The Road to Revolution

1763-1775

“No Taxation without Representation”

• The French & Indian War caused Great Britain to go into debt. (140 million Pounds)

• George Grenville enforces Navigation Laws and passes taxes to raise revenue to pay for the war and defense.

• Wanted colonists to pay their fair share for the cost of defense.

British Policies and Taxes

Sugar Act- 1764 Quartering Act-1765 Stamp Act-1765

Raised the tax on sugar, cloth goods, and anything from places other than Great Britain.

Demanded that the colonies provide housing and goods for all British soldiers in America

Required stamped paper (tax) for bills of sale, commercial, and legal documents.

How did the Colonists Respond?• The colonists protested the Stamp

Act.– They would tar and feather the tax

collectors. – They would burn legal papers and

refuse to pay the tax.– Stamp Act Congress: statement of

rights and grievances to the king• The colonists begin to boycott British

goods.• Parliament repealed (removed) the

tax in 1766.• Declaratory Act: Parliament passes

this law saying that Great Britain had control over the colonies in all cases.

Samuel Adams• Member of the Massachusetts

Legislature• He created a secret group of

protestors called the “Sons of Liberty”

• “Liberty, Property, and No Stamps”

• Helps establish committees of correspondence in Boston (Help spread spirit of resistance)

• They led protests against British taxes, organized boycotts, interrupted tax collections

Townshend Acts• Charles Townshend is named

Minister of Finance of Great Britain in 1766.

• He passed a new set of indirect taxes in 1767.

• Taxes were placed on glass, paper, and tea.

• The colonists protest and boycott British goods.

• More Redcoat soldiers sent to the colonies to enforce the laws.

Boston Massacre• Citizens of Boston did not like the

presence of British Red Coat soldiers• One evening in March 5, 1770, a

crowd (60) gathered near a group of soldiers (10).

• The crowd began insulting the soldiers and throwing snowballs and rocks at the British soldiers.

• The British soldiers fired shots into the crowd killing 5 people.

• Crispus Attucks (a free black) was the first killed.

• This event increases the tension between Great Britain and the colonies.

Captain Thomas Preston“While I was thus speaking, one of the soldiers having received

a severe blow with a stick, stepped a little on one side and instantly fired, on which turning to and asking him why he fired without orders, I was struck with a club on my arm, which for

some time deprived me of the use of it, which blow had it been placed on my head most probably would have de stroyed me. On this a general attack was made on the men by a great number

of heavy clubs and snowballs being thrown at them, by which all our lives were in imminent danger, some persons at the same

time from behind calling out, ‘damn your bloods-why don't you fire.’ Instantly three or four of the soldiers fired, one after

another, and directly after three more in the same confusion and hurry. The mob then ran away, except three unhappy men

who instantly expired, ; . . one more is since dead, three others are dangerously, and four slightly wounded. The whole of this

melancholy affair was transacted in almost 20 minutes.”

Gaspee Incident• The Gaspee was a British

customs ship• The ship was used to catch

smugglers• 1772 the ship runs aground

off of Rhode Island• Colonists disguise

themselves as Native Americans, order the crew off the ship and then set fire to the ship

Tea Tax• Great Britain wants to ship

the British East India Trading Company’s tea to the colonies and have them pay a duty on it. (Duty is a tax on a good brought into the country)

• Gives the British East India company a monopoly on tea in the colonies

• The colonists refuse to pay this tax.

Boston Tea Party• Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty

organize this as a protest to the Tea Tax.

• December 16, 1773• Group of colonists dress as Mohawk

Indians board the ship and toss the cargo of tea into Boston Harbor.

• 342 Chests (90,000 pounds) of tea is dumped into the harbor.

• Tea is also destroyed in other ways throughout the colonies.

• The ship was not damaged and no tea was stolen. This was simply a protest against the British tax on tea.

