Causes of the American Revolution

Navigation Acts Series of four acts that required all colonial goods

to be transported on British ships only Benefited British because of mercantilism, a

theory that a country should sell more goods to other countries than it buys

French and Indian War 1754-1763 French and native Americans fight against British

because of trade (mercantilism) British win all French land in North America,

except New Orleans British is left with a large war debt for colonists to

pay

Proclamation of 1763 Passed to prohibit colonists from settling west of

the Appalachian Mountains British stated it was protect colonists from the

savage Native Americans, but the purpose was really to keep more control of the colonists by keeping them closer together

Stamp Act Passed in 1765 Required colonists to purchase special stamps to prove that

they paid the tax on paper goods, such as newspapers and legal documents

Way for British to make $$$ to pay off debts from the French and Indian War

Colonists reacted by harassing stamp distributors, boycotting British goods, and preparing a Declaration or Rights and Grievances

Slogan “No Taxation without Representation”

Quartering Act Passed in 1765 Required colonists to house, feed, and provide

clothing for British soldiers at the expense of the colonists

Declaratory Act Passed in 1766 Stated that British parliament had sole authority

to govern, tax, and make decisions for the colonies in “all cases”

Colonists reacted by boycotting British goods

Townshend Acts Passed in 1767 Taxed certain colonial imports such as glass, tea, paper,

lead, and other goods that the colonists needed because they did not produce them

Stationed troops at major colonial ports to protect customs officers

Colonists reacted by protesting “No Taxation without Representation” and organized a new boycott of imported goods

Boston Massacre March 5, 1770 the killing of five unarmed colonists by

British soldiers

Tea Act Passed in 1773 gave the East India Company a monopoly on the tea business Shut out colonial tea merchants by selling tea directly to

shopkeepers at low prices Colonists blocked all east India Company ships from colonial ports,

except those that arrived at the Port of Boston In 1773, a group of colonists dressed as Native Americans and

dumped 342 chests (18,000 pounds) of British tea into the Boston Harbor

Boston Tea Party

Boston Tea Party December 16, 1773 a large band of Patriots, the Sons of Liberty,

disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped 18,000 pounds of tea into the harbor in protest of the Tea Act

Intolerable Acts Also called the Coercive Acts Passed in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party Caused control over Massachusetts to be tightened by

closing Boston Harbor Restricted the colonists’ rights, including right to trail by

jury and allowed British soldiers to search, and even move into, colonists’ homes

Colonists reacted by forming the First Continental Congress in September of 1774 and drawing up a Declaration of Colonial Rights

First Continental Congress 1774 12 of 13 colonies attended (no Georgia) did not advocate independence; it sought rather to right the wrongs that had been

inflicted on the colonies and hoped that a unified voice would gain them a hearing in London

Sent the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, a list of wrongs committed against the colonists by King George

Lexington and Concord April 19, 1775 Shot Heard ‘Round the World First shots of the American Revolution

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense January 1776 Pamphlet that encouraged undecided

colonists to favor independence Appealed to a colonist’s pride and intelligence