Under the British Crown Colonists Enjoyed These Rights:

• Elected local representatives

• Freedom of Speech

• Right to own land

•Due Process

• Vote

• Jury Trials

What went wrong?

1754 – 1763Cost a huge amount of

moneyto protect the British

Colonies

Economic Action by the Crown:The Stamp Act of 1765. Imposed a tax on all paper including land deeds, playing cards, wedding licenses.

The reaction that followed set off a series of political, social and economic actions and reactions cause and effect events leading to the DOI

•The reaction to the Stamp Act (1765) was not based on economics!!!

•The tax was meager.

•It was used to pay for the French Indian War

But…….

Colonial reaction to the stamp act was fierce. Boycotts, reduced revenues. Protests and pouring scalding tea down the throat of a tax collector or tar and feathering did happen. (Notice the noose!!)

New York Stamp Act riot

'The Folly of England and the Ruin of America'. 

“No part of His Majesty’s dominions can be taxed without their consent… —James Otis, Massachusetts legislator Tension is high. Yesterday, an angry mob rushed a tax stamp distributor in Williamsburg, surrounding him. Today, the frightened agent resigned.Angry groups of shopkeepers, printers, lawyers and merchants—calling themselves Sons of Liberty—have joined together. They burn effigies of royal officials and strong-arm stamp agents across the colonies. Parliament shocked us all by passing the act. It taxes almost every piece of paper we use: newspapers, legal documents…even playing cards! They’ve never taxed us directly before. We’re outraged.Meeting in a special congress, we’ve declared that the act violates the “spirit” of the English constitution. We should be taxed only by our colonial legislatures. We’ve resolved that Parliament has no power to tax us…because we aren’t represented in Parliament.

The reaction was political,

based on Natural Law. From this philosophy came social based on cultural identity. The act stirred up resentment and created interest in the common man about Natural Law. The rights of men and the role of government.

The tax was very intrusive. Colonists did not have a say. The Colonists have never been directly taxed before. (except sugar/Malaises import tax)

“We have an old Mother who peevish is grown.She snubs us like children that scarce walk alone.She forgets that we’re grown with sense of our own.If we don’t obey orders, whatever the case.She frowns and she chides and loses all patience.And sometimes she hits us a slap in the face.Her orders are so, we often suspect,That age has impaired her of sound intellect:But still, an old Mother should have due respect...”Untitled poem by Benjamin Franklin

This letter sent from London, Franklin thanks his old friend and Philadelphia neighbor for endorsing his conduct in regard to the repeal of the Stamp Act.

Franklin, was Pennsylvania's agent in London, he had supported the new tax on America, he quickly switched to opposition after hearing of the angry response in Pennsylvania. Franklin attributed America's success in obtaining the repeal "to what the Profane would call

Luck & the Pious Providence."

Franklin’s good name was restored

The Crown can impose (declare) any act on the colonies. Leading to the Townsend Act

Soldiers coming from England…. Tensions Rising 1770 Boston Massacre…. Not really

Is this picture fact or fiction?

Yankee propaganda. Created by Paul Revere to stir up anti British sentiment and also created to sell news papers making him a nice profit.

Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty:

Importance of the Tea Party:Symbolic for breaking cultural ties with England (tea) ( a new identity forming) and moral symbolism of the “noble savage” the Mohawk Indian.

Result (Effect)

The Intolerable Acts, Closing the Port of Boston

Suspending state legislators etc.

Boston Tea Party 1773 Action (Cause)

Reaction from the Tea Act which required Colonists to get tea from the East India Co. exclusively.

Lexington/Concord Mass. April 19, 1775

British Soldiers move to find stolen cannons and munitions. Fighting breaks out. “Shot Heard Round the World.”

Thomas Paine's Common SensePaine's pamphlet brought the rising revolutionary sentiment into sharp focus by placing blame for the suffering of the colonies directly on the reigning British monarch, George III.

Common Sense advocated an immediate declaration of independence. A special moral obligation of America and to the rest of the world. Not long after publication, the spirit of Paine's argument found resonance in the American Declaration of Independence.

Defining Thomas Jefferson

Founder of the University of Virginia

Drafter of the DOI

Planter

Inventor

Slave Owner Sally Hemings

French Ambassador

Secretary of State

Anti Federalist

Author of the Virginia Statute of Religious Rights

3rd President

Louisiana Purchase

1743 – 1826

Died July 4th 50 years

after the DOI Same day of

death as John Adams bitter rivals

and best friends

* All men created equal * (Endowed) Born with rights

from a creator

* Unalienable – Rights are not given

* The job of government is to protect individual rights

*Life Liberty (Property Locke) (Pursuit of Happiness Jefferson)

* Gov instituted by men with the consent of governed

* People have duty to abolish government. when government has abuse power not protected rights

over period of time not addressing the grievances of the governed.

Thomas Jefferson and Natural Law Built on Enlightenment Ideas John Lock and others

Not Divinely Inspired Work!!!!

The draft of the Declaration was revised first by Adams and Franklin, and then by the full committee. A total of 47 alterations, including the insertion of three complete paragraphs, were made to the text before it was presented to Congress on June 28. After voting for independence on July 2, Congress continued to refine the document, making 39 additional revisions to the committee draft before its final adoption on the morning of July 4.

Most famous edit “sacred” to “self evident”

The Revolutionary War would last 8 Years from 1776 until 1783

Then what…..