• Other protests on tea occur in Philadelphia, New York, Maryland, Charleston

George Hewes

“It was now evening, and I immediately dressed myself in the costume of an Indian, equipped with a small hatchet, which I and my associates denominated the tomahawk, with which, and a club, after having painted

my face and hands with coal dust in the shop of a blacksmith, I repaired to Griffin's wharf, where the ships lay that contained the tea. When I first appeared in the street

after being thus disguised, I fell in with many who were dressed, equipped and painted as I was, and who fell in with me and marched in order to the place of our destination. We then were ordered by our commander to

open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them overboard, and we

immediately proceeded to execute his orders, first cutting and splitting the chests with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly to expose them to the effects of the water.”

British Reaction the Boston Tea Party

• Not all colonists agree with the actions destroying the tea. Some offer to pay for it.

• The King and Parliament are outraged and ignore this.

• The British pass the Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) This allowed Great Britain to:– Close the port of Boston to all trade– Ban town meetings– House British troops in people’s homes– British soldiers committing crimes would

go to court in Great Britain.• This act was meant to punish the

colonists• Other colonies show support for Boston

by sending food and supplies

Quebec Act (1774)• British government passes laws organizing the Canadian

lands they had gained from the French and Indian War.– Roman Catholicism would be the official religion of Quebec– Government with no representative assembly– Quebec’s boundary extended to the Ohio River

• Why it angers the colonists:– It took American lands away from the colonists (Ohio River

Valley) and gave them to Quebec– Colonists fear similar laws will be passed on them taking away

their representative governments. – The colonists are a majority Protestant and they resent the

recognition of Catholicism

The Colonists Decide to Meet• A convention is held in Philadelphia

called the FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS. (1774)

• They want to discuss possible action against the king.

• 12 of 13 colonies attend, 55 representatives.

• Deliberate 7 weeks (Sept-Oct)• They adopt a Declaration of Rights to

send to the king. It said taxation would be unacceptable.

• They agree to Boycott British goods (The Association).

• No calls for independence• Parliament rejects the petitions

Preparing for War• American leaders begin to

realize they might need to fight for their freedom.

• A group of men is trained since they had no organized army.

• They were called Minutemen since they had to be ready to fight at a minutes notice.

British Response• British General Gage finds

out about the colonists plan.• He orders soldiers to seize all

military supplies belonging to the Minutemen and to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams.

• The British soldiers must travel through Lexington to get the supplies at Concord.

Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott

• The Patriots learn of the British plan.

• Paul Revere and William Dawes ride through the towns warning of the British approach.

• Revere was captured by the British and released, Dawes had to flee toward Lexington, Prescott made it to Concord.

• The colonists and Minutemen rush to meet the British at Lexington.

Lexington and Concord• The British soldiers reached

Lexington on April 18, 1775• 70 Armed Minutemen were

waiting for them.• Someone fires a shot, both sides

exchange fire.– This is known as the “Shot heard

Round the World”• The British continue to Concord

where more Minutemen are waiting to ambush the British and drive them back to Boston.

• This is the first fighting of the Revolutionary War.

Imperial Strength and Weakness• Population:

– 7.5 million Britons– 2.5 million colonists

• Professional Army: 50,000• Money: could hire 30,000 Hessian troops• Loyalists: 50,000• Weaknesses:

– Split feelings– Second rate generals– Long supply/communication lines– Geography of the American colonies

American Strength and Weaknesses• Outstanding leadership

– George Washington, Ben Franklin• Foreign Aid: France

– Marquis de Lafayette (Major General in colonial army)• Fighting defensive war• Agricultural advantage• Moral cause• Weaknesses:

– Badly organized and trained– Lack of unity– Lack of money, printed Continentals (depreciates in value causes inflation)– Lack of military supplies (no gun factories in the colonies)– Shortages of food, woolen items, shoes, uniforms

• Blacks fight on both sides of the war, promised emancipation• Some colonists engage in profiteering to get wealthy off the war