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The Beginning and Provincial America to Transition
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The Beginning Introduction
The early years of American history were devoted to basic survival, as the English colonists
endeavored to live in the swampy, disease-ridden Virginia colony and in the frigid, inhospitable
New England colonies. The European explorers and colonists had no idea what to expect when
they reached the “New World,” and the very first colonists found they were ultimately
unprepared for the adventure. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was the fact that they were
not alone – in fact, civilizations had risen, flourished, and vanished for more than 10,000 years
on the North American continent.
How the colonists adapted to their new environment is a testament to their will to replicate on
distant shores the European society into which they were born. Whether it was the Spanish or
English colonies, Europe staked its claim on North America. In order to make room for this new
civilization the settlers took by force what the Native populations refused to voluntarily
relinquish. From the beginning, the American colonies were steeped in the violence that would
be a hallmark of this new society. How this New World evolved is where this history begins.
Why did the Europeans come to America? Magellan, Cortez, Columbus, all of the European explorers who traveled to the far reaches of
the planet, did so for the same basic reason: they were searching for resources of one kind or
another. They sought riches in the form of gold, spices such as pepper, luxury food items like
coffee, sugar, and cocoa, and they sought land and timber for agricultural development,
settlement, and ship-building. Since none of these products could be produced in Europe and
there was very little land available for agriculture and settlement they had to find these
resources elsewhere. As they encountered new lands and peoples, they traded their finished
goods for the raw materials grown, mined, and harvested in these “exotic” places. Therefore,
the ever-increasing populations of Europe began to move across the globe, settling in the far-off
places described by the explorers and endeavoring to make new lives as colonists – distant
subjects of European monarchies.
Trading with distant lands, such as Asia, required dependable marine technology. With the
desire to procure goods from distant lands, it was imperative that Europeans develop
technology that would enable stronger, faster, and more efficient ships, such as those utilized by
the controversial Christopher Columbus.
Columbus, famously – yet erroneously – noted for discovering America, wanted to find a
westward route to Asia. Having been turned down by Portugal, Columbus approached Spain
with the proposition of funding a mission to find this new route. Spain agreed, and in 1492
Columbus set sail west from Spain in search of Asia. What he found instead was North America
– specifically the Bahamas and Cuba.
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It was not long after that Spain claimed the entire New World as its territory, with the exception
of Brazil, which was determined to be Portugal’s. From Spain, however, came the
Conquistadores to the New World, which marked the beginning of true colonization. The
Conquistadores began by settling in the Caribbean, but by 1518 Mexico was under the
leadership of Hernando Cortes.
The overall purpose of the settlement of the New World by Spain was to acquire new wealth.
Mexico provided that wealth in the form of gold and silver, but it also provided an obstacle to
settlement in the form of the Aztecs. However, greatly assisted by the smallpox disease, Cortes
ultimately defeated and conquered the Aztecs and Spain
acquired its wealth.
As Spain looked north from Mexico it had visions of even
more treasure. By 1565, the first European settlement
was established in present day America at the Spanish
fort in what is now St. Augustine, Florida.
Although Spain had claimed the New World as its sole
territory, it was not the only European country seeking
new land. In fact, John Cabot had found North America
and staked England’s claim to it in 1497, only five years
after Christopher Columbus had set sail from Spain.
Some in England saw America as an opportunity to start
over, rather than just to obtain more wealth. The toll of
war after war, religious strife, and a difficult economic
situation for the serfs of England caused many to view
Christopher Columbus landing on shore
America as a place where a perfect society could be
of North America with crew
established. However, not everyone was suffering in
England; in fact, there was a rising class of merchant capitalists that were prospering from
increased foreign trade.
However, England and much of Europe began to favor the concept of mercantilism.
Mercantilism rests on the assumption that the nation as a whole was the principal actor in the
economy, not the individuals within it. Therefore, the goal of mercantilism was to increase
national wealth. Merchant capitalists saw this as an opportunity to profit by serving the nation.
However, as mercantilism peaked in Europe, these merchant capitalists had to seek out new
trade partners – such as overseas colonies.
