The Road to WarExamining the Events that

Led to the American RevolutionGina Rios

EDU 653Winter 2010

The Proclamation of 1763

• Ends the French & Indian War• Prohibits English settlement

west of the Appalachian mountains

• Attempts to ease tensions with the Native Americans

Cause

The Sugar Act (1764)

• Passed by England to offset their debts from the French & Indian War

• Increased the duties on imported goods including SUGAR, textiles (cloth), & coffee

• Forbids the import of some foreign (produced in countries other than England) goods

Effect

The Stamp Act (March, 1765)

• First direct tax on the American colonies

• All printed materials including newspapers, pamphlets, & legal documents were taxed

• Needed to fund the British troops still in America

Cause

Effect

The Quartering Act (March, 1765)

• Required colonists to house & feed the British troops in America

Cause

The Stamp Act Congress Meets (October, 1765)

• Representatives from 9 of the 13 colonies meet in New York

• They prepare a petition for King George that states only colonial governments can tax the colonists

• No taxation without representation

Cause

Effect

The Stamp Act is Repealed (March, 1766)

• King George and the English Parliament repeal (remove) the Stamp Act

• This comes after pressure from Benjamin Franklin and the threat of revolution

• At the same time Parliament passes a law that states they have

TOTAL power to make ANY laws affecting the colonies Cause

Effect

The Townshend Revenue Acts (June, 1767)

• Parliament passes a law creating new taxes on the colonies

• The items taxed include imports such as paper, tea, glass, & lead

• Needed to fund the British troops in America

Effect

The Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770)

Causehttp://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=75701D64-3D9B-4CDA-9B50-3C361CD1C947&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

The Townshend Act is Repealed (April, 1770)

• Following the Boston Massacre tragedy Parliament eliminates all duties on imports EXCEPT tea

• At the same time the Quartering Act is not renewed

Effect

The Tea Act (May, 1773)

• Reinforces the tea tax• Gives the British East India Company

a monopoly (only seller) on imported tea

Cause

The Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773)

EffectCausehttp://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?

guidAssetId=039A63CE-2A35-41C1-80E2-1525C0D95BB8&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

The Boston Port Bill (March, 1774)

• Punishment for the Boston Tea Party• A part of the Intolerable Acts• Shut down the Boston port and all

shipping to and from it until the East India Company is reimbursed for the dumped tea and all taxes are

paid on it

CauseEffect

The Massachusetts Regulating Act (May, 1774)

• A part of the Intolerable Acts• Gave the royal governor of

Massachusetts all political power that had previously been given to the colonists

• Ended self-rule

Cause

Effect

The Quartering Act (June, 1774)

• A NEW Quartering Act is established requiring colonists to once again house and feed British soldiers

Cause

Effect

The First Continental Congress Meets(September, 1774)

• Representatives from all of the 13 colonies except Georgia meet in Philadelphia

• Write the Declaration and Resolves which opposes all British actions that undermine self-rule

• The rights of colonists are stated• Encourage militia units to form

Effect

Lexington and Concord (April, 1775)

• First “battle” for freedom• 700 British soldiers were sent to find

weapons stored by the Sons of Liberty & arrest two members of the group

• Paul Revere warned the group• Colonial militias (Minutemen) were

ready when the British arrived• 73 British & 93 Minutemen were killed

Cause

The Second Continental Congress Meets(May, 1775)

• Representatives from all of the 13 colonies except Georgia meet again in Philadelphia

• Prepared for war• Continental Army was formed, led by

George Washington• Continental Currency (money) was

created to fund the war

Effect

The Declaration of Independence(July 4, 1776)

• Second Continental Congress• Written by Thomas Jefferson & signed

by representatives from the 13 colonies

• Officially announced that the 13 colonies were independent from Great Britain

(war was already going on at this time)

References

Discovery Education. (2005) The Boston Massacre: What We Know about This Revolutionary Flashpoint.

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=75701D64-3D9B-4CDA-9B50-3C361CD1C947&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

Discovery Education. (2000) The Boston Tea Party.http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=039A63CE-2A35-41C1-80E2-1525C0D95BB8&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

Harcourt. (2003)United States History: Beginnings