The colonists met at the First Continental Congress in 1774 to protest British taxes by writing a letter to the King of England. They said the taxes violated colonist rights and needed to be repealed to restore harmony. The period of Salutary Neglect, where Britain loosely governed the colonies, had ended. On April 19, 1775, the "Shot Heard Round the World" occurred as British troops marched to Concord to seize weapons. Colonists fought back at Lexington and Concord in what became known as the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The Second Continental Congress met in 1775 and decided the colonies should officially separate from Britain. Thomas Jefferson was selected to write the Declaration of Independence explaining the reasons

1. Aim:
Were the colonists justified in
resisting British policies after the
French and Indian War?

2. Do Now:
1. According to Tomas Paine, who is
the “mother country” of the 13
colonies?
2. How does he describe the
population of the 13 colonies?
3. According to Paine, how do the
colonies benefit from being ruled
by Great Britain?

4. What does it mean that the
period of Salutary Neglect
ended?

5. First Continental Congress
• Met in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania on
September 1774
• Decided to write
a letter to the
King of England
in protest of the
taxes.

6. “Resolved, That the following acts of
Parliament are violations of the rights of
the colonists; and that the repeal of
them is essentially necessary, in order
to restore harmony between Great
Britain and the American colonies…”
What did the colonists say to the king in
the “Olive branch petition”?

7. “The Shot Heard Round the World”
• American colonists had weapons hidden in Concord,
Massachusetts.
• 800 British troops marched through Lexington on the
way to Concord after hearing news of the weapons.
• Paul Revere, a colonists from Massachusetts, warned
the colonists by yelling “The British are coming!”
• The colonists got their guns and were ready to meet the
British. These colonists became known as
“Minutemen”
• The encounter became known as the Battle of Lexington
and Concord.
• No one knows which side fired first… the result: 50

8. Second Continental Congress

9. • Met in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
• Decided to officially
separate from
Britain
• Thomas Jefferson
selected to write a
document that
explains the
reasons why the
colonies want to
separate from Great
Britain.
Second Continental Congress

10. The Declaration of Independence
• Written by Thomas Jefferson
• It is the “Birth Certificate of the
United States”
• Document listed rights and
grievances against King George III
• 4 parts
1. Preamble
2. Declaration of rights
3. List of Grievances
4. Resolution

11. Task:
1. In pairs, close read the
Declaration of
Independence.