Causes of the American Revolution
Proclamation of 1763· The Proclamation of 1763, signed by King George III of England, prohibited any English settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
· It required those already settled in those regions to return east in an attempt to ease tensions with Native Americans.
Response of Proclamation of 1763
· Colonists resented not being able to settle west of the Proclamation line, especially in places like the Ohio Valley
· With the French removed, they believed it was their right.
· They didn’t believe the Indians had right to the lands
Sugar Act of 1764
• The Sugar Act was passed by Parliament to pay for the war Debt brought on by the French and Indian War and to help pay for the expenses of running the colonies.
• This act increased the Duties (custom taxes) on imported sugar and other items such as textiles, coffee, wines and indigo (dye).
Stamp Act of 1764
· In March, the Stamp Act was passed by Parliament imposing the first direct tax on the American colonies, to offset the high costs of the British military in America. For the first time in the 150 years of the British colonies in America, the Americans will pay Taxes not to their own local assemblies in America, but directly to England.
· Under the Stamp Act, all printed materials were taxed, including:
o Newspapers
o pamphlets
o bills
o Legal documents
o licenses
o almanacs
o dice and playing cards.
Response to the Stamp Act
· The American colonists quickly united in Opposition led by the upper class of colonial society - lawyers, publishers, land owners, ship builders and merchants - who were most affected by the Act.
Sons of Liberty founded in Boston.
· Anti-English organization
· Sam Adams
· James Otis
· Led Actions against tax collectors
Townshend Acts
· In 1767, The English Parliament passed the Townshend Revenue Acts, imposing a new series of taxes on the colonists to pay for the costs of the American colonies.
· Items taxed included imports such as paper, Tea, glass, lead and paints.
· The Act also established a colonial board of customs commissioners in Boston.
Colonist Reaction to the Townshend Acts
· Boycotts
· Non-importation (From England) agreements
· Claim violation of rights – illegal searches
· Protests
· Action against tax collectors including tar and feathering some
Letters from a Farmer
· The most famous response to the Townshend Acts was John Dickinson’s essays, “Letters from a Farmer,” which argued against Taxing for the purpose of raising Revenue
To enforce the tax laws:
The Quartering Act
· England sends in the British Army to enforce tax collection
· They were Quartered (meaning housed) in colonist homes
· Colonist are forced to pay cost including feed the soldiers
Boston Massacre 1770
· The Boston Massacre occurred when a mob harassed British soldiers who then fired their muskets into the crowd, killing three instantly, mortally wounding two others and injuring six.
· Paul Revere drew a famous picture of the Boston Massacre.
· He was a member of the “Sons of Liberty”
Boston Massacre Response
· Colonialist responded through Propaganda and immediately capitalized on this incident, using it to fan colonial passions of seeing the British unjustly governing the colonies.
· The Soldiers were put on trial and were defended by future U.S. President John Adams. Six of the soldiers were acquitted, while the other two were convicted of manslaughter and given reduced sentences.
Parliament Reacts
· All of the Protest done by colonist, including Boycotting British goods, had hurt the English Economy.
· Parliament Repealed (stopped) all of the acts and taxes to pacify (stop the anger) the colonist.
· The only tax Parliament did not repeal was the Tea Tax.
· Instead of stopping the protest this only encouraged the colonist to push for more.
Boston Tea Party
· On the evening of December 16, 1773, the "Sons of Liberty" went to the Boston Harbor. Dressed as Mohawk Indians, they boarded three British ships and dumped forty-five tons of tea into the Boston Harbor.
· The Boston Tea Party was a direct response from colonists who opposed the tea tax, which was taxed by someone other than their own Representatives
· The Boston Tea Party would fan the flames of Rebellion all across the 13 colonies
Intolerable Acts
· The Intolerable Acts (or Coercive Acts) were a series of acts in response to the Boston Tea Party.
These acts included:
- The Port of Boston was closed
-The Royal Governor could Ban meetings
Response to the Intolerable Acts
· These were by far the harshest of the acts passed. Those living in Boston and Massachusetts would lose money from the Boston Port Act. Almost all business stopped and food became hard to come by and expensive.
· The colonists throughout the 13 colonies were furious and called for a Convention
No Taxation without Representation
· A popular saying at this time period was
· “No Taxation without Representation,” because they were being taxed but had no vote in Parliament and had no say in how the colonies were being governed.
First Continental Congress
· First Continental Congress meets in 1774 in Philadelphia where delegates from all the colonies except Georgia discuss actions against Britain.
· They agreed to ban all Trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed.
· They also asked each colony to start gathering and training Troops
“Shot heard ’round the world.”
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
· 700 British troops left Boston to seize Weapons at Concord Massachusetts
· Paul Revere and two others rode to warn colonists
· Minutemen -civilian volunteer militia—fought British in battle at Lexington, near Concord, on April 19, 1775
· The battle of Lexington ended in minutes, and the British continued on Concord to destroy the weapons.
· British Redcoats were attacked by some 4,000 minutemen along the way. Minutemen shot at the troops from behind trees, fences, and buildings, killing over 250 soldiers. They were forced to retreat back to Boston.
· These were the first shots of the American Revolution!!! / The Proclamation of 1763 passed by Parliament did not allow Colonist to settle west of what mountains?
Appalachian Mountains
What is a duty?
A tax on goods
The Sons of Liberty protested what?
The English Government
What is a Boycott?
Protest where people refuse to buy a product
What is revenue?
Money or Income
Define Propaganda:
Distorted information used to persuade an audience
How was the Boston Massacre used as propaganda as the Sons of Liberty?
They used it to convince the American colonists that the British were cruel and had mismanaged the colonies.
What political group organized the Boston Tea Party?
Sons of Liberty
What major port did the Intolerable Acts close?
Port of Boston
Where did American Colonist want to be represented?
Parliament
Where was the first battle of the American Revolution?
Lexington and Concord