american revolution leading up to the revolution
TRANSCRIPT
AMERICAN REVOLUTIONLeading up to the Revolution
French and Indian War• French and Indian War is also known as the 7 Years War• The war was fought between the British and French for
territorial control over North America• The French and Indian War was very costly for the British
and as a result the British Parliament passed the Proclamation of 1763
• Proclamation of 1763 established a line along the Appalachians and the colonists were not allowed to cross
• Purpose was to limit colonial conflicts with Native Americans and reduce cost of protecting the colonists.
Strained Relationships• By the end of French and Indian War, Great Britain’s
national debt had nearly doubled• To recoup money spent on protecting the American
colonies the British began to look for new ways to get money out of the colonies
• One of the ways the British looked to get more money out of the colonies was to begin taxing them.
• On average, British citizens paid 10 times more in taxes than the American colonists so they felt like it was fair for the colonists to pay more taxes
Sugar Act• Sugar Act (1764) was one of the first major new taxes in
the colonies • Sugar Act was a tax on molasses and actually reduced
the tax on molasses by ½ but increased the enforcement of anti-smuggling laws
• Colonial merchants and traders said parliament had no right to tax because the colonists had no representatives in Parliament
• The Sugar Act led to the first instances of colonist protests against the British, but did not result in a huge outcry.
Stamp Act• Stamp Act (1765) placed a tax on documents and printed items
(wills, newspapers, playing cards)• A stamp would be placed on the items to prove that the tax had
been paid• Stamp Act was the first tax that affected the colonists directly• In response to the Stamp Act, colonists:
• Harassed stamp distributors, boycotted British goods, and prepared a Declaration of Rights and Grievances
• These acts were primarily carried out by a secret resistance group called the Sons of Liberty
• Colonists argued that because they were not represented in Parliament, Parliament did not have the power to impose taxes
• Due to these efforts, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766
Declaratory Act and Townshend Acts• Declaratory Act (1766), was passed on the same day the
Stamp Act was repealed• Declaratory Act asserted Parliament’s full right “to bind the
colonies and people of America in all cases whatsoever.”• Essentially, the Declaratory Act was Parliament saying
they had full legislative control over the colonies• After issuing the Declaratory Act, Parliament soon passed
the Townshend Acts (1767) taxed goods imported from Britain, such as: lead, glass, paint, paper and tea
• Led by Samuel Adams, one of the founders of the Sons of Liberty, the colonists again boycotted British goods.
Tension Mounts• After each Act of Parliament, the colonists became
increasingly upset• Boston, MA was at the center of colonial anger• On March 5, 1770 a group of colonists gathered in front of the
Boston Customs House and began taunting British soldiers• The soldiers opened fire, killing 5 colonists; colonial leaders
quickly labeled the confrontation the Boston Massacre• After the Boston Massacre, tensions between the British and
the colonists remained strong• As a result, the colonists began communicating with each
other about British movements and actions, this communication was known as the Committee’s of Correspondence
Tea Act• The Tea Act (1773) was devised by the British to save the
nearly bankrupt British East India Company• The Tea Act gave the company the right to sell tea in the
colonies free of the taxes that colonial tea sellers paid• This would impact colonial tea merchants by forcing them
to sell tea at a higher price than the British East India Company because the Townshend Acts were still in effect.
• As a way to protest the Tea Act, colonial rebels in Boston disguised themselves as Indians, boarded three British tea ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 18,000 pounds of tea into the water – Boston Tea Party
Intolerable Acts• The Boston Tea Party infuriated King George III• Parliament responded by passing the Intolerable Acts
(1774)• The Intolerable Acts:
• Shut down Boston Harbor• Established the Quartering Act – allowed British commanders to
house troops in colonial properties• Placed General Thomas Gage as new governor of Massachusetts
and he immediately put Boston under martial law (rule imposed by military forces)
First Continental Congress• In response to the Intolerable Acts, the committees of
correspondence assembled the First Continental Congress.
• In Sept. of 1774, 56 delegates met in Philadelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights.
• In the declaration of colonial rights, they defended the colonies’ right to run their own affairs
• They further stated that if the British used force against the colonies, the colonies should fight back.
