1. The Colonies and Britain Grow Apart
Colonist’s were used to the “hands off” policy
Britain needed to raise money to pay off war debt
New laws and restrictions threatened their freedom 1

2. Westward Expansion Restricted
King George III issued Proclamation of 1763
King kept 10,000 soldiers in colonies to enforce Proclamation
Housing the troops was expensive so…
Quartering Act
Colonists were required to house and feed the soldiers 2

3. Parliament Taxes the Colonists
1764: Sugar Act
Placed a tax on sugar, molasses, and other products shipped to the colonies
1765: Stamp Act
All legal documents had to have a stamp placed on them showing a tax had been paid (wills, contracts, diplomas, newspapers)
Parliament- seemed reasonable to have colonies help pay for a war that protected them
Colonists- serious threats to their political rights
Parliament did not have the right (assembly’s job)
No tax should be created without consent 3

4. Colonists Defy Parliament
“No taxation without representation!”
Patrick Henry demanded resistance
Form Stamp Act Congress 1765
Delegates from 9 colonies
First time colonists united to oppose Britain
Form Sons of Liberty
To oppose British policies
Encouraged people to attack British officials and burn stamps (many officials quit and went back to England) 4

5. Colonists Threaten British Profits
Protests were bitter, loud, and at times violent
Boycotts were the most effective
Hoped that merchants would suffer and appeal to the Parliament to repeal the Acts
Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766
Parliament passed the Declaratory Act
Parliament has the supreme authority to govern the colonies 5

6. Tightening British Control
Britain hoped to avoid further conflicts with the colonies after the Stamp and Sugar Acts
But still felt they needed to control them
So…
Passed the Declaratory Act (1766)
No new taxes
Declared that Parliament had the right to make laws over the colonies
Did not anger most colonists
Just ignored the act and went on with their lives 6

7. The Townshend Acts are Passed
Britain still needed money
Charles Townshend (finance minister in Britain)
Proposed new strategy of duties
Townshend Acts
Placed duties or taxes on imports such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea
Allowed British officers to issue writs of assistance, or search warrants 7

8. Anger Over the Townshend Acts
Colonists were furious that Parliament passed a tax without their consent again
“No Taxation Without Representation!”
Protests began
Colonists believed that local officials should have the right to make laws and taxes, not British Parliament
They were angry about the writs of assistance, believed they were against their natural rights
John Locke’s Natural Rights
Life
Health
Liberty
Possessions 8

9. JOHN DICKINSON PENNSYLVANIA LAWYER
“We cannot be happy without being free… we cannot be free without being secure in our property… we cannot be secure in our property, if [taxed] without our consent” 9

10. Colonists Protest Colonists began to unite against Britain
Form the Daughters of Liberty to encourage colonists to weave their own cloth
Colonial leaders urged people to remain calm
“No mobs”
“Constitutional methods are best”
British officials asked for more troops
Samuel Adams
Leader of Sons of Liberty and wanted peace
“We will destroy every soldier that dare put his foot on shore… I look upon them as foreign enemies!” 10

11. The Boston Massacre Fall of 1768 March 5, 1770
1,000 additional British soldiers (Redcoats) arrive in Boston under General Thomas Gage
Tensions erupted into violence
March 5, 1770
Group of colonists surround soldiers
Groups began insulting and throwing snowballs
Crowd grew larger
Soldiers fired into crowd, killing 5 including Crispus Attucks
People of Boston were outraged 11

12. Paul Revere’s The Bloody Massacre12

13. A different portrayal 13

14. The Boston Massacre
Attucks and the other 4 victims were portrayed as heroes
Soldiers were arrested and charged with murder
John Adams agreed to defend soldiers in court
Received many threats
Believed everyone deserved a fair trial
Argued the soldiers acted in self-defense
Jury agreed and did not convict the soldiers 14