The Empire Under Strain

Stirrings of Revolt

The Stamp Act Crisis:The Act

Tax to raise revenue

Americans felt they had no representation in Parliament

The Stamp Act Crisis:The Protest

The “Trumpet of Sedition”–The House of Burgesses

The Stamp Act CongressThe “Sons of Liberty”

–Terrorists?

The Stamp Act Crisis: But Bruder, why was it such a big

deal?

It effected the wealthyIt invaded privacyIt effected those who knew how

to make a changeOh, now I understand

The Townshend Acts

Designed to raise revenueIs it an Internal or external tax?

Asserted control over colonial assemblies (one at a time)

The Tea Act

Exempted the East India Company from taxes

Created a monopolyHurt merchantsAnd LOWERED the cost of tea

The Tea Act

Again it effected the wealthy

Taxation without representation

England’s Perspective

Colonists paid less taxesLonger life expectancyGreater local representationVirtual representation in

ParliamentHighest standard of living in the

Western Hemisphere

“The Revolution was in the mind” – John Adams

A shift was occurring in the mind of colonists

They began to see themselves as Americans and no longer British