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The Road To Revolution

The Road To Revolution. 1763-1775. The French & Indian War Ends. The war was extremely costly for Great Britain. American colonists were content as English citizens in the New World. They only sought the “rights of an Englishman.”. Deep Roots of Revolution. Republicanism.

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The Road To Revolution

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  1. The Road To Revolution 1763-1775

  2. The French & Indian War Ends • The war was extremely costly for Great Britain. • American colonists were content as English citizens in the New World. • They only sought the “rights of an Englishman.”

  3. Deep Roots of Revolution

  4. Republicanism • In true republicanism spirit, all citizens willingly give up their private, selfish interests. • They devote themselves to the “common good,” or the “good of the whole.”

  5. Radical Whigs • Colonists who feared that their liberties would be taken away by the monarch and his ministers. • Always on guard against corruption in government.

  6. Mother England • Distance weakens authority. • Great distance weakens authority greatly!

  7. The American Colonies • There were no titled nobility in the colonies. • Property ownership and political participation was common.

  8. Mercantilism • Wealth is power and a country’s economic wealth can be measured in the amount of gold and silver in its treasury. • EXPORT MORE THAN YOU IMPORT • Colonies - Raw materials • England - reduced need for foreign imports

  9. Navigation Law of 1650 • All commerce in and out of the colonies must be transported by British ships. • This included colonial vessels. • European goods heading to colonies must first pass through England for tariffs

  10. No Hard Money • Gold and Silver were scarce in the American Colonies • Gold and Silver are called hard money

  11. No Hard Money • Colonists used butter, nails, pitch, feathers, etc. for exchange • Colonies issued paper notes, which quickly depreciated in value

  12. Currency Act • English Parliament prohibited colonial legislatures from printing money. • This angered the colonists because there was a shortage of necessary cash.

  13. Parliament’s Hand In America • The British Crown could nullify any law passed by a colonial legislature • Only used 469/8,563 colonial laws • Colonists fiercely resented this right of Parliament

  14. Colonial Rebellion • Colonists would disregard or ignore restrictions placed on them by Parliament. • 1st American fortunes came from smuggling • John Hancock

  15. Colonial Advantages • Colonists made a large profit from producing ship parts. • Virginia had a monopoly on the tobacco market in colonies and in Britain. • Colonies were protected by the world’s strongest Navy and Army of Redcoats.

  16. Feeling Used… • Colonists felt used in the mercantilism system. • Colonists were dependent on British agents and creditors.

  17. ENGLAND • After The Seven Years’ War, England had the largest empire in the world. • They also owed a tremendous debt for protecting its empire. • England’s debt was over L 140,000,000 • Half of which was spent defending the American Colonies.

  18. George Grenville • Grenville became Head of the Treasury • Introduced several taxes on the American colonies. • Felt America should shoulder some of the costs of the 7 Years’ War

  19. Sugar Act of 1764 • Increased tax on foreign sugar imported from the West Indies

  20. Quartering Act of 1765 • Required certain colonies to provide food and quarters for British troops.

  21. Stamp Act of 1765 • Stamped paper that certified the payment of an appropriate tax • ex. Playing cards, pamphlets, newspapers, diplomas, bills of laden, marriage licenses.

  22. Grenville • Colonists saw Grenville as an aggressive tax collector. • Some colonies refused to comply with the new laws. • Colonists wondered why the British Army was still needed in the colonies after the French and Indian War.

  23. “No taxation without representation.” • This becomes the rallying cry of the colonists who disliked Grenville’s taxes. • Irony – Not all the colonies allowed representation. • Colonies didn’t want members of the House of Commons – they would be the minority and the taxes would be passed anyway.

  24. Actual Stamp on Newspapers The colonists hated the Stamp Act

  25. Stamp Act Congress of 1765 • The Stamp Act Congress met in New York City with 27 delegates representing 9 colonies. • Drew up a statement of rights and grievances. • Asked King and Parliament to repeal Stamp Act • Their pleas were ignored in England

  26. Non-Importation Agreement • The Stamp Act Congress agreed voluntarily not to purchase imported goods from Great Britain to show disapproval of the tax. • Widespread success

  27. Taxation without Representation • The Sons of Liberty • The Daughters of Liberty • Took law into their own hands and violently enforced the non-importation agreement. • Mobs destroyed homes of unpopular officials • TAX COLLECTION BROKE DOWN

  28. Stamp Act Mobs • Mobs forced tax collectors to resign from their posts. • There were no agents left on the day the Stamp Act went into effect. • Law was openly defied!

