Unit 1: Settlement, Culture, and Government of the Colonies StandardS: SS.7.C.1.3, SS.7.C.1.4, SS.7.C.1.5

Colonial Government What factors began to weaken the ties between England and its colonies? What is individualism? What were some of the reasons that led to a growing sense of an American identity within the colonies? Colonists began to rely on themselves and one another, reinforcing a growing individualism and a sense of community.

Governing The Colonies At first, England paid little attention to the colonies. English leaders believed that the colonies would always benefit England. 1650s – Parliament passes laws regulating the colonies’ trade. This was hard to regulate, especially in the New England Colonies. Most colonies had a governor who had been appointed by the King – they were charged with enforcing English laws in the colony.

Governing the Colonies (cont.) Colonists’ elected assemblies, these legislatures grew stronger over time. The assemblies had the power to tax and to decide how money would be spent in the colonies. By the mid-1970s, the colonies were used to governing themselves through their elected legislatures. Many within the colonies felt that their governor put British interests ahead of their own – they began to resent the fact that they had fewer rights than people living in Great Britian.

Break into Groups It’s 1750 – you’re the third generation of your family to live in the colonies. (Your grandparents moved here from England.) It’s 1750 – you’re the first generation of your family to live in the colonies. (You were born in England and moved here five years ago.)

Social & Political Changes in the Colonies What events and movements affected colonial attitudes? The Great Awakening – (1740s-1760s) A religious movement that swept across the colonies. Preachers stressed the value of personal religious experience. They rejected the teachings of church leaders. Colonists begin to question religious authority. Simultaneously, Enlightenment thinkers are urging people to question accepted political authority. A strong spirit of liberty is born. The quality or state of being free.

Causes & Aftermath Proclamation - an official, formal public announcement. Colonists had caused the war by moving westward. England was in debt after the French and Indian war. Hoping to resolve the residual issues, the King issued a proclamation. 1) End the fighting in America, which was caused by westward expansion. 2) Stationed 10,000 British troops in the colonies to maintain the peace. 3) Forbade the colonists from settling in lands won from France.

French and Indian War + The Great Awakening How did the French and Indian War affect colonial attitudes? It led colonists to believe that after helping to defeat the French, they were entitled to move into the lands the British had taken over. What did the Great Awakening and the French and Indian War have in common? Both caused colonists to question authority, and both inspired a desire for personal liberty.

Colonial Dissatisfaction Grows

Colonial Dissatisfaction Grows What ideas from the English political tradition might the colonists cite in opposing the King’s proclamation? Hint: English Bill of Rights King George asked Parliament to tax the colonies to help pay off the debt from Great Britain's war efforts. In 1765, Parliament passes the stamp act. Law required colonists to buy and place tax stamps on many types of documents.

Boycott Begins Colonial leaders call on the colonists to boycott, or refuse to buy, British goods. Why would a boycott be effective?

England Reacts In 1766, Parliament repealed the stamp act. Replacing it with a “Declaratory Act.” This Act stated that Parliament had the right to tax the colonies and make decisions for them “in all cases whatsoever.” Parliament levied new taxes known as the “Townshend Acts.” These taxes placed duties on a wide range of goods that the imported from overseas.

Tea Act & Smuggling 1773, Parliament passes the “Tea Act.” This was not a tax. It allowed the British company that grew tea in India to import its tea into the colonies without paying the existing tea tax. This made the British company’s tea cheaper than other tea sold in the companies. Parliament’s control of taxes angered the colonists. Townshend Acts enabled general search warrants. British officials used these to combat smuggling – illegally moving goods in/out of a country. These warrants made it legal for British officers to enter businesses and homes in the Colonies.

Boston Tea Party

Parliament’s Reaction Passes the “Coercive Acts.” These laws were meant to punish Massachusetts. Colonists referred to them as “Intolerable Acts.” Many of the laws violated the British Bill of Rights.

Complete Handout In Groups

Steps Toward Independence

Steps Towards Independence Standards: S.S. C.1.4

First Continental Congress Delegates from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia to respond to the Coercive Acts. The Continental Congress did not pass laws. Instead, the delegates discussed what to do about the colonies’ issues with Great Britain. Results: A letter to the King reaffirming their rights as British citizens. They also organized a total boycott of British goods, and implemented a ban on trading with Britain. King George was not happy.

Second Continental Congress In the aftermath of Lexington and Concord, Congress had to decide whether to continue working towards peace or independence. The second Congress acted as a governing body for the colonies. Not every member favored independence.

Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense in 1776.