Strong governments resulted in a more stable economy, but also in religious persecution. The
Protestant Reformation, the English Reformation, and other Reformation movements spread
throughout Europe, resulting in intellectual and physical disputes between orthodox Catholicism
and its alternatives. Martin Luther and John Calvin, although working independent of each other,
were considered the leaders of this European Reformation movement. By the early 17th century,
many religious nonconformists began looking for a new place to live and worship.
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It should also be mentioned that in addition to the English and the Spanish, the French and the
Dutch, largely due to the mercantilist policies of European governments, had established
colonies in America.
Europeans arrive – and they are not alone European settlers had a profound impact on the history of America, but, to be completely clear,
one must acknowledge that they were not the first to settle, let alone discover, America.
A quick glimpse of the historical timeline shows that in the years 14,000 -12,000 B.C. nomadic
tribes from Asia began to cross the Bering Strait, a land bridge at the time, from Asia to North
America. From there, these peoples migrated southward throughout North and South America,
establishing civilizations all along the way. Some of the civilizations were more nomadic, like
those of northern North America, while others were more permanent, like those of the Aztecs,
Incas, and Mayans. Each was impacted by the arrival
of Europeans, mostly in negative ways.
It was these cultures that greeted the Europeans upon
their arrival. The greetings were not always negative; if
it were not for the help of the natives in present-day
Central and South America, the Europeans would not
have so easily found gold, silver, and other riches. It
was the natives that helped guide the Europeans.
From there, greed took over.
One of the more obvious impacts of Europeans on the
Aztec warriors defending
the temple of Tenochtitlan
native civilizations was that of conquest. The
Conquistadores of Spain are a shining example of this, as they ultimately conquered and ruled
the Aztec nation. The Conquistadores saw the natives as “savages,” and worked toward a
policy of extermination and subjugation.
In addition to the extermination of life, Europeans worked to exterminate cultural aspects of the
natives. They destroyed records, documents, temples, and monuments, razed cities, and
systematically killed leaders. They worked to destroy the native civilization and culture.
Displacement from historical territories is another impact suffered by the natives. Whether it was
the colonists of Jamestown in present-day New England or others, land was a prized and
necessary aspect of survival. Some of the displacement came as the result of a desire for more
profits, as was the case with the tobacco plantation of the Jamestown area, while other
displacements came as the result of being forcibly removed from territories.
The natives of America suffered mightily from the military escapades of Europeans, which
resulted in the loss of life, territories, and autonomy. However, the most devastating impact on
the native cultures was European diseases, to which the natives had not developed immunity.
Similar to how the English colonists of Jamestown were not immune to malaria and suffered
from its effects, the natives suffered from outbreaks of diseases brought by the Europeans.
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These diseases included smallpox, measles, chicken pox, mumps, typhus, and influenza. These
diseases led to the near extinction of
Tobacco Saves the Day One of the first British colonies in America, Jamestown was profoundly impacted by the
cultivation of tobacco. To understand the importance of tobacco to the survival of the colony it is
first important to understand why the colony had been initially established.
Jamestown was a colony established by
the London Company, a private venture
chartered by James I in 1606, to colonize
America. The settlers of Jamestown were
aware of the failed Roanoke colony, and
decided to learn from the mistakes of
Roanoke. Therefore, when they arrived in
America they sailed inland through the
Chesapeake Bay and up the James River
where they established a colony on a
peninsula, which they called Jamestown.
Jamestown colonist and planter John Rolfe
began to cultivate tobacco, despite the
concerns of the English.
They chose this location because they
thought it could be easily defended, but the
decision to locate here cost nearly all their lives. The location was low and swampy, hot and
humid, and subject to outbreaks of malaria. In addition, the area was surrounded by thick
woods, making it difficult to cultivate.
