Events Leading to the American Revolution

 

The French and Indian War 1754 to 1763:

     was a war between England and France

     over colonies and trade

 

Results of the French and Indian War:

     France was eliminated as a colonial

           power in North America

     Colonists gained military experience

     Colonies realized the value of unity to

           solve common problems

     Reduced dependence on England for

           frontier protection

     Change in British policy of “salutory

           neglect” to bringing the colonies under

           closer political and economic control

           by:

 

1) Strict Enforcement of Laws such as:

     The Navigation Acts:    

           transport goods only on British ships

           export certain goods only to Britain

           purchase all imports from Britain or to

                pay duties on goods           

     Writs of Assistance: general search

           warrants to look for smuggled goods

 

2) New Taxes:

           Sugar Act: 1764: reduced duty but

                stricter enforcement     

          

           Stamp Act: 1765: required purchase

                of stamps forprinted materials

                such as wills, mortgages,

                pamphlets, newspapers

 

           Townshend Acts 1767: import duties

                on lead, paint, paper, glass, tea

          

     *Colonists were tried in Admiralty (non-

     jury) courts for breaking these laws!

 

3) Proclamation of 1763: prohibited

           settlement beyond the Appalachian

           Mts to protect the fur trade, reduce

           Indian uprisings, and keep colonists

           within the reach of British authorities

 

    

4) The Quartering Act 1765: required

     colonists to provide quartering in their

     homes for British soldiers

 

So what did the colonists do?

 

Smuggled goods into colonies to avoid

     paying import duties

 

Settled beyond the Appalachian Mts

 

Burnt the Gaspee (a naval patrol boat)

     when it ran aground

 

Protests against the writs of assistance in

           court

 

Albany Plan of Union: 1754 1st attempt to

           create intercolonial council for colonial

           defense, Indian problems, and

           western settlement

 

Stamp Act Congress 1765: delegates

           from 9 colonies met in NY to

           coordinate united action against the

           Stamp Act, initiated a boycott of

           British goods

 

Committees of Correspondence 1772:

           Sam Adams created an intercolonial

           network of information and organized

           resistance to British policy 

 

Mass boycotts and resistance to Stamp Act

     led to repeal of Stamp Act

 

Declaratory Act reaffirmed Parlaiment’s

           power to tax the colonists

 

1770: boycotts led Parliament to repeal all

           Townshend duties except on tea

 

1770: Boston Massacre by British

           Redcoats

 

Tea Act: 1773: exempted East India

           Company from paying taxes (tea now

           was cheaper than smuggled tea)

           duty on Tea would still be paid under

           the Townshend Acts

Boston Tea Party 1773: dumping of British  

     Tea into Boston harbor to defy English

 

Intolerable Acts 1774: which:

     closed Boston Harbor until restitution

           was paid

     authorized quartering of troops in any

           town in colonies

     permitted British officials to be tried in          

           England

     limited self government in Massachusetts

     Quebec Act: which gave territory away

           that had been claimed by the colonies

 

First Continental Congress 1774: 12 colonies

     represented at meeting to resist   

     Intolerable Acts which:

 

     voted to boycott British goods

     wrote “Declaration of Rights and

           Grievances” asking the king to correct

           injustices, especially the Intolerable

           Acts

 

Lexington and Concord 1775

 

Causes of the American Revolution

 

Resentment against British because of:

 

       Mercantilist laws which hampered colonial trade and

              raised prices on goods

      

       Exploitation of colonies by British

      

       Restrictions against westward migration

 

       British argued that the colonies were being expected to

              take their part in  British mercantilism and that this

              sytem helped the colonies as well as the

              mother country

 

Colonial belief in self-government

 

“No taxation without representation” which meant representation in British Parliament

 

Writs of Assistance: unfair searches and seizures

 

Denial of trial by jury in Admiralty courts

 

British believed that colonies were represented virtually in

       the Parliament: each member of Parliament

       represented all British subjects

 

Differences in cultures of American colonies and English

       homeland