Moving Toward Independence

MercantilismIs an economic and political policy whereby a nation tries to gain greater wealth and power greater than that of its rivals.Its main goal is to establish a powerful self-sustaining empire.To accomplish, an empire needed to sell more goods to other nations than it purchases from them.This often meant that nations needed to establish colonies in order to find raw materials to produce into finished goods they could sell.

Continental Colors

Balance of Trade A nation gains a balance of trade when it exports more products than it imports.

Exports – goods sold to other nationsImports – goods bought from other nations

What are some examples of exports?

What are some examples of imports?

Beef, Agricultural Products, AutomobilesTechnology (iPods, Microsoft), Defense

Oil, Automobiles, Clothing, Toys Technology (PlayStation, Wii)

Indirect TaxDuties collected on goods entering colonial ports.Duties are paid by only those who actually buy the products.The tax is included in the price paid by the purchaser of the product. Often, the purchaser has no idea that a tax is being paid. Gasoline is a perfect example (32 cents/gallon currently)

Direct TaxDirect tax is one paid directly to the government by the persons on whom it is imposed.Examples include income taxes paid to the federal and state governments, estate tax (inheritance), and property taxes to school districts and local townships.

Beginnings of the American RevolutionFrench & Indian War / Seven Years’ War (1754-1763)

English and the Colonistsvs.

French and their Indian allies.

Conflict in North AmericaBoth France and England claimed land in the Ohio ValleyFrance’s empire in North America (New France) was huge, but not many settlers lived here.French colonial empire was based on fur trading with the Indians.English empire in North America was based on farming.

Fur trading = cooperation with Indians. Farming = taking Indian lands.

French & Indian War (1754-1763)

Would be known as the Seven Years’ War in Europe.

Conflict began over land in North America.

British suffer early setbacks but eventually capture the strategic cities of Montreal and Quebec.

Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the conflict and forced France to surrender New France to the English.

Causes of the American RevolutionThe British finally won the French & Indian War (Seven Years’ War).

In the process of defeating the French, the British had amassed significantly huge debts.

The British answered by taxing the American Colonists.

Points to PonderDid the British have the right to tax the Americans?

Why or why not?

Colonists Argument: No taxation without representation

British Argument: We defended you, colonies should help pay for that defense.

British Taxation of the Colonists

Navigation ActsThese acts were originally passed in the 1650’s; however, the British never really enforced them until 1765.Required that all goods sold in the colonies must be brought to America by British ships.

Proclamation of 1763Barred colonists from settling the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. Also required fur traders to obtain royal permission before entering the territory.

Currency Act of 1764Forbid colonial governments from issuing their own paper money.Required that taxes be paid in either gold or silver rather than paper money.Why do you think Parliament passed this law?

Sugar Act of 1764Placed a duty on sugar, molasses, and other products imported from outside the British Empire. Royal inspectors searched ships coming into ports and warehouses.Inspectors even searched private homes looking for smuggled goods. Rewards were offered for citizens who reported their neighbors who were smuggling. Special courts, with no juries and presided over by British naval officers tried these smuggling cases and passed sentence.

Sugar Act was the first attempt by Parliament to have the colonies pay for the significant war debts incurred by the French & Indian War.Colonists almost immediately begin to organize and discuss means of resistance.

Quartering Acts (1765)First, it required the colonial governments to provide barracks and provisions for royal troops. 1766, the law required colonial citizens to house & feed royal troops at their own expense. These acts were seen as a violation of privacy and personal liberty.

Stamp Act (1765) Required that every paper document have a revenue stamp purchased from a royally appointed colonial stamp agent. Violations would be tried in Vice-Admiralty Courts (no jury) Colonists began boycotting British made goods.

British Royal Tax Stamp

Stamp Act Congress•Called in New York in October of 1765•The congress drafted a “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” claiming that colonists had the rights of British citizens and that taxation without parliamentary representation was a violation of those rights.

Sons of Liberty•Secret societies created after the passing of the Stamp Act•Responsible for causing riots, burning the offices of tax collectors, and tarred and feathered anyone sympathetic to Great Britain’s cause.

Townshend Acts (1767) •Bundle of Acts intended to raise revenue, tighten customs, and assert royal authority in America.•Levied import duties (tax) on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea.•Authorized “writs of assistance” (blanket search warrants).

Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770)Began when colonial citizens harassed British soldiers.Soldiers eventually fired on the crowd killing five colonials.

Artistic recreation of the Boston Massacre

Committees of CorrespondenceFirst established in Massachusetts (Samuel Adams & James Otis)Consisted of 21 members whose function was to keep the “world” informed about the tyranny caused by the British in Massachusetts.So effective that other colonies eventually followed and created their own “committees”

Tea Act (1773)It was designed to prop up the East India Company which was floundering financially and burdened with eighteen million pounds of unsold tea.

The act was not intended to raise revenue in the American colonies, and in fact imposed no new taxes.

Colonists in Philadelphia and New York turned the tea ships back to Britain.

In Charleston the cargo was left to rot on the docks.

In Boston the Royal Governor was stubborn & held the ships in port, where the colonists would not allow them to unload.

This situation leads to the Boston Tea Party.

British East India Company Insignia

Quebec Act (1774) Passed by parliament to establish order in Canada.

Extended the boundaries of Canada to the Ohio River

Gave French citizens the right to practice their religion freely (Roman Catholicism)

Intolerable Acts (1774)Four laws passed by parliament to exert control over the colonists in America.

Called the “intolerable acts” by colonists because the laws could not be endured.

Closed the port of Boston to commerce until the colonists paid for the tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party.

Banned town meetings not authorized by the governor.

British referred to them as Coercive Acts.

First Continental Congress (September 5, 1774)Colonists demanded a change to British policies in North America.

Colonists asserted their rights as British citizens.

Each colony pledged to one another “mutual support.”

Each colony agreed not to sell or trade goods with Great Britain or British West Indies.

Lexington & ConcordApril 1775

British General Thomas Gage decided to reassert Royal authority by seizing colonial military supplies at Concord, Massachusetts.

Alerted by patriots such as Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott, the rebels (minutemen) met the redcoats at Lexington.

Fighting broke-out and that first shot became known as the “Shot Heard Round the World”