Malaria outbreaks, coupled with a lack of food due, in part to excessive greed and unwillingness
to work, almost led to the extinction of the settlement. Under the leadership of Captain John
Smith, however, the colony survived. More turbulent times were ahead for the colony, including
confrontations with local Indian tribes and potential starvation. However, through some luck, the
London Company (aka the Virginia Company) endured. One of the reasons was the discovery
of a marketable commodity that was easily grown in their area: tobacco.
Europeans had been aware of American tobacco ever since the first voyage of Christopher
Columbus. He observed natives using the plant. By the early 17th century, Spain had taken
advantage of this new-found crop and began supplying all of Europe. The demand continued to
grow throughout Europe, despite some concerns of the English. King James I urged his
subjects not to use tobacco and “imitate the barbarous and beastly manners of the wild,
godless, and slavish Indians, especially in so vile and stinking a custom.” Another concern of
the British was that by purchasing and using tobacco, they were actually funding Spain.
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By 1612 however, Jamestown colonist and planter John
Rolfe began to cultivate tobacco. As the Jamestown and
other English colonies cultivated more and more,
the English demand for tobacco increased. One of the
primary and immediate results of this increased demand
for tobacco was the need for more land, as tobacco
cultivation requires a great deal of it. Colonists began to
establish plantations deeper into the interior of America,
further and further away from Jamestown, and infringing
on more of the land of the natives.
In addition to tobacco, the colonists grew other agricultural
products. However, they were not efficient in cultivating
crops in this new land, and despite the assumption of
superiority in culture the colonists learned a great deal
about agriculture from the natives.
The Indians of Virginia had long been established farmers,
growing beans, pumpkins, potatoes, corn, and other
In addition to tobacco,
vegetables. The colonists adopted some, but not all, of the
the colonists grew other
techniques of the natives – such as the annual burning for
agricultural products.
fertilization and planting of beans to replenish exhausted
soil. Nonetheless, the agricultural technologies and products that the natives introduced to the
colonists did indeed help them ultimately survive.
The British Stronghold As the British colonies became more and more established and independent, especially
economically, the British saw an opportunity and a need to exert meaningful control over the
colonies. The primary reason for the renewed emphasis on controlling the colonies and taking
advantage of their economic success was to improve the British economy.
England’s economy was based on the mercantile system, where the majority of trade is done
within one’s own territory, thus keeping the kingdom’s money in the kingdom. The fact that the
colonies existed, yet were not controlled, threatened this system. The English viewed the
colonies as a good market for the goods produced in England, as well as a good source of raw
materials. In order to fully take advantage of this, England needed to monopolize trade with the
colonies and have more power to supervise them.
In 1650 and 1651, Parliament passed laws to keep Dutch ships out of the English colonies.
However, under Charles II more aggressive Navigation Acts were passed. In 1660, the first
Navigation Act limited the colonies to trade carried in English ships only. In 1663, the second
Navigation Act required all goods being shipped from Europe to the colonies to travel first
through England, allowing the goods to be assessed an English tax. In 1673, the third
Navigation Act imposed duties on coastal trade among the English colonies. These acts also
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resulted in the establishment of British customs officials in America, as well as a government
agency in England to oversee the colonies.
The ultimate goal of all of these actions was to increase profits to England and exert control
over England’s American colonies. However, despite these efforts by the British, the Americans
were able to forge a unique character and build a new society far removed both in miles and
manner from their mother country.
Provincial America to Transition Introduction
Life in the American colonies of England was diversified according to
geography, with the northern and southern colonies developing in
very different ways. There was more stability in the North and, once
the colonists adjusted to the frigid northern winters, they had less
difficulty dealing with climate-related conditions than did the malarial
southern colonists. In addition, life expectancy was higher in the
North and more families remained intact. In both parts of the country
women were expected to have several babies and care for the
house; however, they were treated differently depending on where
they lived.
As the colonies developed, laborers were always in demand. At first,
white indentured servants were utilized; next, as the conditions of the
South proved to be harsh, white laborers were unwilling to work
there and an alternative labor supply was needed. The result was
that African slavery became the main source of labor in the harsh
working conditions of the South.
“The Original Thirteen, English
Colonies” retrieved from:
http://bensguide.gpo.gov.
