The Road to Revolution (1763-1775)

1. The Road to Revolution(1763-1775)

3. The Situation in 1763 • British Problems after the French & Indian War • Should Colonists be allowed to settle in the Ohio River Valley • Native Americans • The British War Debt • British solutions to these problems • Allowed the colonists to settle beyond the Appalchian Mts. • Mistreatment of Native Americans • Have the colonists help pay war debts

4. What resulted • Pontiac’s Rebellion • A reaction to colonial settlement in the Ohio River Valley • The Proclamation Line of 1763 • Restricted colonial settlement • Passage of the Sugar Act (1764) • To help pay for the War

5. The Molasses Act of 1733 • Put a tax of 6P/gallon on molasses imported from the Dutch, French, or Spanish West Indies • Purpose: Get the colonists to buy from the British West Indies • Problem: British West Indies did not have enough • Result: • Led to colonial smuggling of molasses • British did not enforce the law (salutary neglect

6. Colonies Rum Molasses (6P Tax) Molasses 6P tax Molasses (no tax) Slaves Africa Slaves Dutch French Slaves British

7. The Sugar Act (1764) • Purpose: • Help with war debts • Cut the tax on imported molasses in half to 3P/gallon • British promised strict enforcement— • Impact: Resentment and reaction

8. The Stamp Act (1765) • Background • British wanted greater control of colonial affairs • In addition to the Sugar Act Parliament passed a Currency Act & Quartering Act • Needed more revenue to pay war debts and the cost of defending the colonies

9. The Stamp Act • Provisions • Required that a stamp be placed on everyday items and legal documents • Result • First Direct Tax • “No taxation w/out representation”

10. Opposition to the Stamp Act • Direct v. Indirect Taxation • Indirect taxes • Direct taxes

11. Opposition to the Stamp Act • Sons of Liberty-a local group of artisans, lawyers, and merchants join forces • Nonimportation Agreements-colonial merchants promise not to buy or import British goods

12. Opposition to the Stamp Act • “No taxation w/out Representation” • Direct v. Virtual Representation • The colonies did not have an elected representative in Parliament • The British said that even people in England did not have direct representation--Parliament represented all British subjects

13. The Stamp Act Congress • Delegates from 9 colonies met in New York in October • Drew up a petition for Parliament

14. British Reaction • In Parliament • Friends of the colonists • British Merchants • were faced with financial ruin due to the nonimportation agreements • asked parliament to repeal the Stamp Act

15. The Stamp Act is Repealed • Benjamin Franklin spoke to Parliament in favor of repeal • Parliament repealed the law in March of 1766 • Passed the Declaratory Act asserting Parliament’s right to make laws and bind the colonies

16. The Townshend Acts (1767) • Charles Townshend became the new Chancellor of the Exchequer (treasury) • Wanted more money from the colonies • The Townshend Duties--a series of import (indirect) taxes on everyday items like tea, lead, and glass

17. Reaction • British assert their authority • “writs of assistance” which were general search warrants that allowed customs to search ships, homes, warehouses • Troops sent to the colonies in 1767 • Quartering Act required colonists to house and supply British troops

18. Colonial response • More nonimportation agreements • Mob Violence--tarring & featherings of tax officials • The Boston Massacre--March 5, 1770

20. Townshend Acts Are Repealed • Lord North becomes Prime Minister in 1770 • Nonimportation agreements were working • Townshend Acts were repealed except for the tax on _______ • Kept the Tea tax to show the power of Parliament

21. English TEA • English Tea • East India Company sold tea to British wholesalers in England • English wholesalers brought the tea to American distributors • Paid the Tea Tax in the colonies • American distributors sold the tea to shop owners • Shop owners sold to the public

22. Dutch Tea • Brought from the East Indies directly to the colonies • Smuggled the Dutch Tea into the colonies • Dutch Tea was cheaper because it did not have to pay any taxes • English tea was marked up more times and was more expensive • Americans bought the Dutch Tea

23. The Tea Act of 1773 • East India Company was facing bankruptcy--it was hurt by depression & inflated prices of their tea • Parliament passed the Tea Act of 1773 • Allowed the company to sell its tea directly to the colonies • Effect: • Gave the East India Company a monopoly • Their tea was now very inexpensive

