remained unsold.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 65

 The most dramatic event occurred in Boston throw them overboard, and we immediately pro-
Harbor, shortly after the tea ships arrived. On ceeded to execute his orders, first cutting and
December 17, 1773, the night before customs splitting the chests with our tomahawks, so as
officials planned to bring the tea ashore, a thoroughly to expose them to the effects of the
group of approximately 150 men secretly gath- water. . . . In about three hours . . . we had thus
broken and thrown over board every tea chest . . .
ered at the Boston dock. One of the men was
in the ship.”
George Hewes, a struggling Boston shoemaker
who had grown to despise the British. Hewes —quoted in The Spirit of ’Seventy-Six
had taken offense when British soldiers
stopped and questioned him on the street and Several thousand people on the shore
when they refused to pay him for shoes. After cheered as Hewes and the other men dumped
witnessing the Boston Massacre, his hatred 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.
grew deeper and more political. Although the men were disguised as Native
So, after he“daubed his face and hands with Americans, many knew who they were. A wit-
coal dust, in the shop of a blacksmith,” Hewes ness later testified that Sam Adams and John
gladly joined the other volunteers as they pre- Hancock were among those who boarded the
pared to sneak aboard several British ships ships. The raid came to be called the Boston
anchored in Boston Harbor and destroy the tea Tea Party.
stored on board:

PRIMARY SOURCE The Coercive Acts

“When we arrived at the wharf . . . they divided us The Boston Tea Party was the last straw for
into three parties for the purpose of boarding the the British. King George III informed Lord
three ships which contained the tea. . . . We then North that “concessions have made matters
were ordered by our commander to open the worse. The time has come for compulsion.” In
hatches and take out all the chests of tea and the spring of 1774, Parliament passed four new

1767
Townshend Acts 1768
1763 1765 impose new taxes Colonial merchants begin
Proclamation of 1763 Stamp Act Congress on trade goods; nonimportation campaign,
bans colonists from issues Declaration violators to be refuse to import British
settling west of the of Rights and tried in vice goods; Daughters of Liberty
Proclamation Line Grievances admiralty courts help by spinning cloth

1764 1765 1770

Sugar Act The Stamp Act British troops
imposes new imposes taxes on shoot colonists at
taxes on trade; printed materials; Boston Massacre;
James Otis Sons of Liberty most Townshend
argues that organize protests Acts are repealed
taxation without and boycotts
representation
violates colonists’
liberties

66 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

laws that came to be known as the Coercive was also not supposed to maintain a standing
Acts. These laws were intended to punish army in peacetime without Parliament’s con-
Massachusetts and end colonial challenges to sent. Although the British Parliament had
British authority. authorized the troops, colonists believed that
The first act was the Boston Port Act. It shut their own local assemblies had to give their
down Boston’s port until the city paid for the consent as well.
tea that had been destroyed. The second act In July 1774, a month after the last Coercive
was the Massachusetts Government Act. It Act had become law, the British introduced the
required all council members, judges, and Quebec Act. This law had nothing to do with
sheriffs in Massachusetts to be appointed by events in the American colonies, but it, too,
the governor instead of being elected. This act angered colonists. The Quebec Act stated that
also banned most town meetings. a governor and council appointed by the king
The third act, the Administration of Justice would run Quebec. It also extended Quebec’s
Act, allowed the governor to transfer trials of boundaries to include much of what is today
British soldiers and officials to Britain to pro- Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and
tect them from American juries. The final act Wisconsin. If colonists moved west, they would
was a new Quartering Act. It required local have to live in territory where they had no
officials to provide lodging for British soldiers, elected assembly. The Quebec Act, coming so
in private homes if necessary. To enforce the soon after the Coercive Acts, seemed to imply
acts, the British moved 2,000 troops to New that the British were trying to seize control of
England and appointed General Thomas Gage the colonial governments.
as the new governor of Massachusetts. As other colonies learned of the harsh mea-
The Coercive Acts violated several tradi- sures imposed on Massachusetts, they reacted
tional English rights, including the right to trial with sympathy and outrage. The Coercive Acts
by a jury of one’s peers and the right not to and the Quebec Act together became known
have troops quartered in one’s home. The king as the Intolerable Acts.

1774
Britain imposes Coercive January
Acts; First Continental 1776
1773 Congress meets, passes Tom Paine pub-
At Boston Tea Party, the Suffolk Resolves, and lishes Common July 4, 1776
colonists toss British tea issues Declaration of Sense, arguing for Congress issues Declaration
into Boston Harbor Rights and Grievances independence of Independence

1775
British battle
colonial militia
at Lexington and Analyzing TIME LINES
Concord; Second
Continental 1. Stating When and under what circum-
Congress meets, stances did the concept of “taxation without
selects George representation” first appear?
Washington to head 2. Specifying Which occurred first—the
Continental Army Boston Tea Party or the battles at Lexington
and Concord?

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 67

 The First Continental The Revolution Begins
Congress MAIN Idea Colonists organized alternative gov-
In May 1774, the Virginia House of Burgesses ernments and formed militias to oppose British
“tyranny.”
declared the arrival of British troops in Boston
a “military invasion” and called for a day of HISTORY AND YOU Your political views are partly
fasting and prayer. When Virginia’s governor shaped by your personal background. Read on to
learn why some colonists supported the British while
dissolved the House of Burgesses, its members
others fought for independence.
went to a nearby tavern and issued a resolu-
tion urging the colonies to suspend trade with
Britain and to send delegates to a colonial con- In October 1774, members of the suspended
gress to discuss what to do next. At least one Massachusetts assembly defied the British
burgess, Patrick Henry, was ready for war: “I and organized the Massachusetts Provincial
know not what course others may take, but as Congress. They then formed the Committee of
for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Safety and chose John Hancock to lead it, giv-
In New York and Rhode Island, similar calls ing him the power to call up the militia. In
for a congress had already been made. The com- effect, the Provincial Congress had made
mittees of correspondence coordinated the dif- Hancock a rival governor to General Gage.
ferent proposals, and on September 5, 1774, the A full-scale rebellion was now underway.
First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. Militias began to drill and practice shooting.
The 55 delegates to the Congress represented The town of Concord created a special unit of
12 of Britain’s North American colonies. Florida, men trained and ready to “stand at a minute’s
Georgia, Nova Scotia, and Quebec did not warning in case of alarm.” These were the
attend. They also represented a wide range of famous minutemen. All through the summer
opinion. Moderate delegates opposed the and fall of 1774, British control of the colonies
Intolerable Acts but believed a compromise weakened as colonists created provincial con-
was possible. Other, more radical, delegates gresses and militias raided military depots for
believed the time had come to fight. ammunition and gunpowder. These rebellious
The Congress’s first order of business was to acts infuriated British officials.
endorse the Suffolk Resolves. These resolu-
tions, prepared by Bostonians and other resi-
dents of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, urged Loyalists and Patriots
colonists not to obey the Coercive Acts. They
Although many colonists did not agree with
also called on the people of Suffolk County to
Parliament’s policies, they were still loyal to the
arm themselves against the British and to stop
king and to Britain and believed that British
buying British goods.
law should be upheld. Americans who sup-
While discussing what other steps to take,
ported the British side in the conflict became
the Congress learned that the British had
known as Loyalists, or Tories.
suspended the Massachusetts assembly. In
Loyalists came from all parts of American
response, the Congress voted to issue the
society. Many were government officials or
Declaration of Rights and Grievances. The dec-
Anglican ministers. Others were prominent
laration expressed loyalty to the king, but it
merchants and landowners. Many backcoun-
also condemned the Coercive Acts and stated
try farmers on the frontier remained loyal as
that the colonies would form a nonimporta-
well, because they regarded the king as their
tion association. Several days later, the dele-
protector against the planters and merchants
gates approved the Continental Association, a
who controlled the local governments.
plan for every county and town to form com-
On the other side were those who believed
mittees to enforce a boycott of British goods.
that the British had become tyrants. These peo-
The delegates then agreed to hold a second
ple were known as Patriots, or Whigs. Patriots
Continental Congress in May 1775 if the crisis
also represented a wide cross-section of society.
had not been resolved.
They were artisans, farmers, merchants, plant-
Examining How did the British ers, lawyers, and urban workers. The Patriots
react to the Boston Tea Party? were strong in New England and Virginia, while

68 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

 The Battles of Lexington and Concord, April 1775

3. Colonial militia inflict 14 casualties

on British at Concord’s North Bridge
4. In retreat to Boston, British
suffer over 250 casualties,
MINUTEMEN
and Americans suffer 95
PRESCOTT
Lexington
Concord
Massachusetts
Menotomy

Sudbury R.
2. Revere is (Arlington)
captured; Dawes Medford
turns back; M N
Prescott gets

y st
1. April 19, 1775,

ic
through fighting begins W E

R.
on Lexington S
0 2 kilometers Common: 8 R EV
ER
Americans die, Cambridge
0 2 miles

E
10 are wounded
Albers Equal-Area . Charlestown
s R
projection Charle
Boston
Boston
Harbor

DA
Colonial messengers American ES

W
Colonial troops victory
British victory Roxbury
British troops
British retreat Bridge

Analyzing GEOGRAPHY
1. Movement Which side suffered the highest
number of casualties at Lexington and Concord?
2. Location About how far was Lexington from
Boston?