As the economies and cultures of the colonies grew, so did the
tensions between the colonies and England. The colonists were
often upset by England’s taxing them without representation. This
taxation led to several boycotts of English goods, including tea.
Indentured Servitude Labor was a constant need in the colonies. It was hard work to clear land, build barns, and plant
and harvest crops in the South, while in the North merchants needed laborers to do such work
as building barrels and constructing ships. Both the North and the South invested heavily in
indentured servants as well as African slavery, but as the decades progressed, the South
became completely reliant on African slave labor, while the North slowly retreated from the use
of African slaves, freeing many during and directly after the American Revolution.
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Indentured servitude was simply a form of labor that was utilized until enough African slaves
could be imported to fulfill the colonies’ labor needs. Signing indenture contracts was a method
by which poor Europeans could obtain passage to America. Rather than paying for their ticket
aboard ships bound for America, they would sign an indenture that would bind them to labor for
the party who paid their fare for the period specified in the contract – typically seven years.
Some were trying to escape difficulties and persecution in England, while others were hoping to
gain a fortune in their own right. The master would provide passage to America, shelter, and
food. Indentured servants were usually voluntary and were promised tools and land upon
successful termination of their agreement. Often, however, the servants were left with nothing.
Not all indentured servants chose this path voluntarily however; some were brought to America
involuntary. These servants included orphans, vagrants, and convicts.
Since men outnumbered women in the Chesapeake, female domestic servants would likely
marry upon termination of their agreement. Men fared worse and were not always able to
provide for themselves. Some servants were able to become artisans, trades-people, and
farmers at the end of their indenture. However, many others were not as fortunate and were
forced to travel the countryside in search of work and land.
Indentured servants were a significant factor in the population growth of America. Eventually,
due to improved conditions in England, the number of servants began to decline in the 1670s,
and those servants who did migrate to America learned to avoid the southern Colonies because
of the harsh working conditions. This is one reason for the increase in African Slavery in
America.
Families and Women’s Roles in the Chesapeake The high mortality rate in the colonies resulted in greater familial instability than that in England.
Men in America did not have the same traditional power and control over their families as did
their counterparts in England. In addition, sexual behaviors were more flexible for a number of
reasons. The unique situation of indentured servitude, for example, led to less traditional
attitudes regarding sex. Indentured servants were not allowed to marry until their terms of
agreement were reached, thus premarital sexual relationships were not uncommon. However, if
a servant became pregnant and bore a child during her agreement she would suffer from harsh
treatment, such as whipping and additional years of servitude. Children were also often taken
from their mother after weaning to begin their own servitude. Not all families of indentured
servants were broken up though. Pregnant servants whose partner could pay her fines, or those
who gave birth after their time of servitude ran out, would usually quickly marry.
The free women of the Chesapeake region had a greater level of freedom and power than their
counterparts in England. Women frequently outlived their husbands and were left the
responsibility of managing the home or the plantation. This proved to be both a blessing and a
hardship, as women enjoyed economic power but were under great pressure to maintain the
plantation. This pressure often led the women to seek assistance in maintaining the plantation,
generally in the form of a new marriage. Ironically, and not that dissimilar from today, there were
many stepfamilies that included stepchildren, half-brothers, and half-sisters living together.
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The role of women however, did change as the population of the Chesapeake colony evolved.
The number of indentured servants declined and natural reproduction increased the population,
resulting in the ratio between males and females stabilizing. Life expectancy also began to
increase during this time. As men began to live longer, the patriarchal families returned. Thus,
the male once again assumed a more traditional role as head of the household.
Women and Families in New England Women who resided in the northern Colonies had a different
existence than their counterparts in the Chesapeake colonies.
Death rates, for example, declined more rapidly in the North
than in the South, causing the male to female ratio in the
North to be more equal, leading to more familial stability.
Northern children were also more likely to survive infancy.
Young women did not have as much power as the young
women of the South because parents in New England usually
survived to see their children and grandchildren reach
maturity. Therefore, women were not afforded the same
opportunities to choose their own spouse without influence
from their parents. In addition, with the gender ratio being
fairly equal, there were fewer men competing for the women.
