U.S. History
Lesson 1
Colonies Organize Resistance
- Parliament wanted to recoup losses from FR & Ind. War
A. The Stamp Act
1. George Grenville – PM passed the Stamp Act
- tax on all legal documents, licenses, newspapers
almanacs, playing cards, dice.
- affected every colonist
- offenders were tried in Vice-Admiralty courts
B. Protests
1. Sons of Liberty – Samuel Adams
- harassed customs agents, etc.
- prevented stamps from being sold
2. Colonial Resolutions
- VA House Æ VA can only be taxed by Virginians
- other
th colonies
l i followed
f ll
d suit.
it
3. Boycotts -- merchants quit buying BR goods
- it worked Æ Stamp Act Repealed – Parliament upset
C. Townshend Acts
1. Charles Townshend – leader of parliament Æ wanted
to punish the colonists.
- taxed all imports -- glass, lead, paint, paper, & tea
2. More Protests
- Samuel Adams calls for a boycott
- Mercy Otis Warren – told women to quit buying
BR luxuries (feathers, furs, satin, capes, etc.)
-p
people
p made tea from Birch bark.
3. John Hancock’s boat Liberty was seized.
- BR said he wasn’t paying taxes.
- riots
i t ensuedd - BR sentt 2000 soldiers
ldi tto B
Boston
t
- “red coats”
Tension Mounts
A. Boston Massacre
1. Mob gathered to harass soldiers at Boston Customs House
2. Crispus Attucks – black sailor & deck hands arrive
3 Shooting
3.
Sh i eruptedd – Attucks
A
k & 4 others
h were kill
killed.
d
- Samuel Adams sent out word of a Massacre!
4. Things actually calmed down for 2 years, but …
- in 1772 a customs ship ran aground near Providence
- colonist burned it!
- BR were upset!
p
5. Committee of Correspondence
- communication between colonies – linked them
B. Boston Tea Party
1. Lord Fredrick North ordered the BR East India Co. to
sell tea directly to colonists. Cut out colonial merchants!
2. Colonists dressed as Indians & threw 18,000 lbs into the
harbor.
C Intolerable Acts
C.
1. King George III was furious!!!
- shut down Boston Harbor
- colonists must quarter BR soldiers
2. Gen Thomas Gage was sent to rule by Martial Law!
3. 1st Continental Congress
g
- meeting in Philadelphia
- continue to boycott
- minutemen – civilian soldiers
Lexington & Concord
A. Concord
1. BR morale was low.
2. Gen Gage wanted to boost it. He heard about a stockpile
C
d – outside
t id off Boston.
B t
off ammo att Concord
- also heard Samuel Adams & John Hancock were hiding
in nearby Lexington.
B. Paul Revere warned the colonist that the BR were coming!
- April 19, 1775 – 70- minutemen meet 700 BR @ Lexington
- someone fired a shot – 8 minutemen killed – retreat!
- 3500 minutemen waited along the road by Concord
- fired from the bushes as the BR marched by.
- killed
kill d dozens
d
- BR fled back to Boston.