most of the Loyalists lived in Georgia, the majority, who did not favor either side and
Carolinas, and New York. Political differences would support whichever side won.
divided communities and even split families.
The American Revolution was not simply a
war between the Americans and the British. It Lexington and Concord
was also a civil war between Patriots and In April 1775, the British government
Loyalists. ordered General Gage to arrest the
Even before the Revolution, Patriot groups Massachusetts Provincial Congress, even if it
brutally enforced the boycott of British goods. meant risking armed conflict. Gage did not
They tarred and feathered Loyalists, and broke know where the Congress was sitting, so he
up Loyalist gatherings. Loyalists fought back, decided to seize the militia’s supply depot at
but there were not as many of them and they Concord instead. On April 18, about 700 British
were not as well organized. Caught between troops set out for Concord on a road that took
the two groups were many people, possibly a them through the town of Lexington.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 69

The Granger Collection, New York
 Patriot leaders heard about the plan and sent The following day, General Gage sent 2,200
Paul Revere and William Dawes to spread the troops to take the hill. According to legend, an
alarm. The two men made it to Lexington and American commander named William Prescott
warned people that the British were coming. told his troops, “Don’t fire until you see the
Along with a third man, Dr. Samuel Prescott, whites of their eyes.” When the British closed
they then headed for Concord. A British patrol to within 50 yards, the Americans fired. They
stopped Revere and Dawes, but Prescott got stopped two British attacks and were forced to
through in time to warn Concord. retreat only after running out of ammunition.
On April 19, British troops arrived in The Battle of Bunker Hill, as it came to be
Lexington and spotted some 70 minutemen called, helped to build American confidence. It
lined up on the village green. The British showed that the colonial militia could stand up
marched onto the field and ordered them to to one of the world’s most feared armies. The
disperse. The minutemen had begun to back British suffered more than 1,000 casualties in
away when a shot was fired; no one is sure by the fighting. Shortly afterward, General Gage
whom. The British soldiers then fired at the resigned and was replaced by General William
minutemen, killing 8 and wounding 10. Howe. The situation became a stalemate, with
The British then headed to Concord, where the British troops encircled by colonial militia.
they found that most of the military supplies
had been removed. When they tried to cross Interpreting Why was the
the North Bridge on the far side of town, they Battle of Bunker Hill important to the Americans?
ran into some 400 colonial militia. A fight broke
out, forcing the British to retreat.
As the British headed back to Boston, militia
and farmers fired at them from behind trees,
stone walls, barns, and houses. By the time the
British reached Boston, they had lost 99 men,
and another 174 were wounded. The colonial
forces had lost 49 militia, and another 46 were
wounded. News of the fighting spread across
the colonies. Militia from all over New England
raced to the area to help fight the British. By Should the American
May 1775, the militia had surrounded Boston,
trapping the British.
Colonies Declare
Independence?
The Second Continental Although it may seem like the only nat-
ural course today, in 1776 independence
Congress was not the obvious choice for the 13
Three weeks after the battles at Lexington British colonies. While many were fed
and Concord, the Second Continental Congress up with British actions and thought that
met in Philadelphia. The first issue was defense. it was time to institute true self-rule,
The Congress voted to “adopt”the militia army others felt loyalty to what they consid-
surrounding Boston, and they named it the ered their mother country and wanted
Continental Army. On June 15, 1775, the to pursue a resolution of their griev-
Congress selected George Washington to com- ances through political and diplomatic,
mand the new army. not military, means. British-born
Before Washington could get to his new Thomas Paine was one who strongly
command, however, the British landed rein- supported independence, as he dis-
forcements in Boston. Determined to gain cussed in his famous pamphlet,
control of the area, the British decided to seize Common Sense. American-born John
the hills north of the city. Warned in advance, Dickinson, while angered at the behav-
the militia acted first. On June 16, 1775, they ior of the British, expressed in a speech
dug in on Breed’s Hill near Bunker Hill and to the Congress his arguments against
began building a fort at the top. splitting from Great Britain.

70 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

The Decision to Britain’s refusal to compromise, many Patriot
leaders began to call for independence.
Declare Independence
MAIN Idea After more than a year of war, the
Efforts at Peace
Continental Congress issued the Declaration of In July 1775, as the siege of Boston contin-
Independence. )JTUPSZ 0/-*/&
ued, the Continental Congress sent a docu- Student Web
HISTORY AND YOU Have you ever tried to medi- ment known as the Olive Branch Petition to Activity Visit
ate a disagreement between siblings or friends? King George III. Written by John Dickinson, glencoe.com
Read on to learn about the Olive Branch Petition, the petition stated that the colonies were still and complete the
and how it failed to achieve peace. activity on the
loyal to the king and asked him to call off hos-
American Revolution.
tilities and resolve the situation peacefully.
Despite the onset of fighting, many colonists In the meantime, the radical delegates of
in the summer of 1775 were not prepared to the Congress convinced the body to order an
break away from Great Britain. Most members attack on the British troops based in Quebec.
of the Second Continental Congress wanted They hoped the attack would convince the
the right to govern themselves, but they did not French in Quebec to rebel and join in fighting
want to break with the British Empire. By 1776, the British. The American forces captured the
however, opinions had changed. Frustrated by city of Montreal, but the French did not rebel.

YES NO
Thomas Paine John Dickinson
Writer Delegate, Continental
Congress
PRIMARY SOURCE
“It is the good fortune of many to PRIMARY SOURCE
live distant from the scene of “Even those Delegates
present sorrow; . . . But let our who are not restrained by
imaginations transport us for a few moments to Boston. . . . Instructions [from their legislatures] have no Right to
The inhabitants of that unfortunate city who but a few establish an independent separate Government for a Time
months ago were in ease and affluence, have now no other of Peace. . . . without a full & free Consent of the People
alternative than to stay and starve, or turn out to beg. . . . plainly exprest [sic]. . . . We are now acting on a principle
Men of passive tempers look somewhat lightly over the of the English Constitution in resisting the assumption or
offenses of Britain and, still hoping for the best, are apt to Usurpation of an unjust power. We are now acting under
call out, Come, come we shall be friends again for all this. that Constitution. Does that Circumstance [support] its
But examine the passions and feelings of mankind; Bring Dissolution? But granting the present oppression to be a
the doctrine of reconciliation to the touchstone of nature, Dissolution, the Choice of . . . Restoring it, or forming a
and then tell me whether you can hereafter love, honour, new one is vested in our Constituents, not in Us. They have
and faithfully serve the power that hath carried fire and not given it to Us. We may pursue measures that will force
sword into your land?” them into it. But that implies not a Right so to force them.”
—from Common Sense —from Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789

1. Finding the Main Idea What are the main ideas in Paine’s argument?
2. Paraphrasing Why does Dickinson believe that the Congress has no right to form a new government?
3. Assessing Which argument do you think is the most logical? Explain.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 71

(r)The Granger Collection, New York
 ▲ Benjamin Franklin, John Adams,
and Thomas Jefferson are shown
here working to draft the
Declaration of Independence.

The Colonies Declare Independence

The Declaration of Independence was an important turning point
in the political history of the world. Not until this event had a colony
declared itself truly independent of its ruling nation in a written docu-
ment that specified the legal and moral reasons for that separation.
The precedent set by the Declaration and the American Revolution was
repeatedly followed over the next two hundred years by other colonies
and nations. Additionally, in the United States, minority groups and
women would use the language of the Declaration in their arguments
for increased equality and civil rights.
▲ In this 1779 English cartoon, a horse named
ANALYZING HISTORY Why was the Declaration of Independence “America” throws its rider, King George.
a turning point in political history?

The attack on Quebec convinced British

officials that there was no hope of reconcilia-
The Fighting Spreads
tion. When the Olive Branch Petition arrived in As the Revolution began, Governor
Britain, King George III refused to look at it. Dunmore of Virginia organized two Loyalist
Instead he proclaimed that the colonies were armies to assist the British troops in Virginia,
)JTUPSZ 0/-*/&
Student Web
now “open and avowed enemies” and ordered one composed of white Loyalists, the other of
Activity Visit the military to suppress the rebellion in enslaved Africans. Dunmore proclaimed that
glencoe.com America. Africans enslaved by rebels would be freed if
and complete the With no compromise likely, the Continental they fought for the Loyalists. The announce-
activity on the Congress increasingly began to act like an ment convinced many Southern planters that
Declaration of
independent government. It sent people to the colonies had to declare independence.
Independence.
negotiate with the Native Americans and Otherwise, they might lose their lands and
established a postal system, a Continental labor force. They also increased their efforts to
Navy, and a Marine Corps. By March 1776, the raise a large Patriot army.
Continental Navy had raided the Bahamas and In December 1775, the Patriot troops attacked
had begun seizing British merchant ships. and defeated Dunmore’s forces near Norfolk,

72 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

(tl)William Walcutt, Pulling Down the Statue of George III, 1857/Lafayette College Art Collection, Easton, Pennsylvania; (b)The Granger Collection, New York
Virginia. The British then pulled their soldiers out of Virginia,
leaving the Patriots in control. In North Carolina, Patriot troops
dispersed Loyalists at the Battle of Moore’s Creek in February
Section 2 REVIEW
1776. The British then decided to seize Charles Town, South
Carolina, but the city militia thwarted their attack.
While fighting raged in the South, Washington ordered his Vocabulary
troops to capture the hills south of Boston. After the Americans 1. Explain the significance of: committee
seized the hills by surprise and surrounded Boston, the British of correspondence, Boston Tea Party,
navy evacuated the British troops, leaving the Patriots in control. Intolerable Acts, minuteman, Loyalist,
Despite their defeats, it was clear that the British were not Patriot, Battle of Bunker Hill, Thomas
backing down. In December 1775 the king issued the Prohibitory Paine, Declaration of Independence.
Act, shutting down trade with the colonies and ordering a naval
blockade. The British also began expanding their army by recruit- Main Ideas
ing mercenaries, or soldiers for hire, from Germany. 2. Summarizing What were the first two
actions of the First Continental Congress?

