Post on 30-Dec-2015
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Dealing with Indian & French Canadian Resistance
British P.M. George Grenville set out to solve the empire’s new problemsIn order to solve the Indian
problem, he issued the Proclamation of 1763
In order to win over the French-speaking Catholic Canadians, he allowed them to preserve their religious & cultural ways
Revenue Taxes
In order to deal with the debt from the F/I War, he passed acts designed to raise tax revenues in the colonies for the British govt.Sugar Act 1764Quartering Act 1765Stamp Act 1765
First direct tax on the colonistsRequired the use of govt-stamped paper,
signifying the payment of the tax, on almost 50 different documents
Would affect everyone
American Reaction to the Taxes
Samuel Adams started a secret resistance organization called the Sons of Liberty, in which they staged public demonstrations & protests
American Reaction to the Taxes
Patrick Henry from the H of B in VA introduced 7 resolutions denouncing the Stamp Act“no taxation without
representation” Most colonial assemblies
followed VA’s lead & issued statements condemning the Stamp Act
Grenville responded by saying Americans were represented in Parliament under the theory of “virtual representation”
American Reaction to the Taxes
Oct. 1765 delegates from 9 colonies met at the Stamp Act Congress in New York CityClaimed that only
colonial legislatures had the authority to tax the colonists
Significance – break down sectional divisions
American Reaction to the Taxes
Colonists agreed to boycott British goods, leading to the spread of the non-importation movementArtisans & laborers saw the chance to sell
their own goodsWomen agreed to make homespun cloth as
a replacement to British textiles
Repeal of the Stamp Act
Grenville was replaced by Lord Rockingham, who repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766, but passed the Declaratory Act insteadReaffirmed Parliament’s
right to pass legislation for & raise taxes from the colonies
The Townshend Acts & Colonial Protest
New P.M. Charles Townshend imposed new taxes on the colonies through the Townshend ActsTaxed imported items
including glass, paper, paint, & lead products
Also placed a three-penny tax on tea
Ordered new customs boards to collect the taxes
Relocated “redcoats” to port cities to keep the peace
The Townshend Acts & Colonial Protest
John Dickinson wrote a pamphlet titled “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania”Claimed the T.A. violated the
principle of “no taxation w/o representation”
Criticized “virtual representation”
Another massive boycott of British goods began in 1768
Boston Massacre
Facing the breakdown of law & order in Boston, the governor requested the support of British soldiers (1768)
Boston Massacre
Colonists taunted them, leading to a major confrontation on March 5, 1770Townspeople began
throwing snowballs at the redcoats
Nervous & provoked soldiers opened fire, killing 5
Years later, the incident was used as colonial propaganda
Disturbing the Peace of the Early 1770s
In March 1770, the new P.M. Lord North repealed all taxes, except that on teaPeriod of relative peace set in,
but only temporarily
Disturbing the Peace of the Early 1770s
June 1772, Rhode Island merchants sought revenge on customs operationsLocal men boarded the Gaspee, looted it, & torched it
Disturbing the Peace of the Early 1770s
Colonies organized the Committees of Correspondence to keep alive opposition to British policies by spreading ideas & info
The Tea Act & the Tea Party
1773 the British East India Tea Company was facing bankruptcy
Parliament tried to save them by allowing them to ship their tea directly to the colonial market at lower pricesHowever, the three-
penny tax still remained
The Tea Act & the Tea Party
Crowds met the ships carrying the tea & prevented them from unloading it
MA governor Thomas Hutchinson refused to allow the ships to leave until they unloaded their cargo
The Tea Act & the Tea Party
1773 Bostonians who were part of the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Indians, boarded the ships & dumped the tea
The Intolerable Acts
Parliament responded quickly to the Tea Party with acts that punished BostonPort ActMA Govt. ActJustice ActA new Quartering Act
Quebec Act
At the same time, the British govt. passed the Quebec ActFrench in Canada were
allowed to practice Catholicism
Expanded the Canadian border to the Ohio River
The First Continental Congress 1774
Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philly to discuss ways of redressing colonial grievances
S. Adams, J. Adams, G. Washington, P. Henry
The First Continental Congress 1774
Wrote the Declaration of Rights & Grievances, in which they allowed Parliament to regulate trade but refused to allow them to impose revenue taxes w/o their consent
Demanded the repeal of the Intolerable Acts
Approved the Continental Association, which called for a complete boycott of all British goods
Lexington & Concord April 1775
General Gage sent troops through Lexington to Concord to seize a stockpile of weapons & to arrest radical leaders S. Adams & J. Hancock
Lexington & Concord April 1775
On April 18, 1775 Paul Revere & others rode off to warn the militia of the approaching army
Lexington & Concord April 1775
At Lexington, the redcoats fired on the colonial militiamen, killing 8
Lexington & Concord April 1775
Redcoats marched on to Concord where they didn’t find weapons but instead were forced to retreat by the Concord Minutemen73 redcoats were killedWar had begun
Second Continental CongressMet in Philly 1775
Authorized the printing of American paper money
Approved the creation of a Continental Army & appointed G. Washington to serve as commander
Second Continental Congress
Hoping to find a peaceful solution, they offered King George III the Olive Branch PetitionReasserted colonial loyalty to
the crownAsked the king to intervene
with Parliament on their behalfThe king rejected it
Second Continental Congress
The king approved the Prohibitory Act, which declared the colonies in rebellion & no longer under his protection
The Impact of “Common Sense”
Up until 1776, most patriots had blamed the problems on Parliament, not the king
Then in Jan. 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet called “Common Sense”, in which he attacked the sanctity of the monarchy head-on
The Impact of “Common Sense”
He called for immediate independence
His simple, yet emotional writing style spoke directly to ordinary citizens, not just the political elite
Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson, the 2nd C.C. formally ratified it on July 4, 1776