Chapter 4

Recap: Great Britain just won the French and Indian War and gained a lot of territory in North America. Meanwhile, Parliament is trying to figure out how to pay for it. The British have kept an army in place in North America to protect the colonist against Indian attacks. Prime Minister George Grenville asked Parliament to tax the colonists.

In 1764, Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which set duties on molasses and sugar imported by colonist. This was the first act passed specifically to raise money in the colonies.

Additionally, British officials required merchants to list all the trade goods they carried aboard their ships to prevent people from smuggling in goods to avoid paying taxes. The list of goods had to be approved before ships could leave colonial ports. Parliament also changed the colonies’ legal system by giving greater power to the vice-admiralty courts. These courts had not juries and judge treated suspected smugglers as guilty until they were proven innocent.

Parliament’s actions upset many colonist who had grown used to being independent. Merchants thought the taxes were unfair and hurt business. Many believed Great Britain did not have the right to tax the colonies at all since they had not representation in Parliament. A town meeting was held in Boston, where local leader Samuel Adams helped form the Committees of Correspondence – each committee got in touch with other towns and colonies to share ideas and information about the British laws and how to challenge them

A popular method of protest during this time was boycotting, in which people refused to buy British goods. Colonist hoped that their efforts would hurt the British economy and might convince Parliament to end the new taxes.

Does Parliament have the right to tax the colonists without their consent? Create a Hashtag indicating who you side with.

The British government continues to search for new ways to tax the American colonist. They imposed the Stamp Act – which required colonist to pay for an official stamp, or seal, when they bought paper items including newspapers, licenses, pamphlets, playing cards, and legal documents. Prime Minister George Grenville did not expect colonist to be upset by this because in Great Britain people already paid similar taxes. However the colonist saw this as Parliament’s first attempt to tax the colonist directly.

Protest began immediately against the Stamp Act. Colonist formed a secret society called the Sons of Liberty – this group sometimes used violence to frighten tax collectors. A Virginia Lawyer, Patrick Henry presented a series of resolutions to the Virginia House of Burgesses stating that the Stamp Act violated colonist rights by taxation without representation as well as denying them a trial by jury.

Members of the Massachusetts legislature called for a Stamp Act Congress. Delegates from 9 colonies met in New York. They issued a declaration that the Stamp Act was a violation of their rights and liberties. Merchants complained that their trade suffered from the colonial boycott. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act. Parliament is upset that the colonists challenged their authority. They issued the Declaratory Act – which stated that Parliament had the power to make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”

Recap: Parliament created the Stamp Act. The colonist protested. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act and create the Declaratory Act. Parliament passed the Townshend Acts which placed duties on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. In order to enforce this, British officials allowed tax collectors to search colonist for smuggled goods. Colonist began to boycott and protest again. The governor is going to request troops restore order. The British soldiers arrived in Boston in October 1768.

The presence of the British troops is going to be seen as a threat to the colonist. The troops knew they were not welcome. Both sides resented each other and name-calling, arguments, and fights between British soldiers and colonist were common. Tensions increase until…….

Recap: Parliament issues the Townshend Acts on manufactured goods. The colonist and British soldiers do not get along. Fighting breaks out one night resulting in what colonist call “The Boston Massacre” After the British soldiers were put on trial, Parliament decides to remove the soldiers from America to prevent further problems with colonist. To reduce tensions in the colonies, Parliament repealed almost all of the Townshend Acts. However it kept the take on tea.

The British know tea is popular with the colonist. They make a deal with the British East India Company and passed the Tea Act - which allowed them to start selling their tea to the colonists and they would charge low price. Cheaper tea would encourage the colonist to stop smuggling the tea. When the three merchant ships arrived in Boston Harbor in 1773, the Sons of Liberty demanded that the ships leave. The governor said NO. Which means……….

revolution/boston-tea-party revolution/boston-tea-party

Unfortunately, Prime Minster George’s time is up and office enter Lord North aka The New Guy. He is not too happy about the shenanigans the colonists have been doing. He is going to make and example of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and slam them with the Intolerable Acts aka Coercive Acts.

Turn in your textbook to page 102. Read “The Intolerable Acts” Answer the reading check on page 103. Reading Check: What was the purpose of the Intolerable Acts?