Common Sense and Independence 3. Explaining What was significant about

the battles at Lexington and Concord?
As the war dragged on, more and more Patriots began to think
that the time had come to declare independence, although they 4. Making Connections What motivated
feared that most colonists were still loyal to the king. In January the Southern colonists to join the
1776, however, public opinion began to change when Thomas Revolution?
Paine published a lively and persuasive pamphlet called Common
Sense. Until Common Sense appeared, nearly everyone viewed Critical Thinking
Parliament, not the king, as the enemy. In Common Sense, Paine 5. Big Ideas After King George III rejected
attacked King George III. Parliament, he wrote, did nothing with- the Olive Branch Petition, in what ways
out the king’s support. Paine argued that monarchies had been did the Continental Congress begin to act
set up by seizing power from the people. King George III was a like an independent government?
tyrant, and it was time to declare independence:
6. Organizing Use a graphic organizer sim-
ilar to the one below to indicate ways in
PRIMARY SOURCE
which colonists defied Britain after the
“Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood repeal of the Townshend Acts.
of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, ‘TIS TIME TO PART. . . .
Every spot of the old world is over-run with oppression. Freedom hath
been hunted round the globe . . . and England hath given her warning to Colonists Acts
of Defiance
depart. Oh receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for
mankind.”
—from Common Sense 7. Analyzing Visuals Study the painting
of the colonists toppling King George’s
Within three months, Common Sense had sold 100,000 copies. statue on page 72. What did the colonists
George Washington noted that “Common Sense is working a pow- hope to accomplish by this act?
erful change in the minds of men.” One by one the provincial
congresses and legislatures told their representatives at the Writing About History
Continental Congress to vote for independence. 8. Descriptive Writing Suppose that you
In early July a committee composed of John Adams, Benjamin were a participant in the Boston Tea Party.
Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Write a diary entry describing the event.
Jefferson submitted a document Jefferson had drafted, explain-
ing why it was time for independence. On July 4, 1776, the
Continental Congress issued this Declaration of Independence.
The colonies had now become the United States of America. The
)JTUPSZ 0/-*/&
American Revolution had begun.
Study Central To review this section, go to
Analyzing How did Thomas Paine help persuade colo- glencoe.com and click on Study Central.
nists to declare independence?

73
 In Congress, July 4, 1776. The unanimous
Declaration of the thirteen united States of
America,
What It Means [Preamble]
The Preamble The Declaration of When in the Course of human events, it becomes neces-
Independence has four parts. The Preamble sary for one people to dissolve the political bands which
explains why the Continental Congress have connected them with another, and to assume among
drew up the Declaration.
the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station
to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle
them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires
impel force that they should declare the causes which impel them to
the separation.

What It Means [Declaration of Natural Rights]

Natural Rights The second part, the We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
Declaration of Natural Rights, states that
are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
people have certain basic rights and that
government should protect those rights. with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
John Locke’s ideas strongly influenced this Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
part. In 1690 Locke wrote that government That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted
was based on the consent of the people among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of
and that people had the right to rebel if the governed,
the government did not uphold their right That whenever any Form of Government becomes
to life, liberty, and property. destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to
alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, lay-
endowed provided ing its foundation on such principles and organizing its
powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to
effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will
dictate that Governments long established should not be
changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all
experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to
suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves
by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But
when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing
invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them
despotism unlimited power under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty,
to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards
for their future security.
What It Means
List of Grievances The third part
of the Declaration lists the colonists’ com- [List of Grievances]
plaints against the British government. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies;
Notice that King George III is singled out and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter
for blame. their former Systems of Government. The history of the

74 The Declaration of Independence

present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries
and usurpations, all having in direct object the establish- usurpations unjust uses of power
ment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove
this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome
and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of imme-
diate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their
operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so
suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommoda-
tion of large districts of people, unless those people would
relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a relinquish give up
right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. inestimable priceless
He has called together legislative bodies at places
unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of
their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them
into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for
opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of
the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to
cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers,
incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at annihilation destruction
large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time
exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and
convulsions within. convulsions violent disturbances
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of
these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for
Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to Naturalization of
encourage their migrations hither, and raising the condi- Foreigners process by which
tions of new Appropriations of Lands. foreign-born persons become
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refus- citizens
ing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the
tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their tenure term
salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent
hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out
their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing
Armies without the Consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the Military independent of
and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdic-
tion foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by
our laws; giving his Assent to their acts of pretended
legislation:
For quartering large bodies of troops among us: quartering lodging
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment
for any Murders which they should commit on the
Inhabitants of these States:

The Declaration of Independence 75

 For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial
by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended
offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a
neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary
render make government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render
it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the
same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valu-
able Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our
Governments:
For suspending our own Legislature, and declaring them-
selves invested with Power to legislate for us in all cases
whatsoever.
abdicated given up He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out
of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt
our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign
mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and
tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty &
perfidy violation of trust perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and
totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on
the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become
the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall
themselves by their Hands.
insurrections rebellions He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has
endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the
merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an
undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned
petitioned for redress asked for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated
formally for a correction of wrongs Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A
Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which
may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free People.
Nor have We been wanting in attention to our British
brethren. We have warned them from time to time of
attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable
unwarrantable jurisdiction jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the cir-
unjustified authority cumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have
appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we
have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to
disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably inter-
rupt our connections and correspondence. They too have
consanguinity originating from the been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We
same ancestor must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces
our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of man-
kind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

76 The Declaration of Independence

[Resolution of Independence What It Means
by the United States] Resolution of
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of Independence The final section
declares that the colonies are “Free and
America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the
Independent States” with the full power
Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions,
to make war, to form alliances, and to
do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these trade with other countries.
Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United
Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent
States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the rectitude rightness
British Crown, and that all political connection between them
and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dis-
solved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full
Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, estab-
lish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which
Independent States may of right do.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance
on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to
each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

John Hancock Pennsylvania Massachusetts

President from Robert Morris Samuel Adams What It Means
Massachusetts Benjamin Rush John Adams Signers of the
Benjamin Franklin Robert Treat Paine Declaration The signers, as rep-
Georgia resentatives of the American people,
John Morton Elbridge Gerry
Button Gwinnett declared the colonies independent from
George Clymer
Lyman Hall Rhode Island Great Britain. Most members signed the
James Smith
George Walton Stephen Hopkins document on August 2, 1776.
George Taylor
William Ellery
North Carolina James Wilson
William Hooper George Ross Connecticut
Joseph Hewes Samuel Huntington
Delaware
John Penn William Williams
Caesar Rodney
Oliver Wolcott
South Carolina George Read
Roger Sherman
Edward Rutledge Thomas McKean
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
New York
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
William Floyd
Arthur Middleton
Philip Livingston
Maryland Francis Lewis
Samuel Chase Lewis Morris
William Paca
New Jersey
Thomas Stone
Richard Stockton
Charles Carroll
John Witherspoon
of Carrollton
Francis Hopkinson
Virginia John Hart
George Wythe Abraham Clark
Richard Henry Lee
New Hampshire
Thomas Jefferson
Josiah Bartlett
Benjamin Harrison
William Whipple
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Matthew Thornton
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

The Declaration of Independence 77

Section 3
The War for Independence
Guide to Reading T he Continental Army experienced several setbacks
while fighting against the British military in a war
that lasted many years. Eventually, the Americans, with
Big Ideas
Trade, War, and Migration Hostility the help of the French and other nations, were able to
between France and Britain caused
foil the British war strategy to win independence.
France to enter the Revolution on the
side of the colonies.

Content Vocabulary The Opposing Sides

• guerrilla warfare (p. 78) MAIN Idea The Continental Army and local militias had to fight more
• letter of marque (p. 82) experienced and better equipped British troops.

Academic Vocabulary HISTORY AND YOU Have you ever tried something new without having
• equip (p. 78) time to prepare? Read on to learn how the Americans fought a war without
proper training or equipment.
• objective (p. 83)

People and Events to Identify On the same day that the Continental Congress voted for inde-
• William Howe (p. 78) pendence, the British began landing troops in New York Harbor. By
• Nathan Hale (p. 80) mid-August, they had assembled an estimated 32,000 men under the
• Valley Forge (p. 81) command of General William Howe. British officials did not expect
• Marquis de Lafayette (p. 81) the rebellion to last long. Their troops were disciplined, well trained,
• Saratoga (p. 82) and well equipped.
• John Paul Jones (p. 82) Compared to the British troops, the Continental Army was inexpe-
• Charles Cornwallis (p. 84) rienced and poorly equipped. Although more than 230,000 men
• Battle of Kings Mountain (p. 84) served in the Continental Army at various times, it rarely numbered
• Treaty of Paris (p. 85) more than 20,000 at any one time. Many soldiers deserted or refused
to reenlist when their term was up. Others left their posts and
Reading Strategy returned to their farms at planting or harvest time.
Sequencing Complete a time line Paying for the war was equally difficult. Lacking the power to tax,
similar to the one below to record the Continental Congress issued paper money. These “Continentals”
the major battles of the American were not backed by gold or silver and became almost worthless very
Revolution and their outcomes. quickly. Fortunately, Robert Morris, a wealthy Pennsylvania merchant
and banker, personally pledged large amounts of money for the war
effort. Morris also set up an efficient method of buying rations and
1776 1781
uniforms, arranged for foreign loans, and convinced the Congress to
create the Bank of North America to finance the military.
Not only did the British have to worry about fighting the
Continental Army, they also had to contend with the local militias.
The militias were poorly trained, but they fought differently. They did
not always line up for battle. They hid behind trees and walls and
ambushed British troops and supply wagons. This kind of fighting is
called guerrilla warfare, and it is very difficult to defeat.
Another problem for the British was that they were not united at
home. Many merchants and members of Parliament opposed the war.
The British had to win quickly and cheaply; otherwise, opinions in
Parliament would shift against the war. The United States did not have

