“No taxation without representation!” Actions that led to the Revolutionary War

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I. TAXES A. Britain was in debt after winning the French and Indian War. The British felt that the colonists had benefited from the war, so they should help pay for it.

B. Sugar Act Taxed sugar and molasses

C. Stamp Act 1. The Stamp Act required a stamp showing tax was paid on legal documents, licenses, newspapers, pamphlets, and even playing cards.

2. Protesting the Stamp Act a. Many colonists refused to buy the necessary stamps and boycotted the goods

b. Samuel Adams claimed that the British government had no right to put taxes on the colonists since there were no colonial representatives in Parliament.

No taxation without representation This idea became shortened to the popular phrase: No taxation without representation

c. Stamp Act Congress – 9 colonies sent representatives to discuss how to protest the Stamp Act The Stamp Act Congress issued a declaration that the Stamp Act violated the colonists’ rights as Englishmen

3. Because of pressure from the colonists and from English merchants (who were annoyed that the colonists were not buying their stuff), Parliament repealed (canceled) the Stamp Act

C. The Townshend Acts 1. Taxed glass, paper, paint, lead, & tea

2. To make sure the taxes were collected, British officials used the writs of assistance, which allowed tax collectors to board any ship at any time for any reason

3. Colonists once again boycotted British goods

A. Colonists boycotted goods to protest taxes II. COLONISTS RESPOND A. Colonists boycotted goods to protest taxes B. Colonists formed Committees of Correspondence to connect the colonies and inform each other of unfair British laws and actions

C. The secret society, The Sons of Liberty, was formed to take action against the British.

The Sons of Liberty performed hangings in effigy, threatened tax collectors and governors, and organized colonial protests

Colonial cartoon depicting the tar and feathering of a tax collector (customs official)

D. Colonists began writing poems and essays criticizing British actions. Mercy Otis Warren even wrote a play making fun of British officials in Massachusetts, including the royal governor.

III. THE TEA ACT….ONE TAX TOO MANY A. Parliament passed the Tea Act to lower the price on tea

B. Colonists were so distrustful of Parliament, that they thought it was a trick to make them accept Parliament’s right to make laws for them

C. Colonists boycotted tea Instead of drinking tea, colonists drank “liberty tea” made of herbs and spices from the colonies or they drank coffee

IV. THE BOSTON TEA PARTY A. A ship, the Dartmouth, brought tea to unload at the Boston harbor B. The colonists demanded that the ship leave the harbor without unloading the tea

C. The governor refused to let the ship leave D. Led by the Sons of Liberty, Boston colonists decided to take matters into their own hands

E. 50 or 60 colonists dressed as Native Americans and boarded the Dartmouth F. The “Indians” destroyed the tea by throwing it into the harbor. No one was hurt, but the tea was completely gone.

V. Britain’s response to the Boston Tea Party – The Intolerable Acts A. The Intolerable Acts were laws passed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party and to show other colonies what might happen to them if they protested

B. The Intolerable Acts included….. 1. Closed the port of Boston 2. Took away the charter of Massachusetts and eliminated town meetings

3. Dishonest royal officials were taken back to Britain and tried

4. The Quartering Act meant that colonists had to house British soldiers in their own homes http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/perspectives/military.html

5. General Thomas Gage became the new governor of Massachusetts

C. The Intolerable Acts had the opposite effect on the colonies from what Britain was hoping. The colonies banned together to help Massachusetts.

D. Colonies even sent representatives to the First Continental Congress. http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/cox_corr/g_exp/first_continental.htm

The first Continental Congress… Agreed to boycott all British goods 2. Encouraged each colony to form its own militia

VI. Boston Massacre A. Tensions were building between the colonists and the soldiers B. In March 1770, a colonist and a soldier got into an argument outside the customs house in Boston

C. The crowd got larger and more soldiers were called in D. The colonists began throwing snowballs, rocks, lobster shells, and ice at the soldiers

E. To everyone’s surprise, a shot rang out F. Thinking they were being fired on, the soldiers fired into the crowd, killing 5 civilians

G. Samuel Adams used the killing of five civilians as propaganda against the British and called it the “Boston Massacre”

VII. Patriots vs. Loyalists A. Some colonists were angry with Britain and ready to act. But many still felt loyal to Britain and were unwilling to go too far.

Patriot or Loyalist? Patriots believed that British taxes, laws and policies had become oppressive. Most important, they believed the time had come to resist British policy by force of arms. Loyalists were loyal to King George III and Great Britain. They believed that they prospered as a colony of Great Britain.

Minutemen B. In New England the men began arming themselves. They were called Minutemen because they could be ready to fight in a minute. Some practiced fighting and marching with wooden guns. Others had real guns.