The Coming of the American Revolution

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The Coming of the American Revolution

• Teaching American History, Lecture 6

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Why did the colonists revolt?

• More than just a tax revolt
• Odds stacked against success
• British had superior military
• Minority of colonists actively supported
  independence
• Revolt could lead to social chaos, democratic
  revolution
• Main reason shift in imperial policy after 1763
  that growing numbers of colonists came to see as
  an attack on their liberties as Englishmen

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The Seven Years War, 1756-1763

• Britain defeats France and Spain, wins all North
  American territory east of Mississippi
• American colonists had no thought of independence
  in 1763

• But war had drained British treasury, led to
  change in policy to raise revenues from colonials
  and force Americans to share burden of defending,
  administering colonies

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Result of the Seven Years War
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New Colonial Policies, 1763-64

• Proclamation of 1763
• Pontiacs Rebellion proved costly to British in
  former French territories
• Proclamation line prevented settlement and
  speculation west of Appalachian mountains
• Sugar Act (1764)
• Raised duty on sugar
• Lowered duty on molasses but enforced it, cracked
  down on smuggling
• Established new customs houses, vice-admiralty
  courts to try smugglers without juries
• Currency Act (1764) prohibited colonies from
  issuing currency to be used as legal tender for
  debt
• Quartering Act (1765) colonies would pay to
  quarter soldiers in vacant buildings during
  peacetime

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The Stamp Act (1765)

• Proposed by Lord Greenville, passed by Parliament
• Tax on all printed matter
• To defray cost of defending and securing frontier
• Taxation without representation or virtual
  representation?
• Response was explosive
• Government level
• Patrick Henry and Virginia Resolves
• Stamp Act Congress
• Grassroots level Sons of Liberty
• Stamp Act repealed in 1766, but Declaratory Act
  passed at same time

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The Townshend Acts(Revenue Act)

• Duty on enumerated goods lead, paper, paint,
  glass, tea
• To pay colonial officials
• Internal vs. external taxes
• Sam Adams
• Saw it as attempt to make rulers independent of
  assemblies
• Wrote letter of protest, circulated by Mass. to
  other colonial assemblies
• Mass. Assembly shut down when it refused to
  rescind letter
• Colonies responded with nonimportation, led
  Parliament to repeal all Townshend duties except
  tea tax

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The Boston Massacre (1770)

• Tensions in Boston led to stationing of troops,
  1768
• Presence of occupying army made things worse, not
  better
• March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired on civilian
  mob, killing five
• On that night, the foundation of American
  independence was laid
• John Adams

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The Final Crisis, 1773-1776

• The Boston Tea Party (1773)
• Began with plan to bail out British East India
  Company by lowering tea duty (Tea Act of 1773)
• In Boston
• Governors sons named as consignees, stood to
  earn big commission
• Radicals resented it, vowed to prevent unloading
  of tea
• Tea destroyed by 150 men
• Could have been amicably resolved, but British
  authorities determined to punish Boston

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The Final Crisis, 1773-1776

• The Coercive Acts
• Boston Port Act shut port until tea paid for
• Administration of Justice Act transferred trials
  of soldiers and officials to England or another
  colony
• Quartering Act troops to be quartered in homes
  if necessary
• Massachusetts Government Act made law
  enforcement officials appointive, abolished local
  governments

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Toward Colonial Unity . . . and War

• First Continental Congress convened in
  Philadelphia
• Issued Declaration of American Rights
• Urged Mass. to arm for defense
• Nullified Coercive Acts
• Lexington and Concord, April 1775
• Second Continental Congress, May 1775
• Established continental army
• Declared independence
• Created Confederation government