Factors Leading to The American Revolution Part I
BELLWORK What was it like to be a colonist living in America at the end of the French and Indian War?
UNITED STATES HISTORY STANDARD Concept 4: Revolution and New Nation PO 1. Assess the economic, political, and social reasons for the American Revolution: a.british attempts to tax and regulate colonial trade as a result of the French and Indian War
OBJECTIVES Describe the colonial population after the Seven Year's War Discuss the outstanding legacy of the Seven Year's War Describe colonial reaction to the Stamp Act
Results of the French and Indian War Native Americans lose the French as their ally Colonists have a sense of unity because of their united efforts in the French and Indian war Colonists have a greater sense of understanding what it truly meant to be a part of an empire
Treaty of Paris of 1763 The treaty that ended the Seven Years War French gave up all land east of the Mississippi Spain exchanged Florida for Cuba France gave Spain New Orleans
Pontiac s Rebellion 1763-1766 Tensions between Native Americans and the British were high Pontiac led Natives in raids of 8 British forts along the Great Lakes in the summer of 1763 Natives harassed settlers in the backcountry until they realized the French were not going to declare war on Britain again
Proclamation of 1763 King George III decided the best way to stop the Natives from attacking was to close the western frontier to the colonies No colonist was allowed to settle west of the crest of the Appalachian Mountains - the proclamation line
Reaction to the Proclamation Native Americans were at ease because no more lands were going to be taken away Britain exerts total control over the colonies by restricting their expansion Colonists were upset because they were not allowed to expand westward
Question #1 Why did the colonists feel so strongly about the Proclamation of 1763?
British Changes in the Colonies Under King George III the British crown takes a more active role in ruling the colonies A standing army is kept in the colonies to enforce the Proclamation of 1763 and to protect the newly acquired areas of Florida and Canada British law, dictated by Parliament, is strongly enforced by the royal governors and the military New taxes are imposed on the Americans to help pay for the French and Indian War, George Grenville s ideas
The Sugar Act 1764 A tax placed on molasses, replacing the 1733 law Strictly enforced by the British Navy, making smuggling almost impossible New England rum producers lose revenue from the tax due to the increased cost of molasses from the West Indies
Question #2 How did the Sugar Act affect the economy and society of New England?
The Stamp Act 1765 Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765 Colonists purchased a variety of items that now had to be specially marked with this stamp - any legal papers, playing cards, newspaper print This was an internal tax on goods rather than an external tax on trade goods
The Stamp Act 1765 The passing of the Stamp Act brings up the question: Who really is in charge of creating colonial taxes? Colonists taxed themselves through their colonial assemblies, just like the Britains Parliament had never taxed them on internal items for revenue because they were colonies, not the motherland, so almost two hundred years of policy was against it
Protesting the Stamp Act Many colonist protested the tax because they saw it as a violation of their right to govern and tax themselves Protests broke out in Boston where tensions were high due to economic strife The stamp distributor s office and home were destroyed, along with the lieutenant governor s
Sons of Liberty The most famous of the protest groups that was created during the Stamp Act Crisis There were chapters in almost every colonial city by the end of 1765, Boston and New York were the first They worked in secret to rally and protest the Stamp Act, and many other British policies
The Stamp Act Congress 1765 Representatives from nine colonies met in New York City and agreed that Parliament did not have the right to tax outside of Great Britain Colonies refuse to pay the tax and convince the stamp distributors to resign
Repealing of the Stamp Act New York merchants start boycotting British goods by the end of the month as well to get other businesses in other cities to do the same Support in Great Britain from William Pitt also helps in the repeal of the tax
Question #3 What about the Stamp Act was so upsetting to the colonists that they boycotted, protested, and refused to pay the tax?