Trouble in the Colonies Steps Toward Conflict

The French and Indian War The French and Indian war, a.k.a. The Seven Years’ War, was a global war. A large portion of it took place in the colonies. The war ended in 1763, but there were hard feelings left between many Indians and colonists.

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The French and Indian War A global war can be a bit pricey. The British won the war, but Parliament still had to pay for it all. On top of that, Britain needed to leave troops in the colonies to protect them from the now very hostile Indians.

Before the Treaty of Paris. The areas with stripes indicated the disputed territory.

After the Treaty of Paris. Poor France.

The French and Indian War Troops in the colonies also cost Parliament money. All of these things put Britain in some pretty serious debt.

Present Day Comparison Wars are expensive. The cost of maintaining the U.S. presence in Iraq is roughly $720 million per day.

Paying For the War The Prime Minister of England, George Grenville needed to find ways to pay off the debt.

Paying for the War Since the British people were already paying high taxes, and since Grenville wasn’t a big fan of the colonies, he looked to them to pick up some of the tab.

The Sugar Act In 1764 Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which set duties on molasses and sugar imported by the colonists. This was the first law specifically aimed at raising money from the colonists. The colonists were not thrilled.

The Sugar Act Taxes on molasses were actually lower, but the law included anti-smuggling provisions that angered colonists.

The Currency Act As another little added bonus, Parliament also passed the Currency Act. This law banned the colonies from printing their own money.

The Currency Act Parliament did not want the colonists paying taxes in colonial currency. But since British currency was scarce (remember the Navigation Acts), this caused economic problems in the colonies.

Enforcing the Navigation Acts…For Real In addition to these new laws, Parliament decided to finally put the smack-down on smugglers and enforce the Navigation Acts.

Enforcing the Navigation Acts…For Real While smugglers obviously didn’t like this, colonial merchants now had to pay duties that they had managed to avoid before.

Woah! You can’t tax me! Even though colonists were British subjects, they were very independent. Most colonists were not used to Parliament making rules for them.

Woah! You can’t tax me! Many colonists didn’t think Britain even had a right to tax them without their permission.

“Print shows George Grenville holding a balance with scales "Debts" and "Savings", the debt far outweighs savings; among those in line to contribute their savings is a Native American woman representing America, she wears a yoke labeled "Taxed without representation". A melancholy Britannia sits on the far right.” (Library of Congress)

Taxation Without Representation Since the Sugar Act and the Currency Act hurt the colonial economy, merchants hated them the most. Many merchants in the colonies began a boycott of British goods, like clothes, until these new taxes were repealed.

Taxation Without Representation What upset many more colonists, even the happiest British subject, was that Parliament didn’t even consult the colonial governments.

Taxation Without Representation The colonies were not represented in Parliament. They had no voice looking out for their interests.

Taxation Without Representation Colonists like James Otis and Samuel Adams thought that this was unfair, and unjust, and lead the fight against these taxes.

The Stamp Act In 1765 Parliament passed the Stamp Act. This act affected almost every colonist. The law required colonists to pay for an official British seal, or stamp on almost all paper products.

The Stamp Act If you wanted to buy a paper or file a legal document, you had to pay a tax. This act even angered colonists who thought the Sugar Act was alright.

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Print shows citizens in Boston burning proclamations from England pertaining to the stamp act of 1765.