It’s All About the Acts!

And other stuff, too.

Pontiac’s War

• The British were creeping onto Native American lands and the Native Americans were fed up!

• In 1763, led by Pontiac, they attacked Fort Detroit and, within months, had captured all the British forts on the frontier.

• However, the British struck back and regained what they had lost.

Pontiac’s War

Later that year (still 1763), the French told the Native Americans that they had signed the Treaty of Paris (which ended the French and Indian War) and could no longer support them. That’s

Hot.

Pontiac’s War

• As a result, the Native Americans gave up their fighting and returned home.

• Importance: Pontiac’s War convinced the British to close western lands to settlers – they issued the…..

Proclamation of 1763 • The law drew an

imaginary line along the Appalachian Mountains.

• Colonists were forbidden to settle west of the line and the ones that lived there already had to move back!

Proclamation of 1763 To enforce the law, Britain sent 10,000

troops to “watch” the line and the colonists had to pay for them!

In the end, the colonists IGNORED the proclamation and did what they wanted!

The Stamp Act! • 1775: Passed by

Parliament to make the colonies help pay the debt of the French and Indian War

• All items named in law had to carry a stamp showing the tax had been paid.

• Legal Documents • Newspapers • Almanacs • Playing Cards • Dice

Reaction to the Stamp Act!

The colonists were ANGRY!

They cried, “No taxation without representation!”

They were willing to pay the taxes BUT ONLY if they were passed by their own colonial legislatures!

Reaction to the Stamp Act! • The Stamp Act brought a sense of unity to

colonies. • October 1765: Nine colonies sent delegates

to the Stamp Act Congress where they created petitions (which were ignored!) and planned to boycott British goods!

• The boycott was successful and, in 1766, the Stamp Act was repealed!

The Townshend Acts!

• Passed by Parliament in 1767.

• Glass

• Paint

• Paper

• Silk • Tea

Reaction to the Townshend Acts!

Hello?!

NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!!!

Reaction to the Townshend Acts!

• The colonists signed nonimportation agreements, which meant they planned to boycott goods taxed by the Townshend Acts.

Reaction to the Townshend Acts!

• Parliament voted to repeal most of the Townshend Acts except for the tax on TEA.

There must always be one tax to keep up the

right to tax!

The Quartering Act!

• 1765 • Law that required the

colonists to provide housing, candles, bedding and beverages to British soldiers stationed in the colonies.

I am a British soldier and you must give me candles and

pillows.

Reaction to the Quartering Act! • New Yorkers thought the law was just

another way to tax them without their consent so the assembly refused to obey the law!

• Because of this, Britain got rid of the assembly!

Boston Massacre!

• March 5, 1770: Colonists began insulting the British soldiers and the crowd around them grew larger and rowdier.

• The soldiers fired into the crowd killing five colonists.

• Importance: United colonies against the British.

The Tea Act!

• 1773

• British law that let the British East India Company sell tea directly to the colonists, bypassing the tea merchants.

• Tea would cost less than ever!

Reaction to the Tea Act!

• The tea merchants were angry because they were cut out of the tea trade!

• The colonists believed that it was a British trick to make them accept the taxes!

• Once again, BOYCOTT!!

Reaction to the Tea Act!

“Boston harbor a teapot tonight!!”

A direct result of the Tea Act was the Boston Tea Party!

Boston Tea Party

Protest in Boston where colonists dressed up as

Native Americans and dumped British

tea into Boston Harbor!

Importance: Unified colonists and set the

stage for the Intolerable Acts.

The Intolerable Acts!

• 1774

• Passed by Parliament to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party!

Those Acts sure are

Intolerable!!

The Intolerable Acts!

• 1st: The port of Boston was shut down – No ship could enter or leave the harbor until the tea was paid for!

• 2nd: Parliament forbade the colonists from having town meetings!

The Intolerable Acts!

• 3rd: Customs officers and other officials charged with big time crimes didn’t have to be tried in the colonies – They could be tried in BRITAIN!

Do you think they would get convicted over there?!

The Intolerable Acts!

• 4th: Parliament passed a NEW Quartering Act!

• Colonists had to house British soldiers in their HOMES!!

Get Out, You

Scoundrels!

Reaction to the Intolerable Acts! • Committees of

Correspondence were set up and food from up and down the east coast was sent to Boston to keep them from starving!

Reaction to the Intolerable Acts! • The First Continental Congress was created!

• All the colonies (except for Georgia) attended

and agreed to boycott all British goods and to stop exporting to Britain until the Acts were repealed.

• The delegates also persuaded the colonies to set up and train a militia!