Parents of the North asserted even more control over their
children because male children needed land from their fathers
in order to begin their own families and women needed a
A woman’s place was to serve her
husband
and thus women were to be
dowry
submissive and modest.
for marriage.
Nonetheless, women still married young and devoted most of their existence to having children
and maintaining a household. A woman’s place was to serve her husband and thus women
were to be submissive and modest. However, women were essential to the northern economy
through their gardening, raising poultry, weaving, and tending to cattle.
How Slavery began in British America Black servants were always in demand in America. The need was even greater when tobacco
cultivation became a large part of the economy. South America and the Caribbean islands were
where many slaves were shipped to during the 16th century, and, by the 17th century, black
workers were becoming numerous in North America. Between North America, South America,
and the Caribbean islands as many as 11 million Africans were taken from Africa and shipped to
the “New World” as slaves.
Many of the slaves were captured by Native African chieftains of enemy tribes and brought to
the docks for trade with the Europeans. For weeks or months, the prisoners were packed in
ships and sent on their journey to the Americas, with their first stop usually being the Caribbean.
Depending on the captain, the prisoners were treated poorly and subjected to the worst kinds of
inhuman treatment. On this horrific journey, referred to as The Middle Passage, conditions were
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so deplorable that on many ships the prisoners were packed so tightly that they could not stand
or breathe. Sometimes, entire shiploads of Africans would die; however, the slave traders would
make enough money on the insurance that the journey would still be worthwhile. If the prisoners
died on the journey, they were thrown overboard. The prisoners were usually only given minimal
food and water. Often women prisoners were the victims of sexual abuse and many would
arrive in the Americas already pregnant with the children of white sailors. After arrival, the
prisoners were auctioned off and taken to their new ‘homes.’
Prior to the 1670s, the majority of the slaves were taken to the sugar economies of Brazil and
the Caribbean islands, as opposed to being brought directly to North America. In the mid-1690s,
when the Royal African Company’s slave trade monopoly was terminated, African slaves were
rapidly arriving in North America – resulting in about a quarter of a million slaves by 1760.
Slaves were concentrated in the South because of the decline in the white servants’ willingness
to work in the harsh conditions.
The status of black laborers in America was never an easy thing to determine. In 1619, when
the first Africans were brought to the colonies, their status was not clearly defined. They and the
next several shipments of Africans were treated similar to the white indentured servants and
were freed after a period of service. As the years progressed, however, the colonies began to
establish more rigid policies concerning the Africans, and soon Africans were enslaved in
perpetuity and all children of female slaves followed the condition of their mothers. In other
words, slavery had become an inherited condition. Slavery was determined by maternity rather
than paternity because so many of the children born to female slaves were sired by white men.
Ascribing to these children free status would create more instability in the already tense racial
landscape of the colonies. It was more expedient, then, to categorize all children of female
slaves as slaves.
Therefore, by the early 18th century, status within the colonies was based upon a racial
hierarchy and skin color was the most reliable determinant of whether a person was enslaved or
free. In the early 18th century, “slave codes” were passed in an effort to ensure that the rights of
blacks were limited and that the masters’ authority was solidified. These codes were necessary
because blacks constantly resisted the bonds of slavery by running away, fighting back,
poisoning their masters, starting fires, injuring livestock, and engaging in countless other subtle
and overt subversive activities. Unlike in the Caribbean, the blacks did not outnumber the whites
in America, so outright rebellions were rare. Additionally, the slavery in the colonies was based
around family units with the production of cotton and tobacco, unlike in the Caribbean where
sugarcane production necessitated larger numbers of more volatile populations of single male
slaves.
The Economies of the Southern and Northern Colonies Americans traded with the Native Americans, Spanish colonists to the South, and French
settlers to the north. While some populations relied solely on trading with Native Americans,
most Americans tried to grow crops that could be traded with the local, inter-colonial, and export
markets.
