Why Our Fathers Fought Our Mother Country

• Early American colonists identified as English
• Distance made governance difficult and slow
• Colonists gradually formed a distinct identity
• Britain provided military protection during wars
• Post-war debt led Britain to tighten control
• New taxes and trade restrictions increased tension
• Quartering Act required housing of British troops
• Colonists were denied traditional English legal rights
• Lack of representation conflicted with established principles
• Geography made fair representation impractical
• Independence became the likely outcome

The War Young Washington Started

• Britain and France tensions increased as expansion pushed west
• Young George Washington was sent to confront French forces in Ohio
• His actions helped trigger the French and Indian War
• Early British war effort was poorly managed
• Colonists and Native relations were mishandled
• Some colonies resisted cooperation due to trade ties with France
• By 1756 British settlers had retreated significantly
• William Pitt improved coordination and increased troop support
• Colonies became more actively involved in the war effort
• Key victories shifted control of major territories
• Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the conflict and redrew borders
• Proclamation of 1763 restricted westward colonial expansion
• Colonists resented decisions made without their input
• Combined experiences reduced colonial respect for Britain

The Rich, the Poor, and the “Middling Sort”

• Colonies were highly diverse in wealth, race, ideology, and religion
• Many experienced some upward economic mobility
• Enslaved field hands made up the largest enslaved group
• Indentured servants made up a large share of immigrants with temporary contracts
• Free Black people existed but had limited rights
• Farmers were the largest social class with small family farms
• The middling sort included tradespeople and professionals
• The gentry were wealthy landowners and merchants with political influence

Patriots & Loyalists

• Patriots were generally younger and less established
• They believed independence was morally justified after rights were denied
• They trusted a free government could replace colonial rule
• Loyalists tended to be older and more risk averse
• They saw rebellion against the crown as immoral
• Many preferred stability over uncertain change
• Common Sense by Thomas Paine strongly influenced independence sentiment
• It sold widely and rapidly spread revolutionary ideas
• Colonial population was deeply divided in opinion
• Many remained undecided during the conflict
• Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4 1776
• Colonial governments removed royal officials

America Praying, America Thinking

• The Great Awakening involved high religious participation across colonies
• It emphasized personal spirituality over institutional authority
• It strengthened belief in individual moral judgment
• Higher education expanded early with institutions like Harvard
• The Scientific Revolution introduced the idea of natural laws governing the world
• Newton’s work reshaped how people understood nature and order
• John Locke promoted skepticism, inquiry, and intellectual freedom
• Knowledge was seen as something to be questioned and discovered
• The revolution began as a shift in thinking before becoming political

King and Parliament

• King George III ended salutary neglect and asserted stronger authority
• Colonial tensions rose after the French and Indian War
• Britain expanded searches and imposed new restrictions
• Multiple taxes and trade laws targeted colonial goods and commerce
• Colonists responded with boycotts and resistance
• Stamp Act taxed printed legal and commercial documents
• Sons of Liberty organized protests and intimidation of tax agents
• Colonial leaders drafted formal objections and declarations
• Parliament repealed the Stamp Act but asserted full authority
• Townshend Acts imposed new duties on imported goods
• British enforcement actions included customs officials and political suspensions
• Colonial resistance grew into broader independence arguments
• Major writings challenged taxation without representation
• Some laws were repealed but taxation authority was maintained
• Tensions escalated into a broader independence movement

From Massacre to Tea Party

• Regulators formed as a vigilante group
• Escalation of conflict led to attacks on tax collectors
• Boston Massacre (1770) escalated things
• A confrontation between soldiers and a crowd led to deaths after shots were fired
• Sam Adams framed the event to build revolutionary sentiment
• Boston Tea Party (1773) protested British taxation and trade policy
• Colonists destroyed imported tea by dumping it into Boston Harbor
• British response was severe and aimed to reassert control
• Punitive laws closed the port and increased military authority
• Colonists viewed these actions as collective punishment
• Mourning and protest spread through Boston and other colonies
• Colonial coordination increased through formation of the Continental Congress
• Delegates from all colonies began unified political resistance

Tipping Point

• Quebec Act (1774) extended French laws and land policies
• Colonists saw it as violating English legal rights and traditions
• Continental Congress declared British actions unconstitutional
• Colonies prepared for armed resistance if demands were ignored
• Drafted foundational documents outlining colonial rights
• British military attempts to seize weapons increased tensions
• Colonial networks organized warnings and secured supplies
• Resistance included sabotage and coordinated militia action
• British underestimated colonial organization and unity
• By this point rebellion was clearly forming
• Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death”

Heard Round The World

• In April 1775 British troops were sent to arrest colonial leaders in Boston
• Paul Revere warned that British forces were moving out
• Colonial militias mobilized along expected routes
• Fighting broke out at Lexington Green on April 19, 1775
• The first shot’s origin is unknown
• Fighting spread to Concord as colonial forces gathered
• British troops were harassed during retreat toward Boston
• The conflict lasted much of the day with continued engagements
• Both sides suffered casualties
• The battles marked a major escalation into open war
• Continental Congress formed the Continental Army
• Thousands of colonial troops were organized for defense
• British forces were later surrounded in Boston by militia forces