The Seeds of Unrest

1. The Seeds of Unrest

2. Governing New Territories • Treaty of Paris of 1763 – France gave up its North American empire • Britain now control land from Appalachian Mtns. to Mississippi River • Farmers and land speculators moved to new region • Everyone seemed to be ignoring the American Indian claim to the land

3. American Indian Resistance • British limited the amount of ammunition and rumavailable for trade with Indians • Naturally this angered many American Indians • Considered trade items as fair payment for land • Neolin (American Indian), denounced European goods and urged other Indians to drive out the British • Pontiac’s Rebellion – in 1763, many Indian tribes took up arms against the British • Killed over 2000 troops • Rebellion ended when Pontiac could not take Fort Detroit or Fort Pitt (lack of supplies and cold winter)

4. The Proclamation of 1763 • Although British held military control in “Frontier”, could not successfully protect all British settlers • Proclamation of 1763 barred settlement west of Appalachians • Hard to enforce, many colonists land hungry and continued to move west [Colonists resented the Proclamation]

5. Financing the Empire • British in major debt after war, put some of the financial burden on the backs of the colonists – creating more resentment • Question became how to raise revenue ($$$) • TAXES • Sugar Act of 1764 – import tax on foreign sugar, molasses, and a few other items…. • ***not first tax on sugar or molasses, but first time it was seriously enforced • Colonists could no longer smuggle goods into the colonies

6. Financing the Empires • Sugar Act decreased business for colonial merchantswho profited from smuggling • Often refused to cooperate with inspectors of the Royal Navy in shipyards • Controversy continued….. • In 1765, Parliament slapped another tax….. Stamp Act of 1765 • Placed a tax on anything printed….

8. Colonial Protests • British officials were unprepared for the colonial resistance • Parliament passed act without any direct representation from colonies… • “No taxation without representation” • May 1765, VA House of Burgesses passed several resolutions condemning the Stamp Act

9. A Call to Action • Colonists signed non-importation agreements • Promised not to buy or import British goods • Protesters hit the streets, sometimes violently • Edenezer MacIntosh led a violent protest destroying the property of a stamp agent • Boston Sons of Liberty – artisans, lawyers, merchants, politicians

10. Repeal of Stamp Act • Samuel Adams – elected to Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1765 • Became a leader in the fight for the colonists • October 1765, delegates from 9 colonies gathered in NYC – Stamp Act Congress • Pledged obedience to Parliament • Voiced objections to Stamp Act – had no right to tax colonists • British merchants who were losing business joined in the protests • REPEALED in March 1776 Declaratory Act of 1766 – asserted full power and authority of Parliament

11. The Townsend Acts • Charles Townsend, a British finance minister, believed colonists resented the Stamp Act because it was collected in the colonies • Townsend believed they would be willing to accept taxes at colonial ports • Townsend Acts of 1767 • Import taxes on tea, lead, glass, dyes • British custom officials used writs of assistance to enforce act – meaning they could search anything

13. Colonial Opposition • Powerful opposition from the colonists • Crown placed additional soldiers in colonies • NY’s assembly imposed the Quartering Act of 1765 • Refused to provided money to quarter the soldiers

15. The Boston Massacre • On March 5, 1770, an angry crowd gathered outside a customs house • Crowed yelled insults, threw snowballs, rocks, and coal at the soldiers • Before long, a soldier’s gun went off, 3 colonists lay dead, 2 more die later

16. Continuing Unrest… • 1770, partial repeal of the Townsend Act, Quartering Act expired • British kept a small tax on tea • King George – “always must be one tax to keep up the right” • Repeal quieted general unrest, for a little while • 1772, Parliament announced it would pay salaries of governor and judges in Mass. • Feared they would now ignore colonial demands

17. The Tea Act of 1773 • British East India Company almost bankrupt • To save company – Parliament passed Tea Act • Excused the company from paying certain taxes and permitted the company to see directly to American agents • Most colonists refused to buy Tea • Sons of Liberty in Philadelphia and NYC threatened tea importers and boycotted

18. Boston Tea Party • December 16, 1773 • Governor refused colonist’s demands • Later that night, dressed as Indians, a well-organized group of colonists boarded tea ships in Boston Harbor • Dumped 342 chests of tea into water

19. Intolerable Acts of 1774 • Boston Tea Party infuriated British officials • Parliament responded by passing the Coercive Acts – designed to strengthen British control in Mass. • Colonists Called these Acts the Intolerable Acts • Colonists had to repay for lost tea – Ports closed indefinitely • Forbade colonists from holding town meetings • Royal officials charged of crimes to be tired in other colonies • Local officials had to provide housing and food for British soldiers

20. The Intolerable Acts deepened Colonial hostility toward Britain • Along with the Quebec Act, which extended Quebec territory south, angered colonists • Move towards colonial unity…. • Thus begins the Revolutionary War…

22. First Continental Congress • Philadelphia – October 26, 1774 • Every colony except for GA represented -1st time colonies really acted as one • Not a lawmaking body – met to air grievances and consider their options • Stay with Britain or declare independence • Declaration of Resolves • Expressed loyalty to the British crown, stated that colonists had rights as British subjects • Colonists had “free and exclusive power of legislation in their several provincial legislatures” • Called for a ban on all trade with Britain • Agreed to meet again in May 1775 • King George III saw this as the last straw…….rebellion must be shut down

23. Lexington and Concord • Under orders from King George III – General Thomas Gage decided to seize rebel military supplies in Concord, Mass. • April 18, 1775, under night sky, 750 British troops left Boston toward Concord • The Patriots (colonists who supported independence) had placed watchmen on the shore of the Charles River • As Gage moved in close, Paul Revere ran back yelling “The British are coming!”

24. April 19th, 70 minutemen waited for the arrival of the British • British finally arrive – “Lay down your arms rebels, and disperse” • Colonists began to flee and then out of nowhere (each accusing the other) a shot was fired – “shot heard round the world” • British open fire – 8 colonists dead, 10 wounded • British marched on towards the rebels military supplies in Concord • As the British headed back to Boston, 100s of minutemen from behind stone walls open fire of the red coats • 273 British soldiers dead