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Tobacco was in strong demand in Europe. Therefore, some planters became very wealthy.
There was a cycle of boom and bust for the tobacco growers, as supply sometimes outgrew
demand. The planters did not always understand the concept of supply and demand, resulting
in this cycle of instability.
Iron technology was a short-lived
industry as financial failure forced
the operations to close in 1668.
In Georgia and South Carolina, rice production was at the root
of the economy. Farmers could create rice paddies by
building dams and dikes. Working in the rice paddies was
very difficult, which resulted in many white laborers refusing to
work there. This is one reason that African slaves were used.
African slaves were better workers in such conditions, as they
were more resistant to malaria and had experience working in
rice paddies in Africa. In the 1740s indigo became another
crop that contributed to the economy of South Carolina. Indigo
could be cultivated in the higher grounds of South Carolina.
Adding to indigo’s value to the farmers was the fact that it was
harvested when rice was in the growing season. Southern
colonies did not develop a commercial or industrialized
economy since the economy relied on cash crops. London
merchants handled the trading of rice and tobacco.
Agriculture also played a role in the North, although it was not
the only economic factor. The conditions in the North for
farming were less favorable than in the South. Wheat was grown mainly in New York,
Pennsylvania, and in the Connecticut River valley. In addition to wheat, a commercial economy
also emerged. The families of the North also made goods they could trade or sell. There were
cobblers, blacksmiths, cabinetmakers, printers, silversmiths, and rifle makers. As iron
technology developed, objects such as anvils, pots, and nails were made. However, this was a
short-lived industry as financial failure forced the operations to close in 1668. Gradually, metal
works became an important part of the economy again by 1764. Many laborers were brought
over from Germany to work in the factories. Concerned about overproduction, the Iron Act of
1750 controlled the metal processing in the colonies and limited the manufacturing. The small
domestic market, inadequate labor force, and limited transportation also halted the
industrialization of metal in America.
A thriving commercial economy buttressed by fishing, mining, and lumbering also existed in the
North. Exporting these products to England proved to be very important to the northern
economy. England’s desire to control the economy of the colonies, however, would prove to be
a source of serious contention.
The Difficulties between America and England. In the mid-1760s, a string of incidents occurred that helped strain the relationship between
England and the American colonies, including the Stamp Act Crisis, the Townshend Acts, the
Boston Massacre, and the Tea Excitement.
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The Stamp Act Crisis The Stamp Act was an effort by England to raise money by placing a stamp on a wide variety of
goods sold in America. The colonists would then have to pay for the stamp, which was
essentially a tax. This act was a unifying force for the colonists against England, in part because
it affected all people. However, most people
were not concerned about the cost of the
stamp as much as they were that if it passed
without resistance there would be other acts
from England. In May of 1765, Patrick Henry
spoke to the Virginia House of Burgesses
indicating that Americans should only be taxed
by their representatives, a proposal he
introduced in a set of resolutions. He argued
that the Stamp Act was taxation without
Retrieved from the Collections of the Clements Library.
representation and that people in Virginia should
("The Repeal or the Funeral Procession of Miss Americonly pay taxes voted on in Virginia. Meanwhile,
Stamp": A satiric cartoon commemorating the repeal of
the Stamp Act, c. 1766. Illustration courtesy of the
in Massachusetts, James Otis influenced
Library of Congress, Prints and Photo
colonial members to call for action opposing the
act. The colonial members petitioned the two houses of Parliament and the King, suggesting
that the colonies could not be taxed. There were also riots in the summer of 1765 that included
burning stamps and intimidating stamp agents by the Sons of Liberty, a well organized group of
colonists. The sale of stamps ended when England backed down due to economic pressure
from New Englanders who refused to buy English goods in protest. Many merchants in England
were impaired by the boycott in the colonies and on March 18, 1767, Parliament repealed the
Stamp Act.
