The Road to Revolution
HUSH – 10
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Economics in the Colonies
 Mercantilism:
A nations power is in direct
relation to the amount of money it has.
 Fixed amount of money in the world.
 You have to spend money to make money.
 Salutary Neglect: England left the colonies
alone as long as they paid their taxes.
 Navigation Acts: Open vs. Closed vs. Black
Markets.
 Exports vs. Imports
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The French & Indian War
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North American part of Seven Years War.
George Washington in the Ohio Valley.
 Pyrrhic Victory for British
 War is one of the most expensive things any
country has to pay for.
 How do countries pay for wars?
 British solution helps trigger American
Revolution.
 Colonists vs. British Subjects? – A matter of
perspective.
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King George III
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Constitutional Monarchy
vs. Absolute Monarchy.
As King of England, he
was in charge of all
foreign affairs
Parliament was in
charge all domestic
affairs.
Monarchs aren’t used to
not getting their way.
He wanted to punish his
insolent subjects.
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Samuel Adams
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A failure at almost every
business he tried, including beer
making.
Orator and agitator, Chief
Instigator.
People were upset at the King’s
taxes, Adams focus their anger
into action.
The red suit and grey wig.
He was the founder of the
Committees of Correspondence.
He was the Boston leader of
“The Son’s of Liberty”.
They were ready to protest at a
moments notice.
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Colonial Complaints
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The Stamp Act: Everything printed was taxed and
had to have a stamp on it to prove payment.
The Tea Tax: Colonists were only allowed to buy tea
from the British East India Company, at their prices.
Alcohol & Tea vs. water in the Colonies?
“No Taxation Without Representation” became the
rallying cry of the Colonists.
The Colonists did not have a seat in the House of
Parliament in London, where the taxes were passed.
Reality check: Subjects in England paid an average
of 25% taxes, Colonists paid between 2-3%.
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Taxes Poured Down Our Throats
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Son’s
of
Liberty
React
Tar
&
Feathering
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9
The Boston Massacre
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March 5th, 1770, tensions mounted after the
death of 12 year old Christopher Snider.
Several hundred protesters outside the Customs
House in Boston.
When the crowd started to become rowdy, the
tax collector called for the help of local British
Soldiers.
The protesters started throwing snowballs at the
soldiers and calling them names like lobster
backs.
The snowballs had pieces of brick packed inside
of them.
History is written by the winners, Truth vs. Myth.
10
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How many
people have to
die for
something to be
a massacre?
 Who is writing
the story?
 In this case 5
including a
freed slave
named Crispus
Attucks.
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What Happened?
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The troops were new arrivals from England and
very inexperienced.
It is generally agreed that one of the soldiers
was hit by a snowball and knocked down.
While falling, he fired his weapon.
Witnesses reported hearing the command of
“Fire”, but no one knows for sure if it came from
the commander of the troops or the crowd.
The Colonial Leaders, like Samuel Adams, took
what actually happened and twisted it to get
even more people angry at the British.
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The Boston Tea Party
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In 1773, Samuel Adams was speaking before a group of
roughly 8,000 followers.
The Tea Act was the hot topic of the day.
They decided that 3 British ships filled with tea leaves
was a perfect target for their wrath.
Shortly after the meeting, members of the Son’s of
Liberty boarded the ships and dumped the cargo
overboard.
They dressed as Mohawk Indians, but for symbolism not
for a disguise.
In all, they dumped roughly 45 tons of tea, in 342 chests,
into Boston Harbor that night.
Why dump the tea vs. stealing it?
Replacement locks and stolen tea.
Roughly $1.7 Million dollars adjusted total value.
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British Reaction was Swift
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England passes the Coercive / Intolerable Acts
in response to Colonial activities.
The Port of Boston was closed until the cost of
the tea was repaid.
More troops were sent to the Colonies to put
down the “rowdy” Colonists.
The torch had been lit.
It became almost impossible for anyone to
remain neutral.
Everyone had to pick a side.
Some began to see Independence as the only
answer for the Colonist’s problems.
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The Key Players
John Adams
Boston Lawyer
John Hancock
NY Businessman
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The Key Players
Patrick Henry
Member of Virginia
House of Burgesses
Thomas Paine
Author of Common Sense
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