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Events Leading
to American
Independence
Events Leading to
American Independence
• The French and Indian War (1754-1763)
• The winning of the
F&I War creates a
huge debt for Great
Britain;
• With the French gone,
colonists begin to
settle into the Ohio
River Valley.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Proclamation of 1763
• Chief Pontiac leads Indians
against colonists on the frontier
after the F&I War.
• So . . Parliament makes the
Proclamation of 1763 stating
that colonists must stay east
of the Appalachian Mountains.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Britain begins taxing the colonies & enforcing
the Navigation Acts.
• Needed in order to pay for Britain’s F&I War debt;
•
1761 - Writs of Assistance allow the British to search
Colonial ships (used during the F & I War when some
Colonists were trading with the French);
•
1764 - Sugar Act lowers the tax on sugar and hurts Colonial
smugglers like John Hancock, but raises taxes on other
items. One of the first times colonists complain about lack
of representation in Parliament.
•
1765 - Stamp Act - raises revenue by placing a tax on all
official documents (including wills), cards, newspapers, etc.
It is similar to one Parliament has passed in Great Britain.
• British Army will now be needed in the Colonies to enforce
the Navigation Acts and enforce new taxes.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Colonial Protest Begin
• Protest Cry Becomes: “No Taxation without Representation!”
•
Colonists believe this a basic right - Magna Carta
• Stamp Act Congress Takes Action
(Oct. 1765)
• Stamp Act Congress meets in New York City
• Petition King George III and Parliament declaring
Britain has no legal right to pass an “internal tax” in the
colonies.
• Calls for a Colonial boycott of British trade goods.
• British Merchants & Ben Franklin get Parliament to Back Down
- 1766
• Parliament repeals Stamp Act - passes Declaratory Act.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Declaratory Act
- 1766
• Parliament makes it clear it has the right to tax in all cases
• Townshend Acts -
May, 1767
• Parliament taxes glass, paper, silk, lead, and tea imports
• Tax officials once again use Writs of Assistance to search a
ship’s cargo (Many expect bribes to turn their head).
• Non-Importation Agreements (Boycott)
• Boycott agreement are signed by Colonial Planters and
Merchants.
• Sons of Liberty use threats to tax collectors and
merchants who fail to sign these agreements;
• Daughters of Liberty pledge to not use British items;
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Boston Massacre
- March 1770
• A crowd gathers at the Custom House (where imports are taxed)
to harass British guards;
• At first snowballs, then rocks are thrown at guards;
• Reinforcements are called as crowd turns into a mob;
• No command to “fire” is given but
a shot rings out and many soldiers
open fire;
• Sam Adams & Paul Revere depict
this incident as a “massacre” of
peaceful citizens and use it as
propaganda to gain support.
• Most colonists accept Revere’s famous picture as the facts;
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Revere’s Boston Massacre - 1770
• Revere’s famous
engraving is
propaganda at its
finest. It’s printed
throughout the
colonies and all
see and believe it.
• A planned and
ordered killing in
broad daylight of
innocent colonists
is shown. It
omits all facts.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Parliament Backs Down After Boston Massacre
• Non-Importation Agreements Cripple Trade
• British Merchants pressure Parliament to
repeal the Townshend Acts.
• Tax on tea is left by Parliament as a symbol
of Britain’s right to tax colonies.
• Boycott ends.
•Sam Adams and Joseph Warren use The Committees of
Correspondence in 1772 to initiate protests throughout the colonies.
Over 100 are formed.
•set up to keep the Colonists informed and united
• Committees of Correspondence will plan and coordinate future protests throughout
the colonies.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Protest Ignite
• The Boston Tea Party - 1773
•
British Parliament lowers the tax on tea
to Save the British East India Company
from bankruptcy
– Believes the colonists will be pleased
since the price of tea will be lowered.
– Colonists are angry at the special
favoritism given to the British East
India Company
• “Boston Tea Party” is
organized by Sam Adams
• Carried out by the Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians
• aimed at the special favoritism given to the British East India Company
• Thousands of dollars of tea is thrown into Boston Harbor.
Committees of Correspondence organize other “Tea Parties” in
other colonies.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Protest Ignite
• Britain Responds to the Boston
Tea Party with the Intolerable
Acts (1774) (Called the Coercive Acts in
Britain)
•
1. Close the Port of Boston until the
colonists pay for the tea.
– This depresses Boston’s Economy and
punishes all for the act of some.
•
2. Suspends town meetings
– Loss of a basic right to assembly.
•
•
3. Custom Officials Charged with Crimes
are no longer to be tried in the Colonies.
4. New Quartering Act
–
Citizens now force to find housing for
British soldiers in their homes in Boston.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Protest Ignite
• Colonists in other Colonies Unite in Support of
Boston.
•
Food and other aid is sent to Boston.
• Colonists unite because they know that what happened in Boston
can happen to them.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Protest Ignite
• First Continental Congress
• September 1774
•
•
Called in sympathy for Massachusetts
All Colonies except Georgia make it to the
Congress which is at Independence Hall,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
–
–
–
Some call for a moderate approach and just
want to patch-up with Britain
Other colonies urge for firm action against
Britain
In the end, these Colonies Agree to:
•
•
•
•
Side with Massachusetts against the Intolerable
Acts (Coercive Acts).
Boycott all British goods and cut off exports
with Britain until the acts are repealed
Each colony is urged to set up and train its own
militia (citizen army) for defense.
Agree to meet again in May of 1775.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Protest Ignite
• The British Are Coming!
•
•
•
•
4,000 British Troops massed in Boston.
The Massachusetts Militia, known as
the Minutemen, prepare for fighting by
storing arms at Concord.
British General Gage sends 700 troops
to surprise Minutemen and seize the
arms by surprise.
Sons of Liberty warn riders across
Boston Harbor of the British approach
toward Concord.
–
Two lamps are hung from the Old North
Church of Boston.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Protest Ignite
• The British Are Coming!
•
The Colonists and British first clash
when 70 Minutemen meet them at
Lexington on April 19, 1775
– 8 Colonists and 1 British soldier are
killed that morning.
•
•
The British go to search Concord,
but all weapons are not to be found.
The British return to Boston.
Events Leading to
American Independence
•
•
•
British
retreat to
Boston
becomes a
slaughter.
Minutemen
hide behind
walls and
trees and
ambush
them.
73 British
troops are
killed and
200 wounded.
Events Leading to
American Independence
• Second Continental Congress
• May 1775 – March 1781
•
All Colonies make it to the Congress
which is at Independence Hall,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
– Some call for loyalty still to Britain.
– Other colonies urge for independence
against Britain
– In the end, these Colonies Agree to:
• Declare independence from Britain in July
1776