1. Causes of the Revolution
Chapter 3.2

2. What do you think John Adams meant by this statement
What do you think John Adams meant by this statement? Do you agree or disagree with his ideas? Explain.
What do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution.
—John Adams, February 13, 1818

3. Foundations of Colonial Government
British government serves as an example
Had 3 branches – Executive power (monarch) and Legislative power (divided between the House of Commons and the House of Lords)
Each colony except Pennsylvania set up a two house legislature
An elected assembly
A council of prominent colonists appointed to life terms

4. Governors
Colonial governors appointed by, represented, and served the King of England
Rhode Island and Connecticut elected their own governors

5. Different Ideas about Representation
British Parliament felt they represented every British subject, including colonists
Expected colonists to obey
Expected colonists to pay taxes
Colonists felt their elected representatives were equal to those in British parliament
Believed only their elected representatives could levy taxes

6. New Taxes Create Conflict
The Seven Years War nearly doubled Britain’s national debt and expanded its colonial territories
Needed revenue to pay debts and pay soldiers to protect colonies

7. Sugar Act George Grenville new British Prime Minister
Wanted to collect duties owed on sugar and wanted to prosecute smugglers
Passed the Sugar Act
A tax placed on raw sugar and molasses
Assigned customs officials to collect duties and prosecute smugglers

8. Quartering Act
- Colonies required to provide housing and supplies for British troops

9. Currency Act of 1764
Banned the use of printed money because it lost value so quickly

10. Stamp Act First direct tax imposed within colonies
tax on all printed materials
Newspapers
Books
Playing cards
Etc.

11. Taxation without Representation
Colonists protested the Stamp Act for 2 reasons
1. Parliament interfered in colonial affairs by taxing colonies directly
2. taxed colonists without their consent

12. Opposition to taxes strengthen
Tax resistance took three forms
Intellectual protests
Boycotts
Violent intimidation

13. Enlightenment Ideas John Locke
Insisted that government existed for the good of the people
Colonists argued that they were entitled to life, liberty, and property
So according to Locke’s ideals, they had the right to protest a government that did not protect those rights
Patrick Henry – a representative of the Virginia House of Burgesses
Drafted the Virginia Resolves which stated that only Virginia had the authority to tax Virginians

14. Patriot Leaders Emerge
Samuel Adams
Created the Sons of Liberty – protest organization
Led mobs that tore down the office and house of a stamp tax collector
Tax collectors tarred and feathered
Thomas Hutchinson – lieutenant governor of Massachusetts
Denounced attacks so a mob destroyed his house
End of the year, every tax collector in the colonies had resigned

15. Colonial Boycotts Threaten the British Economy
Merchants signed nonimportation agreements
Consumer boycott of all goods imported from Britain
Women organized the Daughters of Liberty
Made homespun cloth
Pledged not to buy manufactured British goods
Boycotts lead to Parliament repealing the Stamp Act

16. Townshend Acts
Series of acts passed by Charles Townshend – Chancellor and Exchequer of England
Revenue Act of 1767 was one of these acts
Taxes on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea imported by the colonies
Allowed officials to seize private property without due process
Writs of assistance legalized – allowed customs officials to enter and search any location to look for evidence of smuggling

17. Boston Massacre Townshend Acts set up a new series of violent protests
March 1770, colonists armed with clubs, snowballs, rocks, etc. rioted outside of a customs house
British officers fired and killed 5 colonists
News spread like wildfire across colonies thanks to silversmith Paul Revere’s picture
British repeal all taxes except the one on tea

18. How can you tell that Revere intended this engraving to be used as propaganda?

19. How does Revere use the size and placement of ships to convey the force used by the British in Boston?

20. John Adams Future 2nd president of the United States
Defends the British soldiers who were charged with murder
John Adams Video Clip

21. Tea Act
Tea Act of 1773
Helped the East India Company out of debt
Tea act reduced the tax on tea so more colonists bought it – even cheaper than smuggled tea

22. Boston Tea Party
East India company had shipped 1,235 chests of tea to Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charles Town
Committees of correspondence – groups in each colony that communicated with other colonies about British activities
decided that the tea must not be unloaded
Men crept on board the ships and dumped the tea into the harbors

23. Coercive Acts Issued to punish Boston
Shut down the port of Boston until tea had been paid for
Increased the power of the governor
Transferred trials of British soldiers who had committed crimes to Britain
Forced colonists to quarter British troops

24. Intolerable Acts Quebec Act
Extended borders of Canada to cut off lands claimed by colonies
The Quebec Act and the 4 Coercive Acts were known as the Intolerable Acts

25. First Continental Congress
Delegates from every colony except Georgia met in Philadelphia, PA in the fall of 1774
Established local committees and provincial congresses to enforce boycotts of British imports
Most colonists still wished to belong to the British Empire
John Adams knew that they would have to unite to fight

26. Works Cited
Werner-Lepsansky, Emma J., et al. United States History. Pearson Education Inc: United States, Print.