Describe the origins, purposes and limitations of government and
include the contribution of key philosophers and documents.
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King James I’s system worked well for the
colonists.
King rules by divine right; yet allowed
significant liberties:
Self-government for example
Massachusetts Bay elected a General
Court that governed.
Religious practices
Economic organization
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Each state had their own constitutions
(fundamental rules for each colony)
Land was abundant
No feudalism – a tradition of rigid class
systems. And absolute authority of church
and king.
No guild system: craftsmen following strict
rules and not allowing for new innovations.
No Compulsory tithing – giving a fixed
percent of income to church
There was an unwritten contract with the
English Colonies.
TRADE AND TAXATION
Colonist would relinquish (give up)
the authority to regulate trade
and conduct international affairs.
Colonists retained the right to
levy (charge) their own taxes.
French and Indian War from 1756 – 1763
The Seven Years War
(took place on the “western frontier” of colonies in Canada initiate by
the British)
Conflict involved: Austria, England, France, Great Britain, Prussia and
Sweden
Took place in Europe, India and North America
In Europe, Sweden , Austria, and France were allied to crush the rising
power of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. The English and the
French battled for colonial domination in North America, the
Caribbean, and in India (www.ushistory.org)
The English dominated after the Treaty of Paris 1763.
English needed desperately to pay for their war debts, it almost
ended them.
Sugar Act
Exports to the colonies were taxed: sugar,
wine, coffee and such.
Stamp Act
Colonist have to purchase stamps for:
newspapers, magazines and commercial
papers
Mutiny or Quartering Act
Requiring colonist to house British troops.
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Colonies cried: “No taxation without
representation”
Boycotted goods needing the stamps
Threaten British tax collectors lives
Burned a colonial governor’s home
Outrage, violence and loud protests, riots broke
out
(not the Boston Tea Party…yet)
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Men organized forming the Sons of Liberty
leading were Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry
◦ STAMP ACT WAS MOST THREATING!
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Stamp Act of Congress - 1765
9 of 12 colonies sent representatives to NYC
There were conflicting views:
 colonists thought Parliament had no authority to tax
them without representation
 Parliament believed direct representation was
impractical and
 They represented the best interest for all of England
including the colonies
 Instead the representatives got a list of all their violations
to the Crown of England.
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Stamp Act and revised the Sugar Act 1766
◦ Mainly because the uproar made by British
merchants
 Why? (remember the boycotts)
◦ Do you think the colonists were quieted down?
◦ What do you think or remember happening next?
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Parliament imposed these acts which imposed
duties (fees) on all kinds of colonial imports,
including TEA.
The Sons of Liberty respond immediately
Another boycott – almost everyone gave up tea
Tensions are high
Britain sends 4000 more troops
March 5, 1770 British troops open fire on a dock where
workers are upset because Britains were given their jobs
and
◦ Sons of Liberty taunted the British solders in front of the
Boston Customs House
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March 5, 1770 is known as the Boston Massacre
All duties were lifted except TEA!
Samuel Adams in Boston lead many other
Massachusetts towns in setting up Committees of
Correspondence.
TO KEEP COMMUNICATION AND IDEAS OPEN it also
was powerful in molding public open about the
British.
 12 of the 13 colonies participated
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King George the East India Company permission
to sell the 18 million pounds of tea in a surplus
in English warehouses because of the colonies
boycott.
Colonial merchants were selling tea from other
countries.
The East India Company transports the tea to
loyal Crown merchants and undercut the other
colonial merchants.
The bottom line was to drive down the price of
tea and hurt colonial merchants who were forced
to buy tea at the higher prices from other
merchants.
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Colonist respond by
◦ Throwing a party, a “tea party”
◦ More tea parties followed
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King George flew into rage at the actions of
his disloyal subjects he is quoted saying, “The
die is now cast…The colonies must either
submit or triumph”.
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Coercive Act 1774
◦ Colonist called this the INTOLERABLE ACTS
◦ The act called for a total blockade of the Boston
Harbor until restitution for the tea was made.
◦ AND it add a provision that reinforced the
Quartering Act soldiers could be housed in private
homes.
 Britain sent another 4000 troops.
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Samuel Adams and the Committees of
Correspondence spread the word
◦ Food and money were sent to the people of Boston
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Now colonists change their focus from taxes
To how much authority does Britain have?
They gather with the intention of ironing out
their differences with Great Britain.
◦ They wanted:
 rights of petition and assembly,
 trial by peers,
 freedom from a standing army and
 selection of representative to
councils to levy taxes.
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This was called a Declaration of Rights and
Resolves
If the king did not agree they would meet
again in May 1775
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Fighting breaks out
April 19, 1775 at Lexington and Concord
Massachusetts.
Ralph Waldo Emerson called, “the shot heard
around the world”
Eight colonist soldiers, “Minutemen” were
killed and
16,000 British troops besieged Boston
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May 10 1775
Delegates are united in the hatred toward
Great Britain.
There was no options but war
◦ George Washington of Virginia was selected as
commander of the new Continental Army
◦ Envoy is sent to France to ask for support
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They tried one more time to avoid conflict!
◦ Wrote the Olive Branch Petition on July 5, 1775
◦ King rejects and sends 20,000 more troops
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January 1776 by Thomas Paine and
encouraged by Benjamin Franklin
◦ ‘Tis Time to Part’ from the corrupt Crown
This was an amazing feat, as over 120,000 copies
were sold (18.75 million books today). And most
people couldn’t read!
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Spurred the call for independence
“that these United Colonies are and of right
ought to be, free and independent States, ad
that all connections to Great Britain ought to
be dissolved”
See sheet on CONFEDERATION
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John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert
Livingston and Roger Sherman were
members. Adams wants a balance with the
south so Thomas Jefferson is elected as the
chair.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of
Independence. July 2, 1776 12 of 13 colonies
voted for independence (New York
abstained).
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Social Contract Theory and Natural Law advocate.
He said people leave the state of nature and
agree to set up a government for the protection
of property.
Property included life, liberty and material
possessions
Such a government exists for the good of its
subjects NOT for the benefit of those governing.
Rebellion is the ultimate consequence against a
government.
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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all mean are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
See the connection between Jefferson's
writings and John Lockes ideas?
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Jefferson did not stop and it was stirring and
read aloud July 9, 1776
All the wrongs (denial of personal rights and
liberties) of Britain were listed it was signed
and sent to King George.
◦ These wrongs were later guaranteed by the U.S.
Constitution through the Bill of Rights.
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The revolutionary war was fought with more
vengeance.