Proclamation Line of 1763 The Proclamation of 1763 “preserved to the said Indians” the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains and ordered white settlers “ to remove themselves from such Settlements,” forbade white settlement, and restricted commerce with the American Indians to traders licensed by the British government….Power over westward expansion was in the hands of British officials, outside the colonists’ control. By preventing the colonial population from moving inland the British ministry hoped to avoid costly wars, protect the western fur trade, and keep western land speculation under the control of the crown….. The Americans, who looked at the new land as an opportunity for settlement, without the interference of the British government, resented the terms of the proclamation. (McGraw Hill, United States History to 1877) Writs of Assistance­1763 Great Britain needed revenue to pay for the debt they incurred from the French and Indian War. The King and Parliament felt the colonists should pay for these costs, so the British government issued new taxes on the colonists. It also enforced old taxes more strictly. To avoid these taxes, the colonists resorted to smuggling. The Prime minister of England knew that if these smugglers would go on trial, they were often found not guilty. To avoid this, he issued the the Writs of Assistance, which allowed for British officers to search anywhere­shops, warehouses, and private homes. This angered the colonists because they believed in John Locke’s rule of nature: “no one ought to harm in his life, liberty, and possessions”­therefore, taking away their natural rights. (McGraw Hill, United States History to 1877) Quartering Act­1765 The Quartering Acts refers to provisions passed by the British Parliament during the 18th century. Under these Acts, local colonial governments were forced to provide food, wine, bedding, utensils, candles, firewood and housing to British soldiers stationed in the American colonies. The intent of the act was to alleviate tension and problems experienced during the Seven Years’ War(French and Indian War), but in reality they increased tensions between the American colonies and the British government. Colonists believed their individual rights were taken away. ​(http://totallyhistory.com/quartering­acts/) Stamp Act­1765 This act taxed almost all printed materials(everyday items). Newspapers, wills, and even playing cards needed a stamp to show that the tax had been paid. This act outraged the colonists. They argued that only their own assemblies could tax them. Patrick Henry, a member of the House of Burgesses, got the assembly to take action. The group passed a resolution that gave them the sole right to issue taxes. Also, the tax resulted in the organization of many new opposition groups like the Son’s of Liberty. The Stamp Act resulted in many colonists to boycott British goods, causing the King to eventually repeal the tax. ​(McGraw Hill, United States History to 1877) The Townshend Acts­1767 The Stamp Act taught the British that the colonists would resist taxes that were paid inside the colonies. As a result, parliament passed the Townshend Acts to tax imports like glass, tea, and paper BEFORE the goods were brought inside the colonies. Protests against this tax began immediately. Women­some organized as the Daughters of Liberty­ urged many to boycott these British goods. ​(McGraw Hill, United States History to 1877) Boston Massacre­1770 On March 5, 1770, a crowd of Boston boys and men surrounded a number of British soldiers and began taunting and cursing them while they pelted the soldiers with snowballs. Order quickly broke down, and the frightened soldiers fired into the crowd. When the shooting ended, several people were dead and more were wounded, including Crispus Attucks, an African American man. He was the first to be killed. This engraving by Paul Revere, a leader of the Boston Sons of Liberty, was sent throughout the Colonies in the following weeks to arouse anti‐British feelings. Colonials leaders used this engraving to portray the redcoats as bloodthirsty and willing to kill the colonists. This led to further boycotts and protests. ​(McGraw Hill, United States History to 1877) The Tea Act­1773 This act that gave a monopoly on tea sales to the East India Company. In other words, American colonists couldn’t buy tea unless it came from that company. The East India Company wasn't doing so well, and the British wanted to give it some more business. The Tea Act lowered the price on this East India tea so much that it was way below the price of tea from other suppliers. But the American colonists saw this law as yet another means of "taxation without representation" because it meant that they couldn't buy tea from anyone else (including other colonial merchants) without spending a lot more money and being taxed. The colonists boycotted tea and displayed one of the most famous acts of civil disobedience, the Boston Tea Party. http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/ Boston Tea Party­1773 Despite warnings of trouble, the East India Company continued shipping tea to the colonies. Colonists in New York and Philadelphia forced the tea ships to turn back; however, three ships of tea arrived to Boston Harbor in Massachusetts. The Boston Sons of Liberty acted swiftly. At midnight, colonists dressed up as Native Americans, boarded the ships and threw 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The phrase “Boston Tea Party” spread. When the news reached the King, he realized he was losing control of the colonies. He issued the Coercive Acts.​(McGraw Hill, United States History to 1877) The Intolerable Acts­1774 (Coercive Act) The Colonists referred to these acts as “intolerable”. These acts forced the colonists to let the British soldiers to live among the colonists. Massachusetts received the harshest treatment .It banned town meetings and closed the Boston Harbor until the colonists paid for the tea they had ruined. It stopped most shipments of food and other supplies to the colony. This punishment was intended to cut the colonies off from one another; however, it brought them closer together. In September 1774, 55 delegates from the colonies gathered in Philadelphia to unite and discuss complaints(grievances) against the British. Eventually that same year, the Continental Congress met again as the Second Continental Congress. These meetings led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.​(McGraw Hill, United States History to 1877)