1. Causes of the American Revolution

2. 1660: Navigation Acts
British Action
Colonial Response
All colonial ships must stop in a British harbor before going to another country
Certain products like tobacco and sugar could only be exported to England
Colonists profited by building more ships
Led to Salutary Neglect(relaxed enforcement for continued loyalty)
Salutary Neglect led the colonists to begin to ignore laws

3. French & Indian War
British Action
Colonial Response
Treaty of Paris left British with ownership of the Ohio River Valley
Proclamation of 1763 – colonists would not be protected west of the Appalachian Mountains
War is expensive!!! Britain ended up with huge debt
Increased independent spirit among colonies
Colonists continued to clash with Native Americans west of Appalachians

4. Writs of Assistance Designed to crack down on colonial smuggling
British Action
Colonial Response
Designed to crack down on colonial smuggling
Search warrants that allowed British officials to search any place, seize anything at any time
Bye Bye Salutary Neglect!!!!
Outraged merchants – especially those in Boston

5. New British Policy Towards Colonial America Develops
Place the colonies under strict British political and economic control
Make the colonies respect and obey British law
Make the colonies pay their part in maintaining the British Empire (remember the debt from the French & Indian War)

6. 1764: Sugar Act
British Action
Colonial Response
Cut the tax on molasses but raised it on other goods such as textiles, wine, coffee, indigo, and sugar
Smuggling cases were decided by a British judge rather than a jury
Incentive: Judges received 5% of any cargo they deemed to be smuggled
First time a tax had been passed to raise revenue rather than regulate trade
Colonial merchants protested the increased duties (taxes on imports)

7. 1765 Quartering Act
British Action
Colonial Response
Purpose: to keep troops in the colonies and reduce the cost
Colonists forced to keep British troops in their homes
Colonists did not get along with army and did not want them there permanently

8. 1765: The Stamp Act
British Action
Colonial Response
Taxed all documents, newspapers, and playing cards by forcing colonists to place a special stamp on the items
Direct tax on individual colonists, not just merchants
Sons of Liberty formed (protest group led by Sam Adams)
Harassed stamp distributors
Boycotted English goods
Stamp Act Congress issued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances – British Parliament lacked authority to impose taxes on colonies

10. Stamp Act: British Response
Parliament repealed the Stamp Act
Boycotts so successful not one stamp was ever sold
Passed the Declaratory Act – asserted Parliament’s right to make laws that “bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever”

12. 1767: The Townshend Acts
British Action
Colonial Response
Put tax on goods such as paper, glass, paint, and tea
Revenue raised would be to pay salaries of British officials in the colonies
Organize new boycott of goods
Demonstrations and clashes between colonists and soldiers
Women get involved in protests by not buying any British goods

13. March 3, 1770: The Boston Massacre
us/videos/boston-massacre
What Happened?

14. 1773: Tea Act
British Action
Colonial Response
Allowed the East India Tea Company to sell tea without the tax to make it cheaper. The had been hurt badly by the colonial boycotts
Other Colonial Tea merchants had to pay high taxes
Dec. 16, 1773: Boston Tea Party
american-revolution/american- revolution-history/videos/the- sons-of-liberty-and-the-boston- tea-party

15. Spring 1774: The Intolerable Acts
British Action
Colonial Response: 1774: First Continental Congress
Designed to punish the colonists for Tea Party
Closed the port at Boston
No town meetings allowed in
Massachusetts – Boston under military rule
Trying to isolate Massachusetts, but only strengthened the colonies unity
Met in Philadelphia
All colonies had representatives except Georgia
Divided on the issue of declaring independence
Sent Declaration of Rights and Grievances to King George III
Defended colonies’ right to run their own affairs
Supported the protests in Massachusetts

16. April 19, 1775
Shot heard round the world fired at the Battle of Lexington & Concord
Start of the Revolutionary War