the path to revolution (1763-1776). british action

The Pathto Revolution(1763-1776)

British Action

Colonial Reaction

The British begin to

enforce new laws…

Currency Act (1764)

British merchants complain about worthless colonial money Parliament previously prohibited paper money in New England (1751) Parliament prohibits all colonial legislatures from printing paper currency.

Sugar Act (1764)George Grenville

Sugar Act (1764)

Lowers duty on molasses to discourage smuggling caused by the Molasses Act (1733), but…Places heavy duties on textiles, coffee, indigo, and wine imported from foreign countriesRaises duty on refined sugar from French West Indies

Sugar Act (1764)

Tries offenders in admiralty courts (no juries and no presumption of innocence)First law ever passed by

Parliament for the specific purpose of raising tax revenue in the colonies for the Crown

Sugar Act (1764)

Part of Grenville’s order to strictly enforce the Navigation Laws Expands list of

“enumerated” articlesUnlike earlier Navigation

Laws, this is strictly enforced

Colonial Reaction

Bitter protests Colonists see this as…

taxationwithout

representation

“virtual representation”

Grenville argues that colonists are “virtually” represented by all representatives in Parliament

“actual representation”

Parliament can’t possibly represent colonials interests unless we have actual representatives seated in Parliament

nonimportation movement (1764) New York colonial

assembly claims to be exempt from taxation by anyone but their own representatives

not a “privilege” but as a “right”

nonimportation movement (1764) New York merchants join

artisans and merchants in Boston in organized boycott of British manufactured goods

“homespun”

Committees of Correspondence

(1764) Groups of Patriots

organized to exchange information about British action in the colonies

First in Boston, on advice of Sam Adams

Provided network for molding public opinion.

Stamp Act (1765)George Grenville

For two generations, Britons had already been paying such a tax “Can’t two million colonists pay at least a third of the cost for their own defense?” (7.5 million Britons were already paying heavy tax)

Stamp Act (1765)George Grenville

Requires tax stamps on all legal documents, newspapers, almanacs, and pamphlets issued in colonies Intended to help pay for maintenance of British troops in America

Stamp Act (1765)George Grenville

Tries offenders in vice-admiralty courts No juries Distant from home Presumption of guilt Violates “rights of Englishmen”

Quartering Act (1765)George Grenville

Requires colonies to supply British troops with provisions and barracks or submit to their use of inns and vacant buildings Applied to all the colonies, but mainly affected New York, headquarters of the British forces

Colonial Reaction

Some refuse to comply with Quartering Act

Other voted only a fraction of the supplies required by the Act

Stamp Act Congress

Takes places in New York City (October, 1765)

Declaration of Rights and Grievances

Only colonial government, not British Parliament, can levy taxes

1st united action against British

Sons of Liberty (1765)

“Sons of Liberty” - Colonel Isaac Barré

Secret, radical patriotic organization

Springs up in all colonies, especially Massachusetts, NY

Sons of Liberty (1765)

Leaders mostly middle and upper class Samuel Adams -

Massachusetts Christopher Gadsden

- Carolina Instigate common

people Use violence as a

tactic (tar and feathering, etc.)

“internal” vs. “external” tax

“external” = indirect tax = a measure that raised revenue through regulation of trade (Sugar Act)

“internal” = direct tax = measure that raised revenue directly from the colonists to support the Crown (Stamp Act)

Declaratory Act (1766)

Lord Rockingham

Passed after repeal of the Stamp Act States the Parliament has right and power to make laws that were binding on the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”

Townshend Duties (1767)

Charles Townshend To raise revenue from colonies after the repeal of the Stamp Act Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend Revenue earmarked to pay salaries of royal governors and judges.

Townshend Duties (1767)

Charles Townshend Places duties on glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea imported into the American colonies Creates Board of Customs Commissioners to collect and enforce duties

Suspension of the New York legislature (1767)

Parliament closes New York legislature for failing to comply with the Quartering Act

Letters of a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1768)

John Dickinson writes a series of newspaper articles against British taxation.

