THE AMERICAN

REVOLUTION
 What was the
American Revolution?
The American Revolution was a movement that occurred between April 19, 1775, and
September 3, 1783. It was the first successful colonial war for independence in
modern times. Over the course of history, it remains likely the most influential
revolution, going on to inspire other wars of independence like the French Revolution.
The two major parties were the British and Loyalists and the Patriots. Loyalists were
colonists who supported British rule and opposed the ideas of the Patriots. The
revolution lasted for about seven years and concluded with the Treaty of Paris in
1783.
Pre-Revolutionary System
Before the colonists revolted a makeshift government had been set up by the British. In this system, each
colony had a governor that the King appointed, although many had colonial assemblies that were made
up of elected officials who acted on local affairs. The colonies also acted on a system of mercantilism,
where the colonies would give very large portions of their profits and resources to the British
government as part of their rules. Over time as Britain began to ridiculously tax the colonists and deny
equal representation, tension grew, eventually leading to the Boston Tea Party. In response, the British
enforced the Intolerable Acts, which were created to punish Massachusetts for the Tea Party. After this,
the first Continental Congress was formed, which after tension continued to build led to the
annunciation of independence and the start of the American Revolution.
 Revolutionary System
The system of government that followed the American Revolution was that of a democratic republic, which is a
cross between the principles of a democracy and a republic. This is where the people vote for representatives in a
republic, reflecting both elements of the political system. Directly following the end of the war, the United States
became a federal government under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was the first
official constitution of the United States after the war, until 1789 when the present-day constitution was written
and put into effect, replacing the Articles of Confederation. One of the many reasons for the replacement of the
Articles of Confederation was that it had virtually no executive branch, no military, no meaningful method of
taxation, and a strenuous process of passing laws. Although the current United States is considered to be a
democratic republic, there is still some debate about which system it draws most from, and whether or not it
should be considered a federal republic or democracy.
Important People In the
American Revolution
 George Washingtion
George Washington is arguably the most recognizable and
influential figure of the American Revolution. He came from a
planter family, born in 1732 in Virginia. At an early age, he showed
great interest in both Western expansion and military arts.
Following an illustrious career in the French and Indian War, along
with serving in the Virginia House of Burgesses, George
Washington was named Commander in Chief of the Continental
Army. His strategies of harassing the British with swift attacks
followed by strategic retreats led to some of the most significant
victories of the war. After the war, he wished to retire to his home
in Mount Vernon, but due to the bad state that the Articles of
Confederation left the government in, he returned and urged for
the Constitutional Convention. When the new constitution had
been ratified, George Washington was unanimously elected
President of the United States.
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 King George III
King George III was the King of England at the time of the
American Revolution. He was and is regarded as the man
responsible for the treatment of the colonists including
the lack of representation, harsh punishments, and
unfair rules. King George III was born on June 4th, 1738,
and died on Jan 29th, 1820. King George III was
responsible for the harsh treatment of the colonies.
Because he refused to surrender to the revolutionaries,
the war lasted nearly 8 years, resulting in the deaths of
thousands of civilians and soldiers. During the war, he
consented to hire thousands of Hessian mercenaries
who pillaged the villages and killed hundreds of civilians
in an attempt to turn the tide of the war in Britain's
favor. Ultimately, he failed, lost the colonies, and
continued to rule as England's ruler until his death in
1820.
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 The Patriots
The Patriots, Whigs, Continentals, Rebels, or
Revolutionaries as they were called, were
the colonists who either fought for
independence or supported the revolution
in some way. The ideology of these Patriots
was that of the Age of Enlightenment, one
that strongly rejected monarchies and
aristocracies while supporting individual
rights and freedoms. The opposite of the
Patriots were the Royalists or Tories who
supported British rule and who were later
labeled Loyalists. Most of them stayed in
the US and became citizens, but some
moved to British territories in the Canadas.
Some prominent Patriots include Thomas
Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton,
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Paul Revere, and many more.
 The British Empire
The British Empire was the main oppressor and
enemy of the Patriots during the American
Revolution. The British were the ones who
originally established the colonies and the first
colonizers were of English descent with more from
different countries settling later. The rule of King
George III and the harsh treatment of the colonies
were driving forces for the Revolution. This
includes the large taxes on almost everything, the
lack of equal representation, and the brutal
mistreatment of colonists. Even though the British
were the main enemy combatants during the war,
the Patriots also had to fight the Hessians that had
been hired by King George, and others. On the
British side, they weren’t just fighting the Patriots
they also had to fight French soldiers that had been
sent to assist the colonies in their victory over the
British Empire, which is because of France’s and
England’s century-long conflict.
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 Timeline of the
American Revolution

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 End of the Seven Years War
Ends a source of insecurity for the British colonists along the
Atlantic Coast. The costs of the war and maintaining an army led
British Troops Occupy Boston
the British government to impose new taxes on its colonists, with
world-shaking results. March 22, 1765 British troops land in Boston to enforce the Townshend duties
(taxes on paint, paper, tea, etc,) and clamp down on local radicals.

February 10, 1763 Passage of the Stamp Act October, 1768

Britain passes the Stamp Act, imposing a tax on legal
documents, newspapers, even playing cards.
Committees of Correspondence
Established War Breaks Out
The first shots of the Revolutionary War are fired at Lexington and
March-June,
Committees of Correspondence were established throughout the
Concord in Massachusetts. The news of the bloodshed rockets
colonies to coordinate American responses to British colonial
along the eastern seaboard, and thousands of volunteers
policy. This represents an important move toward cooperation,
mutual action, and the development of a national identity among 1774 converge—called "Minute Men"—on Cambridge, Mass. These are
the beginnings of the Continental Army.
Americans

Spring of 1772 Britain Tries to Intimidate Massachusetts April 19,

The British Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, often called
the Intolerable Acts in America. Among other actions, Britain 1775
closed the port of Boston and required British troops to be
housed in taverns and vacant buildings. The acts generated
considerable sympathy for Massachusetts and other colonies.
America Declares Independence Victory at Yorktown
The Second Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of After many more hard-fought battles, a joint French and American
Independence. After a decade of agitation over taxes and a year
of war, representatives break with Britain. King George III isn't
October 17, force traps a large British army on Virginia's Yorktown peninsula.
Unable to evacuate or receive reinforcements because a French
willing to let his subjects go without a fight, and loyalist sentiment
remains strong in many areas
1777 fleet has driven off a British fleet, General Cornwallis is forced to
surrender.

September 17,
July 4, 1776 Americans Win at Saratoga
General John Burgoyne's attempt to separate the rebellious 1781
New England colonies from those farther south ends in a
spectacular failure. The surrender of 6,000 British regulars at
Saratoga will shock London and help induce France to enter the
war on the American side.
 U.S. Constitution Is Ratified And
Replaces Articles of
The American Revolution Is Confederation
Officially Over A convention of states in Philadelphia proposes the Constitution
to replace the much looser central government operating under
The Treaty of Paris ratifies the independence of the 13 North the Articles of Confederation. With amendments, the Constitution
American states. remains the framework of government in the U.S.

September 3, 1783 June 21, 1788

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