13 Colonies in America

• Great Britain was known as the most powerful imperialist country in Europe during the 18th century due to the Industrial Revolution, and it covered various territories of India, Canada, and others.

Original 13 Colonies

• There were originally 13 colonies.

New England colonies

• Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island
• They were good at trading and fishing
• The climate was cold and unsuitable for planting
• They sought freedom of worship

Middle Colonies

• Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Dutch, German, Irish and French.
• They planted and raised animals
• Had textile factories

Southern Colonies

• Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, and Georgia

• They grew cash crops, and the land was beautiful.

• The economy was powered by slave labor

• Britons formed 13 colonies during the 18th century.

• After the Seven Years' War, French, and Indian Wars, Britain spent a lot against France, so it was mired in debt.

• Britain wanted the colonies to help cover expenses through additional taxes. -A life in the colonies was not easy

• They became enemies of the Indians who had lived on the land longer.

• Farming started off very difficult.

• There were many taxes levied by Britain.

Taxation Laws

• There were additional restrictions on the colony's trade, which was enacted from 1763 to 1774
• Examples: Townshend Acts and Navigation Acts.
• Stamp Act levied a tax on all legal documents, newspapers, and other publications in the colony.
• The Tea Act aimed to place the trade of tea between Great Britain and the colony under the control of the East India Company.
• The colonies criticized the taxes, since Parliament had not interfered with taxation for 150 years.
• Colonists protested against the excessive taxes and their slogan was "No taxation without representation."
• Boycotts and attacks against officials from Great Britain happened in response to the Stamp Act.
• Abuses inflicted by Britain in the colony caused some colonists to boycott or not buy products from Britain.

Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty

• Samuel Adams led the protests in Boston against taxes.
• He also formed a secret organization called the Sons of Liberty.

Boston Massacre

• British soldiers and people in Boston fought, resulting in five civilian deaths by gunfire, on March 5, 1770.
• There was a protest due to the Tea Act of 1773.
• A group of American colonists raided a British merchant ship and dumped a large amount of tea into Boston Harbor.
• It was called the Boston Tea Party.
• Those involved were punished through the Intolerable Acts.
• Tea was taxed to generate more revenue from the colonists' favorite drink through the Tea Act.
• The colonists boycotted tea from Britain.

Boston Tea Party

• Bostonians, disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded British ships and dumped tea into the harbor to protest unfair taxation.
• Colonists dumped chests of tea into the water and the value reached 90,000 pounds
• King George III was angered

Intolerable Acts

• Administration of Justice Act
• Boston Port Act
• Quartering Act

First Continental Congress

• The gathering was held in Philadelphia with representatives from every colony except Georgia.
• Resulted in the declaration condemning King George III.
• The colonies insisted only it could make laws for the colony, but recognized Great Britain's right to make laws regarding its trade
• Each colony formed a voluntary armed force that was ready to fight through war.

Other points on the First Continental Congress

• The representatives convened to discuss the impact on Boston because of King George
• They conveyed their grievances which asked to stop the punishment for Boston, but the king ignored it
• The Second Continental Congress was formed to discuss the next course of action
• In April 1775, a British troop was sent to Boston to forcibly seize a gunpowder shop in Concord.
• As the British approached Lexington, the Americans confronted the British soldiers.
• The two groups exchanged fire, signaling the start of the war for American freedom.

Second Continental Congress

• The Second Continental Congress was held in 1776 to form the army under the command of George Washington which was named the Continental Army.
• They failed to seize Boston and were defeated at Bunker Hill and in Canada.
• They perservered despite successive defeats until they succeeded in driving out the British.

Other Points On The Second Continental Congress

• The Continental Congress reconvened in Philadelphia to discuss colonists' actions against British abuse
• George Washington became the general of the army
• The Continental Army's first two battles were at Lexington and Concord, where the American soldiers were all militia (citizen soldiers)

Declaration of Independence

• On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence, prepared by Thomas Jefferson, was released
• The document declared that America was an independent country, called the United States of America and reflected the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers like Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau

Natural Rights

• The right to religious worship speech, press, assembly, property, and the pursuit of happiness.

• These rights are referred to in the American Declaration of Independence

• After the declaration, the two sides clashed.

• The British army was organized and experienced while the colonial army of America lacked training.

• Spain and France sided with the Americans because the two countries were enemies of Britain.

• The opportunity was used to weaken the British empire, and the British forces surrendered to Lord Cornwallis with the help of French soldiers.

• France became an ally of America, and they were aided by Marquis de Lafayette

• The British surrendered in 1781 under General Cornwallis of Yorktown, Virginia.

• England formally recognized America's independence with the signing of the Treaty of Paris

• Great Britain agreed to the Treaty of Paris, recognizing the colonies' independence, in 1783 due to successive defeats.

• The United States of America was established after the American Revolution, which began building a republic.

• The American Revolution will inspire the French Revolution.