1. Road to Revolutionary War

2. What were the colonies like in 1763? Relatively prosperous
Each colony had a governor (elected or appointed by the King)
Each colony had a legislature (many modeled after English Parliament)
Generally happy to be British
citizens
Not united (recall the Albany Plan of Union)
...how did everything change in 13 short years?

3. Social Contract Theory
Long Term Causes ….
Enlightenment
Natural Rights
Separation of Power
Social Contract Theory

4. French and Indian War
Called the French and Indian War because the Indians helped the French in the war against the British. The Indians had nothing to lose. The British were taking their land, the French were not.
After winning, Great
Britain needed money
to pay for war debts.
The king turned to the
colonies.

5. Colonists go anyway

6. Navigation Acts restricted colonial trade
The colonies could only buy and sell most goods with Great Britain and could only use British ships

7. Great Britain controlled trade in the colonies
Mercantilism - economic practice where a country exports more than it imports to make money
colonies exist to make money for the mother country!!!
Great Britain controlled trade in the colonies
Colonies can only trade with Great Britain

8. practice of passing laws and then doing little to enforce them WHY?
Salutary Neglect
practice of passing laws
and then doing little to
enforce them
WHY?
too expensive to enforce
too much effort
colonies are still making $
When Great Britain begins enforcing laws, the colonists will resist…….

9. Quartering Act (1765)
colonists are responsible for housing British troops and providing them with provisions (food, etc.)

10. And the taxes begin……. Sugar Act (1764)
first new tax placed on the colonies
tax on sugar and molasses
didn’t affect most people so (not that big of a deal)

11. Stamp Act (1765)
tax placed on all printed materials (newspapers, pamphlets, posters, wills, mortgages, deeds, licenses, diplomas, and playing cards)
first direct tax placed upon the colonies
affected every colonist
(very big deal)

12. Representatives from 9 of the 13 colonies meet in NY
Create slogan “no taxation without representation”
They didn’t mind external taxes (like on exported goods because  everyone who traded w/ England paid them) HATED internal taxes (taxes created just for colonists)

13. Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty
The Stamp Act led to protests which led to the formation of the Sons of Liberty.
The secret society included Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, and Paul Revere.
Their goal was to organize protests against what they perceived as unfair taxation and boycotts against taxed goods

14. The Ladies Protest too….
Daughters of Liberty
Boycotted British goods by making goods at home
Spinning bees!
Boycotted tea

15. Tar and Feather
The Sons of Liberty used violence to scare off the tax collectors.
The Stamp Act was repealed (to do away with) because of all the protests.

16. 1766 – Declaratory Acts (passed the same day the Stamp Act was repealed)
~ stated that Parliament had the right to
tax and make decisions for the colonies
“ in all cases”.

17. ~ new taxes on imported items (basic
1767 – Townshend Acts
Indirect tax????
~ new taxes on imported items (basic
necessities) that the colonists could
not produce on their own.
~ colonist boycotted as they had for the Stamp Act

18. The Boston Massacre
With more protests after the Townshend Acts, more British troops are sent to control the colonists
Tensions are high, especially in Boston
March 1770: colonists began throwing snowballs and rocks at British guards
British troops began firing at colonists
Result: 5 dead and 8 wounded

19. After the Boston
Massacre the Townshend Acts
were repealed but the tax on
tea stayed.
And then in 1773, the Tea Act was passed
Granted a monopoly on tea to the British
East India Company to help the struggling
company

20. Boston Tea Party
The colonists decided to boycott all British tea and……..
The colonists dressed up like Mohawk Indians and boarded three British ships full of tea.
The colonists dumped all the tea into the harbor, about 90,000 pounds.
King George III was furious!

21. Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts 1774
Parliament passes to punish Massachusetts
Act 1- Port of Boston closed until city paid for destroyed tea
Act 2- All gov’t officials in MA to be appointed by governor, not elected
and banned town meetings
Act 3- British soldiers in trouble in America could be transported to Britain for trial
and strengthened the Quartering Act