📖 Part 1: Reading Passage

The Road to Revolution (1763-1776)

After the French and Indian War ended in 1763, Britain faced massive debt from fighting the costly conflict. To raise money, Parliament passed several acts that angered American colonists. The Sugar Act of 1764 taxed molasses and sugar, while the Stamp Act of 1765 required colonists to buy special stamps for newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards. Colonists protested with the cry "No taxation without representation!"

The situation worsened with the Townshend Acts of 1767, which taxed glass, paint, paper, and tea. Colonists organized boycotts of British goods. Tensions exploded during the Boston Massacre in 1770, when British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists. The Tea Act of 1773 gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales, leading to the Boston Tea Party, where colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.

King George III responded with the Intolerable Acts in 1774, closing Boston Harbor and placing Massachusetts under military rule. These harsh punishments united the colonies against Britain. The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, and by 1775, fighting began at Lexington and Concord. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, formally breaking ties with Britain and establishing the United States of America.

📝 Part 2: Vocabulary Definitions

Instructions: Write definitions for each term using the reading passage.

🔗 Part 3: Cause and Effect Analysis

Instructions: Complete the cause-and-effect organizer below. For each cause, identify the effect and write a complete sentence explaining how it contributed to the American Revolution.

🏛️ Part 4: Connection to Texas History

Reflection Paragraph: Write a paragraph explaining how the American Revolution's ideas about independence and self-government later influenced Texas history. Consider events like the Texas Revolution of 1836 and the fight for independence from Mexico.