What were the Causes of Dissatisfaction in the ColoniesPages 162-169

Growing Resentment Over Land• American colonists resentful towards the British

Royal Proclamation of 1763- The proclamation was created to keep

Americans from settling in the Ohio River Valley region

Yet……- Land Speculators wanted to own and sell the

fertile land- Americans thought the British were more willing

to give lands to First Nations rather than colonists

Paying the Dept• The British

government wanted the Americans to pay for the dept occurred during the 7 Years War

• British politicians blamed the American colonists for causing trouble with the French and First Nations

Rich Rule the World•Europe was still

ruled by the rich- Less than 5% of people

could vote- Ordinary people have no

political power

The British needed money and wanted the colonies to provide

1764 Sugar Act• British government

passed the Sugar Act which changed taxation on sugar and its by-products such as molasses

• The price of sugar and rum increased

• Colonists protested by refusing to buy products with sugar

1765 Stamp Act• Took the form of a

stamp that had to be purchased and stuck on items bought and sold

• Stamps had to be bought for documents ex. License

• Affected everyone- made everything more expensive

“No Taxation Without Representation”• American enraged at

all of the taxes• American colonists

had no representatives in British parliament

- Felt like they were being taxed without their consent

Try to Make Me!• Officials sent out to

enforce the Stamp Act were attacked

- Public outraged!!!- Mobs destroyed houses of

government officials- Tarred and feathered

collectors

Act was repealed in 1766 as most were afraid to enforce it

Townshend Acts of 1767• Imposed duties on glass,

lead, paints, paper and tea imported into the colonies.

- Americans viewed the taxation as an abuse of power

• Britain still needed money and it wanted to prove that it was in control and could tax the colonies as it saw fit

Townshend Acts Repealed• In 1770, Parliament

repealed all the Townshend duties except the tax on tea

• Tax on tea kept to support the British East India Company who controlled the supply of tea

Liberty•The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views.

•James Madison wrote the first drafts of the U.S. Constitution and 4th president of the US

Resistance Growing• British troops were

stationed throughout the colonies

- To combat growth of open resistance

• Local families were forced to put soldiers up in their houses

- Called quartering

Boston Massacre of 1770• A street fight that

occurred on March 5, 1770, between "patriot" protesters, throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks, and a squad of British soldiers.

• The soldiers fired into the mob, killing 3 on the spot and wounding 8 others

- two of the British soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter.

Boston Massacre Impact• It led directly to the Royal Governor

evacuating the occupying army from the town of Boston.

•It would soon bring the revolution to armed rebellion throughout the colonies.

•It became an anti-British propaganda tool for the patriot colonists

Sons of Liberty• Organized groups of

American Patriots who challenged the British government at every opportunity

• By the end 1765 the Sons of Liberty existed in every colony.

Sons of Liberty• Dedicated to resisting

British taxes and trade restrictions

• Willing to resort to violence

• Their most popular objective was to force Stamp Distributors throughout the colonies to resign.

• First act of defiance was the burning of the British ship Gaspee in 1772

- Ship used to enforce trade restrictions

Boston Tea Party- Story Time• On the night of

December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in the Boston harbor

• Dressed as Mohawks• Threw 342 chests of

tea overboard. • This resulted in the

Intolerable Acts of 1774 and pushed the two sides closer to war.

Boston Tea Party• A political protest by the

Sons of Liberty in Boston, on December 16, 1773.

• Purpose was to protest against the Tea Act that still protected the British East India Company

(patriots also upset at Boston merchants because they refused to boycott or reject shipments of tea coming into the harbour)

Boston Tea Party Significance• This was a powerful

message• Colonists were tired

of unfair taxation and would give up something they loved in order to standup to the government

• Showed the British how far American colonists were willing to go to speak out for their freedom.

Intolerable Acts 1774The Coercive Acts were a

series of four acts established by the British government. The aim of the legislation was to punish Bostonians for their Tea Party and assert British dominance

• American colonists believed that the acts violated their natural and constitutional rights and freedoms

First Continental Congress September 1774 • all colonies except

Georgia sent delegates to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia

• met in reaction to the Intolerable Acts

- Leaders demanded a boycott of British goods and began cutting economic ties with Britain

• From 1774 to 1789, the Continental Congress served as the government for the colonies

Preparing for Conflict• The British react to

the Continental Congress by reading thousands of British troops in Boston

• In turn, patriotic colonists began to train and collect weapons and ammunition

Don’t Bite the Hand that Feeds You• American colony

leaders found it difficult to organize opposition to the British

- Most people had closer ties to Britain than the colonies

- Many dependent on trade with Britain

- Many owned property back in the home country

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