The Road to Revolution

Salutary Neglect During the early years of the existence of the colonies, Parliament opted for a policy of salutary neglect or non- interference It was too difficult to control the situation in the colonies when they were 3000 miles away

North American Land Claims in 1750

The French & Indian War Begins England and France had been at odds with each other over the Americas but the final struggle began in the Ohio Valley The French drove out English fur traders and in 1754 built Fort Duquesne at the point where the rivers Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet to form the Ohio river The fort posed a serious threat to the Virginia and Pennsylvania colonies

George Washington Arrives Facing the threat of the Fort, the colonists, under the command of 22 year old George Washington, attacked the fort the Virginia militia were later captured and released by the French signaling what became the start of the war

A Shift in Support General Braddock’s defeat in a second attempt to take Fort Duquesne caused many Native Americans to shift their support to the French At this point the French were winning the war!

William Pitt When William Pitt became minister of war in 1758 for Britain the tide shifted Pitt realized that by giving aid to France’s enemies in Europe he could effectively split her forces By the end of 1758 the British were again gaining a foothold in the Americas

Quebec Falls On September 13, 1759 – General James Wolfe defeated Commander Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham Montcalm and Wolfe both die as a result of their wounds

The Treaty of Paris France --> France --> lost her Canadian possessions, most of her empire in India, and claims to lands east of the Mississippi River. Spain --> Spain --> got all French lands west of the Mississippi River, New Orleans, but lost Florida to England. England --> England --> got all French lands in Canada, exclusive rights to Caribbean slave trade, and commercial dominance in India. North American was now divided between Great Britain and Spain with the Mississippi River forming the boundary

The Effects of War Britain It increased her colonial empire in the Americas. It greatly enlarged England’s debt. Britain’s contempt for the colonials created bitter feelings because they felt they had to support the colonists overseas The Colonies It united them against a common enemy for the first time. It created a socializing experience for all who participated increasing feelings of being “American” It created bitter feelings towards the British that would only intensify.

The Proclamation of 1763 After Pontiac’s rebellion in the west the British responded by drawing a boundary line This line effectively ended settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains Colonists protested that the Proclamation deprived them of land they had a right to settle causing more friction between colonists and the crown

The Sugar Act British taxed colonists on many of the goods coming into the colonies from other places The most important of these was the Sugar Act of 1764 Colonial merchants realized that enforcement of this act would wipe out profits of the trade with the Spanish and French West Indies

The Stamp Act In 1765, British imposed taxes upon all paper products and stamped the item once the tax had been played. This tax was paid directly to the government – direct tax Products affected ranged from documents and wills to playing cards and newspapers

The Townshend Acts This act placed duties on tea, paper, glass and paint The British repealed this tax in 1770 except for the tax on tea

The Protests Begin! Patrick Henry’s speech Sons and Daughters of Liberty Benjamin Franklin’s visit to Parliament Boston Massacre

Patrick Henry Speaks Out! When the House of Burgesses met to consider the Stamp Act in May of 1765 Patrick Henry introduced the Virginia Resolutions protesting Parliament’s action In his speech he stated that since Americans elected no members to the British Parliament they should not be taxed by them This came to be know as “no taxation without representation”

Sons of Liberty The Sons of Liberty carried out organized resistance by keeping watch on shopkeepers suspected of selling British goods A group existed in almost every colony. Members included middle and upper class citizens, anyone could join if they were trustworthy and had the skills the group needed. Famous members included Paul Revere, John Adams and his cousin, Samuel Adams.

Daughters of Liberty Colonial women organized the Daughters of Liberty to boycott British goods They gave up imported clothes, made tea out of local herbs, and produced homespun cloth One of the most influential Daughters of Liberty was Mercy Otis Warren, who published pamphlets supporting the resistance – she had to publish in a man’s name

The Boston Massacre After Parliament repealed the Townshend duties, the first clash between British and Americans took place On the night of March 5, 1770, a crowd of 50 or 60 men and boys gathered to taunt British soldiers outside the Boston Customs House When the crowd went as far as to throw sticks and snowballs at the redcoats, the soldiers panicked and opened fire, killing five men The event quickly became known as the Boston Massacre

The Boston Tea Party In 1773 the British East India Company, facing bankruptcy, appealed to Parliament for assistance Parliament quickly voted to give them a monopoly for the trade of tea in America Opposition groups mobilized against the plan and forcing ships to turn back at New York and Philadelphia harbours In Boston, Governor Hutchinson ordered that no ship could leave harbour without being unloaded Colonists on a signal from Sam Adams disguised themselves as Mohawks, boarded the ship and heaved 342 chests of tea into the harbour

The Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) The Boston Port Act - closed the port of Boston to trade The Massachusetts Government Act - revoked the colony's charter and forbade town meetings The Quartering Act - required the colonists to provide billets for British soldiers The Impartial Administration of Justice Act - removed British officials from the jurisdiction of Massachusetts courts

The Quebec Act It was passed at the same time and considered by many as one of the Intolerable Acts It extended the Canadian province of Quebec south to the Ohio River It also allowed French Canadians use of their own legal system which did not recognize trial by jury The colonists believed The Quebec Act was designed to keep American settlers out of western lands forever