Causes of the revolution

1. Causes of the revolution Goals: Understand the colonist’s political heritage Understand the reasons colonists protested

2. Colonists’ Political heritage • 3 Branches of Government • Bicameral (2 house) legislature • Wealthy men should be in control of the government

3. Comparing British and Colonial governments

4. New taxes upset colonists • French and Indian War racked up huge amounts of debt for Great Britain • Parliament needed to raise money, both to pay off the debts and to protect the new territories • People in Britain paid far more taxes than did the colonists, which seemed unfair • Parliament decided the colonists should help foot the bill for their own protection

5. The sugar, Quartering, and Stamp acts • Smuggling and bribing was a huge part of trade in the colonies • Great Britain began asserting duties and taxes already in use • The Sugar Act lowered the price of molasses, but assigned more agents to actually collect taxes • Quartering Act required colonists to provide housing for British troops • Stamp Act required colonists to pay a tax on all printed materials

6. Taxation without representation • Colonists hated the Stamp Act • Colonial leaders questioned Parliament’s right to tax the colonies directly • If they had no representation in Parliament, they shouldn’t be taxed by Parliament • Many believed accepting this tax was a slippery slope • Many in Britain were confused because cities in England didn’t have representation, yet still paid taxes • Parliament felt their arguments were selfish

7. Colonial Protests Intensify • Leaders felt everyone was granted the natural rights of life, liberty, and property as stated by political philosopher John Locke • Locke insisted the government exists for the good of the people • Any government that refused to protect the natural rights of their citizens should be protested • Patrick Henry argued the colonies had the right to tax themselves

8. Patriots and boycotts • Sons of Liberty (led by Samuel Adams) led protests which often ended in angry mobs • In August 1765, a Sons of Liberty mob tore down and damaged the house of a stamp tax collector • Through intimidation, mobs got all tax collectors to resign their posts • Many felt a boycott of British goods would be a better protest • Women began making fabrics in the home instead of British manufactured fabrics • Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, but continued to pass tax legislation on the colonies

9. questions • How did colonial governments differ from the British government? • Why did the British impose new taxes on the colonies • What three tactics did colonists use to protest British taxes? • Why did Parliament not understand the colonists’ argument “no taxation without representation”?

10. The call for revolution! • Based on the text in the book, you’re going to create a poster calling for independence! • This poster needs: • A Heading • Reasons why independence is necessary • A picture • Color