(c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved Reform, Resistance, Revolution Chapter 5

Imperial Reform 1760: George III inherited throne of Great Britain, age 22 Collapse of political coalition that led Britain to victory over France King’s new ministers set out to reform the empire (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Bute Ministry John Stuart, Earl of Bute –War too costly –Forces Pitt out George Grenville, Lord of Treasury (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Grenville Ministry John Wilkes –Journalist for North Briton criticized King –Member of Parliament –“Wilkes and Liberty” War put Britain in debt Revenues needed to police colonies – Grenville insists colonists contribute financially to fund their own defense (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Indian Policy and Pontiac’s War Indian and policy –Fulfill wartime promises –Proclamation Line of 1763 Neolin, Pontiac, and Pontiac’s War Henry Bouquet and germ warfare (smallpox blankets) Paxton Boys: Anti-Indian frontier reaction (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Sugar Act 1764 – duties placed on Madeira wine, coffee, molasses Colonists obtained cheaper molasses from French Launched Grenville’s war against smugglers –Complicated paperwork and harsh penalties –Tried to make enforcement of Customs laws more profitable than accepting bribes (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Currency Act and the Quartering Act Currency Act of 1764: –Forbade colonies to issue any paper money as legal tender Quartering Act of 1765: Thomas Gage –To quarter redcoats in private homes & taverns (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Stamp Act Stamp tax on legal documents and publications in the colonies “no taxation without representation” vs. virtual representation Internal vs. external taxes Colonist offer – Requisitions (colonial assemblies determine how to raise money asked for by the crown) Daniel Dulany and colonial leadership’s grudging acceptance of the Stamp Act (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Stamp Act Crisis Resistance to Stamp Act: 1765 – lasted almost one year, then repealed Patrick Henry Stamp Act Congress –Stamp Act unconstitutional and should be repealed –No virtual representation in empire, but yes virtual representation in colonies (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Nullification “Sons of Liberty” and street violence –Victims Andrew Oliver Thomas Hutchinson –Ebenezer McIntosh Stamp Act nullified de facto –Agents resign –Merchants and nonimportation resistance –“Sons of Liberty” (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Repeal Charles Watson-Wentworth, Marquess of Rockingham –Repeal Stamp Act (1766) Pitt supports repeal –Declaratory Act (1766): perceived differently in colonies and Britain –Revenue Act (1766): 1 penny tax on any molasses imported to colonies Internal vs. external taxes: A misunderstood issue (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Townshend Crisis King George & William Pitt: government of “measures, not men” Pitt becomes Prime Minister and then a Lord Charles Townshend: Pitt’s spokesman in House of Commons Townshend has a hard-line attitude towards colonies (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Townshend Program New York and the Restraining Act Pitt’s depression leaves Townshend in charge Townshend Revenue Act (1767) –Taxed imports colonies could only legally get from Britain –Purpose: pay salaries of colonial governors and judges, freeing them from control of colonial assemblies British troops shifted from frontier to urban ports Townshend’s untimely death (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Resistance: The Politics of Escalation Internal vs. external taxes dilemma John Dickinson and Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1767) –Denied internal vs. external tax distinction –Parliament has no right to tax colonies Circular Letter and constitutional resistance Liberty riot Nonimportation in MA, NY, and PA Sons of Liberty “convention” (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

An Experiment in Military Coercion October, 1768: British fleet enter Boston harbor “Journal of the Times” Boston Chronicle Parliament demands government critics come to Britain for trial Nonimportation spreads (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Second Wilkes Crisis John Wilkes and 1768 Parliamentary elections –Wilkes arrest –“Massacre of St. George’s Fields” (1768) “Society for Gentleman Supporters of the Bill of Rights” –Electoral reform –Sympathize with colonial protests Colonist sympathize with Wilkite movement Townshend crisis and Wilkite movement: –Colonists question the British government (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Boston Massacre Increasing confrontations between population and British soldiers in Boston Sons of Liberty grow bolder March 5, 1770: The Massacre –Colonists: Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, and others –British: Captain Thomas Preston and others –Defense team: John Adams and Josiah Quincy, Jr. Britain’s failed first attempt at military coercion (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Partial Repeal Lord North –asks Parliament for repeal of all Townshend duties, except for tea Tea provided three-fourths of revenue under Townshend Act Repeal’s effects –Nonimportation collapses, Sons of Liberty lose –Increased importation of British goods to the colonies (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Disaffection Partial repeal divided the colonists Erosion of colonists’ trust of imperial government Gaspée Affair (1772) Committees of correspondence formed throughout colonies British conclude punishment for political violence must be communal Tea remains symbol that Townshend crisis not over (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Internal Cleavages: The Contagion of Liberty Dilemma for elites Position on Townshend Crisis better predictor of Patriot sympathy than attitude toward Stamp Act Loyalists: merchants & lawyers who resisted nonimportation Patriots: artisans, merchants, lawyers who supported boycotts against Britain Artisans set pace for resistance to Britain (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Feudal Revival and Rural Discontent Reason for discontent in the country side –Revival of proprietary charters –Immigration –Backcountry settlement

