Chapter 2 Origins of American Government Section 2 Moving toward Independence

© EMC Publishing, LLC Colonial Dependence on Britain  At first, the colonies and Britain had a close relationship: British corporations offered financial support to the colonies. The British army and navy provided military protection to the colonies. The colonies exported agricultural products to Britain.  As time went on, the colonists developed an identity as Americans.

© EMC Publishing, LLC Political Developments  Britain financed and won the French and Indian War, which ended in  Britain forced the colonists to pay the war debt, by enforcing strict trade laws and taxes.  Angry colonists wondered, “Do we really need the protection of the British?”

© EMC Publishing, LLC Colonial Unity versus Loyalty to Crown Colonial Unity  Colonists strengthened colonial ties through: The 1754 Albany Plan of Union: Was written by Benjamin Franklin The 1764 Stamp Act Congress: Protested the Sugar Act and was the first colonial union against Britain

© EMC Publishing, LLC Colonial Unity versus Loyalty to Crown Loyalty to Crown  Colonists accepted British power over them if: They were involved in British administration They had commercial ties to Britain They wanted military protection They were committed to idea of monarchy

© EMC Publishing, LLC Colonial Legislation and Divisive Events  1764 Sugar Act: Taxed sugar and increased costs of coffee, indigo, and wine  1765 Stamp Act: Taxed printed materials  1767 Townshend Acts: Taxed glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea; allowed government to seize private property and issue general search warrants  1770 Boston Massacre: Ended with British soldiers killing several colonists  1773 Boston Tea Party: Colonists showed displeasure with the Tea Act by dumping tea into Boston Harbor

© EMC Publishing, LLC Your Turn How reasonable were British taxes on the colonists? Rank the following taxes in the order of how reasonable you think they were (with 1 being the most reasonable). Be prepared to explain your ranking. a.Sugar Act (1764) b.Stamp Act (1765) c.Townshend Acts (1767)

© EMC Publishing, LLC Colonist Responses  British laws led to colonial unity.  The First Continental Congress, 1774: Declared the Coercive Acts void  Second Continental Congress, 1775: Established a national government Led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence

© EMC Publishing, LLC Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” Pamphlet  Was published in January 1776  Used simple language so illiterate colonists could understand it  Was instrumental in turning public opinion  Was distributed in over 150,000 copies

© EMC Publishing, LLC The Declaration of Independence  Written by Thomas Jefferson (influenced by John Locke’s social contract theory)  Written to: Justify colonies’ independence Convince wary colonists to join the rebellion List grievances against George III, king of England Persuade others that the colonists were right (Framers wanted to justify only this revolution, not other rebellions.)

© EMC Publishing, LLC The Declaration of Independence “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them… …when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government.”