The Coming of the American Revolution

1. The Coming of the American Revolution

2. After the French and Indian War • At the end of the French and Indian War, American-British relations were severely STRAINED. • Although the American colonists still considered themselves to be BRITISH, and loyal to the king… • They also wanted the British government to LEAVE THEM ALONE. • The British felt that the Americans—whose tax burden was VERYLIGHT—had not contributed their FAIR SHARE… • During the French and Indian War… • And they considered the Americans to be UNGRATEFUL, UNCULTURED and OUT OF LINE.

3. The King Puts His Foot Down • Finally, King George III decided ENOUGH! • Protecting the Americans from attack by Indians was EXPENSIVE… • The British government had to maintain an Army in North America… • And armies need barracks, food, weapons, uniforms, etc. • The American colonists were enjoying the protection of the Army for NEARLYNOTHING— • Because they paid so little taxes.

4. The Proclamation of 1763 • So the King drew a line… • He said that no colonist would be allowed to settle WEST of the Appalachian Mountains… • That region became OFF LIMITS to settlement… • Because it was too expensive to protect settlers from Indian attacks. • However, the Americans simply IGNORED the King… • And settled there anyway. • This was the first time that the Americans—as BRITISH SUBJECTS— • Had openly DISOBEYED the King.

5. How did the events surrounding the French and Indian War affect American-British relations? iRespond Question Multiple Choice F 748C1411-6B32-2547-B209-E57846031735 A.) relations became stronger and more respectful. B.) relations became strained and distrustful. C.) there was no effect. D.) they became united against Indian aggression. E.)

6. What was King George III's PRIMARY purpose in issuing the Proclamation of 1763? iRespond Question Multiple Choice F D7C20AF3-B838-1E42-848B-E96C51A6A994 A.) to punish the colonists. B.) to display his power. C.) to strengthen the British Empire. D.) to save money. E.)

7. The Stamp Act • By 1765, British subjects living in Britain were the MOST HEAVILY TAXED people in the world… • And had a VERY LOW standard of living. • And British subjects living in America—AMERICANS—were PROSPEROUS… • And paid very little taxes. • Finally, the British government decided to squeeze a little money out of the American colonies… • And the STAMPACT—a tax on all PRINTEDMATERIAL—was passed.

8. The British Parliament • The British Parliament works like the US Congress… • We vote for REPRESENTATIVES… • Who fight for OUR INTERESTS. • And if we don’t like the job our Representative is doing…. • We vote them OUT OF OFFICE. • However, American colonists HAD NO REPRESENTATIVES in the British Parliament… • Which meant they had no VOICE in government.

9. Protesting the Stamp Act • When the Stamp Act was passed, the American colonies EXPLODED into protest… • Because it was obvious that the British government was just trying to SQUEEZE MONEY out of the colonies… • And the Americans could not do anything about it… • Because they had no REPRESENTATIVES in Parliament. • And so the battle cry of the protests became... • NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!

10. The Sons of Liberty • Were an organization of American TERRORISTS… • Who formed to protest the Stamp Act. • They told tax collectors that if they continued in collecting the stamp tax… • Their house would be burned down… • The would be beaten, tarred and feathered… • And…if they continued to collect the tax… • They would be killed. • They also organized and ENFORCED a BOYCOTT of British goods… • The boycott hurt British merchants and the government couldn’t get anybody to collect taxes… • And the Stamp Act was REPEALED in 1766.

11. The Stamp Act was a tax on... iRespond Question Multiple Choice F 1464D27B-F39D-644D-ACB6-B4E0E9CD3F78 A.) stamps. B.) land. C.) legal documents. D.) printed material. E.)

12. The phrase "No Taxation Without Representation" refers to the fact that... iRespond Question Multiple Choice F 4EAA9A5A-CFAD-0241-AC7E-D8A2FCF18BC1 A.) the British government refused to allow freedom of the press in the colonies. B.) the American colonists believed that King George III was a traitor. C.) the American colonists had no representation in the British parliament. D.) the Sons of Liberty had been denied the right to vote by British authorities. E.)

13. The Tea Act • By the 1770’s, smuggling was BIG BUSINESS in the colonies… • And most Americans consumed smuggled tea…TAXFREE. • This practice greatly hurt the business of the British East India Company… • A tea merchant OWNED by the British government. • In 1773, the Tea Act was passed… • Which allowed the East India Company to sell tea without paying normal taxes. • But the Act also put a hurt on the tea-smuggling business… • And the Americans once again began protesting this “injustice”.

14. What was the PRIMARY purpose of the British passage of the Tea Act? iRespond Question Multiple Choice F 1680151F-60CB-BE48-AA54-52D997E6B0E4 A.) to form an alliance with Canada. B.) to make money from the colonies. C.) to crush the colony of Massachusetts. D.) to put a stop to tea smuggling. E.)

15. The Americans Respond to the Tea Act • When British East Indian Company tea began arriving… • Their ships were turned away and sent back to Britain in… • New York… • And Philadelphia… • In Charleston, the tea was unloaded and then left on the docks to rot… • And in Boston, the ships were allowed to dock… • But the American dockworkers refused to allow them to be unloaded.

16. The Boston Tea Party • On the evening of December 16, 1775, a group of colonists— • Who were thinly disguised as Mohawk Indians— • Boarded three of the tea vessels in Boston Harbor… • And in course of three hours, dumped the entire cargo— • 342 giant chests of tea— • Into Boston Harbor. • The value of the destroyed cargo topped ₤18,000… • Adjusted for inflation, almost $3 million dollars worth of tea.

17. The British Response • The British response to the Tea Party was to pass a series of acts known as the Coercive Acts… • And which the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. • The port of Boston was closed down until the city could repay the East Indian Company for the destruction of the tea. • The government of Massachusetts was put under military rule. • British officials accused of criminal activity could choose to have their trial held in England (where most colonists could not afford to travel)… • George Washington called the last provision the “Murder Act”.

18. The PRIMARY purpose of the Coercive (or Intolerable) Acts was... iRespond Question Multiple Choice F 0F593E00-C727-134F-830B-D02261F5D283 A.) to punish the citizens of Boston for the events surrounding the Boston Tea Party. B.) to gain favor for King George III among the American colonists. C.) to expand the territorial holdings of the British Empire. D.) to expand freedom and liberty in the colony of Massachusetts. E.)

19. The Colonial Response • The Intolerable Acts were meant to isolate, punish and make an example out of Massachusetts… • But they caused an explosion of outrage throughout every colony. • Americans became convinced that the British were committed to the destruction of liberty… • And calls for revolution began to get louder and more insistent.

20. The First Continental Congress • The First Continental Congress was a meeting of leaders from every colony… • To develop an official and unified response to the Intolerable Acts. • The Congress issued three declarations… • Americans should continue their boycott of all British goods… • Americans should begin to arm themselves and form militias… • And…

21. Most colonists, including those attending the First Continental Congress, still greatly respected King George III. He was their King—this still meant something. So they appealed directly to him, outlined their grievances and begged for understanding…. • George III responded: “The New England Colonies are in a • STATE OF REBELLION. Blows must decide”. The King in 1774 The King in 1775