Wednesday, September 29, 2016
• Today’s bellwork:
– What was it that caused Great Britain to be
in debt so badly?
– What did Parliament and the King begin to
do to make up for the debt?
British Actions
Colonial Reactions
By the end of today, you will
Identify how English
Policies and Colonial responses
led to the writing of the
Declaration of Independence.
4
Reaction to the
Sugar Act
Colonists were angered by the Sugar Act and
argued that Parliament had no right to tax them
in the first place since they have no elected
officials representing them in Parliament.
James Otis, a young lawyer in Boston, argued
that “taxation without representation is tyranny!”
Colonists also argued that trials without juries
were unfair.
“No Taxation without Representation”
Sons of Liberty: Reactions to
the Stamp Act
Still firm in their belief that Parliament had no
right to tax them, the colonists decided to
protest. Samuel Adams, a Patriot from Boston,
formed a group called the Sons of Liberty. After
months of protest, including refusing to buy
stamps, attacking tax collectors’ homes, and
even starting to bury one tax collector alive,
Parliament repealed the Stamp Act and colonists
celebrated.
Colonists’ Reaction to the
Quartering Act
Colonists were disturbed by the idea that they
would have to house and feed the soldiers,
especially since they felt the soldiers were
unnecessary since England won the French and
Indian War. The idea that the colonists would
have to pay to house and feed soldiers who they
felt were only there to supervise and intimidate
them angered the colonists immensely.
Colonists Worry
Although the colonists were pleased with the
cancelation of the Stamp Act, the new
Declaratory Act worried them. Colonists began
to fear that Britain was attempting to take away
any freedom the colonies had.
At this point, colonists began to worry about any
chance of reconciliation with Britain. They also
feared what new laws and taxes might be
coming next.
The Townshend Acts
Knowing that colonists would no longer tolerate
any new taxes being paid within the colonies,
Parliament passed the Townshend Acts in 1767.
These laws placed taxes on basic items
colonists needed, but were unable to produce
within the colonies (glass, tea, paper, lead).
Colonists would have to pay a tax at the port of
entry in order to import these goods.
Boycott
Samuel Adams once again urged the
colonists to Boycott British goods.
This time, the boycott was even more
widespread and effective. The
colonists were on the verge of total
rebellion and British customs officers
in the colonies sent word of it back to
Britain. In response, Britain sent two
regiments of troops to Boston. The
newly arrived “redcoats” set up
camp right in the center of the city.
The Boston Massacre
On March 7, 1770, tensions between the
redcoats and the colonists hit a peak. That day,
a crowd of colonists began insulting soldiers and
throwing stones, snowballs, oyster shells, and
pieces of wood at the soldiers. After one of the
soldiers was knocked down, the nervous and
confused soldiers fired at the colonists. Five
colonists were killed, including Crispus Attucks,
a half African-half native man who later became
an icon of the anti-slavery movement.
Colonists Protest
The Boston Massacre led to even stronger
boycotts on British goods. In addition, it created
stronger feelings of resentment toward Britain
within the colonies. To help spread word of the
massacre through the colonies, Paul Revere
engraved the scene onto a copper plate. Soon,
copies of the engraving were circulating
throughout the colonies.
The Tea Act
The tea act and Boston Tea party
In order to cut their losses, Parliament was forced
to repeal the Townshend Acts, which removed all
of the taxes on imported goods except for tea. In
1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act which
allowed the British East India Company to ship
tea to the colonies without paying the taxes
colonial tea merchants had to pay. This allowed
the British merchants to sell their tea much
cheaper than colonists could.
The Boston Tea Party
In Massachusetts, colonists decided to take
action. The Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel
Adams, dressed up as natives and boarded
British ships in the Boston Harbor. They dumped
all 342 crates-or 45 tons of the British East India
Company’s tea into the water. Men and women
who’d heard of the event gathered in the streets
to celebrate.
The Intolerable/Coercive Acts
To punish the colonists for their defiance in the
Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed the
Coercive Acts in 1774. These new laws had four
major components:
1) Closed Boston Harbor
2) Canceled Massachusetts charter
3) More housing of British troops
4) Allowed British officials/soldiers accused of
murder in the colonies to be tried in England