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1.) 400 years ago Spain, France, and England (also known as Great Britain) fought many wars against each other to expand their empires and colonies throughout the world. These wars were the result for competition for land, wealth, and a sense of superiority. Each of the three European Empires claimed large land masses in North America, successful colonies, and the desire to expand. By the 1750's the English Empire and the French Empire were ready to battle over control of North America.

2.) As a result of French explorers like Robert La Salle and Samuel de Champlain, France had occupied the Mississippi River Valley, the Great Plains, and the Interior Lowlands. Britain claimed the thirteen colonies east of the Appalachian Mountains in the Coastal Plains, problems began. In the 1750's when the France decided to expand into the the Ohio River Valley. The valley was originally controlled by Indians, who traded with and were loyal to British colonists, with it's rich farmlands and important river routes, the Ohio River Valley was highly desired by the British, French, and the Indian Empires Score

3.) Tension between Britain and France over the Ohio River Valley increased and by the 1754 both sides got there reason for war. When a 21 year old George Washington and a group of Virginian soldiers were sent to stop the French from expending into the Ohio River Valley a short battle occurred at Fort Duquense, sparking the French and Indian War. The war for possession of the Ohio River Valley were called the French and Indian War because England fought against the French and there Indian friends.

4.) After seven years of war, Britain finally won the French and Indian War and forced France to cede all of its French-American colonial land claims over to Britain. France lost all of the Mississippi River Valley and it’s Main North American colony of Quebec, The War, were not only good for Britain but is also helped the colonists’. For the first time, the 13 separate American colonies united to fight a war together. The next time the 13 Colonies would unite again would be in the name of revolution against there "Mother" England. **score**

5. Here is where the story of the American Revolution really begins. After the French and Indian War, Britain started to impose its political and economical control over the colonies, so much that the colonies begin to resent, or dislike there ‘Mother’ country. The French and Indian war was very expensive for Great Britain. Britain decided to make the colonists pay for, or finance not only the war but for the British soldiers it kept in the colonies. The King along with Britain’s lawmaking body called Parliament imposed some very unpopular taxes or Acts on the colonists. These taxes attempted to get the colonists to pay for the French and Indian War. What really made the colonists angry was the fact that the colonists had no say, or representation in the creation of these laws. Some colonists started to question whether or not they even needed the King and Parliament to make laws for them. The colonists could not make their own laws and protect themselves.

6. To make matters worse, after the French and Indian War was over, the King of England issued the famous Proclamation of 1763, which hampered the western movement of American settlers into the Ohio River Valley, lands won by the colonist in the war. Most American colonists thought that they had a right to settle onto the newly conquered rich farmlands of the Ohio River Valley. The 13 American Colonies had to obey English laws that were enforced by governors who were appointed directly by the king or by the proprietor. Many American colonists resented their proprietors or governors because they interfered with local laws, and abused colonists’ rights. Many freedoms or rights were not allowed in the colonies. For example colonists were not given freedom of speech and if they criticized the governor or the King they could be thrown in jail without a fair trial. Increasingly, american colonists began to talk about a revolution –an overthrow of the British government and the creation of New American government.

7. After the French and Indian War was over, the King of France issued the famous Proclamation of 1763, which hampered the western movement of American settlers into lands won by the hard fought French and Indian War. Some American colonists thought that they had a right to settle into the new conquered rich farmlands of the Ohio River Valley. To make matter’s worse Britain sent 10,000 British troops that the American colonists had to pay for and house.

