The Road to Revolution

The Problem of Empire

• Imperial Financial Strain

• Military Challenges

• Resentments

• Indian Relations– Cherokee War (1759-1761)– Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763-1766)

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)

British Constitutional Theory

• The Nature of the British Constitution

• Foundational Concepts:– King-In-Parliament

• House of Lords

• House of Commons

– Prime Minister– Franchise Size– Virtual Representation– Gentry Rule

Colonial Constitutional Theory

• Old British Ideas– Old Whig Ideology– Representative Government

• New Colonial Ideas– Direct Representation– Rejection of Direct Parliamentary Authority– No Taxation Without Representation

The Beginning of Trouble

• The Currency Act (1764)– No Colonial Paper Money– Gold and Silver Only– Colonists face financial crisis; too many

colonists, not enough gold and silver

John Hancock, Boston Merchant and KING OF SUGAR SMUGGLING

John Hancock of Boston smuggled 1.5 million gallons of molasses a year, evading 35,000 pounds worth of taxes. This was roughly equivalent to $2,059,988.39 in 2007 dollars.

The Beginning of Trouble: The Sugar Act of 1764

• Cuts the actual tax in half

• But now cases are tried in Admiralty courts in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Military)

• Colonists fear arbitrary search and seizure and losing their rich sugar smuggling profits.

• Leads to nonimportation agreements (boycotts)

• Many colonists unaffected, though.

The Beginning of Trouble: The Stamp Act of 1765

• A tax on all paper, especially for records, contracts, and other business

• A direct tax which hits every American.

• Colonists go crazy

• Writs of Assistance—Used for Search and Seizure.

Resistance to the Stamp Act

Resistance to the Stamp Act

The Liberty Tree

“Watered with

the blood of tyrants”

Resistance to the Stamp Act

• Vigilantes (Sons of Liberty)

• Nonimportation

• The Stamp Act Congress (October 1765)

– Declaration of Rights and Grievances

No More Stamp Act

• Parliament is stunned– Even French attack couldn't make colonists

cooperate this well!– Parliament repeals Sugar and Stamp Acts– Declaratory Act: Parliament asserts it has

full legislative power over the colonies.

The Boston Crisis: The Townshend Duties

• 1767 Duties on various goods– Seizure of the Liberty– Riots in Boston– Occupation of Boston in 1768

The Boston

Crisis: The

Boston

Massacre

(1770)

Samuel Adams, Patriot Agitator

The Boston Crisis: The Boston Tea Party

• The British East India Company—Given Monopoly on Tea

• Tax cut to NOTHING

• Bostonians protest loss of tea trade with Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party

The Boston Crisis: The Intolerable Acts

Boston Port Act

Administration of Justice Act

Massachusetts Governing Act

The Quartering Act

The Quebec Act

Patrick Henry at First Continental Congress

Storm Clouds Gather

• First Continental Congress (1774)– Suffolk Resolves– Continental Association

• Whigs vs. Tories