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French and Indian War
Seven Years War in EuropeDetermined which imperial power would
control the region between the Appalachian Mtns and the Mississippi River
Laid the groundwork for the conflict between the British and colonists
Albany Conference
Included a delegation from the Iroquois Confederacy
Convened by British officials who wanted a collective colonial response to the ongoing conflict with New France and Natives
Negotiations w/ natives go poorly Angry about colonial encroachment of land Believed they were being taken advantage of
Franklin’s Plan of Union was adopted by the delegates but the colonies were not yet ready to commit to a single congress
B Franklin DID become the postmaster general of the colonies Worked to improve communication and commerce
between the colonies Recognized the need to unite for a common cause
Treaty of Paris (1763)
France lost all possessions in North AmericaFrance ceded all land claims east of the
Mississippi to Britain (except New Orleans)New Orleans- transferred to Spain- Roman
CatholicSpain ceded Florida to Britain in exchange
for the return of all their colonies in the Caribbean and Pacific
End of imperial rivalry in N America- Britain is the only country left
Native Response
Angry that French gave away their land- no right to do so
Starvation resulted from the British policy of not “gifting”- said they needed to live without “charity”
The Delaware Prophet (Neolin)- taught Indians had been corrupted by Europeans, need to purify and to reclaim what was rightfully theirs
“Drive them out!”Attack was planned on the British
Pontiac’s Uprising
Pontiac- chief, political and religious leaderIndian confederacy simultaneously attacked
all British forts in the West Failed to take key forts Battle ended as a stalemate
First case of germ warfare- General Amherst @ Fort Pitt delivered blankets to Indians that were infected with smallpox
Indians feared the destruction of their villages
Proclamation of 1763
British government set terms for continuing British policy toward Indians
“Indian country” was the land west of the ridge of the Appalachian Mountains
Purchase of Indian land required authorization from the crown
Indians were pleasedBackcountry farmers were outraged- claimed
it was unfair
Speculators upsetColonists thought the removal of France
opened the land for migrationAngry that land was given away to “savages”Paxton BoysBritish were UNABLE to prevent westward
expansionIndians were weakened and were no longer
able to play colonial powers against each other Chose compliance- signed away their land
AP US HISTORYM. CARTER
Events Leading to the American Revolution
British Colonists
Colonial volunteers were “riff raff”
Had a poor opinion of colonial army
Never recognized the impact the war had on the colonists
Called colonists Yankees
Shocked at the lewd behavior and language of the British soldiers
Upset by cruel punishments doled out by the British soldiers
Called British Lobsterbacks
Contrasts between the Colonists & British
American Nationalism
Colonists began to see themselves as separate
Beginning of an American identityIntercolonial cooperationDeveloping a nationalist perspective (rather
than sectionalist)Trade within the colonies increasesImproved roadsWeekly newspapers focusing on intercolonial
affairs “continental perspective” and “American”
The Massachusetts Spy was one of the most popular and well read newspapers available in 1775. Originally printed in Boston, after this issue in May, it moved to Worcester, MA for safety.
Republicanism
Fear of a conspiracy to end liberty and institute tyranny
Fight this with constant vigilanceA truly “just” society provided the greatest
possible liberty to individualsGovernment power must be limited to avoid
encroaching on freedomsBest government- broad distribution of
power to the people
John Locke
The power of the leaders should be conditional, not absolute
The people have the right to choose their government and to severe those ties if necessary
***Important ideas later written into the Declaration of Independence
Economic Pressures
British troops stayed in the colonies following the F&I War- help with Indian uprisings and malcontent settlers from France and Spain
Britain’s war debt (FI and 7 yrs Wars) is huge!!1. Raise taxes within England2. Raise money to pay the debt from the colonists
Sugar Act- placed a tax on sugar imported into the colonies, strengthened laws for ships, added more customs officials, increased the jurisdiction and power of Vice-admiralty courts
Colonial Response- Sugar Act
Boston town meeting- protested and planned a boycott of certain English imports
Movement for nonimportation began and spread throughout the colonies
James Otis, Jr- “no taxation without representation”
Stamp Act
Followed the Sugar ActRequired the purchase of specially embossed
paper for all newspapers, legal documents, licenses, insurance policies, ships’ papers, dice and playing cards
Affected ALL colonistsLed to an economic depression
Colonial Response to the Stamp Act
“No taxation without representation” All males could elect their own assemblies but they
could not vote in British elections “virtual representation”- members of Parliament
represent all British subjectsVirginia Stamp Act Resolutions
Patrick Henry Supported “no taxation” Similar resolutions passed by other colonies
Loyall Nine Massachusetts Upper and middle class men Led protests in Boston Included Samuel Adams
Liberty Tree Tied effigies of stamp distributors and other British
officialsDestroyed Lt. Governor Hutchinson’s home
Sons of Liberty Encouraged moderate forms of protest Circulated petitions, published pamphlets, and
encouraged crowd action only as a last resortMost colonies sent delegates to the Stamp
Act Congress in NYC
Stamp Act Congress
Met in NYCPassed resolutions denying Parliament’s right
to tax the colonists Based upon the theory of no representation
Agreed Parliament had the right to pass laws regarding colonial commerce
Helped to defuse radical protest
Stamp Act Repealed
British merchants were being affected by nonimportation- petitioned to Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act
Repealed in March 1766Led to celebrations throughout the coloniesNon-importation endedColonial resistance to the Stamp Act was
stronger in urban areas than in rural communities. Stronger among craftsmen, merchants and planters, than farmers and frontiersmen.
