The Road to The Road to RevolutionRevolution

Long range causes of Long range causes of the American the American

RevolutionRevolution..America settled by discontents.

Americans endured hardships far from the authority of England.

The American The American CharacterCharacter

Life in the wilderness and loss of ties, created a character of -- Adaptability, Strength, Self Confidence, Individualism, and a sense of Independence.

New ideas of enlightenment created drive toward democracy and self-government. John Locke

England’s Colonial England’s Colonial SystemSystemThe establishment of the colonies was haphazard and unplanned.

The system of colonial control evolved over time.

The Board of TradeThe Board of Trade The most important

organization in governing the colonies was the Board of Trade.

Advised the Parliament and the Privy Council.

Currency was restricted in the colonies - barter was common.

Colonial practice of printing paper money was banned by Parliament.

Merits of Merits of MercantilismMercantilismSmugglers got around the Acts which were not strongly enforced.

The Acts helped New England ship builders who were given price supports.

Tobacco farmers were given a monopoly.

Colonists did not have to pay for their own army and navy.

Americans still developed manufacturing and commerce and would have traded more with the British even without the restrictions.

The average American was better off than their counterpart in Britain.

England wanted the colonies to prosper.

Problems with Problems with MercantilismMercantilismEconomic initiative was stifled in the colonies.

Southern colonies were favored causing hard feeling in New England.

The price of tobacco dropped causing the tobacco farmers of the Chesapeake to go heavily into debt.

American colonial economy was never allowed to mature.

Periods of “salutary neglect” had created the feeling of the right to self-government and self determination

Feelings of resentment toward Mercantilist policies developed over time.

The First Sparks of The First Sparks of Rebellion. Rebellion.

The Seven Years War left England heavily in debt.

Nearly £70 million spent defending the colonies.

England wanted the colonies to help pay one-third the cost of quartering 10,000 redcoats in America.

1763 - Prime Minister George Grenville ordered the Royal Navy to enforce the Navigation Laws.

The Sugar ActThe Sugar Act1764 - Parliament passed the Sugar Act to specifically raise revenue from the colonies. This and a series of other tariffs are called the Grenville Acts.

James Otis, in protest against the Sugar Act, puts forth the idea of “no taxation without representation”

The Currency ActThe Currency Act

1764 - Parliament passed the Currency Act - no printing of paper currency in the colonies.

Protest against the Sugar Act led Parliament to lower the Grenville duties.

The Quartering ActThe Quartering Act

1765 - Parliament passes the Quartering Act requiring colonies to provide food and quarter to soldiers.

Colonists questioned the need for troops and many felt they were there to keep the colonists in line.

The Stamp ActThe Stamp Act1765 - Passage of the Stamp Act - first direct internal tax.

The Stamp Act required a stamp on all printed materials.

Stamp Act ProtestsStamp Act ProtestsStamp Act led to a major protest movement.

Colonists agreed that Parliament had the right to pass legislation affecting the Empire but not the right to directly tax Americans who had no representation in Parliament.

"The Folly of England "The Folly of England and the Ruin of and the Ruin of America" America"

English reaction to English reaction to the protests.the protests.Grenville insisted that the Americans were represented by “Virtual Representation.”

Parliament refused to grant sole taxation powers to the colonies.

The Stamp Act The Stamp Act CongressCongress1765 - Stamp Act Congress called - 27 delegates from nine colonies meet in New York City.

The congress had little effect but it did bring together leaders from 9 different colonies.

"If this be treason, "If this be treason, make the most of it." make the most of it."

Patrick Patrick HenryHenry

Non-Importation Non-Importation AgreementsAgreements

1765 - Sons and Daughters of Liberty formed to organize boycotts and terrorize violators.

Stamp agents forced to resign - nullifying the law.

                     

Boycotts of British goods forced British merchants to put pressure on Parliament.

1766 - Parliament meets to discuss the Stamp Act - William Pitt argues in favor of repeal - Benjamin Franklin argues for Pennsylvania.

William Pitt the elder

1766 - Parliament repeals the Stamp Act - and passes the Declaratory Act reaffirming Parliaments right to make laws for the colonies.

