FOOTSTEPS TO
REVOLUTION
The Causes of the American Revolution
IN THE BEGINNING…
The American colonists referred to Great Britain as
their “mother country.” Great Britain started to
treat Georgia and the other colonists as children.
Just by way of example, there are at least half a
dozen ways of this treatment found between pages
114 to 117. These examples show the effect of the
immediate and long term causes leading to the
American Revolution.
SOME OF THE EXAMPLES I FOUND:
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Britain told the colonies what they could make or grow and
with whom they could trade.
Britain made laws for the colonies and levied taxes without
giving American colonists a voice in their own government.
Britain sometimes ignored the rights of American colonists
as British citizens.
Britain refused to listen to colonists’ complaints.
Britain told the colonists from whom they had to buy their
tea.
Britain tried to punish the colonists when they rebelled
against its policies.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR
Native Americans supported by
the French in Canada attacked
British colonists on the frontier.
War was declared in 1754 and
finally won by the British in
1763.
This was an expensive war, and
the British felt that the colonists
should help pay for the war
since it was fought in their
defense.
The colonists disagreed and were
angered by taxation.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
PROCLAMATION OF 1763
After the French and Indian
War ended, the British
passed a law stating that the
colonists could not settle west
of the Appalachian
Mountains.
They did this because the land
belonged to hostile Indians,
and the British could not
afford to build forts to
protect the colonists.
This angered the colonists
because they wanted this
land.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Sugar Act of 1764
The British government taxed
sugar, molasses, coffee,
indigo, and wine.
To end smuggling, this act of
Parliament set up special
courts to hear smuggling
cases.
There would be no jury, only a
judge.
The colonists saw this as loss of
their right to trial by jury as
British citizens
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Stamp Act of 1765
This law placed a tax on all
printed material in the
colonies.
All printed materials, from
newspapers to playing
cards, had to have a
stamped placed on it by
British officials.
This tax affected everyone in
the colonies and further
angered the colonists.
Many colonists felt that action
would need to be taken.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Protesting the Stamp Act of 1765
Groups called the Sons of Liberty
led protests against the Stamp
Act in the colonies.
Protestors burned effigies of tax
collectors, boycotted British
goods, and tarred and
feathered tax collectors.
Eventually, Parliament repealed
the Stamp Act, but passed the
Declaratory Act which stated
that Parliament could tax and
make decisions for the colonies
in any situation.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Townshend Act of 1767
Placed a tax on all goods
imported by the colonies.
These included glass, lead,
paper, and tea.
Again the colonists boycotted
British goods.
These taxes were placed on
the colonies which were not
represented in Parliament, so
the cry “No taxation without
representation” became
popular.
This meant that governments
should not tax people unless
the people are represented
in government.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Quartering Act of 1768
Parliament realized that the
colonies were about to
rebel, so sent an army to
occupy colonial cities.
The colonists were forced to
house soldiers and provide
their needs.
Fights often broke out
between the colonists and
the soldiers.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Boston Massacre 1770
A crowd gathered on a snowy
evening in March and began
taunting a British soldier on
guard duty.
When they began throwing
snowballs and rocks at him,
he called for help.
One of the soldiers was
knocked down, and the
nervous soldiers fired into
the crowd.
Five colonists were killed
including former slave
Crispus Attucks.
Was this really a massacre?
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Tea Act of 1773
The British East India
Company was given the
right to ship tea to the
colonies tax free.
Colonial merchants had to
pay taxes on tea that they
shipped to the colonies.
In response, many colonists
boycotted tea.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Boston Tea Party, 1773
Three ships of the British East
India Company were
docked in Boston Harbor.
On December 16, 1773, the
Boston Sons of Liberty
dressed like Indians and
boarded the ships and
threw the tea overboard.
The tea was worth thousands
of pounds.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Intolerable Acts of 1774
Parliament and King George III
reacted harshly.
They closed Boston Harbor until
the Massachusetts citizens
paid for the tea.
Town meetings were forbidden.
Boston citizens had to shelter in
their own homes.
Boston was placed under
martial law.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The Colonists Respond, 1774
In September, 1774, delegates
from all colonies except
Georgia met in Philadelphia to
discuss the growing problem.
This group called itself the
Continental Congress.
The delegated voted to boycott
British goods in all colonies.
They decided that all colonists
should form militias which are
groups of citizen soldiers.
These militias called themselves
minutemen because they could
be ready to fight at a minute’s
notice.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Colonial Leaders
 Samuel Adams –
Massachusetts
 John Adams – Massachusetts
 John Jay – New York
 Richard Henry Lee – Virginia
 Patrick Henry – Virginia
 George Washington –
Virginia
 Benjamin Franklin Pennsylvania
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The Last Straw, 1775
British General Thomas Gage
hade 3,000 soldiers in and
around Boston.
Parliament instructed him to
take away all weapons from
the Massachusetts militia and
arrest the leaders.
On April 18, the British army
began to prepare to march
out of the city to carry out
these orders.
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The Shot Heard Around the World
Dr. Joseph Warren, Paul Revere, and
William Dawes, rode out of Boston
to warn the militia men that “The
British were coming!”
The minutemen first met the British at
Lexington in the early morning of
April 19, 1775.
Although they were defeated at
Lexington, the minutemen defeated
the British at Concord and chased
them back to Boston.
The American Revolution had begun.
HOMEWORK
Letter to the
King
Imagine yourself living in the American colonies
in the 1770s. Combine that with the
information from this PowerPoint and write a
letter to either King George III or Parliament
giving arguments why the laws and acts
passed by Parliament violated the colonists’
rights.
The letter needs to be addressed to the King or
Parliament. The letter should have at least
three paragraphs and address specific acts of
Parliament and/or events leading to the
beginning of the American Revolution.
HOMEWORK
Letter to the
Colonists
Time to reverse our roles from yesterday’s
homework. Exchange your letter to the person
to your right (if you are at the end of the row,
give your letter to first person in your row).
Read and analyze the letter from your
classmate.
Respond to the letter as if you are a member of
Parliament or King George III. This time,
respond to the letter by giving reasons why
the laws and taxes were imposed on the
colonists and how they were necessary and
just.