The Road To Revolution

1
The Road To Revolution

• 1763-1775

2
Currency Act

• Dire financial need ? colonies print paper money
• Depreciates
• British merchants creditors squawk
• Parliament prohibits colonies from printing paper
  money or passing bankruptcy laws

3
Mercantilism

• Merits
• First huge fortunes made on smuggling
• England gave monopoly to VA tobacco planters
• E. pd bounties to colonial builders of ship parts
• Colonies enjoy free protection from navy, army

• Problems
• No economic initiative allowed
• Dependency on British agents/ creditors
• Restrictions prevent economic growth, diversity

4
Why Grenville wants to raise taxes

• Cost of defending the colonies from French
  doubled national debt
• Yearly losses in customs fees v. salaries 6k

5
General Colonial response

• We always respected king
• He always looked after us
• Parliament is trying to deny us rights as
  Englishmen!

6
Molasses Act 1733

• Duty 6 pence per gallon
• Too high!
• Wd raise cost of rum kill industry!

7
Sugar Act 1764

• Lowers duty to 3 p. per gallon (4n- English duty
  free)
• Also adds duties on sugar, indigo, coffee,
  pimento, wine, textiles
• Reqd more paperwork on all shipping
• Violators charged in Admiralty Ct
• No jury!

8
Purpose of Sugar Act

• Pay cost of defense
• Stricter enforcement of nav acts
• Stop smuggling

9
Quartering Act 1765

• Colonies must provide shelter,
• Food
• Vinegar
• Salt
• Drink
• For British soldiers stationed here
• Why do we need soldiers here?
• French are gone no Indians!

10
Stamp Act 1765

• Long used in England
• Revenue stamps put on
• Paper items
• Legal docs
• Newspapers, pamphlets, advertisements
• Cards, etc
• 1st direct tax!

11
Indirect Taxes v Direct taxes

• Indirect taxes paid by merchants
• Direct taxes paid by consumer
• Violates rights because not levied by local
  assemblies (no representation)
• The power to tax power to take away property
• Right to property is guaranteed!
• No man is free who is taxed w/o consent!

12
Protests

• VA Patrick Henry, house of Burgesses
• Called for King to recognize rights of Englishmen
• MA James Otis
• Called for uniform action
• STAMP ACT CONGRESS
• Reps from 9 colonies ? NY 65
• Resolved only their own reps can tax

13
Protests (2)

• Violence
• Sons Daughters of Liberty formed to intimidate
  tax collectors
• some tarred feathered revenue agents
• Destroyed stamps
• Boycotts
• Most effective
• Fashionable to boycott Br made goods 65-66
• London Merchants force repeal of Stamp Act

14
Yeah, but.

• Repeal followed by Declaratory Act 1766
• We have the right to tax and make laws for
  colonies IN ALL CASES WHATSOEVER

15
Phase II 1767-73

• Townshend Acts 67
• Duties on
• Glass
• Tea
• Paper
• to pay crown officials
• No longer dependent upon assemblies
• Writ of Assistance
• General license to search anywhere w/o warrant
• NY Assembly suspended
• For violating Quartering Acts

16
Reaction

• Slow to start bcs indirect taxes
• John Dickenson Letters from a Farmer
• Parl can regulate commerce but not levy tax w/o
  consent
• James Otis, Sam Adams MA Circular letter
• To all assemblies
• Urge petitions for repeal
• British order letter retracted threaten to
  dissolve MA legislature ? troops in Boston
• Colonists renew boycotts
• Merchants ?? smuggling

17
Repeal of Townshend Acts

• New PM Lord North
• Wants repeal bad for trade
• Leaves small tax on tea symbol of right to tax
• Boycott ended

18
Boston Massacre

• Troops in Boston to protect revenue agents
• Mar. 1770 snowy day huge crowds
• Harassed troops near customs house
• Guards fired
• 5 dead
• Crispus Attucks
• John Adams defends soldiers acquitted
• Event inflames anti-British feeling

19
Phase III conflict renews

• Period of peace 1770-02
• Sam Adams starts Committees of Correspondence
• Keep feelings hot
• Brits conspire against our liberties!
• Post all suspicious, threatening activities!

