“I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.”

ROAD TO REVOLUTION

Why did the American colonists break with Britain?

• Economic Reasons

1) Mercantilism – a. Gold makes a nation strongb. A favorable balance of trade = more gold

comes in than goes outc. Sell more than it buysd. Colonies exist for the trade benefits of

the mother country

Why did the American colonists break with Britain?

• 2. Trade Restrictions• Navigation Acts (shipping laws) – • A. Only British ships could transport

goods from the colonies• B. The colonists could only buy from

England• C. Colonists could only export

commodities (resources) to British ports

King George’s War (1740-1748)

• Britain vs. France• Started in Europe and in the sea by India• War spills over to North America (Canada)• 4000 New Englanders attack the French fortress at

Louisbourg• 250 cannons, 30 ft high stone walls, 7 weeks• 167 Americans died, fort captured, 1500 prisoners• Treaty of Aix La Chapelle – Britain traded the

fortress back to France for a British outpost in India

Proclamation of 1763

• Problem: Colonists on Indian lands, Indian War

• Solution: Colonists not allowed to move west of the Appalachian Mts.

• Why unfair?• Can’t move to the Ohio Valley• Have to pay for soldiers to keep them out• Reaction: Americans ignored the law

Taxes• Problem: Britain in debt after the war• Solution: • Sugar Act 1764– tax on sugar and molasses and stricter

punishment on smugglers• Stamp Act 1765– tax on paper• Why unfair?• No taxation without representation• (you have to let us have a say in the taxes)• These taxes were repealed because of the protests

(boycott)

More Taxes• Problem: Townshend is accused of being scared of the

Americans• Solution: Townshend Acts 1767 – he taxes lead, paint,

tea, paper, and glass• Why unfair?• No representation• Writs of assistance let officers search your house and

ship if they wanted to.• Americans did the nonimportation agreements = they

boycotted bringing in those items.

Boston Massacre March 5, 1770

• Problem: Colonists threw snowballs at the soldiers• Solution: Soldiers shot and killed 5 Boston citizens• Why unfair?• Soldiers given a fair trial and found innocent of murder• Officer not punished, soldiers branded on hand and

sent back to England• Reaction: Committees of Correspondence – wrote

letters/pamphlets, Sons of Liberty groups in other colonies formed.

Tea Act 1773

• Problem: British East India Company going out of business

• Solution: Sell BEIC’s tea directly to America at lower cost

• Why unfair?• Cut American tea merchants out of the deal• Tricking Americans into paying the unfair tax• Reaction: Boston Tea Party!

Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)• Problem: Boston destroyed 273 chests of tea• Solution: Punish Boston• 1) closed the ports• 2) limited town meetings• 3) Murder Act – try British officials in England• 4) New Quartering Act – soldiers put in people’s homes• Why unfair? • Hurting trade, right to assemble, fair trial, privacy• Reaction: First Continental Congress – send supplies to

Boston, organize colonial militias, boycott