The Path to Revolution (1763-1776). British Action.
-
Upload
kelly-jacobs -
Category
Documents
-
view
219 -
download
0
Transcript of The Path to Revolution (1763-1776). British Action.
The Pathto Revolution(1763-1776)
British Action
Colonial Reaction
The British begin to
enforce new laws…
Currency Act (1764)
British merchants complain about worthless colonial money Parliament previously prohibited paper money in New England (1751) Parliament prohibits all colonial legislatures from printing paper currency.
Sugar Act (1764)George Grenville
Sugar Act (1764)
Lowers duty on molasses to discourage smuggling caused by the Molasses Act (1733), but…Places heavy duties on textiles, coffee, indigo, and wine imported from foreign countriesRaises duty on refined sugar from French West Indies
Sugar Act (1764)
Tries offenders in admiralty courts (no juries and no presumption of innocence)First law ever passed by
Parliament for the specific purpose of raising tax revenue in the colonies for the Crown
Sugar Act (1764)
Part of Grenville’s order to strictly enforce the Navigation Laws Expands list of
“enumerated” articlesUnlike earlier Navigation
Laws, this is strictly enforced
Colonial Reaction
Bitter protests Colonists see this as…
taxationwithout
representation
“virtual representation”
Grenville argues that colonists are “virtually” represented by all representatives in Parliament
“actual representation”
Parliament can’t possibly represent colonials interests unless we have actual representatives seated in Parliament
nonimportation movement (1764) New York colonial
assembly claims to be exempt from taxation by anyone but their own representatives
not a “privilege” but as a “right”
nonimportation movement (1764) New York merchants join
artisans and merchants in Boston in organized boycott of British manufactured goods
“homespun”
Committees of Correspondence
(1764) Groups of Patriots
organized to exchange information about British action in the colonies
First in Boston, on advice of Sam Adams
Provided network for molding public opinion.
Stamp Act (1765)George Grenville
For two generations, Britons had already been paying such a tax “Can’t two million colonists pay at least a third of the cost for their own defense?” (7.5 million Britons were already paying heavy tax)
Stamp Act (1765)George Grenville
Requires tax stamps on all legal documents, newspapers, almanacs, and pamphlets issued in colonies Intended to help pay for maintenance of British troops in America
Stamp Act (1765)George Grenville
Tries offenders in vice-admiralty courts No juries Distant from home Presumption of guilt Violates “rights of Englishmen”
Quartering Act (1765)George Grenville
Requires colonies to supply British troops with provisions and barracks or submit to their use of inns and vacant buildings Applied to all the colonies, but mainly affected New York, headquarters of the British forces
Colonial Reaction
Some refuse to comply with Quartering Act
Other voted only a fraction of the supplies required by the Act
Stamp Act Congress
Takes places in New York City (October, 1765)
Declaration of Rights and Grievances
Only colonial government, not British Parliament, can levy taxes
1st united action against British
Sons of Liberty (1765)
“Sons of Liberty” - Colonel Isaac Barré
Secret, radical patriotic organization
Springs up in all colonies, especially Massachusetts, NY
Sons of Liberty (1765)
Leaders mostly middle and upper class Samuel Adams -
Massachusetts Christopher Gadsden
- Carolina Instigate common
people Use violence as a
tactic (tar and feathering, etc.)
“internal” vs. “external” tax
“external” = indirect tax = a measure that raised revenue through regulation of trade (Sugar Act)
“internal” = direct tax = measure that raised revenue directly from the colonists to support the Crown (Stamp Act)
Declaratory Act (1766)
Lord Rockingham
Passed after repeal of the Stamp Act States the Parliament has right and power to make laws that were binding on the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”
Townshend Duties (1767)
Charles Townshend To raise revenue from colonies after the repeal of the Stamp Act Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend Revenue earmarked to pay salaries of royal governors and judges.
