They forbid them to settle past the Appalachian Mountains in fear that they would upset the Native Americans. They also started taxing the colonists without representation, even though they were promised that they wouldn't have to pay anything.
Proclamation of 1763: The British Government prohibited the colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains. It allowed the British government to control westward movement to avoid conflict with Native Americans. It insured a market for British goods and kept Britain in charge of fur trade.
Revenue: incoming money needed by Britain to pay troop expenses from the French and Indian War.
George Grenville: The current prime minister of Britain in 1763. He decided to act against smuggling, (the colonists were doing in order to avoid paying taxes) which was causing Britain to lose revenue. He knew that smugglers were often found innocent in American courts, and passed a law that allowed smugglers to be sent to vice-admiralty courts, which were run by officers and had no jury.
Writs of Assistance: legal documents that allowed officers to search homes and shops for smuggled goods.
The Sugar Act: A law passed by Parliament in 1763 that lowered the tax on imported molasses. George Grenville hoped that by doing so, it would encourage the colonists to pay the taxes instead of smuggle. The Sugar 'Act also allowed British officers to seize goods from the smugglers without going to court.
James Otis: He was a lawyer in Boston who argued that no colony should be taxed without their consent, and that everyone has a right to be represented.
The Stamp Act: In 1765, Parliament passed this law which put a tax on almost all printed material, including newspapers, wills, and playing cards. All printed material had to have a stamp, which was put on after the colonists paid the tax. This act angered the colonists in two main ways. First, Britain was interfering with colonial affairs by taxing them directly, and they were being taxed without their consent.
Patrick Henry: He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses who persuaded the burgesses to take action against the Stamp Act.
Resolution: The Virginia passed a resolution, which is a formal expression of opinion, in this case, declaring that it had "the only and sole exclusive right and power to lay taxes" on its citizens.
Samuel Adams: Helped start an organization in Boston called the Sons of Liberty to protest against The Stamp Act. People in other cities also organized Sons of Liberty groups to join in protest.
Sons of Liberty: An organization started by Samuel Adams and other men in Boston. They would lead protests against The Stamp Act and other people who were for it. During this time, many organizations such as this one were created.
Effigies: These were rag figures burned by protesters, especially in the Sons of Liberty. They represented the royal tax collectors that were hated by many of the residents of the colonies. Protesters also, out of spite, destroyed the houses of the royal officials.
Petition: A petition is a strong-worded statement made by a group of people wanting to make a change. The statement is then signed by all who are not afraid to let the higher power know that they want change. In 1765, representatives from nine different colonies came together, created, and signed a petition to the king and Parliament stating that the colonies could not be taxed except by their own assemblies.
Boycott: To refuse to buy goods. The colonists encouraged merchants to boycott British and European goods in protest of all of the taxing.
Non-Importation: These were agreements that many merchants were encouraged to sign. They were pledges that promised that the merchants would not buy or use British imported goods. As more and more people boycotted the goods, British merchants begged Parliament to repeal, or cancel The Stamp Act in 1766.
Declaratory Act: On the same day in 1766 The Stamp Act was repealed, the Declaratory Act was passed. It stated that Parliament had the right to tax and make decisions for the British colonies "in all cases."
Townshend Acts: In 1767, Parliament passed these set of laws. British leaders knew that by now, the colonist would resist any type of taxes given inside of the colonies. The taxes that went along with the Townshend Acts were to be put only on imported goods such as glass, tea, and paper, and paid only at their time of entry in port. But at this point, the colonists were in fact angered by the taxes and organized yet some more boycotts in protest. Women were encouraged to make their own clothes and produce their own goods as a way to protest.
The colonists did not enjoy or respect the British policies one bit. They felt that they should have their own rights, and that only representatives from their own assemblies could tax them. Because of all the taxes that Britain refused to take away, the colonist often boycotted, or refused to buy the British goods.
Boston Massacre: On March 5, 1770, the colonists in Boston and the British officers got into a fight. The colonists were mad that Britain sent officers to make the colonists pay their taxes. They were mocking the officers and throwing things at them. Someone even dared an officer to shoot them. Eventually, shooting broke out, and in the end, five colonists were killed. The colonists were furious, especially because many people put exaggerated stories and graphics in the newspapers. It is not quite clear who was at fault, but there was much blame towards the British officers.
