The Start of the
American
Revolution
Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights,
English Common law
Collectively these things guaranteed English citizens certain rights that
included: right to have be tried in front of a jury of your peers, right to be
consulted when taxes are levied, freedom of speech in parliament,
restrictions on cruel/unusual punishment
 In addition, many of the colonist ascribed to the enlightened thinkers
such as Locke(natural rights), Montesquieu(separation of powers), and
Voltaire(freedom of religion/speech)


Stamp Act crisis

First direct tax on the colonists(most other taxes had been on the
import/export of goods)

Tax on all printable materials

Colonist believed that they were being unfairly taxed without being
represented. Some in England argue the colonist are virtually
represented.

Stamp Act led to massive riots and demonstrations in the colonies

Stamp Act is eventually repealed
Quartering Act of 1765

A cost saving measure for the English introduced by Greenville

Forced colonist to provide quarter to soldiers in public
accommodations(Ale houses, hotels, empty houses, ect) not in
private residences.

Colonist had to supply the troops with food, drink, and firewood
which was a direct attack on personal propriety and wealth
Townsend Acts
Imposed duties on tax, lead, paints, paper and tea imported to the
colonies
 Townsend thought these taxes to be acceptable since this was not a
direct tax like the stamp act
 Act also suspended the New York assembly for failing to adhere to the
Quartering Act
 Colonist suspicions were revived “in a people already convinced that a
plot against their liberty and property had been hatched in 1765”Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause, pg 156

Boston Massacre

Subversive groups such as the Son’s of Liberty in Boston encouraged
the boycott of British goods in response to the Townsend Act

Boycotts were effective in hurting England economically.

Boston Massacre further escalates tensions between the colonists
and England.

England repealed all of the Townsend duties except for the one on
tea(did not want to appear weak)
Gaspee Incident(1772)

HMS Gaspee was charged with enforcing British custom laws.

HMS Gaspee baited into a chase of a American vessel and
eventually runs aground.

Once aground, angry colonist storm the ship, wounded the
Capitan, captured the crew, and burned the ship.

Infuriated the crown and further galvanized the colonist against the
King
Boston Tea Party

Parliament passes Tea Act in 1773 in order to help the bail out the
East India company and undercut colonial smugglers (allowed the
company to transport tea to the colonies duty free)

Tea act coupled with the regular duty on all foreign tea caused the
colonist to engage in an act of rebellion.

The crown responds with the intolerable acts which shut down
Boston harbor, moved all trials to England, and declared martial law
in Massachusetts
The Continental Congress

Issued rights and grievances to the king

Recommended that states from their own militias

Continue economic boycott