Bell Ringer!
• How did the class as whole react
to the new paper tax imposed
yesterday?
• What are the benefits and
drawbacks (positives and
negatives) of resisting a
government policy you disagree
with?
COLONIAL UNREST
Causes of the American Revolution
Proclamation of 1763
• Announcement that the land
won during the French and Indian
War (west of Appalachians) would
be off limits!
Unrest rating?
Why?
Quartering Act
• Under this law, colonial governments had to
provide candles, food, drinks, and a place to
sleep for British soldiers stationed in their
area.
• Many colonists believed they were there to
control them, not protect them
• Unrest rating?
• Why?
Can we
come in?
Stamp Act
• Taxes on legal documents such as:
– Wills, Diplomas, Contracts
– Marriage papers
– Newspapers and Almanacs
– Playing Cards and Dice
• Unrest rating?
• Why?
STAMP ACT CONGRESS AND THE
BOYCOTT!
• Put pressure on British Parliament to repeal,
or do away with, the act
“No Taxation without Representation”
Townshend Acts
• Indirect tax (collected at sea ports before the
item reached the store), ships could also be
searched without reason to prevent smuggling
• Britain placed a tax on the following:
– GLASS
– PAPER
– LEAD
– PAINT
– TEA
The Sons and Daughters of Liberty form…
• Secret societies to oppose British policies
• Urge people to boycott British goods and stage protests
• Use American made products only!
Founder: Sam Adams
His Harvard graduation paper argued that when a law was
morally wrong it is a persons responsibility to break the law!
Tar and Feathering
Trouble in Boston…
• http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/vie
w/assetGuid/844BC27D-8DBD-4025-A04F65608CCCEE41
The Boston “Massacre”
• Mob of colonists harass British troops,
taunting them and throwing snowballs
• Troops opened fire on colonists, 5 died
• What were the effects of Sam Adams calling
this a “massacre”?
• Letter-writing campaign,
led by Sam Adams
• This committee, from
Boston, wrote letters to
other colonies in an
effort to keep them
informed
• Became very successful
as a means for protest
Boston Tea Party
• Following the Boston Massacre most taxes were
repealed – except one – the TEA TAX
• The Tea Act gave the BEIC a monopoly on the tea trade
• Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty sent word to the
governor demanding the BEIC ships leave the harbor,
but they refused.
• “This meeting can do nothing further to save the
country!”
• They dressed as Native Americans and raided three
British ships throwing 340 chests of tea into the harbor
“Boston harbor a teapot tonight! The
Mohawks are come!”
Intolerable Acts
(renamed by colonists – intolerable = harsh)
• Reaction to the BTP – wanted to force colonists to
pay for tea and obey British rule!
1. Parliament shut down the port of Boston. No
ships could enter or leave, until all of the tea
was paid for.
2. Massachusetts colonists were no longer
allowed to hold town meetings.
3. Customs officers would stand trial for crimes in
their home land of Britain.
4. Parliament enforced the Quartering Act.
• Unrest rating?
• Why?
Other Colonies Support Boston
• The Committees of Correspondence
spread the news of the Intolerable Acts
to the other colonies.
• Colonies help Boston while the port was
closed:
South Carolina sent rice, Virginia sent
corn, and Pennsylvania sent flour.
Carpenter’s Hall - Philadelphia
The First Continental Congress
• 12 of 13 colonies (no Georgia) send
representatives to Philadelphia
• Passed a resolution backing Massachusetts
• Agree to full boycott of all trade with Britain
• Each colony encouraged to set up and begin
training its own militia (citizen soldiers)
Lexington and Concord
•
In 1775, British General Thomas Gage sent scouts (spies) to
towns near Boston.
– The scouts reported that the colonists were keeping
weapons in the village of Concord. Gage decides to
attack them to destroy the supplies.
– He also sent troops to arrest colonial leaders
One if by Land, Two if by Sea
• The Sons of Liberty had prepared
Famous Midnight Ride by Paul
Revere
Warning American Colonists that the
British were on their way
Lexington
• MYSTERY SHOT FIRED, MINI BATTLE
STARTS, AMERICANS KILLED, THE
BRITISH MOVE ON TO CONCORD
• “SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD”
CONCORD
• BRITISH MOVE ON TO CONCORD,
FINDING NO WEAPONS THEY HEAD
BACK TO BOSTON
• Colonists lined the road from Lexington
to Concord and fired at the retreating
British
–Over 200 British soldiers are killed or
wounded
“Shot Heard Round the World”
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ikO6LM
xF4
Unrest-o-Meter and Response
• Create a bar or line graph representing your levels of
colonial unrest
• Written response/short essay – Answer the following
question:
Which 3 events to you believe MOST contributed to the
outbreak of war in the colonies?
– Begin with a clear introduction sentence that sets up your
topic and introduces your 3 events (no details yet!)
– In the body give at least 1-2 details about what each event
was AND why it would anger the colonists so much
– End with a conclusive last sentence that sums up your
main points – you may want to restate your 3 events
and/or add a “lesson to learn” about why these events
matter to us today.