Crispus Attucks: A dockworker who was part African, part Native American. He was the first casualty of the Boston Massacre. He and a group of colonists were throwing snowballs and anything else they could find at the British officers. Some were armed with clubs. Crispus Attucks was believed to strike an officer with a club, shortly before the shooting started.
Propaganda: Information made to influence public opinion. Colonial leaders such as Samuel Adams and Paul Revere made posters and engravings that showed the British slaughtering an innocent crowd. They were trying to show that the British officers were to blame for their tragedy. After the Boston Massacre, the boycotts grew stronger until Parliament canceled the tax on everything but tea. The colonists began to buy from the British, everything but tea. Trade with Britain continued.
Committees of Correspondence: Even though most of the taxes were removed, some colonial leaders believed that more actions should be taken to resist the British rule. In 1772, Samuel Adams revived the Committees of Correspondence, which were originally organized for earlier protests. Soon, all throughout the colonies, there were committees that were protesting against British rule.
Tea Act: In 1773, the British East India Company faced ruin. To save the company, Parliament passed the Tea Act. This law gave this company total control over the tea trade in America. This let the company ship the tea directly to shopkeepers, without needing to be distributed by the merchants who ordinarily handled them first. The merchants then organized a new boycott for the tea. The Daughters of Liberty created a pamphlet that stated they would rather have freedom over their tea.
The Boston Tea Party: Even though the colonists promised trouble for bypassing the merchants, the company went through with the direct transport of the tea. The colonists turned several ships back from New York and Philadelphia without being unloaded. The royal governor then demanded them to unload the ships. The Sons of Liberty acted quickly and on December 16, at midnight, a large group of men disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the ship and dumped 342 tea chests overboard.
George III: The present king of Britain. At this time he is trying to regain control over the colonists, who are beginning to rebel against Britain.
The Intolerable Acts: After the Boston Tea Party, the king of Britain thought they were losing the colonies, as they were rebelling more and more each day. He issued the Coercive Acts, which were harsh laws meant to punish the people of Massachusetts for their rebellion to the British rule. These acts closed the Boston harbor until the debt for the ruined tea was paid. They banned most town meetings in New England. The Coercive Acts also brought the Quebec Act, which gave some of the colonist-claimed land to Quebec. These acts angered the colonists, and therefore earned the name Intolerable Acts.
Quartering Act: This act was part of the Coercive Acts, or Intolerable Acts. It forced the people of Boston to shelter, feed, and clothe the British soldiers, whether they wanted to or not. Parliament thought they would isolate Boston with this act, but people from other colonies sent food and clothes to support Boston. They felt their rights as British citizens were being violated, being forced to shelter soldiers in private homes, and having a standing army during peacetime.
A British General was ordered to take all of the weapons at Concord, and arrest the militia leaders.
Continental Congress: In September 1774, 55 delegates from all of the colonies except Georgia came to Philadelphia to establish a political body that would represent American interests, and challenge British control. The organization was called the Continental Congress.
Minutemen: The colonists feared that war would soon break out between them and Britain. They figured that it would start in New England. Militia companies made weapons and bullets, and held many training sessions to ready people for battle. Some companies bragged that they would be ready at a minutes notice. They earned the name Minutemen.
The Gloves are off: Britain prepared for conflict with the colonies, and King George III gave orders to British general, Thomas Gage, to take away the weapons from the Massachusetts militia, and arrest the leaders. He learned that most of the weapons and ammunition was stored in Concord. He sent 700 troops to find and destroy all of the weapons and ammunition.
Paul Revere: On April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren was walking the streets of Boston, looking for any unusual activity from the British army. He saw a group of British soldiers starting to march out of the city from Boston Common. Warren rushed to tell William Dawes and Paul Revere, members of the Sons of Liberty. Dawes rode directly to Lexington, a town east of Concord to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were coming. Revere rode through the countryside warning the common people of the same.
Lexington and Concord: At dawn on April 19 1775, the redcoats approached Lexington, but were discovered by 70 minutemen who had been alerted by Dawes and Revere. The British warned them to drop their weapons and give up. Eventually one shot was fired, and then more shooting broke out. When the shooting ceased and the British continued to Concord, eight minutemen lay dead. At Concord, the redcoats found that most of the weapons were moved, but they destroyed what they could find. On their way back to Boston, militia men that were hiding in trees and bushes began firing at the British. By the time the redcoats reached Boston at least 174 were wounded, and 73 dead. The first shot fired was known as the shot heard around the world, and the Revolution had begun.
