The document summarizes key events in the American Revolution and Georgia's role. It discusses the causes of the revolution, including the French and Indian War, Proclamation of 1763, Stamp Act, and Intolerable Acts. It then describes major battles that took place in Georgia, such as the Battle of Kettle Creek and Siege of Savannah. Finally, it provides context on Georgia's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitutional Convention.
2. Causes of the Revolution
• There are several factors that lead to the
American Revolution:
– The French & Indian War
– The Proclamation of 1763
– The Stamp Act
– The Intolerable Acts
3. The French & Indian War
• 1754-1763
• Who fought whom?
– Great Britain was on one
• The war was caused
side
because of tension
– The French became
(problems) between
allies (friends) with the
Great Britain and France
Native Americans
4. Outcome of the French & Indian War
• Great Britain won the war
• The war had several positive results for Georgia:
– Georgia grew! The Mississippi River became
Georgia’s new western border
– Georgia was more secure! Great Britain gained
control of Florida, meaning the colonists in
Georgia didn’t have to worry about the Spanish
anymore
• Great Britain incurred lots of debt (owed money to
other countries)
5. The Proclamation of 1763
• Because Great Britain incurred a lot of debt
fighting for the colonists, King George III
thought that he and Parliament (GB’s
legislative branch) should have more of a say
in what happened in the colonies the King
ended the practice of salutary neglect (letting
the colonies govern themselves)
6. The Proclamation of 1763
• The Proclamation of 1763 did two things:
–Created 4 new colonies
–Prohibited American colonists from
settling west of the Appalachian
Mountains (King George did this to help
make peace with the Native Americans)
7. The Proclamation of 1763
• How did the colonists react to the
Proclamation of 1763?
– The colonists thought that the
Proclamation of 1763 was unfair because
it limited their personal freedoms and
economic opportunities (a chance to
make more money)
8. The Stamp Act
• After the French & Indian War, Great Britain
needed to make money to pay off its debts
• The most common way that governments
raise revenue (income) is to tax their citizens
• The Stamp Act was passed in 1765
• It placed a tax (money that an individual must
pay to the government) on all legal
documents, newspapers, licenses, and other
things necessary to do business
9. Look at the political cartoon on the right.
What do you think was the colonists’
opinion of the Stamp Act?
These are examples of what a Royal Stamp
would have looked like.
A political cartoon showing
the colonists’ reaction to the
Stamp Act.
10. Effects of the Stamp Act
• Many colonies selected delegates to represent them at
the Stamp Act Congress Georgia did not because its
assembly was not in session
• The Stamp Act Congress decided that each colony should
boycott (refuse to buy) any good that required a
government stamp
• Georgia was the only American colony to ever sell
any stamps a few were sold in Savannah
• Parliament eventually repealed (did away with) the
Stamp Act
11. The Intolerable Acts
• After the Stamp Act, Great Britain issued a tax on
tea In 1773, a group of Bostonians (people
from Boston) dumped a lot of tea into Boston
Harbor in protest against the Tea Act
• As a result of the Boston Tea Party, King George
III and Parliament passed several new laws in
1774:
–
–
–
–
Placed a military governor in charge of Massachusetts
Closed Boston Harbor
Took away land from several colonies
Enacted (made a law) the Quartering Act
12. The Quartering Act
• The Quartering Act forced all of the colonists
to house (give shelter to) any British soldier if
the soldier asked
• The owner of the house had to pay for all of
the soldiers expenses out of his own pocket
• This upset all of the colonies, including
Georgia
13. Effects of the Intolerable Acts
• The colonies created the First Continental
Congress Georgia was the only colony that
did not send delegates (representatives)
• The First Continental Congress sent a message
to the King that the colonists believed they
should live by their own laws because they
weren’t represented in Parliament
14. What about Georgia?
• Georgia was the youngest of the American
colonies, and still depended very heavily on
aid from Great Britain
• They didn’t want to do anything to upset the
King
15. “Join, or Die” by Benjamin Franklin
1.
2.
3.
What do you know about Benjamin Franklin?
What colony is missing from the snake?
What do you think Franklin meant by “Join, or Die?”
16. Declaration of Independence
• Signed on July 4, 1776 by the Second
Continental Congress
• Georgia only sent 1 unofficial delegate
(representative) to the start of the congress
Abraham Baldwin
• Georgia sent 2 more delegates for a total of 3
William Few, and Button Gwinnett
17. The Revolutionary War
• The war was fought between Great Britain
and the American Colonists
• Patriots were colonists who were opposed to
(against) Great Britain
• Tories were colonists who were loyal to (on
the same side as) Great Britain
• The American Revolution lasted from 17751781
18. The War in Georgia
• Georgia was the site of 2 major battles during
the American Revolution:
– The Battle of Kettle Creek
– The Siege of Savannah
This historical marker marks the site of the
Battle of Kettle Creek
19. The Battle of Kettle Creek
• February 1779
• Colonel Elijah Clarke led Georgia’s militia
(soldiers who only fight during a war) to a
victory over 700 British soldiers
• The Patriots got weapons and supplies from
the defeated British
• The victory lifted the morale (good feelings)
of the patriots in Georgia
20. Austin Dabney
• Slave who fought in his
master’s place
• Wounded during the
Battle of Kettle Creek
• Awarded freedom and
land for his service
during the
Revolutionary War
Nancy Hart
• Was a Patriot spy during
the Revolutionary War
• Sometimes dressed like
a man and went into
loyalist (Tory) camps to
get information
• One legend says that
she held a group of
Tories at gunpoint until
help arrived
21. The Siege of Savannah
• Fall 1779
• 1,500 Patriots and
4,000 French troops
tried to recapture
Savannah from the
Tories
• On October 9, the
Patriots and French
attacked the British
• The Patriots were
defeated
22. The War Ends!
General Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George
Washington on October 19, 1781. The Treaty of Paris
officially ended the war 2 years later in 1783.
24. GA’s Constitution of 1777
• Based on the ideas of natural rights (rights that were
given to humans from birth) and governments having
power by the consent of the governed (the people
being ruled give power to the rulers)
• Created three branches of government in Georgia
Executive Branch (Governor); Legislative Branch
(unicameral, or “one house”, Assembly; Judicial
Branch (state courts)
• Because the people of Georgia did not want one
person to have too much power, the Constitution gave
most of the power to the Legislative Branch
25. The Articles of Confederation
• Ratified (voted on and approved) in 1781
• The Articles gave the individual States too much power, and
did not give the Federal (National) government enough
power
• Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation:
– States could print their own money
– Federal government could not levy (create) taxes had to
ask the States for money
– Federal government could not have a standing army or
navy
– Federal government could not pass laws unless 9 out of 13
States agreed with the law
26. The Constitutional Convention
• Georgia sent 2 delegates to the convention
Abraham Baldwin and William Few
• During the Convention, 2 versions of the
Constitution were created The Virginia
Plan (favored large Southern States) and The
New Jersey Plan (favored small Northern
States)
• The delegates voted on the
