Ch. 2
Section 2
Birth of a Democratic Nation
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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By 1760, King George III took the English throne.
The British government began to tighten its grip on the
American colonies. King George III adopted a policy of
mercantilism, theory that a country should sell more goods
to other countries than it buys.
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Horde all the wealth and resources for your country
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Britain wanted to buy American raw materials at low prices
and sell colonists British products at high prices.
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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1763 Britain won land from France in the French and Indian
War. (1754-1763)
By this time the British needed to cover costs of the war (war
debts and costs of ruling new lands) through the colonists;
also Proclamation of 1763 prevented settlement of land west
of the Appalachian Mts.
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Colonists resented the taxes for the sole reason that they had
no representatives in Parliament
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“No Taxation Without Representation”
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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To protest, many colonists resorted to
boycotting, or refusing to buy British
goods.
As a result, Parliament agreed to repeal, or
cancel such taxes.
Parliament would then place a new tax on
the colonists and try to force its will on the
people.
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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Stamp Act (1765) – required all colonists
to attach expensive tax stamps to all
newspapers and legal documents
Declaratory Act (1766) – stated that
Parliament had the right to tax and make
decisions for the colonies in ALL cases.
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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Townshend Acts (1767) – levied new
taxes on goods imported to the colonies
such as tea, paper, and basic items that
colonists needed.
Tea Act (1773) – allowed the British East
India Company to bypass taxes thus making
tea cheaper than the colonial merchants
who competed with the company;
advantage over colonial merchants
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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In response to this injustice, colonists
blocked all the company’s ships from
colonial ports except for in Boston, MA
December 1773 -- Colonists dressed up as
Native Americans and dumped the British
tea into Boston Harbor in protest (Boston
Tea Party)
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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Parliament quickly responded by passing the
Coercive Acts which restricted the
colonists rights such as trial by jury and
allowed British soldiers to search people’s
homes and even move in
Colonists called these the Intolerable Acts
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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To counter the Intolerable Acts, 12 colonies except
Georgia, sent delegates to a meeting in Philadelphia
known as the First Continental Congress (Sept.
1774)
This first meeting was meant to discuss concerns
and send a letter to King George III to have their
rights restored. Another meeting would be held if
their demands were not met within a year.
He did not take this well and sent troops to
America.
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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In April 1775, the Revolutionary War began
with two battles in Massachusetts, Lexington and
Concord
Colonists began to question their loyalty to England,
and began talking about independence
At the Second Continental Congress (May 1775):
- some people wanted independence (patriots)
- some people still felt loyal to England (loyalists)
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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In January 1776, a colonist named Thomas Paine inspired
other colonists by publishing a pamphlet called Common
Sense.
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People agreed with Paine that it made “common sense” to
stop following the “royal brute” King George III.
This was a struggle for freedom from a tyrant.
More than half of the colonists at the Second Continental
Congress agreed to break away from England
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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The Continental Congress acting as a
government for the people chose a
committee to draft a document to officially
announce the independence of the U.S.
Thomas Jefferson would be the architect
who did most of the writing
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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The draft of the Declaration of Independence explained why
the United States of America should be a free nation
It also argued that the British government did not look after
the interests of the colonists.
Listed a long list of abuses by King George III and also
labeled him a tyrant
The purpose of government is to protect the rights of the
people and if it disregards those rights, the people are entitled
to change or overthrow it. (whose idea was this?)
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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These ideas were influenced by John Locke.
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He saw government as a contract between people
and the rulers
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People agree to give up some freedoms and abide
by government decisions
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In return, government promises to protect them
and their liberty. Any misuse of that power and the
people should rebel.
Colonial Resistance and
Rebellion
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The Second Continental Congress approved
the Declaration of Independence on July 4,
1776.
The American colonies were independent
states, but true recognition from Great
Britain would not be achieved until the war
ended.