Declaratory Act
Parliament passed the Declaratory ActParliament has the full authority to make
laws binding the colonies “in all cases whatsoever” Absolute Parliamentary supremacy over colonials
mattersConflict was not resolved, only postponed
Townshend Acts
Charles Townshend became PM faced with national debt, unemployment, rioting over
high prices and tax protests Proposed a new tax for the colonies
Tax on lead, glass, paint, paper and tea 1767 Taxes were imposed at the colonial ports before entering
the colonial market (external vs. internal tax) Believed an external tax would curb colonial protest
Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania
John DickinsonArticles printed in newspapers throughout
the coloniesActually a wealthy Philadelphia lawyer-
posed as a poor farmerConceded that Parliament had the right to
regulate trade with duties, but it had no constitutional authority to tax goods in order to raise revenue in the colonies
Believed taxes would be used to pay the salaries of royal officials in America Independent of colonial assemblies Not answerable to anyone within the colonies
Townshend Acts
Many believed these were created as part of a British conspiracy to suppress American liberties
Heavily enforced by new vice-admiralty courts in Boston, Charleston and Philadelphia
Suspended the NY assembly because they refused to use public funds for British troops in the colonies
Some colonists wanted to use violent resistance
**At this point colonists were NOT looking for independence from Britain, but were protesting what they considered to be unconstitutional.
Colonial Response to T.Acts
Revival of non-importation Associations cropped up in NY, Boston, Newport &
Providence List of boycotted goods Resistance movement
Conflict between artisans and merchants Merchants did NOT want to comply with nonimportation
because they were making money. Artisans saw nonimportation as a way to increase
personal sales Printed lists of merchants who continued to import British
goods. Merchants became the target of protest and violence Coercion was a part of the resistance movement
Colonial Response continued
Women’s Involvement Daughters of Liberty supported the boycott Organized spinning and weaving bees to produce
homespun goods for local consumption Renounced luxury fabrics such as silk & satin Stopped serving tea Sang songs supporting the movement
Rural movement Supported the idea of self-sufficiency Supported the reduction in use of luxury items
(religious connection) Supported frugality
Virginia- House of Burgesses Banned importation of goods enumerated in
Townshend Acts, slaves and luxury commodities All colonies except New Hampshire followed suit
Impact of Colonial Response
Import of British goods declined Dramatically dropped in large port cities
English merchants began protesting to Parliament (in England)
Massachusetts Circular Letter
Written by Samuel Adams (Boston) and approved by the Massachusetts House of Representatives
PropagandaDenounced the Townshend Acts
Attacked the British plan to make royal officials independent of colonial assemblies
Urged colonies to cooperate with each otherMass. Governor condemned the document for
trying to cause a rebellion and dissolved the legislature
British Sec of State demanded each Royal Gov in America dissolve their legislatures (endorsement)
Massachusetts House of Reps was ordered to rescind the letter Voted 92-17 to ignore the order Immediately dissolved
“Glorious Ninety-Two” were celebratedIncreased resistance to the T. Acts and to
British handling of colonial affairsBoston town meeting- called everyone to arm
themselves but resisted armed resistanceBoston was occupied by British infantry
British occupation of Boston
Growing hostility between colonists and Britain
Conflict over competition for jobsBoston Massacre
March 5, 1770 First bloodshed- a few dead, several wounded British were armed Paul Revere- the “Bloody Massacre”- propaganda
Inflamed colonists
Townshend Acts repealed on March 5- all except tax on tea
Committees of Correspondence
Boston appointed to communicate with other towns regarding British actions
Boston Pamphlet- written by Sam Adams and other radicals British encroachments on colonial rights were a sign
of a plot to enslave America- strip colonists of their rights
