The Road to Revolution: (1770-1776)

Was the American Revolution Inevitable??

Tar and Feathering

What were points of conflict? Conflict areas Illegal Search Warrants Sugar Act 1764 Stamp Act 1765 Quartering Act 1765

Toward Independence Quartering Act: Cost saving measure that Britain used that required colonists to house soldiers in their homes and provide them with supplies. Sugar Act: Placed a tax on sugar, molasses, and other products shipped to the colonies. Stamp Act: Required all legal and commercial documents to carry an official stamp showing that a tax had been paid.

Protests Colonist merchants began a boycott of British goods. Secret societies began to form: Sons of Liberty - Many were lawyers, merchants, and craftspeople - those most affected by the Stamp Act. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, but imposed the Declaration Act - This gave parliament supreme authority to govern the colonies.

More British Actions Townshend Acts: Placed taxes on goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea. In order to enforce the act, British officers use writs of assistance to enter homes or businesses to search for smuggled goods. Colonists saw the Townshend Acts as a serious threat to their rights and freedoms.

Tools of Protest To protest the Townshend Acts, colonists formed another boycott of British goods. This boycott was formed by Samuel Adams - Leader of the Sons of Liberty. Sons of Liberty pressured shopkeepers not to sell imported goods. Daughters of Liberty called on colonists to weave their own cloth and use American products.

The Boston Massacre (March 5,1770)

On March 5, 1770 the Twenty-Ninth Regiment came to the relief of the Eighth on duty at the Customs House on King (now State) Street. The soldiers, led by Captain Thomas Preston, were met by a large and taunting crowd of civilians. Captain Preston was unable to disperse the crowd and as they chanted "Fire and be damned" he ordered his troops "Don't Fire!" With all the commotion the soldiers probably did not hear his orders and they opened fire on the crowd killing three men instantly and another two who died later.

Participants Colonist Victims British Soldiers Capt. Thomas Preston John Goldfinch- Accused of not paying for wig. Pvt. Hugh White- Took a beating at his post Pvt. Hugh Montgomery- Fired the first shot Cripus Attucks Samuel Grey James Caldwell Samuel Maverick Patrick Carr Christopher Monk Edward Garrick- Not killed- started incident (Wig)

The Gaspee Incident (1772) Providence, RI coast

The Gaspee Affair of 1772
 The First Blow for Freedom
Shortly before midnight on June 9, 1772, approximately sixty armed men from Providence, Rhode Island set out in eight longboats for Namquid Point where His Majesty's Ship Gaspee had run aground. The majority of these men, who comprised the social elite of Providence, were disguised with black-smeared faces or Indian headdresses. Led by John Brown, a wealthy merchant and member of one of Rhode Island's most prestigious families, their intentions were nothing less than the deliberate destruction of the government ship on duty in Narragansett Bay. They shot the Captain, surprised the crew Arrested the crew and burned the ship

Committees of Correspondence Purpose  warn neighboring colonies about incidents with Br.  broaden the resistance movement.

Tea Act (1773) British East India Co.: Monopoly on British tea imports. Many members of Parliament held shares. Permitted the Company sell tea directly to colonists without middlemen (cheaper tea!) expected the colonists to eagerly choose the cheaper tea.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

The Coercive or Intolerable Acts (1774) 1. Port Bill 2. Government Act 3. New Quartering Act 4. Administration of Justice Act Lord North

The Quebec Act (1774)

allowed for the majority of the population of Canada to participate in the public affairs of the colony. In other words, for the first time since becoming a colony, French Canadians were able to participate in the affairs of the colonial government. As a result of this Act, the American revolutionaries failed to gain the support of the Canadians during the American Revolution. Finally, the act annexed, to Quebec, the area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River.

First Continental Congress (1774) 55 delegates from 12 colonies Agenda  How to respond to the Coercive Acts & the Quebec Act? 1 vote per colony represented.

Thomas Paine: Common Sense

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Declaration of Independence

Independence Hall

New National Symbols