CHAPTER 7: THE ROAD TO REVOLUTION 1763-1775AP US

Unit 3: The Revolutionary Era

Recap on Mercantilist Theory1. There is a limited and fixed amount of

wealth2. A nation could only increase its wealth

by taking it from another3. Trade and war were ways to take

wealth. Trade became equal to war

Therefore Countries Should:

regulate your nation’s trade (like you would regulate armies during a war)

defend yourself economically by erecting tariff barriers

arm yourself by targeting the economic weaknesses of other nations

coordinate all economic policy from the center and linking it, when necessary, to military policy

This saw itself take effect by: Colonies had to buy the goods of the mother

country Shutting down colonial manufacturing that might

compete with the manufacturing of mother countries

Colonies could use only the mother country’s ships for their exports

When all else fails, resort to war and make the colonies join in

Early Mercantilism in England 1690 - Central Bank 1651 - First of the Navigation Acts -

colonial goods had to be shipped in English ships

Waffled between mercantilism and salutary neglect

The Closed Loop (Recap)

Mercantilism is an economic system where the health and power of the mother country is measured by the quantity of hard currency in their treasury

Colonies were the perfect opportunity Colonies provided raw materials and markets

for goods Mother country profited off of markets and had

a constant supply of raw materials (such as naval stores for England’s ever increasing Navy)

Benefits of Mercantilism to the Colonies

Safe Probably would have dealt with England

anyway Exporters did well Monopoly on the tobacco trade with

England Smuggling wasn’t that hard Salutary Neglect Helped American industry – iron and

ships

Problems with Mercantilism for the Colonies

Trapped in system No opportunity to grow on their own (no

capitalism) Often taken by British traders Even though tobacco prices were on the

decline in England, they couldn’t trade elsewhere

Many Virginian tobacco farmers went into debt

Limited currency caused mostly bartering in the colonies

Writs of Assistance (allowed customs officials to search your stuff)

America in 1750

America in 1763

Effects of the French and Indian War England was in debt Did not ask colonists to help with war

debt Instead – asked colonists to pay 1/3 of

the cost of maintaining British troops in America

All planned by George Grenville

EARLY ACTS OF TAXATION BY GRENVILLE

Sugar Act of 1764

Tax on imported sugar First law for raising tax revenue for the

crown in the colonies Eventually reduced

Quartering Act of 1765

Required certain colonies to provide food and quarters (housing) for the troops

The Stamp Act of 1765

To raise money to support the army

All paper for contracts had to have a stamp

On over 50 items including playing cards, newspapers, marriage licenses…

Colonists Rebel Against Stamp Taxes Refused to comply with the Quartering

Act Made worse because offenders were

tried in admiralty courts No taxation without representation

Stamp Act Congress of 1765

Leaders from 9 colonies joined to voice problems against the Stamp Act and the King

Began unity against England in the colonies

No one really cared at the time, but it helped later

Non-importation Agreements

American men and women chose not to buy British goods

If you were found violating the non-importation agreements, you were tarred and feathered! As were British officials

The Sons of Liberty were one of the major enforcers of the Non-importation Agreements

The Declaratory Act

1765 – All the stamp act agents were forced to resign and the Stamp Act couldn’t begin Nullification

England suffered from protests at home 1766 repeal of the Stamp Act, but

passage of the Declaratory Act Parliament had the right to bind colonists in

all cases whatsoever – yeah…

OUT WITH GRENVILLE, IN WITH TOWNSHEND

Townshend Acts

Charles Townshend became the new Prime Minister

Promised to whip the colonists into shape

Installed new taxes that would be applied at the ports when items were imported This difference did not matter to the

colonists Revenue from taxes would pay salaries

of royal governors and judges

Townshend Acts - 1767

Glass Tea Paint White lead Paper

• Revived Non-Importation Agreements

• Got smuggled tea cheaply

• Angry Colonists – John Dickinson Letters from a Farmer in PA

• Prompted Massachusetts Circular Letter

Taxes On: Colonists’ Reactions:

Massachusetts Circular Letter Massachusetts called for other colonies to

pass petitions calling for Parliament to repeal the acts

Troops were sent to Boston and threatened to dissolve the Mass legislature Other colonies that voted for the circular letter

would also have their legislatures dissolved MA, MD, VA, DE, SC

Non-importation led to British exports to America dropping by 40% in a few months

Boston "Massacre"

Arrival of troops in Boston upset Americans

British soldiers fired on the crowd March 5, 1770 (were provoked)

Crispus Attucks – first to die

Sons of Liberty spread word of the “massacre”

Townshend Acts Repealed Repealed in 1770 by Lord North and

Parliament Tea tax remained to demonstrate

Parliament’s right to tax Taxed tea was cheaper than smuggled tea

Half the troops in Boston removed Relations improved until 1773

Gaspee Incident -1771

British warship Gaspee ran aground near Rhode Island pursuing smugglers Was renowned for bullying smaller

ships and stealing cattle and fruit trees

Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians and, after removing the crew from the ship, set it on fire

