Escalation to Escalation to Revolution: 1763-Revolution: 1763-

17751775

I. Early Clashes: Sugar and I. Early Clashes: Sugar and Stamps, 1764-1766Stamps, 1764-1766

A. Revenue Act of 1764 (Sugar Act)A. Revenue Act of 1764 (Sugar Act)►British government (Grenville) believed British government (Grenville) believed

colonists should pay part of cost of colonists should pay part of cost of empire (standing army, bureaucrats)empire (standing army, bureaucrats)

►English in England: avg. 26 shillings/yearEnglish in England: avg. 26 shillings/year►Colonists: ½ - 1 ½ shillings/yearColonists: ½ - 1 ½ shillings/year►Tightening trade regulations (Navigation Tightening trade regulations (Navigation

Acts) seen as best way raise revenueActs) seen as best way raise revenue

►Sugar Act: 1) Sugar Act: 1) raiseraise taxes on textiles, taxes on textiles, coffee, other coffee, other enumerated goodsenumerated goods, 2) , 2) lowerslowers duty on molasses (so people duty on molasses (so people would actually pay)would actually pay)

►3) expands customs service (increased 3) expands customs service (increased enforcement)enforcement)

►4) suspends trial by jury in customs 4) suspends trial by jury in customs cases (naval vice-admiralty courts)cases (naval vice-admiralty courts)

►Colonists protest with words: a tax, not Colonists protest with words: a tax, not a trade regulationa trade regulation B has right to B has right to regulate trade, regulate trade, notnot to tax to tax

►Passed during post-war economic Passed during post-war economic depression in coloniesdepression in colonies

►8 separate colonial assemblies petition 8 separate colonial assemblies petition to Parliament, but no history of united to Parliament, but no history of united actionaction Parliament ignores Parliament ignores

B. The Stamp Act CrisisB. The Stamp Act Crisis

► 1765: Stamp Act—no pretense of regulation1765: Stamp Act—no pretense of regulation► Taxed nearly all printed materials: newspapers, pamphlets, Taxed nearly all printed materials: newspapers, pamphlets,

wills, contracts, playing cards, etc.wills, contracts, playing cards, etc.► Violators tried in vice-admiralty courtsViolators tried in vice-admiralty courts► Affected ordinary colonists (not just merchants, although Affected ordinary colonists (not just merchants, although

rich hit hardest)rich hit hardest)

►Mobilized on 3 fronts:Mobilized on 3 fronts:► 1) mob actions: 1) mob actions: Loyal Loyal

NineNine in Boston in Boston intimidate Stamp intimidate Stamp collectors; collectors; Sons of Sons of LibertyLiberty (Samuel (Samuel Adams)Adams) link protest link protest leaders throughout leaders throughout coloniescolonies Leaders influenced but Leaders influenced but

did not control actions: did not control actions: slaves in Charleston, slaves in Charleston, S.C.S.C. fear of the fear of the crowdcrowd

► 2. 2. Economic actionEconomic action: non-importation / non-consumption : non-importation / non-consumption agreements (boycott)agreements (boycott) ¼ B exports to colonies¼ B exports to colonies boycott would push B merchants to boycott would push B merchants to

lobby Parliamentlobby Parliament► 3. 3. Organized political actionOrganized political action: : ► James Otis, James Otis, Rights of the British ColoniesRights of the British Colonies: colonists : colonists

shouldn’t be taxed w/o consent, but after Glor. Rev. Parliament shouldn’t be taxed w/o consent, but after Glor. Rev. Parliament uncontrollableuncontrollable loyally, reluctantly, pay loyally, reluctantly, pay

► Patrick HenryPatrick Henry, , Virginia Stamp Act ResolveVirginia Stamp Act Resolve: only local : only local assemblies can tax, any who oppose that idea is “an Enemy to assemblies can tax, any who oppose that idea is “an Enemy to his Majesty’s Colony.”his Majesty’s Colony.” These ideas not accepted by House of BurgessesThese ideas not accepted by House of Burgesses too radical too radical

►Stamp Act Congress, NYC: 1Stamp Act Congress, NYC: 1stst successful inter-colonial alliance: deny successful inter-colonial alliance: deny virtual representationvirtual representation Parliament Parliament can legislate/regulate, but cannot taxcan legislate/regulate, but cannot tax

►Moderate and loyal, but important step Moderate and loyal, but important step in bringing Americans closer to each in bringing Americans closer to each other than to Englandother than to England

► 1766: Stamp Act repealed1766: Stamp Act repealed►Declaratory ActDeclaratory Act: Parliament asserts that : Parliament asserts that

they do have the right to taxthey do have the right to tax

II. British Authority II. British Authority Disintegrates: 1765-1774Disintegrates: 1765-1774

► 5 Major actions5 Major actions► 1) 1765: 1) 1765: Quartering ActQuartering Act: assemblies have : assemblies have

to provide food and shelter to armyto provide food and shelter to army NY refusesNY refuses royal Gov. dissolves royal Gov. dissolves

► 2) 1767: 2) 1767: Townshend ActsTownshend Acts: new tariffs: new tariffs a) a) on goods from Britain, not only foreign; b) on goods from Britain, not only foreign; b) designed to raise money to pay salaries of designed to raise money to pay salaries of colonial officialscolonial officials undermined power of undermined power of assemblies to influence through threat of assemblies to influence through threat of withholding salarywithholding salary

ResistanceResistance► John DickinsonJohn Dickinson: : Letters from a Letters from a

Farmer in PennsylvaniaFarmer in Pennsylvania: colonists don’t : colonists don’t pay revenue dutiespay revenue duties have to know have to know intent of Parliament (unworkable)intent of Parliament (unworkable)

