British Acts and Colonial Reactions Cause and Effect

The Navigation Acts (1650) Colonists were required to transport goods only on British ships Certain goods (sugar, tobacco, indigo, furs) could only go to England. Imported goods must be purchased from England or pay taxes in British port if purchased from a foreign nation. Purpose: To make England a wealthy nation

The Navigations Acts 1650… COLONIAL REACTION: -many colonists ignored these laws. Smuggling was prominent. BRITISH RESPONSE: - Passed Sugar Act and Writs of Assistance

After the French and Indian War Pontiac’s Rebellion Proclamation for 1763

Pontiac’s Rebellion After the French Indian War, many colonials began to move West of the Appalachians Mountains. Many Native Americans feared British would once again take their land. Pontiac was a Native American chief who joined warriors together for a common cause and formed an uprising to drive out colonial settlers out of the region.

Proclamation of 1763 As a result of Pontiac’s Rebellion the British passed the Proclamation of 1763 which prohibited all colonist from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains Britain passed this law to stop the Indians from hurting colonials and to save them from the expense of protecting colonists who settled on the frontier. The colonists resented the Proclamation. Many defied the Proclamation and moved anyway.

Writs of Assistance 1764 Legal papers which gave custom officials the right to search any building for any reason. The writs were an attempt to stop smuggling, since the colonials always ignored the Navigation Acts of 1650 The colonists complained that these writs violated their rights as English subjects. Eventually the Writs of Assistance included the search of property and personal things.

Sugar Act 1764 Reduced the tax on sugar/molasses but also provided for stricter enforcement of the Navigation Acts by sending suspected smugglers to England for trial with Crown- appointed judges (not jury). This law was an attempt to stop smuggling by lowering the tax and give the British government the tools to crackdown on smugglers.

Stamp Act 1765 The Stamp Act was a direct tax on all the colonies which placed a tax on almost all printed materials. Tax on legal documents, newspapers, wills, and basically every piece of paper used It was attempt to raise revenue for Britain.

Why were the colonies upset? Britain taxing the colonies went against the long-established British principle of no taxation without representation (see Magna Carta 1215) ONLY the colonists or their elected representatives had the right to pass taxes No colonial representation in Parliament = No British taxes Colonists were willing to pay taxes passed by colonial legislatures

Stamp Act Crisis 1765 In response to the Stamp Act the colonists did the following: Formed the Sons and Daughters of Liberty Protested in the streets Harassed tax collectors Boycotted trade with England non-importation agreements Stamp Act Congress and Resolves

A Call for Unity The Stamp Act crisis brought a sense of unity to the colonies. A call for delegates from every colony to meet in New York and discuss a possible solution. The purpose of this “Stamp Act Congress” was to consider action against the hated Stamp Act. Delegates from nine colonies sent delegates.

The Stamp Act Congress Drew up petitions, or letters, to King George III and to Parliament. These petitions rejected the Stamp Act and asserted that Parliament had no right to tax the colonies. Parliament paid little attention to these petitions.

The Stamp Act Congress Besides petitions, the colonists took more direct action. They called for a boycott (to refuse to buy certain goods or services) of British goods The boycott took its toll, trade fell off by 14%. British merchants and workers suffered. Finally, in 1766 Parliament repealed (cancelled) the Stamp Act

Stamp Act 1765 In reaction to the protests of the Stamp Act the British government repealed the law. In its place, they passed the Declaratory Act.

Declaratory Act 1766 The Declaratory Act repealed the Stamp Act but also asserted British authority to tax the colonists in “all cases whatsoever”. The British asserted their authority to tax the colonists whenever they wanted. The colonists considered this act a victory.

Townshend Act 1767 Placed duties (taxes) on glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea brought into the colonies. These duties were to be paid in gold or silver only and paid at the port of entry. Also, suspended the New York legislature, meaning only British officials would make decisions. The Townshend Act was an effort by England’s new Finance Minister to tax the colonies “without offense”.

Townshend Acts 1767 This act challenged the colonists basic notions of “taxation without representation” and liberty. In response, the colonists renewed their boycotts of British goods. As a protest to the Townshend Acts, colonials formed Five colonists killed in a clash with British troops in 1770 known as “The Boston Massacre”. The Townshend Act was repealed one month after the Boston Massacre.

Boston Massacre 1770 A crowd of Colonials gathered outside the Boston Commons House. Colonists shouted insults to the British soldiers, calling them “lobster-backs.” They also threw snowballs, oyster shells and chunks of ice at the soldiers. The crowd grew louder and rowdier. Suddenly the soldiers panicked and fired into the crowd. When the smoke from the muskets cleared, five people were dead. Sam Adams quickly wrote to the other colonists about the shooting. He called the shooting the Boston Massacre.

Tea Act 1773 Kept the tax on tea and gave the East India Company a monopoly over the American tea trade. The British kept the tax on tea to show the colonists it still had the right to tax them. In response to the Tea Act the colonials organized the Committees of Correspondence The Boston Tea Party was staged by the Sons of Liberty.

Boston Tea Party 1773 In response to the Tea Act the colonials in late November 1773, three ships carrying tea arrived at the harbor. A group of men organized by the Sons of Libety dressed like Mohawk Indians burst onto the ship and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor. All the tea from the ship was dumped into the harbor. This event was called the Boston Tea Party

Intolerable Acts 1774 also called the Coercive Acts These acts were meant to punish Boston for the Boston Tea Party and to isolate Boston from the rest of the colonies. 1.Closed Boston harbor until the colonists paid for all the tea they dumped. 2.Prohibited town meetings 3.Allowed British officials accused of crimes to stand trial in England.

First Continental Congress of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to discuss how to stop the Intolerable Acts. The Colony unable to attend was Georgia since they were being attacked by Native Americans and needed the British help to defend themselves. Resolutions from the meeting were to: 1.Sent a letter to the King expressing their Declaration of Rights (reminding them that colonials are Englishmen too. 2.Boycotted all British goods 3.Decided to formed a militia and gather ammunition.

Lexington & Concord 1775 The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, kicked off the American Revolutionary War ( ). On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to seize guns and powder they heard the colonials were storing. Paul Revere and other riders sounded the alarm, and 79 colonial militiamen from Lexington began mobilizing to stop the Redcoat from getting to Concord. A confrontation on the Lexington town green started off and the first “shot heard around the world”. This was the start of the American Revolution.