An Era of Colonial Protest

The Imperial Wars French & Indian War was one of four costly wars fought between 1689-1763 British monarchs wanted colonists to bear the cost of fighting these wars/rebuilding the British empire Thought colonists should also pay for their protection

New Revenues & Regulations Sugar Act (1764)- Placed taxes on foreign sugar and other luxuries Chief purpose was to raise money for the crown Quartering Act (1765)- Required all colonists to provide food and living quarters for any British soldiers stationed there

New Revenues & Regulations The Stamp Act (1765)- required stamps be placed on all paper documents (newspapers, pamphlets, advertisements, etc.) Colonists paid for the price of these stamps- money was collected directly from them First direct tax paid by the colonists

The Stamp Act Angered the majority of colonists- no taxation without representation 1765- Stamp Act Congress resolved only elected representatives had legal authority to approve taxes Not the monarchs Sons and Daughters of Liberty violently intimidated tax collectors Destroyed stamps, tar and feather

The Stamp Act Boycotts were the most effective form of protest Colonists refused to purchase British goods Sharp drop in trade Parliament forced to repeal the Stamp Act

Declaratory Act of 1766 Colonists rejoiced at news of the Stamp Act being repealed Parliament enacts a face-saving measure called the Declaratory Act Parliament had the right to tax and make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.” Led to renewed conflict between Britain and the colonists

Townshend Acts New taxes collected on imports of tea, glass, and paper Higher tax rates to pay the British officials in the colonies Suspended NY’s assembly for defiance of the Quartering Act

Townshend Acts Most colonists accepted these taxes because they were paid by the merchants Indirect taxes Eventually boycotts threatened British revenue and the acts were repealed in 1770 Parliament keeps a small tax on tea as a symbol of their power over the colonies

Renewed Conflict Boston Massacre, Gaspee Incident, and Boston Tea Party all renewed the conflict/violence between the British and the colonists In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passes a series of punitive acts

The Coercive Acts (1774) Directed mainly at Boston and Massachusetts Closed port of Boston until destroyed tea was paid for Reduced power of Massachusetts legislature Royal officials accused of crimes in the colonies could be tried in Britain A fourth law expanded the Quartering Act

Quebec Act (1774) An effort to organize lands won from France in French & Indian War Established Roman-Catholicism as official religion of Quebec, set up a government without a representative assembly, extended Quebec’s boundaries to the Ohio River Colonists viewed this as a direct attack on their rights Took away lands they claimed along Ohio River What if Parliament enacted similar laws in the colonies?

? Why is the French & Indian War relevant to colonial protest and the American Revolution? How did Parliament decide they would collect money from the colonists? Give some examples. What was the primary reason colonists were so upset about the Stamp Act? Even though they repealed the Stamp Act, what did Parliament do in response to the colonial boycotts and protest? How did Parliament respond to the Boston Tea Party? Give details.