Toward Independence
Chapter 5
Before 1763
A.
Dealing with Growth
1. More than 1 million people by 1750
2. colonies left to solve own problems
B. Conflict in the Ohio Valley
1. 1754 – French built Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh)
2. Militia ordered (led by Washington) to drive French out
C. French & Indian War
1. Struggle between France and Britain for territory and power
a) Native Americans fought with France
2. 1755 – Britain sent 1400 soldiers to Virginia - 2/3 were killed
3. War lasted 7 years
a) 1763 – peace treaty signed. Canada goes to Britain
D. Proclamation of 1763
1. Drew a line down the crest of Appalachian Mountains ordering
settlers to stay east and Indians to stay west
French & Indian War
British National Debt
Following the French and Indian War
£140,000,000
£120,000,000
£100,000,000
£80,000,000
£60,000,000
£40,000,000
£20,000,000
£0
1754 1755 1756 1757 1758 1759 1760 1761 1762 1763 1764
Stamp Act (1765)
A. Britain feels colonists should help pay for war
expenses.
1. Requires colonists to pay a tax on
most printed materials
2. Had to purchase stamp and place on
document to prove tax was paid
B. Colonists resented being taxed without their
consent
NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
Stamp Act (1765)
Quartering Act (1765)
A. To quarter means to give soldiers a
place to stay
B. Act required colonists to put British
soldiers in their homes and provide
fuel, candles, beer and transportation.
Quartering Act (1765)
Townshend Act (1767)
A. Imposed tax on glass, lead, paper, and tea before reached
markets therefore increasing prices.
B. Boycott
a) Women found many ways to avoid buying imports
C. Repeal
1. Lord North saw acts as money-loser because of
boycott
2. 1770 – North persuaded Parliament to repeal all of
the taxes except for the one on tea
Townshend Act (1767)
Boston Massacre
A.
Trouble Brewing
1. 1768 – troops sent to keep order in Boston
B. Mob Violence Breaks Out
1. March 5, 1770 – mob throws rocks and snowballs at troops
guarding Customs House
a) Troops panic and open fire
b) Resulted in 5 dead, 10 injured
C. Massacre or Self-Defense
1. John Adams defended the soldiers (believing in right to a fair
trial)
a) Argued that troops acted in self-defense
b) Jury found 6 not guilty. 2 guilty of manslaughter
Boston Massacre
Boston Tea Party
A. Tea Act (1773)
1. Gives British East India Company a monopoly
over American tea (Americans could only buy
their tea)
B. Tea Ships Arrive
1. Protestors kept them from unloading
2. December 16, 1773 – 50 men (Sons of
Liberty) dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded
the ships and dumped tea overboard
a) 90,000 lbs of tea dumped into sea
(today’s cost = $3 million)
Boston Tea Party
Intolerable Acts (1774)
A.
Parliament Punishes Massachusetts
1. Closed Boston Harbor until tea paid for
2. More troops to put under British control
B. Colonies Begin to Unite
1. Merchants closed up shop
2. Colonies sent food and money to Boston
3. Virginia called for a meeting of delegates from all colonies
C. First Continental Congress (1774)
1. leaders from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia
2. message to King George to consider complaints and rights
3. Called for a new boycott
D. Colonies Form Militias
1. Committees enforce boycott
2. Organized local militia (minutemen)
Intolerable Acts (1774)
Lexington & Concord
A.
Message Received?
1.
2.
B.
King George refused to answer
King prepared for war
First Blow at Lexington (April 1775)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Spy told British general of large supply of ammo Patriots were hiding
in Concord
General order 700 troops to march 20 miles at night and seize weapons
Colonists had own spies and saw everything – Paul Revere (“The
British are coming”)
Minutemen gathered at Lexington, ordered not to fire unless fired upon.
Shots rang out as British troops arrived
a) 8 colonists dead
b) 10 wounded
c) British continued on to Concord
Lexington & Concord
C. Second Blow at Concord
1.
By time British arrived, colonists had moved
ammunition
2. Nearby minutemen marched in as British opened fire
a) British retreated with 4,000 minutemen lining the
way back to Boston
1- 74 British soldiers dead and 200 wounded or missing
2- 49 colonists dead and 41 wounded
Goodbye King George