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The Treaty of Paris signed on February 10th, 1763 ended the French and Indian War. This treaty agreed that France gave up all territories, in North America, as well as Canada, to Britain. This relieved many of the colonies now that France did not have power, but 10,000 British troops were kept in the colonies and continued to send more overtime but this only sent an overwhelming amount of British colonies into North America. Although Britain obtained many territories, from the 7 years' war they were suffering from much debt and many costs that still needed to be paid; they were nearly bankrupt.
After the Pontiacs Rebellion. which was a revolt of Native Americans, the British decided to produce a boundary marked in the Appalachian Mountains. This allowed strict control from England and allowed them to keep a close eye on the natives and not allow them to expand westward beyond Appalachia. Decreed on October 7, 1763, issued all of this, as well as prohibiting purchases from Indians to the east of the line and this was made sure by British military occupying the boundary. The colonists did not like this strict law and felt like they were under control so they rebelled against the law.
As England was still in debt and owed many costs from the war, Parliament enacted the Sugar Act on April 5, 1764, and this meant there was a tax on imported coffee, textiles, wine, or anything that contained a higher amount of refined sugar. In May, the British were not happy with the sugar act, not because they were being taxed but because it went against their natural rights. The popular saying. "No Taxation Without Representation" came from the sugar act since the British felt as if they should have representation in the Parliament since this was the country they lived in. The colonies suffered a shortage of currency for trade, so the Currency Act was passed on September 1, 1764, which required all taxes and debts to any British merchants to be paid in British currency so they
can rise from the debt war cost them.
Even with the people reacting to previous acts, Parliament passed the Stamp Act on March 22, 1765, which required the colonists to pay a tax on papers, playing cards, and documents, and this was shown by a stamp. The colonists were not happy with the Stamp Act, and they revolted and had many boycotts, riots, and attacks on tax collectors. This was Britain's first serious attempt to assert governmental authority over the colonies. The citizens were being taxed at such a high rate, it increased the chance for a revolt, and a revolt did come due to the citizens being upset
with the parliament.
On July 2, 1767, the Townshend Acts imposed on glass, paint, lead, paper, tea, and oil due to the hostilities created by the Stamp Act. This forced the importer to be paid but was well passed to consumers in retail price. This still angered colonists since Britain kept showing that they did not understand that they did not want to be taxed without being represented. Many also struggled with autonomy vs sovereignty. People wanted their independence from the crown, back when the sugar act was passed people were revolting, but the crown continued to pass acts. Many also had issues with paying Britain and Britain passing acts, but England was far away and was not a part of their land even though it was Englands' territory. This made much upset since it was a fight against their freedom
and the crown.
At the beginning of 1770, there were four thousand British soldiers in Boston, and tension was high. On March 5, 1770, a mob threw snowballs, sticks, stones, etc at the soldiers. The British troops were unwelcome in Boston, and when the riot broke out Captain Thomas Preston, a British officer called for extra soldiers and shot into the crowd. This caused 3 citizens to die on the scene, and 2 died later on, with 8 being wounded. The Royal Governor had British troops in Boston evacuate since the men were being found guilty of manslaughter.
The East Indian Company was close to bankruptcy, so to save themselves the tea act was passed on May 10, 1773. This was not intended to raise revenue or impose new taxes, but with the Townshend acts already being in place, many thought this was an act of maneuver. Many left the tea supplies to rot, sent the ships back to Britain, or did not unload the ships. This led to The Boston Tea Party on December 16th of 1773. Bostonians dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor due to their feelings of England taxing them nonstop, without any representation.
Due to the Boston Tea Party, parliament enacted the port act on march 21, 1774. The port act closed Boston harbor until the cost of the destroyed tea was paid for. This was the first of the three intolerable acts. In May, two more acts were passed that forbade public meetings in Massachusets unless allowed by the royal governor. Also, it transferred trials of British officers, that were being accused of a capital offense, all the way to England.
The first continental congress was held in Philadelphia from September 5, 1774, to October 27, 1774, in the response to the intolerable acts. All thirteen colonies were represented besides Georgia. In this congress, they composed a "declaration of rights and grievances". Also, nonimportation of English goods, channels of communication to be kept open, and established mechanisms to regulate the resistance of Britain.
The American Revolution began on April 19, 1775, at the battles of Lexington and Concord. General Gage, a British officer, had a secret plan to send out regiments of soldiers quartered in Boston to go to Lexington where they could capture colonial leaders, and then Concord where they could seize gunpowder. Spies figured out this plan, and let out the plan to warn Boston and the colonies. In Lexington, 240 British soliders arrived and found 70 minutemen awaiting them. A bullet buzzed through the morning air, known as "the shot heard round the world". British killed 7 American soldiers and went to Concord, which only caused more battles and more blood to be shed. 73 British troops were killed with 200 wounded or missing while the patriots were 49 dead with 46 wounded or missing. After this, both sides obtained
more recruits, and neither side knew what to expect.