The Roadto Revolution:(1770-1776)

Imperial Reform Movement

Sugar ActCurrency ActStamp ActQuartering ActDeclaratory ActTownshend ActsTea Act

Stamp Act

• 1765- taxed all court and legal documents, newspapers, playing cards, etc...

• Passed in order to create revenue for British troops in America

• Prime Minister Grenville gave colonists opportunity to come up with their own tax, but they refused.

• Franklin proposed American representation in Parliament, but British said they were already “virtually” represented like other British citizen who had no suffrage rights.

• An internal tax• Quartering Act also passed-colonial governments had to

provide barracks and food to troops stationed in colonies

Sons of Liberty and Stamp Act Congress

• Boston gangs with direction of Samuel Adams created the Sons of Liberty to strong-arm stamp distributors, tax collectors and government officials in protest of Stamp Act.

• Organization idea spread to other colonies, leading to outright refusal and nullification of paying stamp tax.

• Stamp Act Congress: October 1765, 27 delegates from 9 colonies met in New York

• Mainly moderates, met to discuss Stamp Act and other grievances: trade regulations, admiralty courts, quartering act.

• Produced “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” stating that no taxation should be imposed on them without their own consent.

• Two delegate propose colonial representation in Parliament, but other delegates say ineffective because North America would be outnumbered

• Parliament ignores petitions offered by Stamp Act Congress, significance of the congress was that it was the first intercolonial meeting initiated by America-sets valuable precedent.

Tar and Feathering

Committees Committees of Correspondenceof Correspondence

PurposePurpose warn neighboring warn neighboring coloniescolonies about incidents with Br. about incidents with Br.

broaden the resistance broaden the resistance movement. movement.

Parliament Retreats/Compromises

• Stamp Act Congress, but more from Committees of Correspondences who communicated and organized Sons of Liberties among the colonies, nullified the Stamp Act through popular action.

• Grenville government falls-mainly due to domestic issues (handling of the John Wilkes affair)

• William Pitt defended colonial rights-Americans entitled to all rights of Englishmen- “they are the sons, not the bastards of England.”

• Parliament has power to tax and regulate trade, but not the power to enact internal taxes for revenue-colonial assemblies decide that. Stamp Act was an internal tax.

• Lord Rockingham replaces Grenville- repeals the Stamp Act, passes Declaratory Act in its place in 1766, stating that it is the power of Parliament to enact laws on the colonies. If tested again would react with stronger measures. Rockingham dismissed.

Townshend Acts

• William Pitt invited to be prime minister again, becomes Lord Chatham, loses power base in House of Commons. Becomes ill, not in London much, responsibility falls to Chancellor of Exchequer Charles Townshend.

• Planned to tax colonies again-levy only custom duties on goods imported into America, attempting to distinguish between internal and external duties, but really taxed British goods such as paint, paper, glass and tea in 1767. This was to pay for salaries of imperial officials.

• Revenue Act of 1767• New York refused to comply with Quartering Act of 1765 and with

Restraining Act of 1767 suspended their assembly until submitted.• Governor salaries• “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania,” (1767) by John Dickinson (guy

from 1776 that got in a fight with John Adams) -said that Parliament had power to regulate trade, but not to impose taxes to raise revenue

Nonimportation• The first “Buy American” scheme• Colonists would only make their own goods and

avoid purchasing British goods as much as possible to hurt Britain economically.

• Using “homespun” materials: goods made by colonists, rejected not only British goods, but the fashionable luxuries of the wealthy.

• Merchants, artisans and shopkeepers, and everyone else agreed to boycott British goods-unified all classes of American society.

• Daughters of Liberty

Boston Massacre

• General Gage and troops sent to Boston to alleviate harassment of customs officials

• Brawls between Bostonian radicals and soldiers-both sides not nice to each other

• Climax: March 5, 1770 mob attacks soldiers outside Boston customs house, ordered to fire on tormentors-kill three citizens on spot, wounded several of them, two who died later.

• Trial demanded of soldiers who were arrested. John Adams defended the soldiers.

• Commanding officer found “not guilty” returned to England where received honors and pension. Two convicted and sentenced to burning of the hand

The Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre ((March 5,1770March 5,1770))

Another New British Government

• Townshed died in 1767, Chatham resigned in 1768, Lord North takes over Parliament

• Repeals the Townsend duties except for the Tea duty as a symbol of parliamentary supremacy to take effect December 1, 1770.

• With repeal, nonimportation collapsed. The scheme, although successful, divided colonies because of resentment, mistrust, and moderates sick of the Sons of Liberty

• After 1770, general relaxation of tensions

1772• Events that got the colonists going again:• Thomas Hutchinson edited letters conspiring

against colonial self-government (Ben Franklin got them through devious means)-caused public sensation.

• Franklin got fired from his position as postmaster general and his other positions, became revolutionary.

