R E V O L U T I O N A N D T H E N E W N AT I O N ( 17 5 4 – 1 8 2 0 s )
The Road to Revolution: A Timeline
Timeline
1733 The Molasses Act passes, imposing a duty on
imports of foreign molasses. Poor enforcement leads to
widespread smuggling of goods along the colonial coast.
1764 The Sugar Act passes, imposing tighter controls on
the gathering of taxes on imported sugar, molasses, and
rum. Students at Yale College vow to buy no more imported
liquor.
1765 In an effort to raise revenue to pay for debt incurred
during the French and Indian War, Britain imposes the
Stamp Act, which directly taxes the citizenry. All paper documents are to carry a special stamp before use or transfer.
Items such as playing cards, newspapers, licenses,
almanacs, and even dice are to be taxed. Demand for
repeal is immediate and widespread under the rallying cry
“No taxation without representation.” In a show of growing
unity and formal protest, nine of the colonies send representatives to the Stamp Act Congress, where the repeal of
the Stamp Act, the right to trial jury by peers, and the
desire for representation are discussed. Patrick Henry
drafts the Virginia Resolves, stating that only officials elected by colonists should have the right to tax Virginia’s citizens. The Sons (and in some cases, Daughters) of Liberty,
active throughout the colonies, organize protests, print
leaflets, burn stamps, and lead attacks on stamp offices.
British stamp officers are tarred and feathered. The
colonists unite in a major boycott of British goods.
and fledgling attempts at political unification to outright disregard for laws, mob riots, and radical
protests such as the Boston Tea Party. When protest
proved successful with the repeal of the Stamp Act
and the Townshend Acts, the colonists learned of
Britain’s dependence on American business and the
political strength gained in colonial unity. In 1774
Britain hardened its response to the increasing rebelliousness with the blockade of Boston Harbor. The
colonists further unified as the First Continental
Congress urged the formation of local militias, setting
the stage for the War for Independence.
1770 The Boston Massacre takes place when British soldiers kill five colonists during protests against the
Townshend Acts. The incident further incites colonial opposition to British rule.
1773 Protesting the tea tax imposed by the Townshend
Acts, radicals led by Samuel Adams dump chests of tea
into Boston Harbor in what is now known as the Boston
Tea Party. The protest sparks “tea parties” in New York,
Philadelphia, and other colonial ports.
1774 Britain responds to the Boston Tea Party by passing
a series of laws known as the Coercive Acts, followed by
the Quebec Act. The combined laws, nicknamed the
“Intolerable Acts,” include the Massachusetts Government
Act, which changes the colony’s original charter to give
more power to Massachusetts’s governor. The Boston Port
Act closes Boston to all trade, leading to food shortages.
As a show of support for the rebels of Massachusetts,
South Carolina sends money and rice and New York sends
sheep. Virginia’s House of Burgesses declares a statewide
day of fasting.
1765 The Quartering Act requires colonists to provide funds
for British troops and to house troops in private homes on
demand. New Yorkers refuse to obey and the New York
Assembly is temporarily dissolved the following year as
punishment.
1766 As a result of successful protest and the persuasive
words of American statesman Benjamin Franklin before
Parliament, the Stamp Act is repealed.
1767 The Townshend Acts pass, putting an end to most
long-term smuggling operations and further tightening
British control of trade. The acts include the Suspending
Act, under which the New York legislature is officially dismantled until funds are procured to pay for the quartering
of British troops. They also include the Revenue Act, which
places duties on tea, glass, paper, paint, and lead. Most
Townshend Act duties will be repealed in 1770, but the tax
on tea will remain.
A Boston mob protests the Stamp Act.
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PRIOR TO 1763, GREAT BRITAIN did not involve itself
greatly in the day-to-day functioning of colonial government. Domestic political dissent and various wars
kept the British crown and Parliament distracted.
After the Peace of Paris of 1763, Britain sought to
consolidate its economic and political power over its
colonies. Building on the economic monopoly created with the Navigation Acts (1650–1773), Britain
passed in quick succession several measures of control,
including the Sugar Act of 1764, the Stamp Act of
1765, and the Townshend Acts of 1767. Colonial
rebellion against Britain’s tightening grip ranged from
eloquent speeches, legal battles, economic boycotts,