78 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

 Why Did Britain Lose the Revolutionary War?
At the time of the Revolution,
the British military was among
the most powerful forces in the
world. Pitted against this
formidable fighting machine,
the ragtag colonial forces did
not seem to have a chance. Yet
perseverance and the desire to
secure individual freedoms
eventually tipped the scales in
the colonists’ favor.
▲

The British army,

though extremely
disciplined and well-
trained, fought in the
traditional way, by
marching forward across
an open space in tight
formation. This approach
made the soldiers easy
The Opposing Sides
targets when colonial
Colonial Advantages British Advantages
troops fought in a
• Fighting on home ground • Well-trained, well-supplied army and
guerrilla style.
• Good decisions by generals navy
• Fighting for their rights and freedoms • Wealthy nation with substantial
• French alliance providing loans, naval resources
support, and troops • Strong central government
Analyzing VISUALS • Time: the longer the war dragged on, the
more likely the British were to give up
1. Comparing How did different approaches
Colonial Disadvantages British Disadvantages
to warfare sometimes give the Americans
• Untrained soldiers • Fighting in unfamiliar, hostile territory
the advantage over the better-trained and • Food and ammunition shortages • Fighting far from Britain
better-supplied British army? • Weak and divided central government • Many troops were mercenaries, many
2. Summarizing What other advantages indifferent to the cause
did the Americans have in the war? • Half-hearted support at home

to defeat Britain—it simply had to survive until therefore, had two parts. First, he sent a large
the British became tired of paying for the war. number of troops to capture New York City.
The European balance of power also ham- This would separate New England from the
pered the British. The French, Dutch, and South and demonstrate to Americans that they
Spanish were all eager to exploit Britain’s could not win. The second part of Howe’s
problems. As a result, Britain had to station strategy was diplomatic. He invited delegates
much of its military elsewhere in the world to from the Continental Congress to a peace con-
defend its empire. The European balance of ference. Howe promised that rebels who laid
power also meant that the Patriots might be down their arms and swore loyalty to the king
able to find allies against the British. would be pardoned. When the Americans real-
All these factors meant that the British had ized that Howe had no authority to negotiate
to win quickly. To do so, they had to convince a compromise, they refused to talk further.
Americans that their cause was hopeless and Identifying What three major
that they could safely surrender without being disadvantages did the British face in the American
hanged for treason. General Howe’s strategy, Revolution?

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 79

 Battles in the North reminded Americans that “the harder the con-
flict, the more glorious the triumph”:
MAIN Idea Early setbacks plagued the Conti-
nental Army, but the victory at Saratoga convinced PRIMARY SOURCE
France to enter the war.
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The sum-
HISTORY AND YOU Can you think of other wars mer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this cri-
in which the weaker side managed to defeat a sis shrink from the service of their country; but he
stronger power? Read on to learn how the Battle that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of
of Saratoga was a turning point in the war. man and woman.”
—from The American Crisis
Although the British had sent a huge force
to seize New York City, the Congress asked As the armies headed toward Philadelphia,
Washington to try to defend it. Congressional winter began. The British stopped their advance
leaders feared that if New York fell without and dispersed into winter camps in New Jersey.
a fight it would hurt American morale. In the 1700s, armies did not usually fight in the
Washington agreed and moved much of his winter because of the weather and scarce food
army to Long Island to intercept the British. supplies.
The inexperience of Washington’s troops At this point Washington tried something
became obvious when British troops attacked daring—a winter attack. On December 25,
them in the summer of 1776. Many American 1776, he led some 2,400 men across the icy
soldiers fled, and some 1,500 were wounded or Delaware River and attacked a British camp at
killed. Fortunately, the British were slow to Trenton in the middle of a sleet storm. They
advance, and the surviving American troops killed or captured almost 1,000 British. Several
were able to escape to Manhattan. There, they days later, Washington’s forces scattered three
joined the remainder of Washington’s army British regiments near Princeton. After these
defending New York City. As the British small victories, Washington headed into the
advanced, Washington abandoned the city and hills of northern New Jersey for the winter.
retreated to the northern end of Manhattan.
The British then captured New York and
used it as their headquarters for the rest of
Philadelphia Falls
the war. In March 1777 General John Burgoyne,
About this time, Washington sent volunteer based in Quebec, developed a plan to isolate
Captain Nathan Hale to spy on the British. New England from the other American states.
Although Hale was disguised as a Dutch Burgoyne proposed a three-pronged attack on
schoolteacher, he was caught by the British New York. He would take a large force south
and hanged. Brave until the end, Hale’s last from Montreal. Another force would move
words were: “I only regret that I have but one from Montreal up the St. Lawrence River to
life to lose for my country.” Shortly afterward, Lake Ontario, and then head east into New
Washington moved most of his troops from York. A third force, led by General Howe,
Manhattan Island to White Plains, New York. would march north from New York City. The
three forces would meet near Albany and then
march east into New England.
Crossing the Delaware Unfortunately for the British, they did not
At the Battle of White Plains in October coordinate the plan. By the time Burgoyne
1776, the British forced Washington to retreat began marching south, General Howe had
again. Then they surprised him. Instead of already moved 13,000 men by ship to Maryland
coming after the Continental Army, the British and attacked Philadelphia from the south.
troops headed toward Philadelphia, where the Howe believed capturing Philadelphia and
Continental Congress was meeting. Caught by the Continental Congress would cripple the
surprise, Washington’s troops had to move Revolution and convince Loyalists to rise up
quickly to get there ahead of the British. and take control of Pennsylvania.
While this march was taking place, Thomas Howe’s action was a military success but a
Paine wrote another pamphlet to help boost political failure. He defeated Washington at the
American morale. In The American Crisis, he Battle of Brandywine Creek and captured

80 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

 The War for Independence, 1776–1777

R .
American forces Quebec N
Nova

ce
en
British forces r Scotia
E
American victory L aw W
St.
British victory 7 S
77

,1
Fort

YNE
Maine

BURGO
Montreal (part of Mass.)
7
1 77
R,
EGE
L N.H.
T. Ft. Ticonderoga
S

July 6, 1777 Oct. 17, 1777: Burgoyne

surrenders at Saratoga

Saratoga Bennington
E,
Aug. 16, 1777 HOW
Oriskany GENERAL 6
Aug. 6, 1777 1 7
7
Albany Bemis Mass. CH 17,
Heights Boston MAR
Oct. 7, 1777
Kingston Sept. 1776: British
Conn. R.I. capture New York City
N.Y.
Fort Montgomery
ATLANTIC
New York City
Pennsylvania N.J. Brooklyn Heights OCEAN
Aug. 27, 1776 76
Princeton 17
Germantown 40°N
WE,
Oct. 4, 1777 AL HO
Brandywine Creek Trenton GENER
Sept. 11, 1777 Philadelphia
Dec. 1776, Jan. 1777:
Maryland Americans attack British
at Trenton and Princeton
77

Del.
E , 17

Sept. 1777: Howe

OW

captures Philadelphia
LH

Virginia
RA

0 100 kilometers
NE
GE

0 100 miles
Chesapeake Bay Albers Equal-Area projection
75°W 70°W

Analyzing GEOGRAPHY
1. Location What are two colonial victories that
occurred in New Jersey?
2. Movement What was the role of the British
navy in the Revolution?

Philadelphia, but the Continental Congress

escaped and no Loyalist uprising occurred.
The Battle of Saratoga
Howe also failed to destroy the Continental General Burgoyne did not know Howe had
Army, which set up its winter camp at Valley gone south to attack Philadelphia. In June
Forge. There, bitter cold and food shortages 1777, he and an estimated 8,000 troops
killed nearly 2,500 men. marched south from Quebec into New York.
Joining Washington at Valley Forge were two Another 900 troops under the command of
European military officers, the Marquis de Colonel Barry St. Leger headed down the St.
Lafayette from France and Baron Friedrich Lawrence to the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
von Steuben from Prussia. These officers There they joined more than 1,000 Iroquois
helped Washington improve discipline and warriors and headed east toward Albany. The
boost morale among the weary troops despite Iroquois had allied with the British hoping to
the camp’s harsh conditions. keep American settlers off Iroquois lands.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 81