Virginia appointed an intercolonial correspondence to obtain early and authentic intelligence about British actions; also to maintain correspondence with other colonies Included Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Richard
Henry Lee
All colonies except Pennsylvania created their own committees
Leaked letters
Franklin gained access to private letters between Mass. Gov Hutchinson and the Parliament Hutchinson called for further infringement of colonial
rights“smoking gun” of a conspiracy theoryFranklin damaged his reputation in London
by publishing the letters Lost his post as Postmaster General
Tea Act
Colonists had already curbed intake of tea Nearly destroyed the East India Company
In an effort to increase tea consumption in the colonies British offered tea at a very low price to make the tax
more palatable and to save the EIC Mass mtg in Pennsylvania denounced the importation of
tea (“an enemy of his country”)- Boston followed Committee for Tarring and Feathering
1st tea ships arrived in Boston
Boston Tea Party
Tea ships arrive Colonists would not allow tea to be unloaded Hutchinson would not allow the ship to leave the port
50+ men disguised as Indians boarded the ship and dumped it into the Boston Harbor
Other tea incidents followed in other portsBritish declared something had to be done
about Boston- rebelliousKing George- “we are now to dispute
whether we have, or have not, any authority in that country.”
Intolerable Acts
1774Laws to punish Massachusetts and
strengthen Britain
Boston Port Bill- prohibited the loading or unloading of ships in any part of the Boston Harbor until the town had fully compensated the EIC and customs officials for the dumped tea
Massachusetts Government Act- annulled the colonial charter Assemblies appointed by the King, rather than elected Town meetings were prohibited more than once a year End of self-rule in the colonies
Quartering Act- legalized the housing of troops at the public expense, including occupied dwellings and private homes
Administration of Justice Act- Sought to protect British officials from colonial courts Those accused of capital crimes were sent to England
for trial
Quebec Act- Britain authorized a permanent government for the
territory taken from France Established an authoritarian, anti-republic
administration for Quebec with a royal governor and appointed council
Roman Catholic Church was granted religious toleration
June 1st – day the Boston Port Bill took effectBells tolled, flags flew at half mast and people
flocked to churchesA day of fasting and prayer for Boston
Enduring a “hostile invasion”
First Continental Congress
Philadelphia- September 1774Radicals: Sam and John Adams, Patrick
Henry, George Washington and Christopher Gadsen
Conservatives: John Dickinson, Joseph Galloway, John Jay and James Duane
Delegates wanted to avoid war and favored a policy of economic coercion
Declaration and Resolves
Declaration and Resolves
Asserted that all colonists sprang from a common tradition and enjoyed the rights guaranteed by laws of nature and the English Bill of Rights
Declared several acts of Parliament in violation of these rights
Until acts were repealed they would impose economic sanctions against Britain
Nonimportation and nonconsumption of British goods
Prohibited export of colonial commodities to Britain or its other colonies
Committees of Observation and Safety
Took over functions of local government throughout the colonies
Organized militia, combined and worked with other colonial committees
Suppressed opinions of LoyalistsScrutinized activities of other citizensPracticed forms of coercionBridge between old colonial admin and
revolutionary governmentBegan to refer to the colonies as “states”
Lexington and Concord
“minutemen”April 18,1775- British troops ordered to
capture a store of American ammunition in Concord, MA
Boston committee sent Paul Revere and William Dawes to alert the militia
70 armed minutemen met the advancing British troops at Lexington (1/2 way point) Unorganized and outnumbered Some British fired without a signal, killing a few
colonists
British continued to Concord. Burned the store of ammunitions.Attacked by militia in Concord- 1st British
casualties- and several more times along the trip back to Boston
British- 73 dead, 202 missing or woundedForecast: British would be fighting an armed
population who were defending their homes and communities from outsiders.
Surrounding colonies sent their militias to Boston, forcing the British to leave by sea