Turmoil over
Taxation
Ch. 5 Section 2
Objective
• Analyze the events leading up to the start of the American
Revolution
• Evaluate the impact that the taxing of the colonists had on the
start of the war
New Troubles on the Frontier
• By 1760, French had been driven out of the Ohio Valley
• Caused influx of British colonists to the land
• Clashes with Native Americans
• 1762 – Lord Jeffery Amherst keeps order
• French traders on frontier held feasts for Indians and gave presents
• Amherst did not do this, raised prices of goods instead
• Also allowed settlers to build on Indian land
New Troubles on the Frontier
cont.
• Pontiac – Leader among
Native Americans
• Very respected by fellow
Indians
• Pontiac – British were “dogs
dressed in red”
• War on the Frontier
• Pontiac led attacks, quickly
captured most British forts
in Ohio Country - Pontiac’s
War, did not last long
• 1763 – Treaty of Paris
signed, Indians could no
longer hope for French
support, slowly stopped
fighting and returned home
Proclamation of 1763
• Aftermath of Pontiac’s War
• Dangerous for colonists to settle on Western Frontier
• Issue Proclamation of 1763 – Colonists were forbidden to settle west of
Appalachian Mountains
• Purpose was to protect Colonists and Indians
• British sent 10,000 troops to the colonies to enforce law
• Few troops actually went to the Frontier, most stayed in cities
• Proclamation angered colonists
• Many colonies claimed lands in the west
• Colonists now had to pay for more British troops in the area
• Many ignored proclamation and moved anyway
Britain Imposes New taxes
• Debt from French and Indian War
• Taxes paid by British citizens rose, colonists should share burden
• Sugar Act – 1764
• Replaced a tax on molasses so high, merchants smuggled or
bribed tax collectors
• Made it easier to bring smugglers to trial
• Stamp act – 1765
• New duties on legal docs – wills, diplomas, marriage papers
• Tax on newspapers, almanacs, playing cards, dice
• All items must have stamp, used in Britain to raise money, but
never used in colonies
Protesting the Stamp Act
• Stormy Protests
• Threw rocks at, tarred and
feathered tax agents
• British shocked – fought
war to protect colonists
• British at home were
paying higher taxes
• “No Taxation Without
Representation!”
• Taxes went against
principle
• Since colonists did not
elect representatives to
Parliament, Parliament had
no right to tax them
Protesting the Stamp Act cont.
• Uniting in Peaceful Protest
• Petition – formal written request to someone in authority
• Colonists also boycotted British goods, or refused to buy or use
them
• Boycotts took their toll, British merchants and workers were
facing ruin
• 1766 – Repealed Stamp act
• Parliament also passed law saying they could raise taxes in “all
cases whatsoever”
The Townshend Acts
• Taxed goods such as glass, paper,
pain, lead and tea
• Colonists objected for same reason
• Searching Without a Reason
• Townshend Acts set up new ways to
collect taxes
• Writs of Assistance – officers could
inspect ship’s cargo without reason
• Colonists say writs violate rights
as British citizens
• Sons of liberty formed to protest
British
• Staged hangings of cloth British
officials to scare them
• Boycotted British goods
The Boston Massacre
• Quartering act
• Colonists must provide
housing and bedding to
British soldiers in the
colonies
• A Bloody Night – March
5th, 1770
• Crowd gathered outside
Boston Customs house
shouting insults at soldiers
• Soldiers panicked, fired
into crowd
• Boston Massacre – five
colonists dead
A Temporary Calm
• Parliament repeals
• Townshend and Quartering acts, most offensive taxes repealed
• Core issue remained unsettled – British can still tax colonists
• Still did not have representation in Parliament
• Debate over taxes had forced colonists to begin thinking more
carefully about their political rights