(b)Yale University Art Gallery/Trumbull Collection
 At first, Burgoyne’s march south went the Ohio River and captured several towns. By
smoothly. His troops easily seized Fort February 1779, the British had surrendered,
Ticonderoga with its large store of gunpowder giving the Americans control of the region.
and supplies. In response, the Congress fired While Clark fought the British in the West,
the commander defending the region and Chief Joseph Brant, also known as
replaced him with General Horatio Gates. Thayendanegea, convinced four Iroquois
After this early victory, Burgoyne’s march nations to join the British. In July 1778, British
slowed to a crawl. American troops felled trees troops and Iroquois warriors attacked western
in front of the British army and removed all the Pennsylvania, burning towns and killing over
crops and cattle from the region in an effort to 200 militia. The following summer, American
cut off the British food supply. Meanwhile, the troops defeated the British and Iroquois in
British and Iroquois forces marching east from western New York. These battles destroyed the
Lake Ontario were ambushed by militia and power of the Iroquois people.
then driven back by American troops under Farther south, the Cherokee people suffered
General Benedict Arnold. a similar fate. After the Revolution began, a del-
In desperation, Burgoyne retreated to egation of Shawnee, Delaware, and Mohawk
Saratoga, where he was quickly surrounded convinced the Cherokee that the time had come
by an American army nearly three times the to drive American settlers off Cherokee lands.
size of his own. On October 17, 1777, he sur- The Cherokee attacked settlers in Virginia and
rendered to General Gates. More than 5,000 North Carolina, but the American militia units
British soldiers were taken prisoner. The were too strong. By 1780, militia units had
American victory at Saratoga was astonishing burned down hundreds of Cherokee towns.
and marked a turning point in the war. It not
only dramatically improved American morale,
it also convinced the French that the time The War at Sea
had come to commit troops to the American Americans fought the British at sea, as well
cause. as on land. Instead of attacking the British fleet
Both Spain and France had been secretly directly, American warships attacked British
sending arms and supplies to the United States merchant ships. To further disrupt British trade,
well before Saratoga. The Congress appreci- the Congress began issuing letters of marque
ated the supplies but wanted the French to (mark), or licenses, to private ship owners
send troops, too. In September 1776, the authorizing them to attack British merchant
Congress sent Benjamin Franklin, Arthur Lee, ships. By the war’s end, millions of dollars of
and Silas Deane to France to ask for troops. cargo had been seized, seriously harming
The French, however, were not willing to risk Britain’s trade and economy.
war until they believed the Americans could Perhaps the most famous naval battle of the
win. The victory at Saratoga convinced them, war involved the American naval officer John
and shortly afterward they began negotiations Paul Jones. Jones commanded a ship named
to enter the war against Britain. the Bonhomme Richard. While sailing near
On February 6, 1778, the United States Britain in September 1779, Jones encountered
signed its first two treaties. In the first treaty, a group of British merchant ships protected
France became the first country to recognize by the warships Serapis and Countess of
the United States as an independent nation. Scarborough. Jones attacked the Serapis, but the
The second treaty was an alliance between the heavier guns of the British ship nearly sank the
United States and France. By June 1778, Britain Bonhomme Richard. With the American ship in
and France were at war. In 1779 Spain entered distress, the British commander called on Jones
the war as well, as an ally of France but not of to surrender. Jones replied, “I have not yet
the United States. begun to fight.”He lashed his ship to Serapis so
it could not sink, and then boarded the British
The War in the West ship. The battle lasted more than three hours
before the British surrendered.
Not all the fighting in the Revolutionary
War took place in the East. In 1778 Patriot Summarizing What was signifi-
George Rogers Clark took 175 troops down cant about the first U.S. treaty with France?

82 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

 Battles in the South the largest battle of the war. Neither side won,
but for the first time American troops were
MAIN Idea The British strategy to control the able to stand against the British in a regular
Southern states failed with their surrender at battle.
Yorktown. After Clinton reached New York, he was
HISTORY AND YOU Have you ever changed your ordered to begin a campaign in the South,
opinion about an event because of the actions of where the British had the strongest Loyalist
the people or groups involved? Read on to learn support. The Southern states were also valu-
how the Battle of Kings Mountain encouraged
able because they produced tobacco and rice.
Southern farmers to organize forces.
The British hoped they could keep the South,
even if they lost the North.
After the British defeat at Saratoga, General
Howe resigned. He was replaced by Sir Henry
Clinton, who ordered the British troops in The Struggle in the Carolinas
Philadelphia to abandon the city and return In December 1778, some 3,500 British troops
to New York City. Clinton wanted to gather all captured Savannah, Georgia. They seized con-
his forces in one place before beginning a trol of Georgia’s backcountry and returned
new campaign. Washington ordered his forces the British royal governor to power. The next
at Valley Forge to intercept the British. The two objective was to capture Charles Town, South
sides met at the Battle of Monmouth— Carolina—the largest city in the South.

The War for Independence, 1778–1781

igan

Lake
Huron
Lake Mich

o
Lake Ontari N.H.
Washington and N.Y.
Ft. Detroit
Rochambeau rush toward Mass.
e
La k Virginia, August 1781 West
Erie Point Conn.
ON
ILT
HA
M
Ft. Miami Pa. R.I.
40°N Ft. New York City
Valley Forge N.J.
Pitt
Cahokia
781

July 9, 1778 Vincennes K

Feb. 25, AR Md.
ET, 1
CL

1779 Del.
FLE

Va.
H

Cornwallis is trapped; British

TIS

surrender at Yorktown, 1781

RI

Kaskaskia B
July 4, 1778 N
Yorktown
W
NE
CORN

E
French Admiral
EE

N.C.
GR

de Grasse keeps
WA

35°N S Cowpens
Kings Mtn.
British ships away
LLIS

DE

CORN
GRA

W Wilmington
British capture Charleston S.C. ATLANTIC
N
AL

SSE
IO

and Camden, but are defeated Camden 80

LIS
AR

17
at Kings Mountain in 1780 and N, OCEAN
M

Charleston IN TO
at Cowpens in 1781 CL 8
77
,1
Ga. BE LL
CAMP Analyzing GEOGRAPHY
Savannah American and/or
allied forces 1. Movement How did the French help the
British capture British forces
Savannah, 1778 American forces?
30°N American victory
2. Location Where did the final battle of
British victory
0 200 kilometers the war occur?
Fort
0 200 miles
Gulf of Mexico
85°W
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection
80°W 75°W
See StudentWorksTM
Plus or glencoe.com.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 83

Fraunces Tavern Museum, New York City
 North
A
RC
TI
C
America Following the Treaty of Paris, 1783
CIR
160°W CL E

°N
60

Hudson
Bay

BRITISH
NORTH AMERICA
140°W

N
40°

UNITED
STATES
SPANISH
PACIFIC
LOUISIANA ATLANTIC
OCEAN
OCEAN
NEW R
NCE 60°W
F CA
SPAIN TRO
PIC
O
Gulf of
N Mexico
W
E 20°N
S Analyzing GEOGRAPHY
0 800 kilometers British Spanish
French United States
1. Location After the American Revolution, what
0 800 miles
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area Russian Disputed 80°W were the borders of the United States in the
projection north? In the south? In the west?
120°W 100°W
2. Regions Which other foreign colonies shared a
border with the United States in 1783?

Charles Town Falls Clinton attacked Charles forces in the region. These troops became
Town with nearly 14,000 British soldiers. His known for their brutality.
forces quickly surrounded the city, trapping the Ferguson finally went too far when he tried
American forces inside. On May 12, 1780, the to subdue the people living in the Appalachian
Americans surrendered. Nearly 5,500 Americans Mountains. Enraged at his tactics, the “over-
were taken prisoner, the greatest American mountain” men, as they were known, put
defeat in the war. together a militia. They intercepted Ferguson
After capturing Charles Town, Clinton at Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780, and
returned to New York, leaving General Charles destroyed his army. The Battle of Kings
Cornwallis in command. The Continental Mountain was a turning point in the South.
Congress then sent General Horatio Gates, the Southern farmers, furious with British treat-
hero of Saratoga, to defend the South Carolina ment, began organizing their own forces.
backcountry. Gates attempted to destroy a The new American commander in the
British supply base at Camden, South Carolina, region, General Nathaniel Greene, decided to
but failed. wear down the British in battle while militia
destroyed their supplies. He organized the
The Battle of Kings Mountain After the militia into small units to carry out hit-and-run
Battle of Camden, the British began subduing raids against British camps and supply wag-
the Carolina backcountry. At first, everything ons. Francis Marion, known as the “Swamp
went well for them. Many of the settlers were Fox,” led the most famous of these units. The
Loyalists and agreed to fight for Britain. Two strategy worked. By late 1781, the British con-
British cavalry officers, Banastre Tarleton and trolled very little of the South except for
Patrick Ferguson, led many of the Loyalist Savannah, Charles Town, and Wilmington.

