The Road to the Revolution: The New British Structure in the Colonies (1765-1776)

1. Unit 2 - Colonial Dissatisfaction & The American Revolution, 1754 – 1783 APUSH Mrs. Baker The Road to the Revolution:The New British Structure in the Colonies(1765-1776)

2. Essential Question What were the economic, social and political factors that led to the American Revolution?

3. Theories of Representation British Views Colonist Views Could be represented only by men who lived nearby and for whom they or their property-holding neighbors actually voted Could not count on representatives to uphold their interests Actual (specific) Representation Colonists were actually represented in Parliament • Believed that Parliament, by definition, represented all British subjects, wherever theyresided and whether or not they could vote. • Virtual Representation • Colonists were seen as virtually, if not actually, represented in Parliaments.

4. Real Whigs • Colonists were accustomed to a central government with limited authority. • Believed that a good government was one that largely left them alone • Based on philosophies of Real Whigs from Britain. • Stressed the dangers inherent of a powerful government. • Guard against government’s attempts to encroach on their liberty and seize their property.

5. Handling Colonial Debt • War = DEBT!!! • George Grenville  Prime Minister (1763) • American colonies should be more tightly administrated than before • How is this different than previous actions??? • Grenville’s Program • Sugar Act (1764) • Currency Act (1764) • Quartering Act (1764) • Stamp Act (1765)

6. The Early Acts on Colonists • Sugar Act (1764) • Placed duties on foreign sugar and certain luxuries. • Chief purpose  raise money for the crown and stricter enforcement of Navigation Acts. • Currency Act (1764) • Outlawed most colonial issues of paper money • Quartering Act • Required colonists to provide food and living quarters to British soldiers stationed in colonies.

7. British Action  Colonial Reaction

8. Stamp Act (1765) • The Act… • Required that revenue stamps be placed on most printed paper in colonies, including all legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, and advertisements. • The Reason… • Raise funds to support British troops in the colonies • Whose affected? • First direct tax paid by the people in the colonies

9. Protesting the Stamp Act

10. James Otis’: Rights of the British Colonies • How could colonists justify their opposition to certain acts of Parliament without questioning Parliament’s authority over them? • Otis implied that Parliament could not constitutionally tax the colonies because Americans were not represented in its ranks • But…Parliament was the sole, supreme authority in the empire. • They had to obey laws until Parliament repealed them

11. Patrick Henry: The Virginia Stamp Act Resolves • Expressed the sentiments of many when Henry stood in front of House of Burgesses to demand that the king’s government recognize the rights of the citizens • “No taxation without representation” • Of the 7 propositions, only 4 were adopted by the legislator.

12. Loyal Nine • British social club of printers, distillers, and other artisans • Organized demonstrations against Stamp Act. • Introduced to rival labor groups • Orderly demonstrations vs. “Hellish fury” • Brought politics to all levels of colonists.

13. Son’s of Liberty • Secret society formed for the purpose of intimidating tax agents. • Members sometimes tarred and feathered revenue officials and destroyed revenue stamps. • Known for influencing events but not controlling them.

14. The Stamp Act Congress • Met in New York • Drafted a unified but conservative statement of protest which stressed the laws adverse economic effects rather than its perceived violations of American rights. • Resolved that only their own elected representatives had the legal authority to approve taxes.

15. Repeal with a new Act • Repeal • March 1766 act was repealed • Declaratory Act (1766) • Asserted that Parliament had the right to tax and make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”

16. Townshend Duties • 1767 • William Pitt (Prime Minister) & Charles Townshend (Secretary of the Exchequer) • The Act • New duties collected on colonial imports of tea, glass, lead, paint and paper • Difference from previous Acts • Revenues raised from duties were to be used to pay crown officials in the colonies • No longer used to pay for debt and quartering of troops • Applied to items imported into colonies from Britain • Not just from foreign countries

17. Colonial to Reaction to Townshend Duties • John Dickinson ~ Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1768) • Argument • Parliament could regulate colonial trade BUT… • Parliament could not exercise the power to raise revenue. • James Otis and Samuel Adams ~ Massachusetts Circular Letter (1768) • Urged colonies to unite and petition Parliament to repeal the Townshend Duties • Led to the unification of colonies through response of government • Dissolution of Massachusetts legislature

18. Colonial to Reaction to Townshend Duties • Daughter’s of Liberty • Non-importation movement • Create products at home • Spinning bees • Repeal of the Duties • 1770  all parts of duties were repealed except a small tax on tea • Used as a symbol of Parliament’s right to tax the colonies.

19. The Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770)

20. The Committee of Correspondence • Initiated by Samuel Adams • Spread the beliefs that British officials were deliberately conspiring against colonial liberties. • Committees were organized to regularly exchange letters about suspicious or potentially threatening British activities.

21. The Gaspee Incident • British customs ship which had been responsible for capturing a number of smuggling ships. • Ran ashore off of the coast of Rhode Island (1772) • Colonists disguised as Native Americans took the opportunity to seize the ship • Ordered the crew ashore and set fire to the ship. • British ordered a commission to investigate and bring guilty individuals to Britain for trial.

22. The Tea Act • Legal tea would be sold in America only by the East India Company’s designated agents • Erases middlemen = reasonably priced tea • Angered colonists  government provided means for East India monopoly on tea. • 3 of 4 cities scheduled to receive tea either did not receive the tea or acted without protest & did not purchase the tea BUT…..

23. Boston Tea Party

24. Intolerable Acts • Coercive Acts (1774) • The Port Act: closed the Port of Boston, prohibiting trade in and out of the harbor until the destroyed tea was paid for. • The Massachusetts Government Act: reduced the power of the Massachusetts legislature while increasing the power of the royal governor • The Administration of Justice Act: allowed royal officials accused of crimes to be tried in England instead of in the colonies. • Quartering Act: British troops to be quartered in private homes in all colonies. • Quebec Act (1774) • British government passed law organizing the Canadian lands gained from France.

25. What were the economic, social and political factors that led to the American Revolution?