Colonists Speak Out Chapter 8 Lesson 2 Pages 302-308

Objectives Identify the laws that caused conflicts in the colonies. Explain the importance of the Committees of Correspondence.

Great Britain needs money Sugar Act – 1764 Taxed sugar & molasses brought into the colonies from the West Indies Hurt shipping businesses in New England Colonies

THE STAMP ACT 1765 – Stamp Act Tax Taxed paper items in the colonies Newspapers, legal documents, playing cards They received a special stamp on them to show that the tax had been paid

No Taxation Without Representation British felt tax was fair Colonists did not Colonists said Britain could not tax them without representation in Parliament No one was in Great Britain speaking on their behalf

Mercy Otis Warren Massachusetts writer Disagreed with the new tax Wrote plays accusing British leaders of being greedy

Patrick Henry Virginia – told members of the House of Burgesses that Parliament did not represent the colonies. Supporters of Britain yelled “Treason” Treason – guilty of working against your own government

Stamp Act Congress October 1765 Representatives from nine colonies met in N.Y. Congress – a formal meeting of representatives They spoke out against the Stamp Act “No taxation without representation”

Boycott Colonists wrote letters to Parliament in anger over Stamp Act They tried to get it repealed Many Boycotted – refused to buy – British goods

The Sons and Daughters of Liberty Group of colonists who worked against the Stamp Act Captured British workers trying to collect the tax. Dumped tar and feathers on the tax collectors Chased tax collectors out of town. The women made their own thread & cloth

Victory? By 1766 – Parliament voted to repeal (take back) the Stamp Act But, they passed a new act: Declaratory Act It said Britain had the “full power. . . To make laws. . . [for the] people of America. . .in all cases” This created worry among colonists

Committees of Correspondence Colonists realized they could work together, but needed better ways to share info. They formed Committees of Correspondence to spread information more quickly. They wrote letters to each other informing them of news in their town.

Samuel Adams Organized the 1st Committee of Correspondence in Boston (1764) Spoke out often of British imperial policies – laws and orders issued by the king and the British Parliament. N.Y. formed another committee 1773 Virginia formed a committee also Other colonies encouraged to form committees also

The Townshend Acts 1767 – several new laws passed called the Townshend Acts Taxed imports: glass, tea, paint, paper Also set up new group of tax collectors The Stamp Act may have been repealed, but the Townshend Acts showed that Parliament felt they still had the right to make laws in the Colonies

Boycotts Again Boycott many British goods Daughters of Liberty – ask people to not drink British tea Boston merchants would not import taxed goods It worked! 1770 – Townshend Acts repealed, except for tax on tea

Reinforcement Sent Colonists continued to protest Parliament sent soldiers to the colonies By 1770, 9,000 British soldiers in colonies 4,000 were in the city of Boston

The Boston Massacre Colonists made fun of the soldiers bright red uniforms calling them “lobsters” and “redcoats” Soldiers destroyed colonial property in anger

Shots Fired March 5, 1770 – Boston Angry colonists gathered near some British soldiers Colonists threw rocks & snowballs The soldiers opened fire when the crowd came closer 3 colonists were killed on the spot, 2 others died later

Crispus Attucks Killed at the Boston Massacre An African American sailor He is considered the 1st person killed in the fight for the colonies’ freedom

Paul Revere Boston silversmith Made a picture of the shooting and called it “The Bloody Massacre” A massacre is the killing of many people who cannot defend themselves

Patrick Henry “I know not what course others may take: but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” March 23, 1775 He was trying to persuade Virginians to prepare for war against Britain

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