84 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

The Granger Collection, New York
The Battle of Yorktown
In late April 1781, Cornwallis marched into Virginia. As long as Section 3 REVIEW
the Americans controlled Virginia, he believed, new troops and
supplies could keep coming south. With more French troops on
the way to America, the British knew they had very little time left Vocabulary
to win the war. They had to secure Virginia.
1. Explain the significance of: William
When he reached Virginia, Cornwallis linked up with forces
Howe, guerrilla warfare, Nathan Hale,
under the command of Benedict Arnold. Arnold had been an
Valley Forge, Marquis de Lafayette,
American general early in the war but had later sold military
Saratoga, letter of marque, John Paul
information to the British. When his treason was discovered,
Jones, Charles Cornwallis, Treaty of Paris.
Arnold fled to British-controlled New York City. There, he was
given command of British troops and ordered to Virginia. Main Ideas
After Arnold’s forces joined those of Cornwallis, the British
2. Explaining Why did the Continental
began to conquer Virginia. Their combined forces encountered very
Congress have trouble paying for the war?
little resistance until June 1781, when a large American force led by
General Anthony Wayne arrived in Virginia. Outnumbered and too 3. Describing Before they officially joined
far inland, Cornwallis retreated to the coastal town of Yorktown the war effort, how were European coun-
to protect his supplies and to maintain communications by sea. tries helping the Americans fight the
Cornwallis’s retreat created an opportunity for the Americans and British?
their French allies. The previous year, 6,000 French troops had arrived
in New England. With this support, Washington decided to march 4. Summarizing What was General
on New York City. As the troops headed to New York, the French Nathaniel Greene’s strategy for fighting
general Rochambeau learned that a French fleet commanded by the British in the South?
Admiral de Grasse was on its way north from the Caribbean.
When he learned of the French fleet, Washington canceled the Critical Thinking
attack on New York City. Instead, he and Rochambeau headed to 5. Big Ideas Why were the French at first
Yorktown. As their troops raced south, Admiral de Grasse moved reluctant to make an alliance with the
into Chesapeake Bay near Yorktown. His fleet cut off the flow of colonies?
supplies to Cornwallis and prevented him from escaping by sea.
6. Categorizing Use a graphic organizer
On September 28, 1781, American and French forces sur-
similar to the one below to list the provi-
rounded Yorktown and began to bombard it. On October 14,
sions of the Treaty of Paris.
Washington’s aide, Alexander Hamilton, led an attack that cap-
tured key British defenses. Three days later, Cornwallis began Provisions of
Treaty of Paris, 1783
negotiations to surrender, and on October 19, 1781, approxi-
mately 8,000 British soldiers marched out of Yorktown and laid
down their weapons.
7. Analyzing Visuals Study the map on
The Treaty of Paris page 84. Which nation controlled most of
North America at the end of the American
When Lord North, the British prime minister, learned of the Revolution?
surrender at Yorktown, he knew the war was over. In March 1782,
Parliament voted to begin peace negotiations. John Adams, Writing About History
Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay conducted most of the negotia- 8. Persuasive Writing Suppose that you
tions for the United States. are a colonial leader during the American
The final settlement, known as the Treaty of Paris, was signed Revolution. Write a letter to convince the
on September 3, 1783. In this treaty, Britain recognized the United ruler of a European nation to support the
States of America as a new nation, with the Mississippi River as Americans in the war.
its western border. Britain also gave Florida back to Spain. France
received colonies in Africa and the Caribbean that the British had
seized from them in 1763. On November 24, 1783, the last British )JTUPSZ 0/-*/&
troops left New York City. The American Revolution was over. The
Study Central To review this section, go to
creation of a new nation was about to begin.
glencoe.com and click on Study Central.
Describing How was the war won at Yorktown?

85
Section 4
The War Changes American Society
Guide to Reading T he American Revolution changed society in a variety
of ways. New forms of government encouraged new
political ideas. Additionally, many of those who had
Big Ideas
Culture and Beliefs As the American been loyal to Britain left; this strengthened the develop-
Revolution ended, a unique culture
ment of a new, American cultural identity.
arose in the new United States.

Content Vocabulary
• republic (p. 86)
• emancipation (p. 89)
New Political Ideas
• manumission (p. 90) MAIN Idea Republican ideals changed American government by allowing
some citizens voting rights and granting greater religious freedom.
Academic Vocabulary HISTORY AND YOU Have you ever made up your own rules for a game?
• contradiction (p. 86) Read on to learn how the Founders experimented with new forms of
• revolutionary (p. 88) government.

People and Events to Identify

• Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
When American leaders declared independence and founded the
(p. 88)
United States of America, they were very much aware that they were
• John Trumbull (p. 91)
creating something new. By breaking away from the king, they had
• Charles Willson Peale (p. 91)
established a republic. A republic is a form of government in which
power resides with a body of citizens entitled to vote. The power is
Reading Strategy exercised by elected officials who are responsible to the citizens and
Organizing Complete a graphic orga- who must govern according to laws or a constitution.
nizer similar to the one below by listing While many Europeans viewed a republic as radical and danger-
the features of the U.S. political system ous, Americans believed it could be better than other societies. In an
set up after the Revolution. ideal republic, all citizens are equal under the law, regardless of their
wealth or social class. These ideas conflicted with many traditional
Features of New U.S. Political System beliefs, including ideas about slavery, about women not being
allowed to vote or own property, and about wealthy people being
“better” than others. Despite these contradictions, republican ideas
began to change American society after the war.

New State Constitutions

Events before the Revolution led many Americans to believe that
each state’s constitution should be written down and that it should
limit the government’s power over the people. At the same time, many,
including John Adams, worried that democracy could endanger a
republican government and lead to tyranny. When Adams used the
word democracy, he meant a society where the majority rules. He and
other founders feared that in a pure democracy, minority groups would
not have their rights protected. For example, the poor might vote to
take everything away from the rich. Adams argued that government
needed “checks and balances” to prevent any group in society from
becoming strong enough to take away the rights of the minority.

86 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

The Revolution Changes Government Wealth of Elected Officials
Northern States
70 70
60 60

Percentage

Percentage
50 50
40 40
30 30
20 20
10 10
0 0
1765–1775 1783–1790
Southern States
60 60

Percentage

Percentage
50 50
40 40
30 30
20 20
10 10
0 0
1765–1775 1783–1790
Over £ 5,000 £ 2,000–£ 5,000 Under £ 2,000
Source: “Government by the People: The American Revolution and
the Democratization of the Legislatures.”

Analyzing VISUALS
1. Analyzing In the North after the Revolution,
how much did the percentage of wealthy ▲ After the Revolution, voting rights expanded. In
officeholders increase? New Jersey, between 1790 and 1807, even women
2. Specifying In which region did the greatest were able to vote. However, the percentage of
wealthy people who actually held office increased.
number of middle-class people enter public
office after the Revolution?

Adams favored a “mixed government” with

a separation of powers; the executive, legisla-
Voting Rights Expand
tive, and judicial branches should be indepen- The Revolution led to an expansion of vot-
dent of one another. He also argued that the ing rights. The experience of fighting side by
legislature should be bicameral; that is, it side with people from every social class and
should have two houses: a senate to represent region increased Americans’ belief in equality.
people of property and an assembly to protect If all men were fighting for the same cause and
the rights of the common people. Adams’s risking death for the same ideas, then all
ideas influenced several states as they drafted deserved the right to vote for their leaders.
new constitutions during the Revolution. The war also weakened feelings of defer-
Virginia’s constitution of 1776, New York’s con- ence toward the upper class. The war had
stitution of 1777, and Massachusetts’s consti- shown many farmers and artisans that they
tution of 1780 all established an elected were equal to the rich planters and merchants
governor, senate, and assembly. By the 1790s, they fought beside. While sitting in a tavern
most of the other states had created similar with farmers who were spitting and pulling off
constitutions. their muddy boots, one wealthy Virginian
Many states also attached a list of rights to noted: “Every one who bore arms esteems
their constitutions. This began in 1776, when himself upon an equal footing with his neigh-
George Mason drafted Virginia’s Declaration bors. . . . Each of these men considers himself,
of Rights, which guaranteed Virginians free- in every respect, my equal.”
dom of speech, freedom of religion, the right As a result of these ideas, in almost every
to bear arms, and the right to trial by jury. It state, the new constitutions made it easier for
barred the state from searching anyone’s home men to gain the right to vote. Many states
without a warrant or taking their property allowed any white male who paid taxes to vote,
without proper court proceedings. whether or not he owned property.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 87

The Granger Collection, New York
 Although voting rights expanded, people
still had to own a certain amount of property The War and American
to hold elective office, although usually much
less than before the Revolution. The practice of
Society
giving veterans land grants as payment for MAIN Idea After the war, women gained more
their military service increased the number of rights, Northern states outlawed slavery, and many
Loyalists fled the new nation.
people eligible to hold office. In the North,
before the Revolution, over 80 percent of peo- HISTORY AND YOU Can you think of modern
ple elected were wealthy. Ten years after the examples of how war changes the way people live?
Read on to learn how the Revolution changed
war, only a little over one-third of officeholders
American society.
were wealthy. In the South, higher property
qualifications kept the wealthy in power, but
their numbers dropped from almost 90 percent The American ideals of equality and liberty
of officeholders before the war to 70 percent did not generally apply to women and African
after the war. Americans. Both groups did, however, find
their lives changed by the Revolution, as did
the Loyalists who had supported Britain.
For the text
of the
Freedom of Religion
Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom,
The Revolution also led to changes in the Women at War
relationship between church and state. Many
see page R43 in Women played a vital role in the
of the Revolution’s leaders feared “ecclesiasti-
Documents in Revolutionary War, contributing on both the
American History.
cal tyranny”—the power of a church, backed
home front and the battlefront. With their hus-
by the government, to make people worship
bands, brothers, and sons at war, some women
in a certain way. In Virginia, Baptists led
took over running family farms. Others trav-
a movement to abolish taxes collected to
eled with the army—cooking, washing, and
support the Anglican Church. Governor
nursing the wounded. Women also served as
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Virginia Statute
spies and couriers, and a few even joined the
for Religious Freedom, and James Madison
fighting. Deborah Samson of Massachusetts
convinced the legislature to pass it in 1786. The
fought in the Continental Army disguised as a
statute declared:
man under the name Robert Shurtleff. Margaret
PRIMARY SOURCE Corbin accompanied her husband to battle,
and after his death she took his place at his
“[N]o man shall be compelled to . . . support any
cannon until the battle ended.
religious worship, place, or Ministry . . . nor shall
After the war, as Americans began to think
otherwise suffer on account of his religious opin-
ions or belief; but that all men shall be free to pro- about what their revolutionary ideals implied,
fess . . . their opinion in matters of religion.“ women made some advances. They could more
easily obtain a divorce and gained greater
—from the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
access to education. In 1779 Judith Sargent
Murray wrote an essay entitled “On the
The statute also declared that Virginia no lon-
Equality of the Sexes.” The essay argued that
ger had an official church and that the state
women were as intelligent as men but lacked
could not collect taxes for churches.
the education needed to achieve more in life.
The idea of denying tax support to churches
After the Revolution, many schools for girls
spread slowly. In Massachusetts, the state con-
were founded, and the number of women able
stitution originally provided for the collection
to read increased.
of funds to support churches. Quakers and
Baptists were permitted to assign their taxes
to their own churches instead of to the African Americans
Congregational churches (the successors to
Thousands of enslaved African Americans
the Puritan churches), but the state did not
obtained their freedom during the Revolution.
abolish religious taxes entirely until 1833.
Although British officials seized numerous
Examining Which freedoms did enslaved people and shipped them to British
Virginia’s constitution guarantee in its bill of rights? plantations in the Caribbean, they also freed

