Causes of the American Revolution

1. Causes of the American Revolution The Steps to Independence

2. I. Categories of Concern • A. Land Restriction • B. Tax Increases • C. Reduction of Freedoms • D. Colonists Reactions

3. II. Land Restrictions

4. A. Treaty of Paris • 1. Ends French and Indian War • 2. Gives England control of the Ohio River Valley

5. B. Proclamation Act • 1. 1763 • 2.Prohibits expansion past the Appalachian Mts.

6. III. Tax Increases

7. A. Sugar Act • 1.1764 • 2. Increases duties/tax on sugar and molasses

8. B. Stamp Act • 1. 1765 • 2. First internal tax on colonies • 3. Taxed all printed materials

9. C. Stamp Act Repealed • 1. 1766 • 2. English merchants were losing money due to boycotts • 3. Stamp Act Congress asked England to repeal it

10. D. Townshend Acts • 1. 1767 • 2. British tax paper, tea, glass, and lead • 3. British officials can search for smuggled goods

11. E. Townshend Acts Repealed • 1. 1770 • 2. All import taxesremoved except for tea due to colonial boycotts

12. F. Tea Act • 1. May 10, 1773 • 2. Allows East India Tea Company to develop a tea monopoly • 3. Threatens business for colonial smugglers/merchants

13. IV. Reduction of Freedoms

14. A. Mercantilism I • 1. 1700’s • 2. England believes colonies exist to economically benefit the mother country

15. B. Mercantilism II • 1. England restricts colonies’ trade with Navigation Acts • 2. Colonies begin to smuggle goods

16. C. Quartering Act • 1. 1765 • 2. Requires colonists to house troops and supply them with food

17. D. Boston Massacre • 1.March 5,1770 • 2.British troops fire into a mob killing 5 people

18. E. Intolerable Acts I • 1. March 1774 • 2. Boston port shut down from incoming goods • 3. Town meetings disallowed

19. F. Intolerable Acts II • 1. British General Gage becomes governor of MA • 2. Creates military-rule for Boston

20. V. Colonial Reactions

21. A. No Taxation without Representation • 1. 1764 slogan by James Otis • 2. Means colonists shouldn’t pay taxes without having a say in Parliament

22. B. Committee of Correspondence • 1. Created after Sugar Act • 2. Meetings held in Boston • 3. Organizes to communicate protests with other colonies

23. C. Boycotts • 1. 1764-1775 • 2. Colonists refuse to buy British goods • 3. Causes many taxes to be repealed

24. D. Patrick Henry Speech • 1. May 1765 • 2. Presents Virginia Resolutions protesting Stamp Act • 3. Colonies form the Stamp Act Congress

25. E. Sons of Liberty • 1. July 1765 • 2. Organized citizens to oppose British officials • 3. Used violence and intimidation as technique

26. F. Tea Party! • 1. December 16, 1773 • 2. Sons of Liberty dump 342 tea chests into Boston Harbor

27. G. Continental Congress • 1. September 1774: 56 members meet in Philadelphia • 2. Unites colonies/sends official complaint to the king • 3. Tells colonies to boycott and keep militias (groups of citizen-soldiers) ready

28. All of these events cause tension between the British and the Patriots which leads to a war