The colonies were settled and the colonists wanted more room. The only way to go was west to the frontier. But then the English ran into problems with the French and the Indians. A war was to follow and the colonies would have to pay for it, or would they? By the fall of 1774, American colonists were in a conflict with Great Britain, kind of like teenagers and their parents. The colonies gathered at the First Continental Congress and voted to continue a boycott of British goods. The Second Continental Congress also voted to fight for independence after the “shot heard ‘round the world” was fired at Lexington in April 1775.

After eventually turning the tide and winning a major victory over the British in 1777, The patriots received help from France and Spain. The Treaty of Paris  of 1783 officially ended the war and forced the British to recognize the United States as an independent country.

In this unit you will be able to:
• Create a graphic organizer which will compare and contrast the French and British colonies
• Explain how the French and Indian War affected the British colonies.
• Understand the events which led to growing tensions between the colonies and England.
• Analyze Paul Reveres Ride by Longfellow.

Time to get started. Go to the readings section and find out more about the road to Independence.