►Mass. Assembly Mass. Assembly circular letter circular letter (circulated to other colonies)(circulated to other colonies) Gov. Gov. dissolves assemblydissolves assembly

►New boycott: merchants reluctant, New boycott: merchants reluctant, artisans enthusiasticartisans enthusiastic some question some question use of violence to enforce boycott, use of violence to enforce boycott, threat to elite control and private threat to elite control and private propertyproperty

► Customs officials Customs officials appointed to enforce appointed to enforce Townshend duties Townshend duties esp. greedy: system esp. greedy: system encouraged abuseencouraged abuse officials get 1/3 seized officials get 1/3 seized goodsgoods open hatred open hatred of customs officialsof customs officials 1768: John Hancock’s 1768: John Hancock’s

ship ship Liberty Liberty seizedseized Boston riotingBoston rioting

►4,000 troops brought to control 4,000 troops brought to control situationsituation stay until March 5, 1770: stay until March 5, 1770: riotriot shooting: shooting: Boston Massacre Boston Massacre (5 (5 dead)dead)

►Sam Adams and Paul Revere proclaim Sam Adams and Paul Revere proclaim a conspiracy theorya conspiracy theory

► 1770: repeal Townshend duties, 1770: repeal Townshend duties, exceptexcept tea tea► 3) 1773 3) 1773 Tea ActTea Act: Parliament grants : Parliament grants

monopoly on tea imports to struggling East monopoly on tea imports to struggling East India CompanyIndia Company lowered cost of tea lowered cost of tea

► Colonists refused to allow ships to dock, Colonists refused to allow ships to dock, except Boston where Lt. Gov. except Boston where Lt. Gov. Thomas Thomas Hutchinson Hutchinson ordered ships to stay until ordered ships to stay until unloadedunloaded Boston Tea PartyBoston Tea Party

4) 1774 Coercive Acts 4) 1774 Coercive Acts (Intolerable)(Intolerable)

►A) Close Boston portA) Close Boston port►B) King appoints Gov’s council, forbids B) King appoints Gov’s council, forbids

town meetingstown meetings►C) Imperial soldiers and officials must be C) Imperial soldiers and officials must be

tried in Londontried in London►D) Reaffirm quartering + appoints D) Reaffirm quartering + appoints

General Gage as commander all B forces General Gage as commander all B forces in NAmin NAm

►Harsh measures make Boston a martyrHarsh measures make Boston a martyr

5) 1774, Quebec Act5) 1774, Quebec Act

► Enlarge French Enlarge French Quebec (into lands Quebec (into lands claimed by NY), no claimed by NY), no representative representative assembly, no trial by assembly, no trial by jury, special jury, special recognition of recognition of Catholics (in Q)Catholics (in Q)

► Seen as an attack on Seen as an attack on colonists: 1) we’re colonists: 1) we’re next, 2) fear of next, 2) fear of American BishopAmerican Bishop

► 11stst Continental Congress Continental Congress (Phila.)(Phila.) Suffolk ResolvesSuffolk Resolves (Declaration of Rights and (Declaration of Rights and Grievances): Grievances):

► Constitutional issue: a) colonists accepted P Constitutional issue: a) colonists accepted P regulations when good for colonies, b) would regulations when good for colonies, b) would reject revenue acts, c) still loyal to King and reject revenue acts, c) still loyal to King and country country (important shift: connected to Britain through (important shift: connected to Britain through

King, not ParliamentKing, not Parliament King accused of wrongdoing King accused of wrongdoing in Declaration of Independence)in Declaration of Independence)

► How to proceed: a) raise colonial militias, b) How to proceed: a) raise colonial militias, b) Continental AssociationContinental Association: enforce boycott : enforce boycott through through committees of observationcommittees of observation (expanded power greatly into de fact gov’t (expanded power greatly into de fact gov’t and punished “disloyal”)and punished “disloyal”)

III. Patterns of Escalation and III. Patterns of Escalation and the “Plot Against Liberty”the “Plot Against Liberty”

►Even all these acts would not bring Even all these acts would not bring Revolution w/o pattern of meaningRevolution w/o pattern of meaning

►Edmund Burke (B politician): Edmund Burke (B politician): Americans have discovered P means Americans have discovered P means to oppress them, B discovered A mean to oppress them, B discovered A mean to rebel: we don’t know how to to rebel: we don’t know how to advance, they don’t know how to advance, they don’t know how to withdrawwithdraw

►Mutual misperceptionsMutual misperceptions ratcheting of ratcheting of tensionstensions

►B overreacted to resistance: insecure about B overreacted to resistance: insecure about growing empire, increasing American growing empire, increasing American confidenceconfidence

►Americans convinced B hatching sinister Americans convinced B hatching sinister plot to literally enslave them (strip away plot to literally enslave them (strip away liberty)liberty)

► Jefferson: even w/changes in ministers, plot Jefferson: even w/changes in ministers, plot continuescontinues further proof of conspiracy further proof of conspiracy

►Real Whigs / Commonwealthmen: Real Whigs / Commonwealthmen: conflict between liberty (passive, conflict between liberty (passive, feminine) vs. power (aggressive, male)feminine) vs. power (aggressive, male)

►British empire falling way of Rome: British empire falling way of Rome: republic overwhelmed by growing republic overwhelmed by growing military and bureaucracymilitary and bureaucracy tyranny tyranny

►Americans see selves as check on Americans see selves as check on corruption and power: city on the hill corruption and power: city on the hill ideal extended to all coloniesideal extended to all colonies