Townshend Duties (1767)
Charles Townshend Places duties on glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea imported into the American colonies Creates Board of Customs Commissioners to collect and enforce duties
Suspension of the New York legislature (1767)
Parliament closes New York legislature for failing to comply with the Quartering Act
Letters of a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1768)
John Dickinson writes a series of newspaper articles against British taxation.
He earns the title “Penman of the Revolution.”
British Troops Occupy Boston (1768)
To curb smuggling of tea, British land two regiments of troops in Boston
“Boston Massacre” (March 5, 1770)
Boston mob taunts soldiers and throw snowballs, stones, and clubs.
Captain Preston tries to prevent bloodshed, but shot is fired.
“Boston Massacre” (March 5, 1770)
Patriot lawyer John Adams defends Preston, who is acquitted
Revolutionary leaders use incident as propaganda.
“Quiet Period” (1770-1773)
No one general grievance among all the colonies, but… Royal governors of Massachusetts and South Carolina move meeting places of legislatures to small towns miles from the capital.
“Quiet Period” (1770-1773)
Smuggling of tea goes on… British attempt to stamp
out smuggling is heavy-handed.
Townshend duties repealed (1770)
Parliament withdraws all the duties except the tax on tea, which leads to…
Tea Act (1773)
Removes export duties on tea Designed to help
financially troubled British East India Company Allowed company to sell
tea directly to America without first going to England
Colonial Reaction
Because colonial merchants of tea were being undersold, it caused great resentment in the colonies.
Protests eventually led to…
Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773)
Midnight raid against British tea ships in Boston Harbor
Organizer: Samuel Adams
Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773)
Disguised as Mohawk Indians
Dumped British East India Tea Company tea
Coercive Acts (1774)Lord North
A series of five separate laws passed by British Parliament in response to colonial defiance of the tea tax and the Boston Tea Party
1. Boston Port Act
Closes the port of Boston to trade as punishment for destruction of tea
The act punishes the
innocent along with the guilty
2. Administration of Justice Act
Provides that British soldiers arrested for serious crimes against colonists would be returned to England for trial
Colonists call it the “Murder
Act”
3. Massachusetts Government Act
Forbids traditional New England town meetings Takes away colonial
legislature’s right to elect members to governor’s council (Crown appoints) Appoints sheriffs to select
juries; previously elected
3. Massachusetts Government Act
Also makes British General Thomas Gage, commander-in-chief in America, the governor of Massachusetts
4. Quartering Act
Requires certain colonies to provide housing (quarters) and provisions for British troops
5. Quebec Act
Passed the same day as the others Adds western territory
north of Ohio River to the province of Quebec Eliminates claims of some
of the colonies to the region
5. Quebec Act
Sets up government of an appointed governor and council, but no elected assembly Provides for trial of civil
cases without a jury Gives Catholic Church
privileges enjoyed under the French
=
“Intolerable Acts” (1774)
Lord North
First Continental Congress
(1774) Met in Philadelphia All colonies but Georgia Adopted Declaration of
Rights and Grievances. Organized Continental
Association to boycott English goods.
Called for second congress if King George did not act upon its demands
Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775) First battle of American
Revolution British troops sent to
destroy military arsenal at Concord
Minutemen alerted by Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott
Met by colonial militia at Lexington
Second Continental Congress (1775)
Met in Philadelphia Organized Continental ArmyAppointed George
Washignton commander in chief
Adopted Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
Began framing of Articles of Confederation
Olive Branch Petition (July 5, 1775)
Appeal to King George III requesting an end to all military action against the colonists
Written by John Dickinson (PA)
Adopted by Second Continental Congress
Ignored by British government
Hessians (1776)
Soldiers from the German state of Hesse
30,000 sent to fight with the British against the colonists
Well-trained, but suffered defeat at Trenton, NJ with surprise attack by GW on Christmas Eve, 1776.
Common Sense(1776)
Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, English-born revolutionary
First to advocate independence for American colonies
Proposes “republic” – reflection of classical republicanism
Declaration of Independence
(1776) Committee of John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman
TJ is the author List of unalienable rights of
people (natural rights philosophy) and list of abuses by the British government