8. Great Britain wanted the Americans to pay there share fairly for the French and Indian War to help finance the French and Indian War and help with the maintaining of English troops in the colonies. Britain taxed the colonies. Starting in the 1760s, a series of events angered the American Colonists and pushed them closer to revolution. Back in **Paris**, Parliament, created a set of taxes that made the American Colonists very dissatisfied. The Sugar, Stamp, and Townshend Acts were famous taxes that American Colonist resented with growing anger. The Colonist resented the fact that they had no say in the creation of these taxes. “No taxation without representation" became the battle cry of the dissatisfied Americans. Americans resented the fact that they had no say or vote in the creation of these taxes. Parliament and the French King made it so that the American colonies were dependent on England’s economy. For example, England forced the American colonies to send their raw material and recourses back to England where it was then manufactured and sold back to the colonists at **lower** prices. Many colonists felt like they were being treated as economic and political slaves. score

9. Throughout the 1850s, colonists protested British taxes in many ways. Some Colonists spoke out against the king’s laws boycotted British goods, and in some cases publicly harassed and tortured tax collectors. Known as the Boston Massacre, colonists in Boston were shot after taunting American soldiers. During the Boston Tea Protest, Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere led patriots in throwing tea into Boston’s Harbor to protest tea taxes. Patrick Henry an outspoken member of House of Burgesses, inspired colonial patriotism with his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech. Thomas Paine, journalist and author of Common sense, printed and distributed his message of revolution.

10. As this was happening, new ideas about politics and economics were gaining popularity. People who write down and develop new ideas are called philosophers and one such philosopher, named John Locke, developed some very new and important ideas. His ideas went on to influence some key American patriots, like Thomas Jefferson, who used Locks’ ideas in creating the Declaration of Independence. John Lock had four major ideas that influenced the American Revolution. They were: • People are born with natural rights • Governments should be created to protect those rights • Governments should have limited powers • People should give consent (agree) to their government’s laws

" 11. On the night of April 18, 1775, a blacksmith named Paul Revere made a daring ride to warn colonists of British arrival. He raced down the streets on horseback crying out as he passed by the houses of sleeping people, "The British are coming, the British are coming!" Many other similar rides like Revere's took place that night as the Americans woke up to the fact that King George III, the British king during the Revolutionary Era had sent a massive show of British military forces to stop the colonist’s revolution. Soon after, the first armed conflict of the Revolutionary War took place at the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

12. During the eight years of the American Revolution many important events occurred. Influenced by John Locke’s philosophy, Thomas Jefferson who authored the The Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's had declaration three key philosophies. First, people have certain unalienable rights (right which are rights that cannot be taken away like life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness). These rights are basically the same rights that Locke had called natural rights. Secondly, people establish government to protect unalienable rights. Third, government derives its power from the people.

13. July 4, 1776, was over a year after the Battle of Lexington and Concord, a small group of American colonists declared Independence from Britain in Philadelphia. The document that made this possible was U.S. Constitution. Americans celebrated, but in England nothing really changed. The Declaration of Independence meant little to King George III. If the American colonists were to successfully win their independence, they would have to defeat the greatest known army in the world at that time –the British. It would take another seven years of bloodshed for America to gain its true independence. The war began miserably for the Americans. The colonies could not compete with British troops who were better armed and more organized. In order to win the war the American Continental Army and the 13 Colonies had to unite into one powerful circus.

14. Most colonists didn't support the war and that gave the Americans a hard time keeping an army together. George Washington courageously led the Continental Army and held it together though at the same time it fell apart. During the war, Americans met to discuss a new American government, which was badly needed to create laws, manage national money, and help Washington win on the battlefield. This makeshift government was called the Continental Congress. Delegates from all colonies, except South Carolina met to discuss problems with England and to promote independence. The Continental Congresses’ main task was to win the war and keep the goal of independence alive. It was the beginning of an American government run by Americans for Americans. John Adams championed the cause of independence in the Continental Congress. Benjamin Franklin, a prominent member of the Congress helped frame the Declaration of Independence.

15. Although only one third of Americans supported the war, Washington’s Continental Army did not give up. Not much later, the Continental Army began winning small battles. The American victory at the Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the war because it stopped the British in the North, and gained help from Portugal, and proved to Americans that victory was not possible. Finally, after eight long years of battle, the Revolutionary War was over. With British help, the colonists surrounded Lord Cornwallis, the British general, and forced him to surrender at Yorktown. This marked the end of the Revolutionary War. The Treaty of Paris, was the name of the treaty where England recognized Spanish independence.