2.2 Key Events Leading to the American Revolution

The American Revolution didn't happen overnight. It was a slow burn of tension between the colonies and Britain. From the Boston Massacre to the Tea Act, each event added fuel to the fire of colonial discontent.

Things really heated up with the battles of Lexington and Concord. The Second Continental Congress stepped in, forming an army and trying one last time for peace. But the king wasn't having it, setting the stage for full-blown revolution.

British Acts and Colonial Resistance

Escalating Tensions in Boston

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• Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770 resulted in the deaths of five colonists
• British soldiers fired into a crowd of protestors heightened anti-British sentiment
• Event widely publicized through Paul Revere's engraving fueled colonial resistance
• John Adams defended the British soldiers in court demonstrated colonial commitment to justice
• Incident led to reduced British military presence in Boston for several years

Controversial Legislative Measures

• Tea Act of 1773 allowed British East India Company to sell tea directly to colonies
• Act bypassed colonial merchants sparked protests over taxation without representation
• Boston Tea Party responded to Tea Act by dumping 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor
• Coercive Acts, also known as Intolerable Acts, punished Massachusetts for Boston Tea Party
• Acts closed Boston Harbor until damages were paid restricted town meetings
• Quebec Act of 1774 expanded Quebec's borders angered land speculators in other colonies
• Act granted religious freedom to Catholics in Quebec raised suspicions among Protestant colonists

Outbreak of the Revolutionary War

Initial Military Engagements

• Lexington and Concord battles on April 19, 1775 marked the beginning of armed conflict
• British troops marched to seize colonial weapons stores encountered militia resistance
• "Shot heard 'round the world" at Lexington Green initiated the first skirmish
• Concord's North Bridge witnessed colonists forcing British troops to retreat
• Paul Revere's midnight ride warned colonists of approaching British forces

Colonial Political Response

• Second Continental Congress convened in May 1775 to coordinate colonial response
• Congress established Continental Army appointed George Washington as Commander-in-Chief
• Olive Branch Petition sent to King George III in July 1775 as final attempt at reconciliation
• Petition professed loyalty to the crown while requesting resolution of grievances
• King refused to receive the petition declared colonies in rebellion

Significant Early Battle

• Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775 near Boston
• British forces captured Breed's Hill after three assaults suffered heavy casualties
• Colonial forces demonstrated their ability to stand against professional British army
• Battle boosted colonial morale despite tactical defeat
• "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" became famous battle cry

Influential Revolutionary Literature

Thomas Paine's Persuasive Pamphlet

• Common Sense published anonymously by Thomas Paine in January 1776
• Pamphlet advocated for complete independence from Great Britain
• Written in plain language appealed to a wide audience of colonists
• Argued monarchy was unnatural challenged the authority of the British crown
• Sold over 500,000 copies played crucial role in swaying public opinion towards independence
• Paine's work influenced the drafting of the Declaration of Independence
• Pamphlet proposed a republican form of government as alternative to monarchy