Trouble in the Colonies: Chapter 2, Section 3

Political ideas and major events shape how people form governments. British policies

came into conflict with American ideas about self-government.

New British Policies

Main idea: Following Britain’s victory in the French and Indian War, the British prohibited colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains and taxed the colonists to pay for the war.

● Britain/France struggled for control of eastern North America, both claiming vast areas between Appalachians and the Mississippi

The French and Indian War

● Rivalry between British and French (with help from Native Americans) led to war

● Colonial leaders met to determine plan of defense against France○ Adopted the Albany Plan of Union with “one general

government” but not approved● Britain won war, colonies started acting together,

united against Britain

The Proclamation of 1763● British victory = French land● Issued proclamation prohibiting

colonists from moving west of Appalachian Mtns. ○ Method of controlling○ Avoid conflict with natives○ Prevented colonists from leaving

coast (where needed)● To protect interests/keep

colonists in place, sent 10,000 troops to America

The British Tax the Colonies● Colonists saw proclamation as limit on freedom of

movement and feared interference of British troops (mess with liberties?)○ Distrust begins

● Britain had $$ problems (costly war)○ Taxed colonists/tighten trade rule to make back war debt○ Sugar Act passed, lowering tax on imported molasses

with the hope that colonists would just pay it (not smuggle)■ Colonists believed rights were being violated

What was the Stamp Act?

● Another law passed to raise money○ Placed tax on newspapers/printed material

■ All must show stamp showing paid tax● Colonists outraged, delegates met to

discuss/send letter to British government○ Could not be taxed (only by their own assemblies)○ Would boycott/refuse to buy stamps/British goods

New Taxes

● Parliament passed MORE tax laws!○ Townshend Acts - attempt to avoid problems caused by

Stamp Act○ Understood colonist wouldn’t tolerate internal taxes, instead

taxes would only be applied to imported goods to be paid at point of entry■ Tea, paper, lead

The Colonists React

● Colonists now mad about any/all taxes created by Parliament○ Believed only colonial

representatives could tax them

○ Would continue to boycott British goods

1. Why would it have been easier for a united group of colonies to defend themselves against the French?

2. What result of the Stamp Act protests was good for the colonists? Why? What result was bad for the colonists? Why?

3. What was the Proclamation of 1763, and why did it anger American colonists?

Tax Protests Lead to Revolt

Main idea: British actions, including sending more troops to Boston and passing new taxes, brought strong responses from the colonists.

● Colonial protests made British officials nervous○ Officers sent word of possible rebellion to Britain○ Parliament sent two regiments of troops (redcoats) to

set up camp in the middle of Boston

The Boston Massacre● March 5, 1770 tension peaked

○ Crowd of colonists insulted, threw stones/wood/debris at British soldiers

○ After a soldier was knocked down, 7 shots fired, killing 5■ Crispus Attucks African American dock worker

● Known as Boston Massacre○ Led colonists to call for stronger boycotts○ Parliament repealed Townshend Acts, except tea

■ Taking the win, colonists began trading with Britain ■ Others, Samuel Adams, revived Boston committee

of correspondence to organize protests

Crisis Over Tea

● Some Americans considered British policy “conspiracy against liberty”○ Parliament passed Tea Act, allowing British East India

Company to ship tea to colonies without paying taxes that colonists did■ Allowed them to sell tea cheaply and threatened

colonial tea merchants out of business

● Colonists took action, dressed as natives, boarded British ships and dumped cargo overboard (Boston Tea Party)○ Colonists all over celebrated

● As punishment, Parliament passed Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts to the colonists), closing harbor and put colony under British military rule○ Troops should be quartered○ Maintained the acts violated their rights

1. What issues were the colonists most concerned about?2. Why would the events of the Boston Massacre raise more

opposition to the British among the colonists?3. Why was East India tea cheaper than colonial tea?4. Why were American colonists especially angry with the Tea

Act?

A Call to Arms

Main idea: After colonial leaders met to discuss their relations with Britain, the first shots of the American Revolution were fired.

● Colonial leaders realized colonies had to work together to oppose British policies○ Continental Congress - 56 delegates met in

Philadelphia to establish a political body to represent American interests/challenge British control

● Continental Congress○ Samuel Adams and John Adams (lawyer), from MA○ John Jay (lawyer), NY○ Outspoken defenders, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry,

and George Washington from VA■ Stopped being colonists, now Americans

● Delegates drafted statement of grievances, calling to repeal 13 acts/taxes that violated their rights○ Voted to boycott all British goods/trade

■ Nothing in/out from/to Britain○ Most important resolution concerned armed forces

■ Militias formed to be ready if fighting were to occur

Preparing for Battle● Colonists expected fighting to start in NE

○ Militia in MA held training sessions, made bullets, stockpiled weapons, minutemen

● British prepared too, King George III announced colonist rebellion, general Sir Thomas Gage had 3,000 soldiers in Boston with instruction to take weapons/arrest militia○ Discovered store of arms in Concord, sent troops to seize

artillery from militia

Alerting the Colonists

● April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes rode to Lexington to warn that British were coming○ Prepared colonists to fight for American independence

Fighting at Lexington and Concord● Redcoats approached at dawn to discover 70

minutemen positioned with muskets in hand○ Unknown shots fired, 8 minutemen dead○ British continued march to Concord, only to discover that

militia gunpowder had already been removed, so they destroyed what remained■ But minutemen (farmers, blacksmiths, clerks, etc.) were

waiting for them as they tried to leave● 73 British killed, 200 injured● 20,000 militiamen held Boston under siege

The Coming Revolution

● After bloodshed, colonial leaders appealed for separation from Britain○ Some not ready for independence

● Lexington and Concord, “shot heard round the world” officially began America’s independence from Britain

1. Why did the colonial leaders decide they needed to act together to oppose British policies?

2. Why would boycotting all British goods lead to a harsh reaction from the British?

3. How did the American fighters differ from the British fighters?4. Why did the British issue the proclamation of 1763?5. How did the British punish the colonists for the Boston Tea

Party?