He earns the title “Penman of the Revolution.”

British Troops Occupy Boston (1768)

To curb smuggling of tea, British land two regiments of troops in Boston

“Boston Massacre” (March 5, 1770)

Boston mob taunts soldiers and throw snowballs, stones, and clubs.

Captain Preston tries to prevent bloodshed, but shot is fired.

“Boston Massacre” (March 5, 1770)

Patriot lawyer John Adams defends Preston, who is acquitted

Revolutionary leaders use incident as propaganda.

“Quiet Period” (1770-1773)

No one general grievance among all the colonies, but… Royal governors of Massachusetts and South Carolina move meeting places of legislatures to small towns miles from the capital.

“Quiet Period” (1770-1773)

Smuggling of tea goes on… British attempt to stamp

out smuggling is heavy-handed.

Townshend duties repealed (1770)

Parliament withdraws all the duties except the tax on tea, which leads to…

Tea Act (1773)

Removes export duties on tea Designed to help

financially troubled British East India Company Allowed company to sell

tea directly to America without first going to England

Colonial Reaction

Because colonial merchants of tea were being undersold, it caused great resentment in the colonies.

Protests eventually led to…

Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773)

Midnight raid against British tea ships in Boston Harbor

Organizer: Samuel Adams

Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773)

Disguised as Mohawk Indians

Dumped British East India Tea Company tea

Coercive Acts (1774)Lord North

A series of five separate laws passed by British Parliament in response to colonial defiance of the tea tax and the Boston Tea Party

1. Boston Port Act

Closes the port of Boston to trade as punishment for destruction of tea

The act punishes the

innocent along with the guilty

2. Administration of Justice Act

Provides that British soldiers arrested for serious crimes against colonists would be returned to England for trial

Colonists call it the “Murder

Act”

3. Massachusetts Government Act

Forbids traditional New England town meetings Takes away colonial

legislature’s right to elect members to governor’s council (Crown appoints) Appoints sheriffs to select

juries; previously elected

3. Massachusetts Government Act

Also makes British General Thomas Gage, commander-in-chief in America, the governor of Massachusetts

4. Quartering Act

Requires certain colonies to provide housing (quarters) and provisions for British troops

5. Quebec Act

Passed the same day as the others Adds western territory

north of Ohio River to the province of Quebec Eliminates claims of some

of the colonies to the region

5. Quebec Act

Sets up government of an appointed governor and council, but no elected assembly Provides for trial of civil

cases without a jury Gives Catholic Church

privileges enjoyed under the French

=

“Intolerable Acts” (1774)

Lord North

First Continental Congress

(1774) Met in Philadelphia All colonies but Georgia Adopted Declaration of

Rights and Grievances. Organized Continental

Association to boycott English goods.

Called for second congress if King George did not act upon its demands

Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775) First battle of American

Revolution British troops sent to

destroy military arsenal at Concord

Minutemen alerted by Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott

Met by colonial militia at Lexington

Second Continental Congress (1775)

Met in Philadelphia Organized Continental ArmyAppointed George

Washignton commander in chief

Adopted Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Began framing of Articles of Confederation

Olive Branch Petition (July 5, 1775)

Appeal to King George III requesting an end to all military action against the colonists

Written by John Dickinson (PA)

Adopted by Second Continental Congress

Ignored by British government

Hessians (1776)

Soldiers from the German state of Hesse

30,000 sent to fight with the British against the colonists

Well-trained, but suffered defeat at Trenton, NJ with surprise attack by GW on Christmas Eve, 1776.

Common Sense(1776)

Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, English-born revolutionary

First to advocate independence for American colonies

Proposes “republic” – reflection of classical republicanism

Declaration of Independence

(1776) Committee of John Adams,

Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman

TJ is the author List of unalienable rights of

people (natural rights philosophy) and list of abuses by the British government