Events Leading to American Self Events Leading to American Self GovernmentGovernment

Submitted by Jennifer Ballew

1660: The Navigation Acts1660: The Navigation Acts

British Action:British Action:– Designed to keep Designed to keep

trade in England and trade in England and support support mercantilismmercantilism

– Colonists could only Colonists could only trade goods with trade goods with EnglandEngland

– All colonial ships must All colonial ships must stop in a British harbor stop in a British harbor before going to before going to another country another country

Colonial Response:Colonial Response:– Ignored them Ignored them

(profitable to trade with (profitable to trade with other countries)other countries)

– Salutary NeglectSalutary Neglect (relaxed enforcement (relaxed enforcement for continued loyalty)for continued loyalty)

The French and Indian WarThe French and Indian WarFrench empire collided w/ British empireFrench empire collided w/ British empire

Competing over the Ohio River ValleyCompeting over the Ohio River Valley

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris Proclamation Line of 1763Proclamation Line of 1763

• Britain claimed land Britain claimed land east of the Mississippi east of the Mississippi RiverRiver

• Proclamation Line: Proclamation Line: banned all settlement banned all settlement west of Appalachian west of Appalachian Mts. (to ease tensions Mts. (to ease tensions w/ N.A.)w/ N.A.)

• Increased Increased Independent SpiritIndependent Spirit

Writs of AssistanceWrits of Assistance

British Action:British Action:– Designed to crack Designed to crack

down on colonial down on colonial smugglingsmuggling

– Search warrants that Search warrants that allowed British officials allowed British officials to search any place, to search any place, seize anything at any seize anything at any timetime

Colonial Response:Colonial Response:– Outraged the Outraged the

merchants of Bostonmerchants of Boston

Britain’s New Policy for Colonial Britain’s New Policy for Colonial AmericaAmerica

New Policy had three basic objectives:New Policy had three basic objectives:– Place the colonies under strict British political Place the colonies under strict British political

and economic controland economic control– Make the colonies respect and obey British Make the colonies respect and obey British

lawslaws– Make the colonies pay their part in Make the colonies pay their part in

maintaining the British Empiremaintaining the British Empire

1764: Sugar Act1764: Sugar Act

British Action:British Action:– Cut the tax on Cut the tax on

molasses but raised it molasses but raised it on other goods such on other goods such as textiles, wine, as textiles, wine, coffee, indigo, and coffee, indigo, and sugarsugar

– Strengthened Vice-Strengthened Vice-Admiralty courtsAdmiralty courts

Cases decided by a Cases decided by a single judge, not a jurysingle judge, not a jury

Colonial Response:Colonial Response:– First time a tax had First time a tax had

been passed to raise been passed to raise revenue rather than revenue rather than regulate traderegulate trade

– Colonial merchants Colonial merchants protested the protested the increased dutiesincreased duties

1765: Quartering Act1765: Quartering Act

British Action:British Action:– Purpose to keep Purpose to keep

troops in the colonies troops in the colonies and reduce the costand reduce the cost

– Colonists had to keep Colonists had to keep troops in their homestroops in their homes

Colonial Response:Colonial Response:– Colonists did not get Colonists did not get

along with army and along with army and did not want them did not want them there permanentlythere permanently

1765: The Stamp Act1765: The Stamp ActBritish Action:British Action:– Taxed all documents, newspapers, Taxed all documents, newspapers,

and playing cards by forcing colonists and playing cards by forcing colonists to place a special stamp on the itemsto place a special stamp on the items

– Direct taxDirect tax

Colonial Reaction:Colonial Reaction:– Sons of LibertySons of Liberty– Harassed stamp Harassed stamp

distributorsdistributors– Boycotted (a collective Boycotted (a collective

refusal to use, buy or refusal to use, buy or deal with) English deal with) English goodsgoods

– Stamp Act Congress Stamp Act Congress issued a Declaration of issued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances Rights and Grievances (9 legislatures)(9 legislatures)

Stamp Act: British ResponseStamp Act: British Response

Parliament repealed the Stamp Act Parliament repealed the Stamp Act – Boycotts so successful not one stamp was Boycotts so successful not one stamp was

ever soldever sold

Declaratory Act – asserted Parliament’s Declaratory Act – asserted Parliament’s right to make laws that “bind the colonies right to make laws that “bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever”in all cases whatsoever”

1767: The Townshend Acts1767: The Townshend Acts

British Action:British Action:– Put tax on goods such Put tax on goods such

as paper, glass, paint, as paper, glass, paint, and teaand tea

– Revenue raised would Revenue raised would be to pay salaries of be to pay salaries of British officials in the British officials in the coloniescolonies

Colonial ReactionColonial Reaction– Organize new boycott Organize new boycott

of goodsof goods– Protest “No taxation Protest “No taxation

without representation”without representation”– Demonstrations and Demonstrations and

clashes between clashes between colonists and soldierscolonists and soldiers

– Women get involved in Women get involved in protestsprotests

Press ReleasePress Release

Write a press release as if you were a Write a press release as if you were a British official explaining why the new British official explaining why the new British policy of strict control and taxation British policy of strict control and taxation is necessary.is necessary.

March 3, 1770: The Boston March 3, 1770: The Boston MassacreMassacre

1772: Committees of 1772: Committees of Correspondence formedCorrespondence formed

Started by Samuel Started by Samuel AdamsAdams

Used to pass Used to pass information between information between the coloniesthe colonies

It was a secret It was a secret organizationorganization

1773: Tea Act1773: Tea Act

Parliament repealed Townshend Acts Parliament repealed Townshend Acts except for the tax on teaexcept for the tax on tea– In the first year the taxes raised 295 pounds, In the first year the taxes raised 295 pounds,

but the cost of sending British troops to but the cost of sending British troops to Boston was 170,000 poundsBoston was 170,000 pounds

Allowed the East India Tea Company to Allowed the East India Tea Company to sell tea without the tax to make it cheapersell tea without the tax to make it cheaper– Had been hurt badly by the boycottsHad been hurt badly by the boycotts

Dec. 16, 1773: Boston Tea Dec. 16, 1773: Boston Tea PartyParty

Spring 1774: The Intolerable ActsSpring 1774: The Intolerable Acts

Designed to punish the colonists for Tea Designed to punish the colonists for Tea PartyPartyClosed the port at BostonClosed the port at BostonBrought British soldiers to England for Brought British soldiers to England for trialstrialsNo town meetings allowed in No town meetings allowed in Massachusetts – Boston under military Massachusetts – Boston under military rulerule– Trying to isolate Massachusetts, but only Trying to isolate Massachusetts, but only

strengthened the colonies unitystrengthened the colonies unity

1774: First Continental 1774: First Continental CongressCongress

Met in Philadelphia Met in Philadelphia All colonies had representatives except All colonies had representatives except GeorgiaGeorgiaDivided on the issue of declaring Divided on the issue of declaring independenceindependenceSent Declaration of Rights and Grievances Sent Declaration of Rights and Grievances to King George IIIto King George III– Defended colonies’ right to run their own Defended colonies’ right to run their own

affairsaffairs– Supported the protests in MassachusettsSupported the protests in Massachusetts

April 19, 1775April 19, 1775

Shot heard round the world fired at the Shot heard round the world fired at the Battle of LexingtonBattle of Lexington

Start of the revolutionary warStart of the revolutionary war

Watch this short video about the “shot heard Watch this short video about the “shot heard round the world”:round the world”:

http://earlyamerica.com/shot_heard.htmhttp://earlyamerica.com/shot_heard.htm