THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION American History I - Unit 2 Ms. Brown

2.1 – STIRRINGS OF REBELLION

Setting the Stage… 1760s – GB deep in debt from French and Indian War Parliament passed a series of acts to raise $ by taxing British goods bought by the colonists – Parliament passed the Sugar Act Lowered tax on molasses Increased tax on other goods Sent smugglers to British court w/o jury, rather than a colonial court

Stamp Act 1765, Placed a tax on all official documents, newspapers, licenses, pamphlets, playing cards, dice, etc Had to be printed on stamped paper Disobeying colonists were sent to British courts, rather than a colonial court

Sons of Liberty Samuel Adams organized the Sons of Liberty - a secret resistance group in started in Boston Protested and harassed British customs workers, stamp agents, and royal governors Led to the resignation of British employees in the colonies and delayed implementation of the Stamp Act policies British customs official being tarred and feathered, then having hot tea poured down his throat. Notice the Stamp Act hanging upside down on the Liberty tree.

Legislative Resistance – colonial legislative bodies passed resolutions (statements) in opposition to the Stamp Act VA passed a resolution claiming that Virginians could only be taxed by the Virginian government. Patrick Henry helped to write the resolution – famous for saying “Give me Liberty or Give me Death!”

Stamp Act Congress 1765, delegates from 9 colonies met in New York City to issue the Declaration of Rights and Grievances Stated that Parliament had no right to tax the colonies because the colonies did not have representatives in Parliament

JOIN or DIE! Delegates at the Stamp Act Congress reconsidered Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union 1754, plan devised by Benjamin Franklin before the French and Indian War which called for a unified colonial council to address shared colonial issues Rejected in 1754, but influenced colonial thought before/during the American Revolution

Collective Boycotts Boycott – a refusal to buy goods or services Merchants in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York boycotted goods manufactured in England GOAL: hurt GB enough financially to make Parliament repeal the Stamp Act 1766 – Parliament passed the Declaratory Act repealed the Stamp Act but declared that Parliament had the right to rule and tax the colonies

Townshend Acts 1767, Passed by Parliament that placed a tax on lead, glass, paint and tea (imports coming from England to the colonies) Intended to gain more $ in taxes from the colonies 3 penny tax on tea (the most popular drink in the colonies)

Reaction to Townshend Acts “No taxation without representation!” Sons of Liberty called for continued boycotts of British goods Women joined in resistance Resisted buying feathers, furs, fabrics Wealthy women joined with poorer women to form spinning clubs to weave fabric for colonial clothes Exchanged recipes for homemade tea from birch and bark and sage British seized and searched a ship belonging to merchant John Hancock in Boston for smuggling wine from Spain  riots against British customs officials  increased British soldiers (“Redcoats”) in Boston

Boston Massacre General hostility and frustration in Boston Increased presence of Redcoats Competition for jobs between colonists and poorly paid British soldiers March 5, 1770 Colonial mob formed outside of the Customs House in Boston and harassed the guards Turned deadly when someone (unknown) fired a shot  5 dead (including Crispus Attucks – young free black man in Boston) Samuel Adams labeled the Boston Massacre, presenting it as a British attack on defenseless colonists

Paul Revere’s Engraving of the Boston Massacre Revere did not witness the events Anti-British propaganda British commander is seemingly ordering Redcoats to fire Colonists look defenseless

Committees of Correspondence A network of communication (through meetings and letters) set up in Massachusetts and Virginia to inform other colonies of ways that Britain threatened colonial rights Formed Eventually leaders from each colony participated in the communication

The Boston Tea Party 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act Granted the British East India Company the right to sell tea directly to the colonies free of the colonial taxes set by the merchants  essentially cut colonial merchants out of the tea trade Parliament believed colonists would just buy the cheaper tea, however they protested! Agreeing to buy the tea with British tax (even if it was cheaper) acknowledged Parliament’s right to tax the colonies.

The Boston Tea Party December 16, 1773 – a group of 200 colonists dressed as Mohawks boarded 3 British tea ships and dumped 18,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor. Eyewitness Account

Intolerable Acts King George III was furious and fearful about the organized destruction of tea (British property) in Boston 1774 – Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts Shut down Boston Harbor because colonists refused to pay for the destroyed tea Quartering Act – forced housing of British soldiers in colonial homes Boston under martial law – rules/laws enforced by military power and force

First Continental Congress Committees of correspondence set up a meeting to discuss the Intolerable Acts and how to react First Continental Congress September colonial delegates met in Philadelphia Defended colonies’ right to run their own governments Supported protests in Boston Decided if British used force against the colonies, the colonies should fight back Agreed to meet again in May 1775 if British relations did not improve