Causes of the American Revolution
Ch 4, Sec 3
French and Indian War
• France’s GOAL: Control Fur trade
• Great Britain’s GOAL: 3G’S– Wealth– Spread Christianity– Glory of Power and
Wealth in New World
Fate of New France
• France won early victories
• Later, Britain overpowered France
• Treaty of Paris signed ending conflict
• Britain gained Canada and land east of Miss. River
Pontiac’s War• After French and Indian
war– Colonist headed West
push Natives off land
• Clashes with Natives– Indian leader: Pontiac– Attacked Ohio Country– British lost some land
• Britain and Colonists fought back together
Proclamation of 1763
• Colonists couldn’t settle past Proclamation line– Appalachian Mts.
• Britain wanted to protect colonists
• British troops sent to colonies– Colonists had to pay for
British troops– Ignored proclamation
Britain Imposed New Taxes
• Britain in debt after wars
• Increase taxes for citizens of Britain
• Grenville, Prime Minister– Expected colonists to
pay sm. tax too
Sugar Act
• Approved by Parliament– Tax on molasses, sugar,
etc.– Used for making RUM
(profitable)
• Merchants avoided tax by smuggling molasses into colonies
• British officials bringing smugglers to trial
Stamp Act
• New tax on legal documents such as: –Wills–Diplomas–Newspapers, etc.
• All items needed a stamp showing tax was paid
“No Taxation W/O Representation”
• Ideas of representation was rooted back to Magna Carta
• Colonists okay with tax if passed by their own legislature. – Unacceptable without
representation
Peaceful Protest
• Crisis united colonists
• Delegates from colonists met in NYC– Known as Stamp Act
Congress– Drew Up a petition– Rejected Stamp Act
• Parliament not interested in petition
Colonial Boycott
• Colonists boycotted British goods
• Hurt British economy and merchants
• Parliament repealed Stamp Act
Townshend Acts
• Parliament passed the Townshend Acts
• Tax on– Glass– Paper– Paint– Lead– Tea
• Colonists objected to tax w/o their consent
Writs of Assistance
• Custom officials tried to stop smuggling
• Legal documents called, “Writs of assistance”, allowed officials to inspect ships, homes etc. w/o reason
Colonial Protest Widen
• Colonists stopped importing goods from Britain
• Sons of Liberty– Staged mock hangings
• Daughters of Liberty–Boycotted British cloth
Quartering Act
• Colonists had to provide: –Housing–Candles–Bedding–Beverages to
soldiers in the colonies
A Bloody Night, Boston Massacre
• At Boston Customs house–Colonists shouted
insults “Lobsterbacks”– Throw snowballs,
shells, etc. • British soldiers fired into
crowd• 5 colonists died
Committee of Correspondence
• Samuel Adams started a letter writing campaign called Committee of Correspondence.
• Tool to protest and communicate with other colonies.
Temporary Calm
• Parliament repealed: – Townshend
Acts– Quartering
Act
• Tax on Tea remained
Dispute Over Tea
• Tea was a popular drink• Parliament passes the
Tea Act• Colonists bought most
of their tea from British East India Co. – BUT…Colonists
Resented Act– Refused to buy British
Tea– Tea in Britain not
getting sold
Tea Act Passed
• British East India Co.– Act Let Company
bypass colonist tea merchants
– Sold directly to colonists
– Cost less• Colonial Merchants angry– Act violated Free
enterprise
A New Boycott
• Daughters of Liberty– Served coffee and
“Liberty Tea”
• Sons of Liberty –Kept British East
India Co from unloading tea in harbor
Boston Tea Party• Three ships entered
Boston Harbor
• Sons of Liberty– Requested from Governor:
• Ship leaves the harbor• He refused
– Colonists disguised as Mohawks
– Boarded ship– Dumped 342 chests of tea
in harbor
Parliament Strikes Back with Intolerable Acts
• British outraged by colonists’ behavior
• Intolerable Act (4 Parts)– Shut down Boston
Harbor– Forbid Town meetings– Custom Officials will
be tried in Britain– Quartering Act
stronger
Other Colonies Support Boston
• Committee of Correspondence – Spread news about
Boston–Colonies responded
with food to help– Set day of Shame of
the Intolerable Acts.
First Continental Congress
• Delegates from 12 colonies met – Known as 1st
Continental Congress
• Agreed to boycott and stop exporting goods to Britain
• Each colony would create a Militia (army of citizens)
Lexington and Concord