Road to Rebellion

Unit 2.1

French and Indian War Effects• Albany Plan of Union – Attempt at unity during

war.o Ben Franklin’s idea and “Join or Die” snake cartoono Why did both Britain and some colonies not like it?

• Proclamation of 1763 outrage• Colonists see “Redcoats”• Territory Gains – 17 colonies

o Cajunso East and West Florida

• Taxes to pay for war

Taxes• Sugar Act (1764) –

direct tax but aimed to stop illegal trade with Spain and Franceo In many ways an enforcement

of what laws?

• Direct and Indirect taxes – what’s the difference?

• Prime Minister George Grenville adds new taxes to pay for war.

• Colonists felt they were internal taxes, and they should be able to vote on it. “No Taxation without Representation”

Stamp Act• Stamp Act (1765) – direct tax on legal papers (stamped)

• Stamp Act Congress – 9 colonies join together to protest act

• Boycotts and later repealed in March of 1766. Why?

Opposition to British Control

• Sons of Liberty – protested Stamp Act, harassed tax agentso Daughters of Liberty - How would they help?o Samuel Adams, Dr. Joseph Warren, Paul Revere

• Paxton Boys – rural PA – became famous for chant “No Taxation without Representation”

• Shows “backcountry” feeling isolated.

• Patrick Henry – gives speech to Virginia Assembly – “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Virtual vs. Actual Representation

• Actual Representationo True representationo What Colonies wantedo How would that actually be

worse for them?

• Virtual Representationo Like a parent looking after youo Britain idea

The Growing Divide• 1765 – Quartering Act – Colonists had to house

British soldiers.o Part-time jobs by soldiers also upset colonists

• 1766 – Declaratory Act – after repealing Stamp Act, Britain issued this saying that they were still in charge.

• 1767 – Townshend Acts – indirect Tax on importso Trials in royal (admiralty) courts – not jury of peerso Led to more boycotts and smuggling

2 Ships • Gaspee – 1772 in

Rhode Islando Colonist set British customs

ship on fireo Defendants set to court in

Britain, not in the colonies

• Liberty – owned by John Hancocko Smuggled items w/o paying

taxeso British seized w/ “show of

force”o Triggered riots, 4000 soldiers

set to Boston

Is this the turning point?

• Boston Massacre -1772o Crowd of colonists harassed British guards o Guards fired into crowd, filling five (1st one – Crispus Attucks)o In trial, John Adams defended the soldiers, but who did he say was at

fault?o Samuel Adams referred to it as a “massacre”o Paul Revere’s artist portrayal

Tea Time• Eventually all of the Townsend Acts were repealed

except for some of those involving Tea.• Tea Act (1773) – helped British East India

Company and actually was cheaper than smuggled tea.o But Colonists did not buy it because it would show Parliament’s right to

tax

• Boston Tea Party – 1773, dumped 342 chests• Led to the Intolerable Acts

Intolerable Acts• Also known as Coercive Acts

o Closed port of Boston until tea was paid foro Expanded Quartering Acts powero Governor could ban Town Meetingso Increased power of Royal Governor

• At same time Britain passed the Quebec Acto Said Canada was separate (Canada and Florida colonies never joined

Revolution.)

• 1st Continental Congresso Met in Philadelphia in 1774o 56 delegateso Declaration of Rights and

Grievanceso Would meet again the next

year

• Committees of Correspondenceo Formed in 1773 and 1774o Set up communication

between colonieso Why is that important?o Supported Boston

“Revolution of 1774”• Although not told as much, many areas declared

independence and rebelled in 1774• Several colonies overthrew royal government and

set up their own assemblies• Communities starting collecting weapons and

trained to fight - minutemen

Other factors• Newspapers and Journals• Mail system helps spread propaganda• Rural discontent• Scotch-Irish people – little respect for British gov’t• Emergence of idea of an “American”

Shot heard around the world

• British General Thomas Gage set force to capture supplies and arrest some leaders (Hancock and Adams)

• Three men went to warn:o Why is Revere so famous?

• At Lexington – 1st shots fired (April 19, 1775)o Who fired them?o Eight Americans killed

• At Concord, British confront minutemen againo But on the march back to Boston, over 3000 colonists shot at British

army and caused over 250 casualties

Reflection Questions• How did the ending of the French and Indian War

actually lead to the beginning of the U.S.?• What was wrong with the various taxes on the

colonists and how did they combat them?• If you were in Britain, how would you look at the

events from 1763 to 1775 and why?• How did the Colonists win the war of propaganda

in the 1770s?

Links• http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcYiLWEAXYo&feature=related – video

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ikO6LMxF4&feature=related – School House rock – Shot heard round the world

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-9pDZMRCpQ&feature=related – School House Rock – No more Kings

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmOe5mFWhWk&feature=relmfu – Review Video

• http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/winter96/massacre.html - Boston Massacre and Revere’s Painting