Road to Independence

Colonies Begin to Resist  Great Britain and Colonies grow apart on issues of taxation, representation, and liberty  Sugar Act, Proclamation Line of 1763 only START of things to come  Stamp Act-1765: Requires stamped paper for documents and pretty much ANY printed item  Q1-Do you think it was fair for the British to find ways to get the colonists to pay for their debts? Why or why not? What did the British provide for the colonists?

Stamps

The Protests Begin!  Samuel Adams helps found the Sons of Liberty (secret resistance group. They begin to harass the customs agents, stamp agents, and royal governors  Stamp Act Congress: The proclaim that the colonists “Can’t be taxed without representation”  Merchants begin to boycott British goods until it gets repealed  Parliament repeals Stamp Act but passes the Declaratory Act the very same day in 1766 which stated that Britain had the power and authority to make laws of “sufficient force” to “bind” the colonies and people of America….basically they could do what they wanted!

Townshend Acts  1767 (one year after the lifting of the Stamp Act)-The Townshend Act was passed which placed taxes on imported materials and tea  In response, the colonists became very angry, and Samuel Adams organized a boycott  Daughters of Liberty-Women stopped buying British luxuries like tea in order to help boycott the taxes  John Hancock-Famous and very popular Boston politician had his boat “Liberty” seized by British custom officials.  Boston citizens respond with a 2000 person riot that end in the burning of a British customs ship and beating of British officers  Group Q-Did the British have the right to search and seize people’s private possessions looking for smuggled goods? Do police have a similar right today?

The Boston Massacre  Tensions increased throughout the colonies, especially in Massachusetts  Soldiers competed with colonists for shipyard jobs  1770-Boston Massacre-Mobs of disgruntled colonists throw stones at a small group of British soldiers  In response, outnumbered British soldiers feel threatened and fire into crowd and kill 5 colonists  Group Q-Put yourself in the shoes of the British soldiers. If you were outnumbered and having stones being thrown at you and people threatening your life, would you have fired into the crowd too? Why or why not?

Colonists Get Organized  Committee of Correspondence-As tensions continue to rise between the colonists and the British, leading members of the resistance form network that allows the members to discuss the threat of freedom and how to eventually fight back

Boston Tea Party  Tea Act of 1773: This Act allowed the British East India Company to avoid paying taxes other merchants had to pay making their tea cheaper than  In response, Boston colonists dressed up as Native Americans dump 18,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor

King George III mad!  British King George III is outraged by destruction of tea!  In 1774, in response to the Tea Party, Parliament passes the Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)  Intolerable Acts: Close Boston Harbor, quarter soldiers in empty homes, closes Boston Harbor  General Thomas Gage puts Boston under martial law (rule by military)  In response, 56 Delegates from 12 colonies meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and form the First Continental Congress. They claim colonial rights and support protests against the British laws.  The meeting of the First Continental Congress marks the beginning of the unionization of the colonies to begin to formally fight back against England  Q-Do you think it was fair of England to pass the intolerable acts in response to the Boston Tea Party? Finally, how would you have felt if you were a British soldier having to enforce the Intolerable Acts upon the colonists? Would it have been difficult? Why or why not?

ACT Poster Project!  I will assign each of your groups an Act. You will be creating a poster that could have been hung up around one of the cities/towns of the colonies that were forced to follow the Act. You must have:  A picture/symbol,  A Slogan-A catchy phrase that would stick in the mind of the colonists!  specific details that state how to follow the Act (try to give as many specific rules/details as possible  Leader: Make sure everyone is helping to come up with some fun/unique designs for your poster.  Recorder: Your job is to decide what kind of picture/logo you want to have on the poster (Everyone should help with some ideas)  Presenter: You will be presenting the poster to the class-Must read the slogan and specific rules the colonists must follow  Time Keeper: Make sure project gets done on time!  EVERYONE: Will be researching the ACT and helping to come up with a creative slogan/design.

British Laws/Acts against the colonists  Sugar Act  Stamp Act  Quartering Act  Townshend Acts  Tea Act  Intolerable Acts  Proclamation Line of 1763  Navigation Act