1. Unit: Revolutionary War Causes Causes 8 and 9 Tea Act- 1773 Coercive Act- 1774

2. 1770- Repeal of Townshend Act Britain decides to remove some taxes – Why? British companies losing money Britain keeps ONLY 1 tax – On what? Tea (Tea was taxed by Townshend Act)

3. Tax on Tea Colonists boycott British tea Colonists smuggle tea Who is hurt by the tax on tea? – East India Tea Company (British Company) East India Company asks King George III to remove tax – Why? So they will not go out of business

4. Tea Act- 1773: Cause # 8 Reduces tax on tea Eliminates “Middle Man”- colonial stores East India Company will sell directly off ships to colonists – What does this do to price? Lowers it Tea is cheaper than ever before!

5. British Point of View? We are helping the colonists by making tea cheaper than ever before! Colonists will LOVE the Tea Act

6. How can colonists be angry? “Middle Man”- Colonial stores can’t sell tea Dock workers who previously unloaded tea from ships – Will they be needed? “Britain is taking away our jobs.” – Which rights? “The King is trying to trick us into paying a tax.” Smugglers can’t beat the price

7. Colonist Response Sons of Liberty dress up as Indians Dump 90,000 lbs. of British tea into Boston Harbor- value over 1 million dollars today – Known as what? Boston “Tea Party”

8. British Reaction “You destroyed our property!” “Criminals must be punished!” Pass Coercive Act- 1774- Punishment for “Tea Party” Cause #9 – Closes Boston Harbor For How long? – Until destroyed tea is paid for

9. Coercive Act- 1774: Fair Punishment? Colonist views? – “We are all being punished for a crime of a few” – “How can we pay for tea if we cannot work” – “Closing the harbor eliminates our jobs” Any rights taken away by Coercive Act? Colonists meet in Philadelphia for 1 st Continental Congress Colonists call it the “Intolerable Act”

10. Video Review