88 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

 Emancipation After Independence, 1780–1784
0 200 kilometers Area claimed by
Britain and U.S.
0 200 miles
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection

Maine
(part of
Mass.)
1780
Vt.
1777
N.H.
New York Mass.
1799 1780

R.I.
Pennsylvania Conn. 1784
1780 1784
N.J.
1804
Md.
Del. ATLANTIC
Virginia OCEAN

North 1780 Date of emancipation

Carolina
Immediate emancipation
South Gradual emancipation
Carolina Slaveholders could legally
free slaves Analyzing GEOGRAPHY
Georgia Slaveholders required to
obtain county court approval
1. Region Which region made it difficult to
N
to free slaves emancipate enslaved people?
W E Slaveholders could not legally 2. Human-Environment Interaction Why do
free slaves
S
No formal abolition
you think slavery remained firmly entrenched
in certain areas?

many others in exchange for military service. thereafter would be freed when they turned 21
Many planters freed slaves who agreed to fight and enslaved women when they turned 18. In
the British, and General Washington permitted 1799 New York freed enslaved men born in that
African Americans to join the Continental year or later when they reached age 28 and
Army. He also urged state militias to admit women when they reached age 25. The eradica-
African Americans and to offer freedom to all tion of slavery in the North was thus a gradual
who served. About 5,000 African Americans process that took several decades, but it was
served in the militias and the Continental ending.
Army during the American Revolution. Discrimination against African Americans
After the Revolution, many Americans real- did not disappear with emancipation, however.
ized that enslaving people did not fit in with the African Americans were often unable to get
new ideals of liberty and equality. Opposition to more than menial jobs—digging, carrying, or
slavery had been growing steadily even before sweeping. Free African Americans also faced
the Revolution, especially in the Northern and voting restrictions, segregation, and possible
middle states. After the war began, emancipa- kidnapping and transportation to the South,
tion, or freedom from enslavement, became a where they would again be enslaved. Despite
major issue. Many Northern states took steps to the hardships, freedom offered choices. Once
end slavery. Vermont banned slavery in 1777. In free, many African Americans moved to the
1780 Pennsylvania freed all children born cities to find employment. Some found oppor-
enslaved when they reached age 28. Rhode tunities in previously barred occupations, such
Island decreed in 1784 that enslaved men born as artists or ministers.

Chapter 2 The American Revolution 89

The Granger Collection, New York
Elizabeth Freeman Quock Walker
(Mumbet) 1753–?
c. 1742–1829 Between 1781 and 1783, an
Elizabeth Freeman, later enslaved Massachusetts man
called Mumbet, began life as an named Quock Walker also took
enslaved African American. At the extraordinary step, in a
the age of six months she was series of cases, of suing a white
acquired, along with her sister, man who had assaulted him.
by John Ashley, a wealthy west- That man, Nathaniel Jennison,
ern Massachusetts lawyer and also claimed to own Walker,
businessman. The family called who had escaped from
her Betty or Bett. For nearly Jennison’s farm after a severe
40 years, Bett worked for the beating.
Ashley family. One day, Ashley’s Given the times, this was a
▲ Chief Justice William Cushing
wife tried to strike Bett’s sister with a shovel. Bett intervened and took bold step, but Walker believed,
the blow instead. Furious, she stormed out of the house and refused as Freeman did, that the law was on his side. Massachusetts’s new
to come back. When the Ashleys tried to force her to return, Bett con- constitution referred to the “inherent liberty” of all men. The judge,
sulted a local lawyer named Thomas Sedgewick. With his help, Bett Chief Justice William Cushing, agreed and found in his favor. “Our
sued for her freedom. [state] Constitution,” Cushing said, “sets out with declaring that all
While serving the Ashleys, Bett had listened to many discussions men are born free and equal . . . and in short is totally repugnant to
about the new Massachusetts constitution. If the constitution said the idea of [people] being born slaves. This being the case, I think
that all people were free and equal, then she thought that should the idea of slavery is inconsistent with our own conduct and
apply to her. In 1781 a jury agreed, and Bett won her freedom— Constitution.”
and took Freeman as her last name. Elizabeth Freeman was the first While the Walker and Freeman cases did not abolish slavery, they
enslaved person in Massachusetts to gain freedom under the new demonstrated that the Massachusetts courts would not support the
constitution, and probably the first woman to be granted her free- institution. As a result of the rulings and various antislavery efforts,
dom in the entire 13 states. Her case helped to end slavery in slavery ceased to exist in Massachusetts by 1790.
Massachusetts. How was slavery “inconsistent” with the Massachusetts
What is the significance of Elizabeth Freeman’s court case? constitution?

A small group of African Americans achieved

some wealth and social status. The discrimina-
The Loyalists Flee
tion they faced encouraged them to build their Many women and African Americans found
own distinct culture. Religion played an impor- their lives little changed as a result of the
tant role in that emerging culture, and African Revolution, but for many Loyalists, the end of the
Americans created their own style of worship. war changed everything. Because of their sup-
In 1816 African American church leaders port for the British, Loyalists often found them-
formed the first independent African American selves shunned by former friends, and state
denomination, the African Methodist Episcopal governments sometimes seized their property.
(AME) Church. Unwilling to live under the new govern-
The story was quite different in the South. ment and often afraid for their lives, approxi-
The South relied heavily on enslaved labor to mately 100,000 Loyalists fled the United States
sustain its agricultural economy. As a result, after the war. Some went to Great Britain or
Southern leaders showed little interest in abol- the British West Indies, but most moved to
ishing slavery. Only Virginia took steps toward British North America, particularly to Nova
ending the institution. In 1782 the state passed Scotia, New Brunswick, and the region near
a law encouraging manumission, or the vol- Niagara Falls. This region was part of Quebec
untary freeing of enslaved people, especially at the time, but in 1791 Britain made it a sepa-
for those who had fought in the Revolution. rate colony called Upper Canada. Today it is
Through this law, about 10,000 slaves obtained the province of Ontario.
their freedom, but the vast majority remained Americans grappled with what to do with
in bondage. the property and assets of Loyalists. In North

90 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

(l)Courtesy of the Massachusetts Historical Society; (r)The Granger Collection, New York
Carolina, Patriots confiscated Loyalist lands outright. Officials in
New York also seized Loyalists’ lands and goods, claiming the “sov-
ereignty of the people of this state in respect to all property.” Other
Section 4 REVIEW
public officials opposed such actions. The Massachusetts Constitu-
tion of 1780, for example, extended the rights of “life, liberty, and
property” to Loyalists, and gave much of the land seized from Vocabulary
departing Loyalists to their agents or relatives who had remained. 1. Explain the significance of: republic,
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom,
emancipation, manumission, John
An American Culture Emerges Trumbull, Charles Willson Peale.
In the United States, victory over the British united Americans
and created powerful nationalist feelings. The Revolution had Main Ideas
helped this process in two ways. First, Americans in all the states 2. Describing What ideas of John Adams
had had a common enemy. Soldiers from all over the country had did Massachusetts and other states
fought side by side in each other’s states. Second, stories of the include in their constitutions?
Revolution and its heroes helped Americans to think of them-
selves as all belonging to the same group. 3. Explaining How did the Revolution help
to create powerful nationalist feelings in
American Painters The Revolution also sparked the creativity the United States?
of American painters, including John Trumbull and Charles
Willson Peale. Their work and that of other artists helped to build Critical Thinking
an American identity. Trumbull served in the Continental Army as 4. Big Ideas What new aspects of culture
an aide to Washington. He is best known for his depiction of bat- emerged after the American Revolution?
tles and important events in the Revolution. Peale fought at Trenton
and Princeton and survived the winter at Valley Forge. He is best 5. Categorizing Use a graphic organizer
known for his portraits of Washington and other Patriot leaders. similar to the one below to list the posi-
tion of women, African Americans, and
Changes in Education As they started a new nation, American Loyalists in American society after the
leaders considered an educated public to be critical to the republic’s Revolution.
success. Jefferson called it the “keystone of our arch of govern-
ment.”Several state constitutions provided for government-funded Position in American Society
Women
universities. In 1795 the University of North Carolina became the
African Americans
first state university in the nation. At the same time, elementary
education began to institute an American-centered style of teach- Loyalists

ing. Tossing out British textbooks, schools taught republican ideas

6. Analyzing Visuals Review the graph on
and the history of the struggle for independence.
the wealth of elected officials on page 87.
Noah Webster, a teacher from Connecticut, was one of the
Which group lost the greatest percentage
educators who believed that Americans needed to develop their
of representation among elected officials
own educational system based on their own culture. In 1783 he
in both regions?
wrote a textbook titled A Grammatical Institute of the English
Language, which included The American Spelling Book. American Writing About History
teachers used this textbook for over 100 years, and it is still in 7. Expository Writing Suppose that you
print. Although he also published magazines and newspapers, as are on a committee to write a new state
well as his best-selling textbook, Webster is probably most famous constitution. List the freedoms you want
for his American Dictionary of the English Language, published in protected in that constitution, and explain
1828. In that two-volume work, he purposefully set out to regu- why you feel it is important to guarantee
larize American English, but especially to underscore its differ- each one.
ences from British English.
As Americans began to build a national identity separate from
Britain’s, leaders of the United States turned their attention to the
creation of a government that could promote the ideals and
)JTUPSZ 0/-*/&
beliefs that the colonists had fought so hard to secure.
Study Central To review this section, go to
Summarizing How did life change for women, African glencoe.com and click on Study Central.
Americans, and Loyalists after the Revolutionary War?

