1. Tensions Build
Part 2

2. Review Sugar Act Stamp Act – 1st direct tax on the colonists
Guilty until proven innocent for smugglers
Stamp Act – 1st direct tax on the colonists
Boycott of British goods
NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
Declaratory Act
England has the power to tax the colonies w/o representation
Quartering Act
Townshend Acts – general search warrants

3. Protest Groups The Sons of Liberty The Daughters of Liberty
Form in protest of new British laws and acts
Held outdoor meetings
Intimidated stamp distributors
The Daughters of Liberty
B/g spinning their own rough cloth called “homespun”
Wearing homespun b/c a sign of patriotism
B/g drinking herbal tea.

4. The Boston Massacre
March 5, British soldier guarding the customhouse in Boston
Angry colonists surround the soldier
B/g taunting and throwing snowballs at them
Soldier calls for help
Captain Thomas Preston and a squad of soldiers come to his aid
The troops b/g firing into the crowd
5 colonists were killed, 6 wounded

5. Colonists React Colonists used the event to their advantage
Colonial newspapers portrayed the British as tyrants who were willing to kill those who stood up for their rights
Named the event the Boston Massacre
To provoke fear and anger among the colonies
Only five colonists died
The Sons of Liberty claimed that this incident showed the danger of having British troops stationed among colonial citizens.

6. Colonies Unite! March 1773 – Committee of Correspondence
Communicate w/ other colonies about British activities
Unify the colonies and shape public opinion
Helped colonial leaders coordinate their plans for resisting the British

7. The Tea Act
Made East India Company tea cheaper in the colonies than smuggled Dutch tea, but…
The act allowed the British East India Company to arrive at the harbor in its own ships and sell directly to shopkeepers
This cut out American shippers and merchants who normally distributed the tea
Enraged colonial shippers and merchants
They feared it was the first step to putting them out of business

8. The Boston Tea Party
December 1773 – East India Company tea ships arrived in Boston Harbor
About 150 men boarded the ship
The men dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor
A crowd of several thousand colonists stood on the shore and cheered as they dumped the tea
The Boston Tea Party was the last straw for King George III
He responded with the Coercive Acts (the Intolerable Acts)

9. The Coercive Acts
To punish Massachusetts and end colonial challenges to British authority
Closed the port of Boston until colonists paid for the tea
All council members, judges, and sheriffs in Mass. to be appointed by the royal governor
Allowed British officials accused of crimes to stand trial in Britain rather than in the colonies
Allowed British commanders to quarter (house) troops in private homes

10. The Coercive Acts To enforce the Coercive Acts
Britain moved 2,000 troops to New England
Appointed General Thomas Gage as the new governor of Mass.
In effect, the colony was under military rule

11. Colonists React Virginia House of Burgesses protest…
Urged the colonies to suspend trade w/ Britain and send delegates to a colonial congress to discuss more action
The House was dissolved by the royal governor of Virginia
Committees of Correspondence
Sent food and money to Boston to help support the city while its port was closed
Coordinated a meeting – September 5, 1774 the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia