Steps that led to The Declaration of Independence

King of England (King George)vs.

The Colonies

Jamestown Colony• First permanent settlement established in 1607• Pretty much ran itself with little royal involvement

until 1754 (150 years)

French Indian War1754-1763

• Known as the 7 Years War between France and England over the land in North America.

• The British won the war but at a huge financial expense.

Taxation without Represenation• To pay for the war King George started to enforce

taxes on the colonist.• The colonist responded stating that there should

be “No Taxation without Representation!”

Events of Taxation• The King enforces taxes on all

goods to help pay for the cost of war

• Colonist responded by smuggling in and out taxed goods

• The king declares a Writ of Assistance, blank search warrants to search any colonist quarters anytime

Taxation Continued

• The King also enforces the Stamp Act• A tax on all paper goods.• All documents must be written on paper purchased

through England and the paper must carry a stamp or seal made of silver from the King

• Documents such as: newspapers, diplomas, wills, marriage licenses, liquor licenses, deeds, playing cards

• Colonist (Sons of Liberty) responded by burning down warehouses that had the paper stored in them.

Taxation Continued• The King responded by

enforcing the Townshend Acts

• Tax on many goods such as: paper, glass, paint, lead and tea.

• Colonists responded by boycotting all English goods.

• King put Redcoats on the ports forcing trade.

• Boston Massacre: snowball fight gone bad (5 colonists dead)

Taxation Continued• The King backed off and removed all taxes on

everything but tea• Boston Tea Party, on December 16th 1773 colonists

split open and dumped 342 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor dressed as Native Americans.

Taxation Continued• The Kings response to the Boston Tea Party

was the Intolerable Acts– The King closed the Boston Harbor until the tea

was paid for– All representative government was revoked in the

Massachusetts colony

First Continental Congress

• The First Continental Congress was a convention set up by twelve of the thirteen colonies (56 delegates) in response to the Intolerable Acts (aka: Coercive Acts)

• They wrote a list of rights and grevences to the King which eventually through changes became The Declaration of Independence

• They also created a 2nd Continental Congress

Declaration of Independence

2nd Continental Congress• The 2nd Continental Congress created the specific

document called Declaration of Independence