The Townshend ActsThe Townshend ActsChancellor of the

Exchequer - Charles Townshend backs a series of External customs duties on various items - glass, lead, paints, paper and tea.

The Townshend revenues will pay for colonial defense and the salaries of royal governors and judges.

In 1767 Parliament suspends the legislature of New York for failure to pay for the quartering of troops.

Colonists simply ignore the Townshend duties and enjoy cheap smuggled tea.

1767 - Townshend dies and is succeeded by Lord North.

Road to rebellion 1768 Road to rebellion 1768 - 1774- 1774 1768 - Samuel Adams

of Boston sends out a circular letter to other colonies seeking boycotts - sets the stage for committees of correspondence.

1768 - John Hancock's sloop The Liberty is seized for smuggling - leads to protest movement.

1768 - British troops land in Boston to keep order.

1769 - Virginia’s Royal Governor disbands the House of Burgesses for passing Washington and Mason’s non-importation resolutions.

1769 - other colonial legislatures meet to pass non-importation agreements stemming from Sam Adams’ circular letter.

1770 - Lord Frederick North becomes Prime Minister of England - refuses to repeal revenue acts.

1770 - leader of New York’s Sons of Liberty arrested for printing radical broadside against England.

The Boston MassacreThe Boston MassacreMarch 1770 - angry Boston mob is fired on by British troops - killing three, including Crispus Attucks a runaway black slave.

The Boston Massacre fans the flames of revolt.

April 1770 - in answer to colonial outrage Parliament repeals the Townshend Acts, except for the duty on tea. Colonists begin to drop non-importation bans.

October 1770 - British soldiers responsible for the Boston massacre are put on trial, all but 2 are acquitted. The two guilty of manslaughter are branded and released. John Adams – Lawyer for the defense

Regulators and Regulators and RebellionRebellion1771 - North Carolina reacts to the Regulators (like the Paxton Boys of Penn.) by passing the Bloody Act.

The problems between frontier and Piedmont continue.

Many Regulators are executed for treason even after swearing allegiance to the government.

The Gaspee Affair1772 - Rhode Island citizens burn a British customs ship off Narragansett Bay. Britain wants culprits tried in England.

Committee of Correspondence

1772 - Samuel Adams establishes Committee of Correspondence to spread revolutionary propaganda - other colonies follow suit.

The Tea Act1773 - the Tea Act - gives a monopoly on tea to the British East India Co. - which is close to bankruptcy - begins shipping 1/2 million tons of tea to America.

December 1773 - Boston Tea Party - citizens dressed as Indians dump 342 casks of tea into Boston Harbor.

The Intolerable ActsThe Intolerable Acts1774 - in answer to rebelliousness in the colonies, Parliament passes the “Coercive Acts” (also called the Repressive Acts)

They are known in the colonies as the “Intolerable Acts”

Boston Port Bill closes Boston harbor.

May 1774 - British General Thomas Gage replaces Thomas Hutchinson as governor of Massachusetts - four regiments of troops follow.

May 1774 - more Coercive Acts are passed –Justice Act protecting Royal agents;

– Massachusetts Regulating Act - voids Mass. Charter;

–The Quebec Act - creating a central government in Canada and protecting French subjects.

–Canada is extended to the Ohio River.

The First Continental The First Continental CongressCongressSeptember 1774 - First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia - all colonies send delegates except Georgia.

John Adams leads the way in calling for American independence.

A Declaration of Rights was drafted

The Association was created to enforce a complete boycott of British goods.

The convention disbanded after agreeing to meet again in May 1775.

First Shots in the First Shots in the RevolutionRevolution

April 18-19, 1775 - Gen. Thomas Gage orders British soldiers to march on Concord.

The Midnight RideThe Midnight Ride

Paul Revere and William Dawes sent to warn Hancock and Adams.

Paul ReverePaul Revere

The Lexington The Lexington MassacreMassacreSkirmish takes place in Lexington - 8 Americans killed.

The Battle at Concord The Battle at Concord BridgeBridge

British soldiers turned back at Concord - the “shot heard `round the world” - British troops barely make it back to Boston.

ConcordConcord

Siege of Boston by Americans begins and America is now at war with Britain.

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and Slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

- Patrick Henry