The Road to Revolution

1763 – 1775

Mr. Love

The Deep Roots of Revolution

Insurrection of thought usually precedes insurrection of deed. Why?

America was a revolutionary force from the day of its discovery. Why?

Distance weakens authority; great distance weakens authority greatly. Why?

Mercantilism

Basic Belief: Wealth is power Country’s economic wealth (& military

/political) can be measured by the amount of gold & silver in its treasury

Mercantile Theory

Colonies: Regarded as existing first &

foremost to help the mother country. How? Expected to furnish products needed in

England & buy English goods. Like What? Discouraged from buying goods from other

countries. Why? Colonies were suppose to complement &

not compete with English industry. EG) do not make textiles in colonies.

Navigation Laws 1st laws passed in 1650 Restricted commerce to & from the

colonies

Goal: Keep money within the empire bolstered British & colonial-merchant

marine

Trading Goods

Goods sent directly to England where custom duties were collected

Some products like tobacco, were shipped to England & not to foreign markets. US had total monopoly on tobacco.

Problems for the Colonies

No banks in colonies/ limited currency Bartering – little money in colonies Colonies started printing money & money

depreciated Parliament restrained colonies from printing

money – Currency Act

Mercantilism

Provided profitable markets for English goods

Kept gold/silver within the empire

Goal: keep colonies economically dependent on England

Merits v. Menace of Mercantilism

THE GOOD Laws laxly enforced Guaranteed markets Free military

protection

THE BAD Economic initiative

stifled Exploited by British

merchants Debasing to the

Americans Generous share of

profits

Quote

“A wise owner does not disembowel or starve

the goose that lays the golden eggs.”

Laws – 1763 & 1764 1763 – Prime Minister Grenville

enforced the Navigation Laws taxed the colonies to help deflect 1/3 of the

cost of protecting the colonies

1764 – Sugar Act: tariff on imported sugar (indirect tax)

Laws - 1765

Quartering Act provide food & quarters for troops

Stamp Act: (direct tax) – stamped paper or affixed stamp certifying payment colonial cry, “no taxation without

representation”

Stamp Act

Stamp Act Congress 1765significance

1. 27 delegates from 9 colonies

2. Asked the king & parliament to repeal the act (ignored in England)

3. Brought together leaders from different colonies

4. Adopted a non-importation agreement against British goods (consumer boycott)

5. Led to violence by the Sons & Daughters of Liberty

Sons & Daughters of Liberty Tarred & feathered violators of

nonimportation agreements Burned effigies, ransacked houses, etc. Officials stopped collecting the tax

Why Repeal?1. Law was openly defied

2. British merchants demanded that parliament repeal it

Merchants, manufacturers, & shippers were losing money & jobs

3. Stamp Act repealed 1766

Problems Began 1766 – Declaratory Act

Proclaimed that Parliament had the right to “bind” colonies in all cases whatsoever

1767 – Townsend Act: light import tax on glass, paper, & tea (indirect tax- paid at ports) used to pay salaries of Royal Governors Colonial smuggling increased

1768 – British troops sent to Boston (taunted by the colonials)

Boston MassacreMarch 5, 1770

British troops kill 11 colonists Flames of discontent & resistance fanned by

Samuel Adams Organized local Committees of Correspondence Chief function was to spread propaganda

Creation of similar committees in all the colonies

Boston Massacre

British East India Company 1773 – given a monopoly on the American

tea business Cheaper tea but still with a tax (all colonists see is

the tax)

Boston Tea Party resulted

Repressive Acts/Intolerable Acts

1774 – parliament passed a series of Repressive Acts – (Intolerable Acts) Boston harbor was closed until damages were

paid & order restored Restrictions placed on town meetings

Quebec Act Accompanied Intolerable Acts

French were guaranteed their Catholic religion

No representative assembly or trial by jury Southern boundary extended to the Ohio

River

Response: 1st Continental Congress

Philadelphia Intercolonial frictions reduced Declaration of rights issued

Appealed to the king & the British people

Called for a complete boycott of all British goods:

non-importation, non-exportation,

& non-consumption Still no genuine drive for independence

The granting of some kind of home rule to the Americans might have prevented

rebellion

Troops Sent 1775 – British commander sent troops to

Lexington & Concord Goal: seize stores of colonial gunpowder & get

Samuel Adams & John Hancock 8 Americans (minutemen) were killed at Lexington 70 British soldiers were killed at Concord

“The shot heard round the world” – Emerson – WAR!

British Strengths

1. Larger population

2. Greater monetary wealth

3. Stronger naval power

4. Professional army

5. Hessians

6. American loyalists

7. Indian support

British Weaknesses

1. Irish & French threat

2. Government confused/ inept

3. Whigs supported colonies

4.Military difficulties

5. Britain had to win

6. Problems of distance

7. American geographical expanse

American Strengths

1. Outstanding leadership

2. French aid

3. European officers

4. Fighting defensively

5. Agricultural self-sustaining

6. Superior marksmen

7. Moral advantage

American Weaknesses1. Badly organized

2. Sectional jealousy

3. Economic difficulties

4. Inflation

5. Desertions

6. Scant military supplies

7. Lack of manufactured goods

8. Unreliable militiamen

9. American profiteers