Bunker Hill: On June 16, 1775, about 1,200 minutemen under the command of Colonel William Prescott set up fortifications at Bunker Hill. The British planned to drive the minutemen away from their strategic places that overlooked the city. Prescott told them not to fire until they saw the whites of their eyes, for their ammunition was on short supply. The militia ended up firing at the British three times, but had to surrender due to lack of gunpowder. The British won, but lost at least 1,000 men to severe injuries and death. This battle showed that the war would not be either quick, nor easy.
Loyalists: American colonists who remained loyal to Britain and opposed the war for independence.
Patriots: American colonists who favored independence.
They felt that Britain was not allowing the colonists to be represented, or let them have the rights and freedom they thought they deserved. They wanted to form a different type of government.
Second Continental Congress: On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met for the first time. Most of the delegates were from the original Continental Congress, but several new delegates were added as well. However, many of the delegates were not prepared to break away from Britain. It would not be a whole year before John Adams would ask Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence.
John Hancock: He was a wealthy merchant from Massachusetts, and funded many Patriot groups, including the Sons of Liberty. The delegates chose him as the president of the Second Continental Congress.
Continental Army: It was created by the Second Continental Congress so the colonies could fight against the British in a more organized way than the colonial militias could. As John Adams recommended, the congress unanimously voted George Washington to be the army's commander.
Olive Branch Petition: After Washington left to take charge of forces in Boston, the delegates offered Britain one last chance to avoid war.The colonists sent George III the Olive Branch Petition, which assured the colonists' desire of peace, and asked him to protect the rights of the colonists. The king refused to receive the Olive Branch Petition, and instead prepared for war. He hired more than 30,000 German troops to fight beside the British.
Thomas Paine: In January of 1776, he published a pamphlet called Common Sense. In bold language, Paine called for complete independence. Common Sense greatly influenced the opinion of the colonies.
Declaration of Independence: There was a lot of debate if a formal declaration of independence should be written, but eventually, the congress but together a committee to discuss such matters, and Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write it. Jefferson used some ideas from English philosopher, John Locke, who stated that people were born with certain rights to life, liberty, and property, that people formed governments to protect those rights, and that if a government interfered with these rights, it should be rightfully be overthrown. On July 2, 1776, these rights passed a vote by congress, and on July 4, 1776, Jefferson's Declaration of Independence was approved with some changes
Signing of the Declaration: John Hancock was the first of 56 delegates to sign the Declaration of Independence, which announced the birth of the United States. He claimed to have signed it so large that the king could read it, even without his glasses. Copies of the declaration were sent to the colonies, and when read to the people, many excited people held celebrations.
Preamble: The Declaration of Independence has four major sections, one being the preamble, or introduction, which states that people who wish to form a new country should explain their reasons for doing so. The next sections listed the rights the colonists believed they should have and their complaints against Britain. The final section proclaims the existence of the new nation.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
-Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence
"That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States... and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."
-Richard Henry Lee, resolution for independence
"No parts of [England's colonies]... can be taxed without their consent... every part has a right to be represented."
-James Otis, The Rights of the British Colonies
"The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders, are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American."
-Patrick Henry, at the Continental Congress
"Every thing that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'tis time to part.' "
-Thomas Paine, Common Sense
Cause: Britain passes laws that force the colonists to pay many taxes.
Effect: The colonist start to rebel, and organize boycotts for the taxed goods.
Cause: After the Boston Massacre, the rebels needed support from colonists that hadn't decided whether to rebel or remain loyal to the crown.
Effect: Several rebels draw pictures and made engravings depicting a "Bloody Massacre." The stretched the truth about what happened to try to get more support.
Cause: George III and Parliament ignored the colonists' requests for less taxes, more freedom, and more independence.
Effect: By July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress had created The Declaration of Independence, and declared themselves no longer part of Britain, but the United States.
Presented By: Jennifer Moyer
How did colonists react to British policies?
Following the French and Indian war, how did the British upset the American colonists?
Chapter 5: The Spirit of Independence
5-1: Taxation Without Representation
5-2: Building Colonial Unity
Thanks for Watching!
What brought about the clash between the British soldiers and American Soldiers at Lexington and Concord?
Why did the American colonists choose to declare independence?
5-4: Moving Towards Independence
5-3: A Call to Arms