• Gaspee Affair: Rhode Island, Lt. William Dudingston

• Both events spurred correspondence movement

The Gaspee The Gaspee Incident Incident (1772)(1772)

Providence, RI coastProvidence, RI coast

Tea Act Tea Act (1773)(1773)8 British East India Co.:British East India Co.: Monopoly on Br. tea Monopoly on Br. tea

imports.imports. Many members of Many members of

Parl. held shares.Parl. held shares. Permitted the Co. to Permitted the Co. to

sell tea directly to sell tea directly to cols. without col. cols. without col. middlemen middlemen (cheaper tea!)(cheaper tea!)

8 North expected the North expected the cols. to eagerly choose cols. to eagerly choose the cheaper tea.the cheaper tea.

“This meeting can do no more to save the country.”

-Samuel Adams(signal at a mass meeting in Boston to commence the Boston

Tea Party, December 1773)

Boston Tea Party Boston Tea Party (1773)(1773)

The Coercive or IntolerableThe Coercive or IntolerableActs (1774)Acts (1774)

Lord NorthLord North1.1. Port Bill Port Bill (closed the port of (closed the port of Boston until town paid for tea dumped and Boston until town paid for tea dumped and compensate custom officials for property compensate custom officials for property destroyed)destroyed)

2.2. Government Act Government Act (abrogated MA charter of government)(abrogated MA charter of government)

4.4. Administration of Administration of Justice Act Justice Act (afforded (afforded protection to royal officials who committed a crime protection to royal officials who committed a crime while enforcing trade laws or suppressing a riot, while enforcing trade laws or suppressing a riot, could be removed to England for trial.could be removed to England for trial.

3.3. New Quartering New Quartering Act Act (made colonial officials responsible for (made colonial officials responsible for finding accommodations for army, refusal meant finding accommodations for army, refusal meant seizure of propertyseizure of property

The Quebec Act The Quebec Act (1774)(1774)

• Gives French Canadians a say in government because rebellious and want to appease them

• Recognizes Roman Catholicism

• Redraws boundaries-All of Ohio Valley given to Canada

First Continental First Continental Congress Congress (1774)(1774)

55 delegates from 12 colonies55 delegates from 12 coloniesAgendaAgenda How to How to

respond to the respond to the Coercive Acts & Coercive Acts & the Quebec Act?the Quebec Act?

1 vote per colony 1 vote per colony represented.represented.

First Continental Congress• Philly, September 1, 1774• Delegates (remember some from 1776?):

– South Carolina: John Rutledge– Massachusetts: John Adams and Sammy Adams– Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins– Connecticut: Roger Sherman

• While meeting going on, General Gage building fortifications in Boston.

• October 14, Congress approved a Declaration of Resolves listing all issues.

• Voted to reassemble on May 10, 1775, then adjourned

The Shot Heard ‘Round the World

• April 17, 1775 General Gage heard that the archenemies of Britain, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, were in Lexington, and a weapons cache was in Concord, MA.

• Dr. Joseph Warren sent two couriers, Paul Revere to warn Adams and Hancock by rowing across Charles River to Charlestown to wait for signal lights indicating timing and direction of British.The other courier: William Dawes, by land route out the Boston neck.

The British Are The British Are Coming . . .Coming . . .

Paul ReverePaul Revere & & William DawesWilliam Dawes make their make their midnight ride to warn the midnight ride to warn the MinutemenMinutemen of of

approaching British soldiers.approaching British soldiers.

The Shot Heard The Shot Heard ’Round the World!’Round the World!

LexingtonLexington & & ConcordConcord – April 18,1775 – April 18,1775

Lexington and Concord• Massachusetts had already been in state of military preparation:

militias, warn other colonies should do same• Lobsterbacks are coming!• Lexington: 70 Minutemen, meet British, a misfire by colonists,

British open fire• Result of Battle of Lexington: lasted 2 minutes, some militia

leave, and British head toward Concord. Rumors reach Concord before British

• Battle of Concord: lasts 5 minutes, British withdraw after militia withdraws. British try to head back to Boston but are being attacked on all sides by militia along the way. British casualties: 300 killed, wounded or missing.

• Boston: 20,000 militiamen outside of Boston for 2 weeks• April-May 1775-high point of revolution because plenty of food,

men (militia only sign up for short periods of time, then go home when contract expires-will be issue later in war)

The Second The Second Continental Continental

CongressCongress(1775)(1775)

Olive Branch PetitionOlive Branch Petition

• Need to figure out what to do about war• not about independence initially-not sure what the war

is about• Decide to form a Continental Army• George Washington lobbies for that position• John Dickinson sees events of Spring 1775 as anarchy,

British policies not worth fighting over, hopes to negotiate. Voice of moderation (Olive Branch Petition)

• Declaration for the Cause and Necessity for Taking Up Arms-by Thomas Jefferson– People should be represented by their elected officials– crown cannot change the charter

Second Continental Congress

Was theAmerican Revolution

Inevitable??

Thomas Paine: Thomas Paine: Common SenseCommon Sense

Declaration of Declaration of Independence Independence

(1776)(1776)

Declaration of Declaration of IndependenceIndependence

Independence HallIndependence Hall

New New National National SymbolsSymbols