91
Chapter VISUAL SUMMARY You can study anywhere, anytime by
downloading quizzes and flashcards
to your PDA from glencoe.com.

Causes of the American Revolution

• Defending the colonies in the French and Indian War costs Britain a
great deal of money; Britain seeks ways to cover the costs incurred.
• Britain issues the Proclamation Act of 1763, banning colonists from
moving west of the Proclamation line.
• The British crack down on smuggling by enforcing customs duties and
creating a vice-admiralty court to try smugglers; merchants are angered,
and colonists believe their rights are being violated.
• The Sugar Act is attacked by colonists as taxation without
representation.
• The Currency Act banning paper money angers farmers and artisans.
• The 1765 Stamp Act leads to widespread colonial protests, the holding
of the Stamp Act Congress, and a boycott of British goods.
• The 1767 Townshend Acts lead to further protests and another boycott.
• The Boston Massacre convinces many that the British are tyrants.
▲ From the first
• In 1773, British efforts to help the East India Company lead to the shots fired at
Boston Tea Party and other protests against the tea shipments. Lexington (above),
the will to fight to
• Britain issues the Coercive Acts, banning Massachusetts town meetings,
preserve their
closing Boston’s port, and quartering troops in private homes. liberties and
• Neither King George nor British officials agree to compromise with the independence
Continental Congress, and Congress orders a boycott of British goods. helped the
Americans to win
• British troops fire on militia at Lexington and Concord; the Revolution the Revolution
begins; and the Declaration of Independence is issued, July 4, 1776. against the much
more powerful
British.

Effects of the American Revolution

• The American colonies form a new nation: the United States
of America.
• A Revolutionary War between American forces led by George
Washington, and British forces, rages from 1775–1780.
• The American victory at Saratoga brings France into the war as an
American ally.
• The American victory at Yorktown leads to Britain agreeing to negoti-
ate; the Treaty of Paris of 1783 formally ends the Revolutionary War.
• American states begin writing constitutions based on republican
ideas.
• Voting rights expand.
• Northern American states adopt laws that gradually end slavery.
▲ The British surrender at Saratoga. The victory at
Saratoga boosted morale and helped Americans gain • Americans loyal to Britain flee north, leading to the creation of the
the support of France and Spain. new colonies of Upper and Lower Canada.
• A new American culture emerges based on the republican values.

92 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

(b)The Granger Collection, New York
 ASSESSMENT
STANDARDIZED TEST PRACTICE
TEST-TAKING TIP
As you read each question, be sure to look for main ideas. A main idea or a key
word repeated in an answer choice may be a clue that it is the right answer.

Reviewing Vocabulary Reviewing Main Ideas

Directions: Choose the word or words that best complete the Directions: Choose the best answer for each of the following
sentence. questions.

1. To protest the Stamp Act, the colonists signed a ________, Section 1 (pp. 54–61)
pledging not to buy British goods. 5. The significance of the Albany Plan of Union was that it
A writ of assistance A marked the first time that the colonists had met with
B proclamation Native Americans.
C committee of correspondence B explained clearly to the British why independence was
D nonimportation agreement necessary.
C created a new nation out of the 13 separate colonies.
2. Massachusetts towns formed militia groups known as D demonstrated an interest in unifying the colonies.
________ in case of British aggression.
A committees 6. King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763 to
B minutemen A make peace with the French and Spanish.
C privateers B give more lands to the colonists.
D the Sons of Liberty C make peace with Native Americans.
D punish the port of Boston.
3. To disturb British trade, the Congress would issue a(n)
________, allowing a private American ship to attack British 7. In which of the following documents did John Dickinson urge
merchant ships. colonial unity to resist the Townshend Acts?
A act A Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania
B writ of assistance B Common Sense
C letter of marque C The American Crisis
D bill of rights D the Declaration of Rights

4. After the Revolution, many people hoped to end slavery

Section 2 (pp. 64–73)
gradually through voluntary ________, rather than all at
once by force. 8. The First Continental Congress was formed in reaction to the
A proclamation A Coercive Acts.
B manumission B Tea Act.
C declaration C Townshend Acts.
D adoption D Stamp Act.

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Chapter 2 The American Revolution 93

Chapter
Section 3 (pp. 78–85) Critical Thinking
9. The Battle of Bunker Hill demonstrated that Directions: Choose the best answers to the following questions.
A British leaders did not know the geography around Base your answer to question 14 on the map below and on your
Boston. knowledge of Chapter 2.
B colonial cannons were better handled than British Battles in the Revolutionary War, 1776–1777
cannons.
R.
C the colonial militia could stand up to a professional n ce American forces
re 7 British forces
army. 77

w
La

1
American victory

NE,
St.

BURGOY
D more people were loyal to the British than Patriot British victory
Montreal
leaders had thought. Fort
Quebec 7
1 77 L. Champlain
R,
EGE N.H.
10. Which of the following was one disadvantage the British T.
L
Ft. Ticonderoga

S
faced during the Revolution? July 6, 1777 Oct. 17, 1777: Burgoyne
surrenders at Saratoga
A They did not have enough money to pay their soldiers.
Saratoga Bennington
Aug. 16, 1777 E,
B Their navy was weak and inexperienced. HOW
Oriskany GENERAL 76
Bemis 1 7
CH 17,
Heights Albany Mass.
Aug. 6, 1777 Boston MAR
C The war did not have total support at home.
Oct. 7, 1777
D They could not get France to fight against the colonists. Kingston Sept. 1776: British
N.Y. Conn. R.I. capture New York City
Fort Montgomery
ATLANTIC
11. Under the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolution, the west- New York City
Brooklyn Heights OCEAN 6
Pennsylvania N.J. 7
ern boundary of the United States would become the Princeton Aug. 27, 1776 17
Germantown WE,
Oct. 4, 1777 AL HO
A Appalachian Mountains. Brandywine Creek Trenton GENER
Sept. 11, 1777 Philadelphia
B Mississippi River. Dec. 1776, Jan. 1777:
Maryland Americans attack British
C Rocky Mountains. at Trenton and Princeton
77

Del.
E , 17

D Pacific Ocean.
Sept. 1777: Howe
OW

captures Philadelphia
LH

Virginia
RA

Section 4 (pp. 86–91) 0 100 kilometers

NE
GE

0 100 miles
12. Virginia’s Declaration of Rights was written to protect Chesapeake Bay Albers Equal-Area projection
A land rights.
B fishing rights.
14. How did American troops slow Burgoyne’s march to seal off
C civil rights. New England from the rest of the United States?
D mining rights. A American troops defeated the British at Philadelphia.
B American troops retreated from Ft. Ticonderoga, where
13. The American Revolution created a new spirit of national- the British gained supplies.
ism based on which of the following? C American troops cut off the British food supply by
A The colonists had struggled against a common enemy. removing cattle and crops from the region.
B Everyone loved the new American flag, which provided a D American warships attacked British merchant ships to
unified symbol. disrupt trade.
C Winning the war made everyone feel more cheerful.
D No one wanted to speak the English language anymore.

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94 Chapter 2 The American Revolution

 ASSESSMENT
15. The colonists complained about having to pay British taxes Document-Based Questions
while not being allowed to vote for members of Parliament.
Which of the following quotations best expresses their Directions: Analyze the document and answer the short-answer ques-
complaint? tion that follows the document.

A “Give me liberty or give me death!” In 1766 Benjamin Franklin testified before Parliament about the
B “Taxation without representation is tyranny.” colonists’ reaction to the Stamp Act. The excerpt below is from
C “These are the times that try men’s souls.” his testimony:

D “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”

“Q. Don’t you know that the money [tax] arising from the
stamps was all to be laid out in America?
Analyze the cartoon and answer the question that follows. Base your A. I know it is appropriated by the act to the American ser-
answer on the cartoon and on your knowledge of Chapter 2. vice; but it will be spent in the conquered colonies where the
soldiers are, not in the colonies that pay it. . . .
Q. Do you think it right that America should be protected
by this country and pay no part of the expense?
A. That is not the case. The colonies raised, clothed, and
paid, during the last war, near 25,000 men and spent
many millions.
Q. Were you not reimbursed by Parliament?
A. We were only reimbursed what, in your opinion, we had
advanced beyond our proportion, or beyond what might
reasonably be expected from us; and it was a very small
part of what we spent. Pennsylvania, in particular, dis-
bursed about 500,000 pounds, and the reimbursements, in
the whole, did not exceed 60,000 pounds. . . .”
—from Benjamin Franklin’s testimony
before Parliament, 1766

16. What was John Dickinson’s belief about English taxation in 17. Why does Franklin say that the tax is unfair?
the colonies?
A He favored the English Magna Carta and opposed colo-
nial resistance to British taxation. Extended Response
B He favored the Stamp Act and was loyal to the guide- 18. After the American Revolution, a new culture emerged in
lines it established. the United States. Write an expository essay that compares
and contrasts American culture before and after the
C He was against English taxation in the colonies and Revolution in these areas: government, society, the arts,
believed only elected colonial assemblies had the right and education. In your essay, include an introduction and
to tax the colonists. at least three paragraphs.
D He favored the Stamp Act as a way to raise revenue to
protect the colonies from attacks by Native Americans. STOP

)JTUPSZ 0/-*/&
For additional test practice, use Self-Check Quizzes—
Chapter 2 at glencoe.com.

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Chapter 2 The American Revolution 95