Committee was created to punish the group, but they were never found

Committees of Correspondence 1772-1773

Organized by Sam Adams To spread propaganda and information

by exchanging letters Kept opposition to British alive Became intercolonial

Evolved directly into the first American congresses

The Tea Act Crisis

The British East India Company was given a monopoly on the American tea trade Corporate bailout by British

government Tea would be even cheaper

Americans were very upset Saw this as an attempt to trick

colonies into accepting the tax through cheaper tea

Boston Tea Party - Dec 16, 1773 Sons of

Liberty Dressed as

Indians Boarded 3

ships Smashed

342 chests of tea and dumped it into the harbor

"Intolerable Acts" (Coercive Acts) - 1774

The Coercive Acts were designed to punish Boston: Boston Port Act - harbor remained closed

until the damages were paid Massachusetts charter revoked Colonial Justice shut down since enforcing

officials who killed colonists would now be tried in England

Quartering Act - troops would be quartered in Boston

Quebec Act - 1774

Coincided with the Intolerable Acts (as in coincidence) Not intended to punish the colonies

French in Canada were guaranteed the right to practice Catholicism

Quebec territory extended into the Ohio River Valley French kept old customs - no representative

assembly or trial by jury Colonial Reactions:

Viewed it as an attempt to create a new French Canadian and Indian threat in the Ohio River Valley

Anti Catholic sentiment rose - seen as an attack on Protestantism

The First Continental Congress, September 5 - October 26, 1774 

Committees of Correspondence urged the colonies to act quickly Bostonians agreed to end all trade with

England All colonies present except for Georgia Delegates included Sam Adams, John

Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry

Continental Congress #1 - The Suffolk Reserves

1st step of the Continental Congress was to endorse several resolutions known as the Suffolk Reserves: Denounced Intolerable Acts Urged colonies to organize a militia for

defensive purposes Called on colonies to suspend all trade with

England Urged citizens not to pay taxes

Continental Congress #1 - Rejection of the Galloway Plan

Joseph Galloway called for a colonial union that would have to approve all parliamentary laws affecting the colonies

Like Franklin’s Albany Plan Most members of the Continental

Congress were too conservative to endorse such a radical view

Continental Congress #1 - Declaration and Resolves

Main purpose of the Convention Petition for redress of grievances Gave colonists the legal right to assemble to seek

redress Created a bill of rights (would show up again

later…) The Association - called for a complete boycott

of British goods: nonimportation, nonexportation, nonconsumption

Congress still restated allegiance to the King If grievances were not redressed - would meet

again in May 1775 King and Parliament did not respond to the Declarations

and Resolves

Lexington and Concord, 1775  

General Gage of Mass was ordered to arrest the leaders of the rebellion and prepare for military action

Sought to prevent bloodshed by disarming the local militia

April 1775, 700 British redcoats were secretly sent to Lexington and Concord to seize gunpowder and arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock

Lexington and Concord, 1775  

Paul Revere and William Dawes warned the militia (the minutemen)

Battle began when the Minutemen refused to disperse on the Lexington green and shots were fired

8 Americans killed, 10 wounded, who fired the first shot?

Lexington and Concord, 1775  

Redcoats (British) continued on to Concord 6 miles away

British were forced to retreat by American reinforcements Militia picked off British soldiers

as they retreated to Boston By the end of the day there

were 273 British casualties and 95 American casualties

Minutemen camped outside the city and lay siege to Boston

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES FOR THE UPCOMING REVOLUTION

British Strengths

7.5 mill population vs. 2.5 mill colonists More money and the best navy in the

world 20,000 slaves in Carolinas and GA joined

the British (only 5K for the colonists) Many Indians also sided with Britain and

attacked the colonists on the frontier Britain possessed a 50,000 man

professional army King George hired an additional 30,000 German

Hessians Had about 50,000 loyalists in the colonies

British Weaknesses

Enormous distance for supply line America was too large for an army to

effectively occupy + population was still dispersed

British generals in America were poor leaders

Americans only had to tie - British had to win

France hated England King George and Lord North were terrible

American Strengths

Outstanding leadership Economic aid from France at the

beginning + later military aid Defensive military tactics Agriculturally self-sustaining Colonials were better shots than the

redcoats Moral advantage from a belief in a just

cause

American Weaknesses

Badly organized Jealousy among the colonies Economic difficulties Military challenges Morale in the Revolutionary Army was

undermined by greedy American profiteers Only a select minority of Americans were

truly committed to the cause Lack of Supplies

How did America win?

Regulars were whipped into shape by Prussian Baron von Steuben

5000 African Americans enlisted to help America Largest contingents came from northern

states with free blacks The strength of the few outweighed the

weakness of the many The British people got tired of the war