  29. England Hit Hard • Colonies bought ¼ of British exports • ½ British shipping devoted to colonial trade • Non-importation hurt British economy • Many laborers lost jobs in England

  30. Repeal of Stamp Act • The British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766 • BUT passed the Declaratory Act of 1766 – declared its “absolute” sovereignty over its North American colonies.

  31. Charles Townshend • “Champagne” Charley • British Prime Minister • Could give great orations in Parliament while completely drunk!

  32. Townshend Acts of 1767 • Light taxes on glass, white lead, paper, paint, and tea. • These were indirect customs taxes at the ports, unlike the Stamp Tax. • However, colonists did not overlook the tax, and they were rebellious after the Stamp Act victory

  33. Colonists & Teas • 1,000,000 colonists drank tea twice a day • Townshend Acts – revenue went to pay royal governors and judges • Colonists were again angered

  34. London • Parliament shut down the New York colonial legislature for failure to follow the Quartering Act • Colonists found that smuggled tea was cheaper • Smuggling was high in Massachusetts • John Hancock

  35. Boston • Because of rebellious actions of colonies, Britain sent 2 regiments of troops to Boston to face the breakdown of law and order - 1768

  36. Boston Massacre • March 5, 1770 • 60 Bostonians attacked 10 British soldiers with clubs • Troops opened fire and killed 11 “innocent” citizens • 1st to die – Crispus Attucks – “mullato” African American leader of the mob

  37. King George III • In 1770, King George III was 32 years old • Good man in private morals • Bad ruler • Stubborn and lustful for power

  38. Townshend Acts Fail • The Townshend Acts failed to generate any sort of revenue • However, they did produce near rebellion from the colonists • Lord North – King’s “yes man” repealed the Townshend Acts but kept a 3 pence tax on tea…angered colonists

  39. Samuel Adams • From Boston • Cousin of John Adams • His hands trembled • Lived and breathed politics • Zealous, courageous, tenacious, faith in common people

  40. Adams cont… • Samuel Adams organized local committees of correspondence to spread resistance to British laws • Virginia followed Adams’ idea in 1773 • Soon, every colony had a central exchange system

  41. Tea • By 1773, colonists were paying the tax on tea • Legal tea was cheaper than smuggled tea • Even cheaper than tea in England

  42. Problems with Tea • The government in London awarded the British East India Company a monopoly on American colonial tea trade – 1773 • This principle of monopoly outraged the colonists • Colonists protested and forced all ships with BEIC tea to return to England with a full cargo (Philadelphia and New York City)

  43. Gov. Thomas Hutchinson • Governor of Mass. • Hated by colonists • Ordered tea ships not to clear Boston Harbor until tea was unloaded • Colonists refused the ship to unload its cargo

  44. Boston Tea Party • Band of Bostonians load the ship dressed as Indians • They smash 342 chests of tea and dumped it into Boston Harbor • Hutchinson left MA for England

  45. Intolerable Acts • Parliament passed a series of acts to punish Boston and Massachusetts for the acts of the Boston Tea Party and other defiant actions of the colonists. • Many colonial charter rights were taken away from MA – restrictions on town meetings

  46. Boston Port Act of 1774 • Closed Boston Harbor until damages were paid and order was restored.

  47. Quebec Act of 1774 • Boundaries of Quebec were extended South to the Ohio River – trans-Allegheny area was snatched away from the colonists.

  48. Continental Congress of 1774 • A congress was called to meet in Philadelphia from Sept. 5 – Oct. 26, 1774 • Met to consider ways to address their concerns to the King • 12/13 colonies – 55 delegates (GA) • Sam Adams, John Adams, George Washington, Patrick Henry

  49. Continental Congress of 1774 • This was more of a convention than a Congress that makes laws. • Congress created The Association – called for a complete boycott of British goods; non-importation, non-exportation, and non-consumption • DELGATES DID NOT CALL FOR INDEPENDENCE !!!!! • Congress would meet again May 1775

  50. April 1775 • British troops were sent to Lexington and Concord to seize stores of gunpowder • They were to capture Sam Adams and John Hancock • 8 Americans killed @ Lexington • Redcoats were forced to retreat from Concord • 300 dead British soldiers

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