EQ: How did the French and Indian War lead to the American Revolution? PT: What is a natural law? What is a representative government? What event put Great Britain in Debt and made them tax the colonies?

The American Revolution After the French and Indian War, American colonies prospered, but tension grew under British rule Mercantile system allowed trade only with Great Britain, Americans wanted to grow/sell what they wished Many ignored laws and smuggled (illegal trade) with French, Dutch and Spanish merchants.

Taxes created conflict between Britain and American colonists- Parliament passed series of tax laws to pay off debt from French and Indian War Sugar Act,1764 Townsend Act, 1767 placed duties (taxes on imports) on products coming into the colonies Goods included sugar, coffee, tea, wine, paper, glass and paint Stamp Act (1765) required all printed paper used in colonies bear a tax stamp purchased from government

Colonists strongly protested to Parliament/ began to show discontent Sons of Liberty formed: boycotted (refused to buy) taxed goods/ smuggled non-British goods to colonies Parliament finally repealed unpopular taxes/ anti-British attitude had already formed

British and American Ideas Clash Many ideas of Americans were brought from Britain Concept of consent of the governed -government should rule as long as citizens consent (agree) to being governed If people unhappy, or government can no longer protect them, government looses right to govern. If it does not step down, people have right to rebel Related is representative government- people have right to elect persons to represent them and make political decisions affect lives. They must assemble in legislative bodies to make laws and set taxes.

Third idea is concept of limited government- power of government is limited by “natural law”. Natural Law says people have natural rights-from God or nature- that government can’t take away. The most basic are life, liberty, and property. American colonists had developed own ideas about self-government. Meetings for local problems (building roads)-colonial legislature to make laws on taxes and maintaining a militia (unit of citizen soldiers) Americans came to believe that their own elected representatives should pass laws and set taxes in the colonies

Resentment and Conflict Americans opposed new laws and taxes on the colonies First, taxes violated colonists rights to be taxed by own representatives Second, Americans lived as British citizens, but often their rights as British citizens were ignored- Public protests and violence grew/ Britain sent troops to enforce unpopular laws Anger was greatest in Northern colonies

British soldier attacked by a crowd, as his troops saved him, many of the soldiers panicked and opened fire on the crowd killing five people. This added to the anger of the colonists and became known as the “Boston Massacre”

The Final Straw Tea Act (1773)- gave one British company a monopoly (exclusive right) to sell tea to America Tea popular drink-priced cheaply, but colonists refused to buy it. Colonists illegally importing Dutch tea felt it would threaten their business Night of December 16, 1773- members of the Sons of Liberty dumped several shiploads of tea into the Boston harbor/other ports tea was also dumped

Parliament punished the colonies and Massachusetts by implementing harsh laws that included: closing the port of Boston harbor until the tea was paid for/ not allowing people of Massachusetts to elect their own officials or hold town meetings/ required the people in all the colonies to feed and house British soldiers Colonists called these “Intolerable Acts” Continental Congress with delegates from all colonies but Georgia meet and agree to boycott all British goods

American Colonists Revolt

British goods were burned, government officials attacked or ran out of town, persons loyal to Britain were openly tarred and feathered Britain sent troops to control the mayhem April 19, 1775 Massachusetts “minutemen” and British troops battled at Lexington and Concord. It was “the shot heard around the world”. New spread throughout the colonies-assemblies met and voted to raise militias to defend themselves against the British. The war for American independence had begun

Writing Reflection