The Colonies Fight for Their Rights Chapter Four Section 1 The Colonies Fight for Their Rights

The French and Indian War The First Skirmish French travelers and British fur traders moved to the Ohio River Valley Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh) Fort Necessity (British) Washington becomes a hero The Albany Conference Met to try to convince Iroquois to ally with them Albany Plan of Union (Early Unified Effort) The British Triumph General Braddock arrived in 1775 to attack Fort Duquesne. The British sent their troops to America while their allies fought in Europe The Iroquois realized the tide was turning for the Brits and tried to get the other tribes to stop fighting. British eventually seized Fort Duquesne and Quebec Treaty of Paris Eliminated French power in North America (New France – Canada Britain gained Florida to give Cuba and the Philippines back

2. The Colonies Grow Discontented (Britain needed to pay off their war debt) A. The Proclamation Act of 1763 1. Settlers were moving into Indian territory in defiance of signed treaties 2. Chief Pontiac organized tribes to fight back against the British 3. King George issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763, saying British citizens could not settle west of a line drawn roughly along the Appalachian Mountains

B. Customs Reform 1. George Greenville the British Prime Minister needed to raise money to pay for the troops stations in America. 2. He attempted to send smugglers to Vice-Admiralty Courts in Nova Scotia. 3. These juries were not sympathetic to smugglers. 4. They had no juries, and did not follow British common law, which violated their right to a trial by their peers 5. Sending them to Nova Scotia also violated their right to a speedy trial. 6. John Hancock tried and defended by John Adams

B. The Sugar Act 1. Changed the tax rate on imported sugar and molasses, and introduced new taxes 2. Also presumed smugglers were guilty and had to prove innocence 3. Allowed British to seize goods without due process 4. James Otis – No Taxation w/o representation 5. Currency Act of 1764 (Couldn’t use paper money)

3. The Stamp Act Crisis A. Passed in March 1765 1. Placed stamps on all printed materials 2. First direct tax placed on the colonies B. Also passed the Quartering Act in 1765 1. Colonists had to pay the rent for troops if no barracks were present C. Widespread opposition in the colonies D . Sons of Liberty Formed

E. Stamp Act Congress formed 1. Petitioned the King for relief and repeal of the Stamp Act. Said only colonial governors could tax them, not Parliament 2. Some merchants signed a nonimportation agreement 3. Stamp Act repealed in 1766 4. Passed the Declaratory Act (they could make laws for the colonies) 4. The Townshend Acts - Strengthened previous acts but also legalized writs of assistance (look for smuggled goods) 1. Action and Reaction A. Letters from a Pennsylvania farmer (called for the colonies to bound together) B. Massachusetts and Virginia passed laws limiting British laws, and boycotted British goods 2. Boston Massacre A. Harassed soldiers guarding a customs house shot at the protestors killing three B. Showed Brits as tyrants