First Continental Congress

  • 12 of the 13 original colonies met at ______in September 1774 to discuss options in response to the ______. (Georgia did not attend)
  • There were two differing opinions as to what to do:

Opinion One

______(make peace) King George III.

Only wanted a written statement that guaranteed their ______as British subjects.

Opinion Two

The intolerable acts shows that the King intended to ______all of their rights.

They voted to fight with ______and ______action.

After much debate the congress decided to do the following:

  1. Send a ______to King George asking him to recognize their rights as English subjects.
  2. all the colonies will ______British made goods.
  3. all the colonies will ______selling goods to England
  4. all colonies will train ______to fight.

They agreed to meet again in May 1775 to review events.

Lexington and Concord

  • England’s response to the First Continental Congress’ boycott was to send ______troops (Redcoats) to Boston.

•To keep away from the British, Sam Adams went to hide in ______and the militia hid their guns and ammunition in ______.

•On April 19, 1775, British commander, General Gage, sent ______men marching to Concord to destroy the weapons and capture Sam Adams in Lexington.

Eyes are watching!

•The Sons of Liberty were watching the British troop movements.

•They placed ______in the church window to show which direction the British were moving.

•Paul Revere and his friends rode on horseback through the towns shouting, “______!” to alert the Minutemen.

•When the British reached Lexington, they encountered ______Minutemen. The minutemen were told to disband, but refused.

•No one knows who fired first, but that first shot is called the “______” because everybody in the world would feel the results of the Revolution.

•In the first round of shooting ______Minutemen were killed and one British soldier was injured.

•The British pushed on to ______, but found very little hidden ammunition. They burned what they found in the town square.

•All the minutemen thought Concord was ______so they rushed out to fight the British

•In the fight to get back to Boston, ______Redcoats were killed and approximately ______were either missing or wounded. The Minutemen had won their first battle!

•The Redcoats found ______militia men lining the way back to Boston.

•The American Revolution was on!

Second Continental Congress

The congress met again in May of 1775.

This time ______the colonies attended.

There were 48 representatives called ______.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

The congress decided to send another ______to King George III asking for a repeal of the ______.

This letter is called an ______petition and means they are asking for ______.

Some of the most famous delegates there:

Thomas Jefferson

Sam Adams

Ben Franklin

Sam’s cousin John Adams.

The Continental Army

In case the King says “no” to the petition,they establish the Continental Army and choose ______to be the commander.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Continental Army

Strengths

•knew ______(Indian) tactics; used sneaky methods to fight

•were defending their own ______making them more daring and determined.

Weaknesses

•______

•______

•______troops

Strengths and Weaknesses of the British Army

Strengths

•______

•______

•______soldiers

Weaknesses

•did not know the ______

•fighting far from home and re-supply took ______at least

•fighting in enemy territory (they could be attacked anytime, anywhere.)

Battle of Bunker Hill

•June 16, 1775, American Colonel William Prescott and ______troops covered Breed’s Hill - across from Boston hidden in trenches.

•Prescott gave the order: “______!”

•Why would Prescott tell his soldiers this?

•______British troops (two times the American number) attacked the hill, but were defeated twice.

•After running out of ______and gunpowder, the American colonists were finally defeated on the ______offensive.

•We may have lost the battle, but the British lost ______men. We only lost ______men.

•This battle showed the American determination to fight and ______even at long odds.