The Road To The American
Revolution, 1750s - 1776
French and Indian War 1754-1763
• France & Native Americans vs. British
and Colonists
• British & Colonists victorious
• Expensive to Fight
•
Britain wanted colonists to help pay
expenses generated from war
• How would colonists make this payment?
• How would they feel about this?
Proclamation of 1763
Line down the
Appalachians
Colonists stay to
east
Native Americans
stay to the West
Colonists: “why
you always trying
to tell me what to
do”???
Consider: Why
would the
colonists want to
expand westward?
New Taxes
We got to get our
$$$$ from French
and Indian War
Sugar Act
Molasses
Don’t drink the
water!!!
We want our M &
Ms!!!
You can’t tax
what you can’t
catch!!!
Quartering Act…1765
British: “if you ain’t gonna pay your
taxes your gonna have to feed and
shelter our soldiers. Yo!”
House and provide supplies for British
soldiers
Colonists must pay for these things
Stamp Act 1767
The Stamp Act was to tax the
colonists directly that meant
to tax every legal document
carry a stamp showing that a
tax had been paid. The
colonists acted with rage. To
show their rage the colonists
boycotted British goods.
Other people started the
Sons of Liberty and the
Daughters of Liberty. This
group protested and some of
their protests grew violent.
But Parliament was not going
to give in to them.
Tar and
Feathering
a Tax
Collector
Townshend Act (1767-1770)
The Townshend Acts were a British trick to cut the
some taxes and replace it with another
•
The Townshend Acts called for new import taxes on
glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. In March, 1770, the
Townshend Acts were repealed except for the tax on
tea.
• Taxes were used to pay the salaries of the British
colonial officials.
• The Townshend Acts were very unpopular with the
colonists, who criticized the Acts and demonstrated in
protest in October. Indirectly raised prices. Led to
boycott of British made goods.
Boston Massacre
• Redcoats v. colonist workers
• March 5, 1770
– Soldiers fire on dockworkers
and youth who were
protesting
– Five colonists were killed
• Crispus Attucks
• John Adams (lawyer)
– Pleads self-defense
– Jury agrees
• British tyranny
Boston Tea Party 1773
• Protesting the Tea Act
– Tea Act: Gave British owned
company exclusive rights to
sell tea in colonies
• The Protests
– Men disguised as Native
Americans destroyed 342
chests of tea
– 90,000 lbs of tea
– 1lb = 220 bags of tea
– 90,000 X 220 = 19,800,000
cups of tea!!!!
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts 1774
• Punishment for B.T.P.
• Close Boston port until destroyed
tea was paid for
• British took over government of
Mass.
• First Continental Congress formed
as a result of harsh punishment
Lexington & Concord
• British appeared to be getting ready for some
military action…lots of soldiers in and around
Boston
• Most of the patriot leaders fled the city fearing
arrest
• They began to stockpile arms in a village called Lexington
• British soldiers ordered to seize weapons &
ammunition from colonists
• Paul Revere had
stayed behind in
Boston
•Revere would warn others
by placing a lantern in the
belfry of the Old North
Church
•One lantern if the
British were
coming by land
•Two lanterns if
they were coming
by sea
• April 19 – the “Minutemen” began to
assemble on the Lexington lawn
– When the British arrive at dawn, there were
around 77 men
– British commander tells the men to throw down
their arms
• A shot is fired…no one knows by whom
– Patriots retreat into the woods, British continue to
Concord
The Battle of Concord
• British continued on to Concord
• Arsenal in Concord Basically Empty
• Brief skirmish with minutemen at North Bridge
• British began march back to Boston to avoid further
conflict, despite no reinforcements
• Lexington & Concord are considered to be the first
“battles” of the American Revolution
The War is On!
• After Lexington & Concord (April 1775) the
Second Continental Congress begins meeting
(May 1775)
• The British and American forces continue to
have several battles over the next few months.
• On July 4th, 1776 this Congress signs the
Declaration of Independence officially
declaring the break up!!!