20
Gaspee Incident

• Infamous British customs ship- caught many
  smugglers
• 1772 ran aground RI
• Indians sent crew ashore burned ship
• Guilty never found

21
Boston Tea Party 1773

• 1773 tea act lowered price of Br E. India Co tea
  below Dutch tea
• Still had small tax
• Boycotted rather than recognize Ps right to tax
• Shipment to Boston harbor dumped
• By Indians 1773
• Reaction mixed destruction of private property

22
Intolerable (Coercive) Acts

• Retaliation for tea party 74
• Port Bill port closed till all tea paid for
• MA gov act reduced power of MA legislature
• ??power of royal governor
• Admin of Justice Act royal officials tried in
  England
• Quartering Act expanded to private homes
• Quebec Act organized Fr Canadian land
• Can stay Catholic
• Quebec boundary OH River
• Took land promised to several colonies
• No rep gov allowed there (bad precedent)

23
Reaction

• Committees of correspondence busy
• Colonies send gifts to Boston
• First Continental Congress to meet Sept 74 Phillie

24
1st Continental Congress

• 55 delegates- 12 colonies (no GA)
• Support MA? sanctions
• Suffolk Resolves resistance
• Also The Association sets up new boycott
• All trade w/ WI, GB, IRE
• Violators names will be published

25
Galloways Plan

• New grand council (like Albany Plan)
• Acts subject to veto of Parl
• Delegates refuse to subordinate to Parl
• Plan defeated

26
Parliaments response to Conciliation

• Promise to w/d taxation of colonies who tax
  selves 4 defense
• Banned shipments of arms to colonies
• Congress denies Parliaments authority except to
  regulate trade

27
England readies for conflict

• Thought enemy was MA
• Gen Gage calls for 20K troops
• King G sent 3500

28
War

• Gage knew militia stockpiled arms
• Apr 19 1775 sent 700 ? Concord to seize arms
• Alarms, fire-bells
• Militia waiting at Lexington
• Village Green
• Gun goes off
• Brits open fire kill 8, wound 10
• Brits burn gun carriages, challenge militia
• 2 colonials, 3 Br killed

29
Gauntlet

• Br troops ? Boston
• 700 regulars ran thru fire by 3k -4k Colonials
• 73 Br killed 192 wounded, 22 captured
• 49 Amers killed, 39 wounded
• Rout
• Militia comes from all NE to Boston
• Siege by people w/o army, commander or gov
• June King tried to break siege

30
Bunker Hill

• Re enforced by 1100 troops by sea
• Marched 1200 up Breeds Hill- repulsed

31
Provisional Gov

• Colonial assemblies extra legal congresses
• Indep govs
• Raised troops, issued paper to pay them
• 2nd cont congress to meet in Phillie May 75
• took responsibility for siege of Boston
• Transformed into Continental Army
• Washington commander

32
Independence

• Repudiated Parliament not England
• Loyal to king
• Olive branch petition
• Ask King to repeal oppressive measures blame P
• Issued Declaration of the Causes Necessity of
  Taking up Arms
• Explained choice between submission to tyranny of
  irritated ministers or resistance
• Promised to lay down arms when King agrees to
  rights

33
Kings response

• Geo III Lord North want to teach a lesson
• Sent 25k troops, declared state of rebellion
• Jan 76 new view King Tyrant

34
Common Sense- Paine

• Feeling for indep grows
• Congress authorized privatizing
• Opened trade w/ all world EXCEPT England
• Rumor England might carve us up btwn F S
• Cont Congress declares Indep w/ Jeffersons words
• Rejects P, King Monarchy!