JUNIOR CYCLE HISTORY


In response, the British government imposed what Americans called the ‘intolerable acts’ on Boston and the colony of Massachusetts. The port of Boston was closed until compensation was paid for the tea, the city was put under military rule and the colony’s assembly was suspended.


The First Continental Congress


These actions worried the other colonies: if the British could do that to Massachusetts, they could do it to them. Representatives of the colonies met in the Continental Congress in September 1774. The Congress opposed all British taxes, urged a boycott of British goods and demanded the removal of British soldiers. Some demanded all-out war, but the majority were not yet willing to go that far. However, secret groups throughout the colonies began to stockpile weapons and militias (part-time armies) began to train and arm themselves.


The Battles of Lexington and Concord


The British General Gage tried to stop these developments before they became a full-scale rebellion. In April 1775, he sent 800 troops to seize weapons at Concord, near Boston. An American rebel, Paul Revere, heard about this and organised militiamen to ride throughout the country to warn the rebels that the British were coming. At Lexington, on the way to Concord, a small force of American militiamen engaged the British troops. Ten Americans were killed and eight captured. When the British reached Concord, the weapons were gone. On their way back to Boston there was a larger battle and 273 British soldiers died.


The Second Continental Congress


The violence in Massachusetts convinced many that war was now inevitable. A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine called Common Sense was read widely throughout the colonies. Paine argued that the British were oppressing the rights of the American people, who should become completely independent to protect those rights. When the Second Continental Congress met in 1776, it chose George Washington to be commander- in-chief of the Continental (American) Army. On 4 July 1776, the Congress issued the Declaration of Independence to separate the American colonies from British rule.


CHECKPOINT!


1. What happened at the Boston Massacre and how did Britain respond? 2. What caused the Boston Tea Party? 3. What were the ‘intolerable acts’ and how did the other colonies respond to them? 4. What decisions did the First Continental Congress make? 5. What happened at Lexington and Concord? 6. Why is 4 July celebrated every year in the United States of America?


.


I can explain the events that led to the American Declaration of Independence.


TIME TO GO BACK I CAN MOVE FORWARD 171 DID YOU KNOW?


The same night as Revere’s ride, a 16-year-old girl named Sybil Ludington rode twice the distance Revere had through the rain to alert the Continental troops. She returned home at dawn, having averted disaster, and George Washington thanked her personally for her courage.


Go to page 76 of your Sources and Skills Book for an evidence task.


12 Revolutions Option One: The American Revolution


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