24. Colonial Reaction • American merchants • could not compete with the new low prices • threatened with financial ruin • Colonial leaders • Felt if Parliament gave one company an advantage like this they might give others favored treatment • started a boycott of English tea

25. The Boston Tea Party • The Sons of Liberty dressed up like Indians on December 16, 1773 • The Boston Tea Party--threw tea in Boston Harbor

26. British React • Reasons for Passage • The Boston Tea Party • Lord North and King George • Parliament passed the Corercive Acts--aimed at Massachusetts • The Coercive Acts • Closed Boston Harbor • Revoked the Massachusetts Charter • A new Quartering Act

27. Reaction to the Coercive Acts • 4,000 more troops sent to Boston • Called the Coercive Acts – • The Quebec Act added to the problem • Helped lead to more unity among the 13 colonies • Newspaper articles • Committees of Correspondence spread information and called for a Continental Congress

28. First Continental Congress • The First Continental Congress was September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

29. The First Continental CongressSeptember 1774 • Moderates • Wanted to end the problems with Britain • Radicals • Wanted the colonies to have self-government within the British Empire • Leaders: Sam Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry

30. Accomplishments of the First Continental Congress • Drafted a Declaration of Resolves with a set of grievances (complaints) and called for the repeal of the laws passed by Parliament since 1763 • They said these laws violated their rights as Englishmen • Voted to boycott all British goods • Endorsed the Suffolk Resolves • Called on the people of Suffolk County in Massachusetts to arm themselves • This led to the people in Massachusetts forming militias

31. How Britain Responded • George III said the colonies were in rebellion • Several thousand soldiers were sent to Boston led by Sir Thomas Gage • Gage was ordered to disarm the colonial militias and arrest the leaders

32. Battles of Lexington and Concord • General Gage learned that the colonists were storing guns and ammunition in Concord • Paul Revere and William Dawes rode horses on the night of April 18, 1775 to Concord and Lexington warning people that the British were coming • The war began the next day on Lexington Green and at Concord Bridge

33. Colonial Siege of the British in Boston • Colonial troops chased the British back to Boston • The Colonials set up fortifications at Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill • The British decided to drive the Americans from their positions

34. Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys • May 10, 1775 • Fort Ticonderoga is taken • The artillery found here will be used against the British in Boston

35. The Second Continental Congress Opens • May 10, 1775 • This body will act as the government throughout the War for Independence • Elected John Hancock president of the Congress • Appointed George Washington Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army

36. The Battle of Bunker Hill • On June 16, 1775, the British charged up Breed’s Hill three times before the Colonists ran out of ammunition and had to give up their positions • The British won the Battle but they suffered more than 1,000 casualties (dead and wounded) • Importance: the Americans proved to themselves that they could stand up to the British Army

37. The Siege of Boston • The British Army in Boston was still surrounded • George Washington took command on July 4, 1775 on the Cambridge Common • In the late fall Washington asked that the cannon from Fort Ticonderoga be brought to Boston

38. Thomas Paine • Wrote Common Sense which was published in January of 1776 • Written in language that an average person could understand • Paine explained the reasons why the 13 colonies should declare their independence • Sold 150,000 copies in six months—the population of the 13 colonies was about 2 million

39. The Siege of Boston ends • General Henry Knox dragged the cannon through the ice and snow to General Washington outside Boston • Washington placed the cannon in positions around the city and began to use the cannon • On March 17, 1776 the British evacuated (left) Boston

40. The Second Continental Congress moves toward Independence • Congress established a committee to write a declaration of independence • The committee did its work and then Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence • Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution of independence on July 2, 1776 • The Declaration was accepted and signed by John Hancock on July 4, 1776

41. The Declaration of Independence • Divided into four parts

42. Part 1: The Preamble • Explains the reasons why the Continental Congress is declaration American independence

43. Part 2: States a new theory of government • Declares that all people are born with natural rights—inalienable rights which can’t be taken away • Explains that the function of governments is to protect the rights of the people • Concludes that if the government does not do its job than the people have the right to change the government or abolish it

44. Part 3: Grievances (complaints) • A list of all the complaints (grievances) the colonists have against the king and Parliament since 1763 • Mentions the king specifically • He has kept among us in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature

45. Part 4: Formal Declaration of Independence • Formally declares the independence of the “united States of America”

46. Significance—what does all this mean?