The Regulator Movements in the Carolinas Backcountry settlers and the Cherokee War ( ) Disaffected backcountry settlers become outlaws Backcountry in near civil war –Regulators form to impose order –Moderators form to defend against regulators Battle of Alamance Creek (1771) (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Regulator Movements in the Carolinas South Carolina Disaffected backcountry settlers become outlaws Backcountry in near civil war –Regulators form to impose order –Moderators form to defend against regulators Legislature agrees to Circuit Courts, confrontation ends North Carolina Governor’s corrupt favorites controlled backcountry courts Backcountry 50% of population, 20% of Assembly Regulators organize tax protest and armed rebellion Battle of Alamance Creek (1771)

Slaves and Women Anti-slavery movement in British empire by mid- 1700s Quakers, Evangelicals, Methodists oppose slavery Even slave owners like Patrick Henry condemn the practice, but keep slaves for practical reasons Sarah Osborn and education for slaves Phillis Wheatley, freed slave and literary celebrity by age 20 Boston Patriots push for end to slavery Women’s role in nonimportation (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Last Imperial Crisis Lord North attempts to save East India Company, Britain’s largest corporation Southeastern England and colonies purchased smuggled Dutch tea Millions of pounds of unsold tea left in East India Co. warehouses Issue to Lord North was save East India Co. (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Tea Crisis Lord North’s solution: make East India Co. tea cheaper than smuggled tea Tea Act (1773) –Repealed duty on bringing tea to Britain –Retained duty on sending tea to colony –Gave monopoly on British empire tea trade to East India Company Sons of Liberty resistance –Direct threats against ships –Boston “Tea Party” (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Britain’s Response: The Coercive Acts Coercive Acts –Boston Port Act (1774) –Quartering Act (1774) –The Administration of Justice Act (1774) –Massachusetts Government Act (1774) Quebec Act (1774) To colonists, above become the “Intolerable Acts” (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Radical Explosion Boston reaction to Intolerable Acts –Call for colonial union –Nonimportation Intolerable Acts politicize countryside Royal governors dismiss assemblies –Assemblies call for Continental Congress Massachusetts Provincial Congress –Suffolk County Convention and “Minutemen” (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The First Continental Congress 12 colonies (all except Georgia) –Philadelphia in September 1774 Nonimportation and nonexportation Joseph Galloway’s plan for imperial union Crown and Parliament must repeal –Coercive Acts –Quebec Act –All Revenue Acts Principle of no legislation without consent The Association: central government of the United Colonies (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Toward War Proposed alternatives rejected in Parliament –Edmund Burke –William Pitt (Lord Chatham) Lord North’s policies –Crackdown on New England rebellion Arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams Seize weapons in Concord –Conciliatory Proposition –New England Restraining Act Thomas Gage begins the crackdown –Margaret Kemble Gage: the leak? –Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Improvised War Neither side had strategy for real war Minutemen siege Boston Breed’s Hill (Bunker Hill) Fort Ticonderoga Lord Dunmore’s War (1774) Militia keeps countryside committed to Revolution (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

The Second Continental Congress Minutemen become Continental army George Washington made commander Attacks on Canada Response to the Conciliatory Proposition –Olive Branch Petition –Thomas Jefferson and “The Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking Up Arms” Continental Congress assumed Crown’s functions of governance (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

War and Legitimacy, British Strategy –Turn Indians and slaves against colonist –VA governor John Murray, Earl of Dunmore Colonist victories –Washington takes Boston March 1776 –Colonists control all 13 colonies by summer 1776 (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved

Independence Areas supporting independence –New England –Virginia and colonies South Overthrow of royal governments –mid-Atlantic colonies –William Franklin Thomas Paine –Common Sense Lord George Germain –Russians and “Hessians” Declaration of Independence

Conclusion Britain’s self-filling prophecy nightmare –British feared colonies’ independence unless major reforms were put in place –Resistance of the colonists confirmed Britain’s fears Colonists feared that British government would deprive them their rights as Englishmen Mutual confidence was undermined (c) 2003 Wadsworth Group All rights reserved