Causes of the Revolutionary War

1
Causes of the Revolutionary War

• Nov. 2009
• Mrs. Elmore

2
Events of the 1760s and 1770s

• 1763 French and Indian War ended
• British deep in debt
• Army needed to stay in America (protection from
  Natives)
• George Grenville Prime Minister of Britain
• Proclamation of 1763 (none settle in Ohio due
  to Natives)
• Navigation Acts (no smuggling and more taxes)
• Sugar Act (tax on sugar and molasses and)
• Stamp Act of 1765 tax/stamps for every paper,
  licenses, newspapers, almanacs, playing cards

3
Unhappy Colonists

• Families wanted to settle in Ohio (and did
  despite the Proclamation of 1763)
• Sons of Liberty organized a boycott (colonists
  refused to by British goods)
• Stamp Act Repealed since English lost money from
  boycott

4
Townshend Acts - 1767

• British still need money to govern and protect
  the Colonies
• Tax money paid for salaries of governors and
  judges
• Duties on lead, painters colors, glass, paper,
  tea
• Customs officials could search and seize
• Trial by jury denied often

5
Boston Massacre

• 1770 a group of boys throwing snowballs at
  British soldier
• Crowd gathered
• More soldiers arrived
• Crowd yelled insults and threw stones
• Soldiers opened fire
• 5 killed and others wounded
• News spread and anti-British feelings strengthened

6
Tea Act

• 1770-1773 Relations good/quiet
• British East India Company direct shipment to
  Colonies
• Sell at a lower price (upset local merchants who
  smuggled and threatened business)
• British Tea still has tax on it from Townshend
  Acts and upset colonists

7
Boston Tea Party

• Sons of Liberty
• Dressed as natives (60)
• Boarded 3 ships
• Dumped 342 chests of tea overboard into Boston
  Harbor
• British Colonists relations strained
• King George and Parliament wanted to
  punish/humiliate colonists

8
Intolerable Acts

• Boston Harbor closed to colonist until payment
  for ruined tea
• No town meetings without written approval
• General Thomas Gage new governor and commander of
  British Troops in Boston
• British soldiers could be housed in private
  homes, inns, public buildings/warehouses without
  permission of owners
• British officials accused of crimes would be
  tried in England (not America)

9
Reaction

• Colonists united in defense of their liberties
• Committees of Correspondence (Boston and Samuel
  Adams)
• Local groups who directed oppostition
• Letters written between colonies
• 12 delegates met in Philadelphia
• First Continental Congress
• Discussed British-imposed taxes, Intolerable
  Acts, restoring colonial rights