The Townshend Acts After coming to power, Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was determined
to deal with the colonists’ grievances against Parliament. The Mutiny Act of 1765 required the
colonists to provide supplies and quarters for British troops stationed in America. The colonists
did not object to voluntarily providing supplies and quarters for the troops but did object to being
forced to do so. The colonist reacted to this act with defiance and refused to vote on providing
the mandated supplies to the troops in both Massachusetts and New York.
Townshend also passed two measures through Parliament. The first one included disbanding
the New York Assembly until they agreed to abide by the Mutiny Act. The second imposed
taxes on goods such as lead, paint, tea, and paper imported to the American colonies from
England. In theory, the colonists could not object to the external taxes like they did the internal
ones. The passage of disbanding the New York Assembly was an attempt to isolate New York.
This, however, only created resentment within the other colonies, and the Massachusetts’
Assembly ultimately encouraged other colonies to oppose any tax imposed by Parliament. The
Boston merchants began another boycott of English goods and in 1768, New York and
Philadelphia merchants agreed to join the boycott. Even merchants and planters of the South
joined the boycott, which precipitated a trend wherein it became more stylish to buy domestic
products rather than English luxuries.
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In 1767, Charles Townshend abruptly passed away. His
replacement, Lord North tried to break the boycott and divide
the colonies by repealing all Townshend Duties, excluding the
tea tax.
The Boston Massacre The Colonists of Massachusetts harassed many of the new
customs commissioners so much that British troops were
placed inside the city. However, the English government paid
little and the troops were always looking for after hour jobs to
supplement their wages. This led to more tensions as the job
market was already tight. On the evening of March 5, 1770,
British soldiers were on the docks looking for work. “Liberty
boys,” dockworkers, and others began throwing rocks and
snowballs at custom houses. Several British soldiers were
placed by Captain Thomas Preston in front of a building to
protect it. When one of the soldiers was knocked down, other
British soldiers fired into the crowd. Five colonists were killed,
leading this incident to be referred to as the Boston Massacre.
Paul Revere wrote about the incident as if it was carefully planned, driving the perception of
English oppression even deeper. Some of the soldiers were eventually found guilty of
manslaughter and sentenced.
Illustration courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/
Many Americans were convinced that the soldiers were guilty of murder, which led to the
marking of the anniversary with demonstrations and speeches. During this time, Samuel Adams
argued that England was now full of corruption and sin. As Adams saw it, America was the only
place where virtue could be sustained. In Boston, Adams founded the first “Committee of
Correspondence,” which exposed the grievances against England. Other colonies began to
follow the lead of Adams.
The Tea Excitement The tax on tea was still left over from the Townshend era. In 1773, Britain’s East India Company
had a large amount of tea that they were unable to sell, which ultimately caused financial
troubles. In an effort to save the company, Britain passed The Tea Act of 1773. This act allowed
the merchants to sell the tea to the colonies without paying navigation taxes to the colonial
merchants. Therefore, the tea could be sold at a price
less than other tea in the colonies. This angered the
colonial tea merchants, as they were fearful of going
bankrupt and being replaced. The English merchants
could also choose to which merchants in the colonies
they wanted to sell their tea. This new act again brought
up the problem of taxation without representation. Lord
North thought that the colonial people would be happy,
as they would be able to buy tea at a lesser price.
Illustration courtesy of the Library of Instead, however, there was an enormous boycott on tea.
Congress, Prints and Photographs
Division. http://www.loc.gov
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Page 13 of 14
Women were instrumental in this boycott and became leaders of it as well. Women organized
the Daughters of Liberty and vowed that
“…rather than freedom, we’ll part with our
tea.”
“…rather than freedom, we’ll part with our tea.” The colonists’ continued disgruntlement led
them to block the unloading of tea from
ships in New York and Philadelphia. On the
evening of December 16, 1773, local
patriots, who included about 150 men
The Daughters of Liberty disguised as Indians, went aboard three
ships, broke open chests filled with tea, and
dumped them into the harbor. This was
called the Boston “tea party.” Upon hearing the news of the Boston tea party, other ports
followed the example. Lord North and George III closed the Boston port after the colonists
refused to pay for the tea, reducing Boston’s economic power.
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Page 14 of 14