TWO MAIN GROUPS: Supported England Supported the and the king. cause of Independence 1738-1820 •Became king of England in 1760. •Was blamed by the Patriots for much of what happened in the colonies. •Refused to surrender until the war dragged on for over 6 years. “I was the last to consent to the separation; but the separation having been made and having become inevitable, I have always said, as I say now, that I would be the first to meet the friendship of the United States as an independent power.” British Prime Minister from 1763-1765 •Studied British finances and came to the conclusion that the British were actually losing money in the colonies. •He ENDS “salutary neglect,” and begins creating and enforcing taxes. •Believed the colonies needed to pay their fair share for the French and Indian War. •Created the Stamp Tax, which the colonists HATED. Patriot Political Group •Formed in 1766 to protect the rights of colonists. •Responsible for many acts of rebellion in the colonies, especially Boston. •Most famous act was the Boston Tea Party. Speaker and Politician from Virginia •Elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. •Member of the Sons of Liberty. •Spoke out openly against the 1765 Stamp Act; many worried he had committed treason. “If this be treason, make the most of it!” “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” Colonial Leader from Massachusetts •Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Boston Town Meeting. •A leader of the movement opposed to British taxes on the colonists without their consent. •A member of the Sons of Liberty. •A controversial figure who some view as a dedicated hero for freedom and liberty. Others saw him as a propaganda master who encouraged mob violence. Lawyer, Patriot, and Future President •2nd cousin of Samuel Adams, but not an outspoken, inspirational leader like Sam. •Became an important leader thanks to his intelligence and study of the law. •Member of the Sons of Liberty. •Famously known as the lawyer that defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre. “Whatever may be our wishes… they can not alter the state of facts and evidence.” Merchant; member of the Sons of Liberty, President of the Second Continental Congress Doctor; member of the Sons of Liberty; Dies in the Battle of Bunker Hill Silversmith and Patriot •Member of the Sons of Liberty. •Famously known for two events in his life: •His engraving of the Boston Massacre, which stirred anger in the colonies •His famous midnight ride in 1775, when he warned fellow Patriots that “The British are coming!” Writer •Believed strongly in the cause for American independence; doesn’t move to America until 1774. •In January 1776, he published his most famous work, “Common Sense,” which explained that it no longer made sense for America to be controlled by England. “Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing WRONG, gives it a superficial appearance of being RIGHT…” •Colonial militias, or small •Professional British soldiers groups of fighters that were from England. organized to defend the colonies. •Highly trained and represented the most •Began in Massachusetts: powerful military on the planet. •Known for their bright red uniforms: •These “soldiers” were really farmers, bakers, smiths, and other “average” people •According to tradition, they could be ready to fight in a MINUTE’S notice. •The same William Pitt from the •British finance minister. French and Indian War. •Supported by King George III •Became Prime Minister of •Pushed through a series of Great Britain 1766-1768. taxes and laws that the king •Believed that England should favored, called the go easy on Americans. Townshend Acts. •Too weak of a leader to control Parliament and Townshend… Patriot Group •First organized by Samuel Adams in Boston in 1772. •Spread information by communicating or “corresponding” with other colonies. •They circulated pamphlets and sent messengers to different cities. Patriot Political Event/Group •1st Continental Congress met in Sept. 1774. •They boycotted British goods and threatened to stop exports to England. Agreed to meet again in 1775 if things did not improve. •2nd Continental Congress met in May 1775. •Met in Philadelphia. •Organized a Continental Army and named George Washington its Commander-in-Chief. •Attempted one last peace with the king, by sending the “Olive Branch Petition.” Politician from Virginia •Represented Virginia in the Continental Congress. •Main writer of the Declaration of Independence. •3rd President of the United States. •Founder of the University of Virginia. “We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” Politician and Military General from Virginia •Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. •Regarded as the “Father of our Country.” •1st President of the United States. “I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” Prime Minister during the American Revolution •British Prime Minister from 1770 – 1782. •Believed in strongly taxing the colonists. •Favored strict punishments on the 13 colonies for rebelling, especially the Boston Tea Party. .