1. Chapter 2
Origins of American Government

2. **The first settlement in the 13 colonies was
established in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia.
Reasons why Britain wanted colonies:
1. to provide a market for British goods
2. to provide raw material to Britain
3. to be loyal to the crown

3. British basically left the colonist alone:
1. Colonies were a far distance from Britain.
2. Colonists were loyal in most matters
3. Crown provided them with protection
**Colonies govern themselves.
-Each colony has a governor (chosen by crown)
-Each colony has assemblies or legislatures
chosen by the people.

4. **Things changed between the British and the
colonists in the 1760’s after the French and Indian
War.
French and Indian War
-British win but builds large debt
-Ran up large debt and British subjects felt colonists
should help pay for it
-King decided to have colonies carry a large part
of the cost by passing trade acts

5. The Stamp Act
-Tax on all printed material, including newspapers, merchants’ bills legal documents, and even playing cards
-Colonists said only their elected representatives could enact taxes
-Taxation without representation- was the cry
colonists petitioned the king and started a ban on British goods
-King repealed the Stamp Act

6. Townshend Acts
taxed such items as paper, window glass, paint and
tea
-King sent troops to try to enforce the act
-Boston Massacre was result
-Parliament repealed all the taxes except the tea tax
-Colonists lifted the ban on British goods

7. **Committees of correspondence were organized to
oppose British policies.
Tea Act
-passed giving East Indian Company an advantage over colonial merchants
-Boston Tea Party was the result - colonist dumped tea over board in Boston Harbor
-Shocked everyone
in most colonies.

8. Intolerable Acts
-Passed as punishment for the Boston Tea Party-
increased colonial resentment and unified the colonists
-closed the port of Boston until tea is paid for
-limited self-gov’t in Mass. Colony
-Quartering Act- ordered colonists to house soldiers in their homes
-Convention was called
to discuss what to do

9. Common Sense
-Written by Thomas Paine
-A pamphlet written to explain to the colonists all of
the reasons why they needed to break with Britain.
-Was one of the main reasons most colonists began
to support a break with Britain.

10. First Continental Congress (1774)
-Representatives from every colony met in
Philadelphia
3 Decisions
1. Declaration of Rights - stated rights and
liberties colonists expected
2. Continental Association-organized ban on
British imports.
3. Were to meet again in May if Parliament had
not answered the complaint satisfactorily
**This was the first time the colonies
joined together over an issue.