The Colonists Resist Tighter Control A Portrait of Crispus Attucks Being Shot In the Boston Massacre

Pontiac’s War After the war, Britain continues to struggle with the Native Americans on the frontier Pontiac, a leader of the Ottawa nation, destroyed British forts and killed 2000 settlers in 1763 igniting Pontiac’s War Because of this, the British will seek ways to prevent future conflict Chief Pontiac

The Proclamation Line of 1763 The Proclamation of 1763 In order to prevent any further conflicts, Britain passed the Proclamation of 1763 which prevented colonists moving west of the Appalachian mountains This angered many colonists who felt like they could go where they want. Ultimately Britain could not enforce this The Proclamation Line of 1763

British Rule Leads to Conflict The British Perspective: Britain protected the colonists against the French and Natives Felt like the colonists should pay their fair share of the war expenses Needed to keep troops in North America to prevent France from regaining its territories The American Perspective: Proud of their contribution to winning the French and Indian War Expected Britain to be grateful and expected minimum taxes Increasingly identified with one another rather than Britain

Acts Passed by the British Trying to Control the Colonies The Sugar Act (1764) – put a duty on many sugar products, harsh penalties for smugglers The Quartering Act (1765) – Britain kept 10,000 soldiers in the colonies, colonists had to quarter (house) them, feed them, supply them The Stamp Act (1765) – required colonists to buy special stamps for all kinds of products and activities (newspapers, wills, licenses)

The Colonists’ Response to Britain’s Attempt at Tighter Control Protests were widespread and the colonies began to boycott British products The colonies also formed the Stamp Act Congress where they sent a petition to the King and Parliament The protests worked. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766. However, Britain was determined to control their colonies (Declaratory Act)

The Townshend Acts (1767) and the Writs of Assistance (1767) The British wanted to enact taxes that would not upset the colonists, so the Townshend Acts taxed goods coming into the colonies rather than goods in the colonies Also the Writs of Assistance allowed Britain to search the colonists without saying what they were looking for Colonial assemblies were suspended and the colonists continued to protest

The Boston Massacre as Depicted by Paul Revere The protests worked and Britain repealed all taxes – except the one on tea The Parliament was too slow. On March 5th 1770 a crowd in Boston confronted British soldiers and 5 colonists were killed and 6 were wounded The Boston Massacre as Depicted by Paul Revere

Boston Massacre Impact Tension between the colonists and Britain is at an all time high Most of the British soldiers were found innocent after being defended by colonial lawyer John Adams Colonial leaders (led by Samuel Adams, John’s cousin) formed the Committees of Correspondence to keep colonists informed (helped unite the colonies)