Sept 28 - Oct 2, 2015

Tension in the Colonies

-Summary

• England and France both wanted control of the Ohio River Valley in the mid-1700s. British colonists wanted to farm the land while French trappers wanted to hunt beaver there. The two powers went to war. American Indians generally sided with the French thus the British referred to the war as the French and Indian War. Great Britain defeated the French and gained control of the land.

• Great Britain was left deeply in debt following the French and Indian War. They began to look at ways to have the American colonists pay for the war debt.

• Tensions between England and the American colonies began with the Proclamation of 1763. Colonists did not like being told they could not settle west of the Appalachian Mountains.

• Fearing continued attacks, Great Britain felt it was necessary for the army to maintain a colonial presence. The Quartering Act was a way to make the cost of the solders effective. The act allowed soldiers to live in colonial homes and required colonists to prove the men with food and supplies as well.

• The Stamp Act further angered colonists. The cry of “taxation without representation” was heard more and more frequently.

• The Boston Massacre was a turning point in Colonial relations with Great Britain. A group of soldiers were attacked by a mob of Boston citizens outside the Commons House. The soldiers fired on the group killing several colonists.

• Colonial Patriot Benjamin Franklin was a well-known inventor, writer and political activist. His contributions to early America are many.

• John Wise was an early Colonial minister who spoke often and forcefully about the democratic rights of all people. His ideas are found in the Declaration of Independence.

• Early American colonists often took sides. Loyalists remained loyal to the King of England, Patriots defended the colonies and Neutralists took no side.

Questions to Think About

From The Article "War in the New World: The French and Indian War"

• Why was it so important to both Great Britain and France to have control of the Ohio River Valley?

• Why do you think Great Britain had an advantage over France?

• Why was Great Britain’s victory not complete?

From The Article "Tensions Between the Colonies and Britain"

• Explain why the Proclamation of 1763 angered colonists.

• What was the primary reason Great Britain passed the Quartering Act?

• Why did so many colonists react strongly against the Quartering Act?

• Why did colonists hold the Stamp Act Congress?

• Do you think the colonists were justified in attacking the soldiers outside the Commons House in Boston?

• Why do you think the Boston Massacre took place out in the city streets in front of a tax collection building?

• Why do you think John Adams defended the soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre?

From The Article "Benjamin Franklin: Inventor, Scientist, Writer, Patriot"

• What did Benjamin Franklin contribute to colonial America?

• What are some things Franklin invented?

• What is the purpose of most of Franklin’s writings?

From The Article "Who was John Wise?"

• What was Wise known for?

• Why do you think some of Wise’s ideas were controversial?

From The Article "Loyalists, Patriots and Neutralists"

• What do you think was the primary belief of the Loyalists?

• Why do you think there were more Patriots than Loyalists in the colonies?

• How is a Neutralist different from a Loyalist?

Research Question of the Week

“Besides monetary gain, what motivations did Great Britain have in passing various acts that limited rights and freedoms of American Colonists?”

Ask students to complete research on the various Acts Great Britain passed during the colonial

era. Students should focus on researching the reasons that Great Britain had in passing acts that levied various taxes and limited personal freedoms in the colonies. What was Great Britain’s motivation? Students should work in groups to present a short dramatic sketch set in England that would explain Great Britain’s point of view.