Rights to RevolutionWhat would you do?

Picture Credit

Know Your Rights!• The Magna Carta (1215) guaranteed:

– King cannot take land and/or money from a citizen without Parliament’s permission (no taxes, seizures of property)

– Entitled to a fair trial “by the lawful judgment of his peers, under the law of the land.”

– King must rule according to the law of the land—no arbitrary power

• Habeas corpus— “To have the body”– Authorities cannot throw a person in jail without

informing them of the charges• Right not to incriminate yourself

Picture Credit

Rights, Continued• Petition of Right (1628)

– No taxes “without common consent by act of parliament”

– Citizens should not be required to house soldiers (but can happen in times of martial law)

• English Bill of Rights (1689)– Subjects have the right to petition the king without

punishment– Elections of Parliament members must be free– Freedom of speech in Parliament must be protected– No excessive bail or cruel/unusual punishment allowed– No standing army in peace time

Britain’s Problems

• French and Indian War—expensive ($2 million)

• Colonists "paid no more than sixpence a year against the average English taxpayer's twenty-five shillings“ (Davis)

• Need to get colonies to pay for their fair share of the war effort

Solutions?• 1. Sugar Act (1763)

– Actually lowered the tax – Problem was colonists hadn’t been paying the tax

before because they were buying smuggled goods• Colonists’ reaction: boycott sugar products• 2. Colonists given chance to tax themselves• Reaction: Collected no taxes because they thought

England would tell them they had not collected enough money

Let’s try this:• 3. Stamp Act (1765)

– Tax on any paper product– To prove tax paid, put stamp on goods

• Colonists’ Reaction:– Some colonists tarred

and feathered tax collectors

– Refuseto pay

Picture Credit

Stamp Act "Funeral"-->

OK, How About This?

• Patrick Henry decries “taxation without representation” and speaks against the King- House of Burgesses dissolved by governor- The members keep meeting in secret

• 4. Quartering Act (1765)- Provide empty buildings for housing, some food

• Reaction: Refuse to house in Boston when soldiers arrived in 1768—many soldiers set up tents on Boston Common

Post Stamp Act Congress• Stamp Act Congress Adopted Proposals 1,2,3,4, and 6

– This was a petition to the King, who they still viewed as their king

• Stamp Act (1766)– Stamp Act Repealed– Boycotts worked!!!!

• Declaratory Acts (1766)– Asserted that Parliament has authority/ right to raise

taxes • For a time, it seems that things are going to be

ok…..

And Then…• Townshend Acts (1767)

- Tax on lead, glass, paper, paint, tea- Taxes were low, but opened debate again whether Parliament had the right

to tax the colonies- Writs of Assistance- can search cargo without cause

• Reaction: Boycott on all British goods- Protests Grow• New York- dismiss assembly• Result: Repealed in 1770, except for tea tax• Boston Massacre (1770)

- One of soldiers looking for extra work- Taunted by crowd, told to find work cleaning toilets- Crowd grows, other British soldiers come to help- Crowd throws snowballs, stones etc.- Confusion: someone yells “Fire”- Soldiers fire into crowd—leaves 5 dead, 7 wounded

Reaction to “Massacre”• Samuel Adams calls it the Boston Massacre

- Paul Revere engraving is good propaganda- Soldiers appear evil, colonists innocent- Stirs up anger among the colonists

Other Reactions to “Massacre”

• John Adams defends soldiers• claimed it was defense against an angry mob• 6 not guilty• 2 charged with manslaughter (not murder)—

punishment: branded thumbs• Samuel Adams begins “committees

of correspondence” (1772)– Colonial leaders write to each other to discuss problems– Helps bring a sense of unity to colonies

Picture Credit

Britain Tries to Regain Control

• Tea tax lowered, but not repealed (1773)– Colonists paying less for tea than Englishmen or ever before– Point of this was to help establish a monopoly for the East India

Company (Parliament could then tax the company to get money from the colonists)

– Though tea was cheaper, colonists still didn’t believe Parliament had right to tax…no matter how beneficial it was to them

– Boycotted Tea- over 15 million pounds sat in warehouses

• Reaction: Boston Tea Party– Samuel Adams’ group, the “Sons of Liberty,” are the leaders of

the party– Dress as Mohawk Indians, board ships, and toss 342 chests of tea

into harbor

It’s a Tea Party

Picture Credit

Britain’s Mad Now• Result: Intolerable Acts (1774)

– Boston Harbor closed (killed Boston economy)– New rules for court and juries– Gave the royal governor of Massachussetts supreme power (no more

legislatures, no more meetings)– Quartering act revised—now have to keep soldiers in private homes

• Quebec Act– Canada under French Civil Law- Catholic Church and expanded

territory

• Reaction: Other colonies send aid to Boston – Colonies begin working together– See other colonies as friends, Britain as bad guy

First Continental Congress (1774)• Congress Video• Committees of Correspondence members meet

in Philadelphia to discuss the current situation• Advises colonists to: 1. create and arm militias

2. boycott British goods• Make list of colonial rights: Declaration of

Rights In Congress - 1774• Makes polite petition to king to fix problems

(he ignores it)• Agree to meet again if situation does not

improve

Patrick Henry (1775) “Our chains are forged, their clanking may be

heard on the plains of Boston. The war is actually begun. The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms. Our brethren are already in the field. Why stand we here idle?… Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”