american rev & bna

How did revolution lead the colonies toward independence?

The Revolutionary War

• Started with the “shot heard round the world” in 1775 – Lexington Green Massachusetts

• George Washington named Commander of the Continental Army

• 1st major battle near Bunker Hillhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4zpXaxg3is • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lXnfitSo

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Attack on Quebec

• Colonies were vulnerable to the north • Convince Quebec to join the revolution or attack

them first• Winter of 1775 the Americans attacked Quebec• The attack failed, but it helped reassure the

Canadians loyalty to Britain.• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdZxkoBZwoY

Declaration of Independence• Continental Congress decided colonies should become an independent republic

• 1776 they drafted the Declaration of Independence

•All people have rights that the government can’t take away: -the right to life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness

•If these rights are violated the people have the right to overthrow the governmenthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb7MI8NQLoo

After the Declaration was Signed

• The Declaration of Independence did not end the revolutionary war

• Spain and France joined the Americans to help defeat the British

• At the Battle of Yorktown 1781 the British lost a whole army

• They soon surrendered Savannah and Charleston before abandoning New York

Treaty of Paris

• September 3, 1783 & ended Revolutionary War • Americans and British cut out the French• Treaty was generous for the Americans• Trade between the British

& Americans flourished

Review: How did revolution lead the colonies toward independence?

• They were united in their grievances against Britain• Formation of the Continental Army• Developed a sense of Nationalism/Patriotism• Established distinct borders between the United

States and British North America • Declaration of Independence

Comparing Viewpoints

• Page 177• 15 minutes to read each passage and fill out the

table at the top. Do this with person next to you• 5 minutes to discuss & share answers with

another pair. Add any additional information if needed

• 10 minutes to answer the last question individually

• Needs to be handed in before you leave class

How did the American Revolution Change British North America?

Why not Nova Scotia?• Halifax was an important British naval base run by a

small group of wealthy merchants• During the war American privateers raided lots of

British ships and villages along the coast• The attacks damaged Nova Scotia’s economy so

heavily, it assured British loyalty

The Loyalists

• Not everyone in the Thirteen Colonies supported the revolution

• 1/5 supported British rule• Loyalists were persecuted

during the war by revolutionary patriots

The Loyalists Arrive in Canada• After the Treaty of Paris was signed between

80 000 – 100 000 Loyalists had to leave their homes in the United States

• Some went to England or other British colonies • Many accepted Britain’s offer of farmland in

Quebec, Nova Scotia, the Island of St. John (PEI)

Black Loyalists

• During the Revolution there were 500 000 African Americans in the Thirteen Colonies

• Most were slaves on plantations in the south

• The British offered freedom to these slaves

Black Loyalists Cont’d

• Slaves crossing the British lines became soldiers, cooks, labourers or nurses

• Loyalists who had slaves brought as many with them to Quebec, Nova Scotia & News Brunswick as they could manage

First Nations• The Americans wanted the First Nations land,

making conflict unavoidable • The First Nations were divided about what to

do• When revolution broke out they decided to

keep a neutral position

Joseph Brant

• Mohawk Leader, also known as Thayendanegea

• In 1775 he visited England as an ambassador

• The negotiations of the Treaty of Paris (1783) ignored the First Nations

• At Brant’s insistence the British gave the Haudenosaunee land along the Grand River

The Remaining British Colonies

• Britain wanted populations that were loyal to the British Crown

• Loyalists, First Nations & African Americans were the first to be accepted in British North America

The Constitutional Act• Loyalists settling in Quebec demanded they be

governed separately from the French speaking Canadiens

• Constitutional Act (1791) divided Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada

• Each colony received its own government

Review: How did the American Revolution Change British North America?

• Nova Scotia joined British North America• Loyalists settled in British North America• First Nations received land along the Grand River• The Constitutional Act separated Quebec into

Upper and Lower Canada

Value Line Activity

• Did the American Revolution result in freedom, liberty & happiness for the people in the colonies?

• Stand on the left side of the room if you think it did

• Stand on the right side of the room if you think it didn’t

• If you’re not sure, stand in the middle• Be prepared to explain your perspective