The Colonies Fight for Their Rights
Chapter 4, Section 1
What major events fueled
colonial discontentment with
British rule?
Mercantilism in Practice
Key Idea: Tensions between Britain and its American
colonies grew as British leaders sought greater control
over their North American empire.
In the next ten minutes, skim pages 116 – 123 in your
text, and write down as many examples of British
policies to control trade in the colonies as you can
find. Be prepared to share your answers.
Discuss two of the policies you wrote down with the
person next to you.
North America in 1750
The French and Indian War
The British and French colonies
(allied with Native Americans) warred
over the valuable Ohio River Valley.
War ended with the Treaty of Paris
Britain gains New France and
Louisiana east of the Mississippi
(except for New Orleans) from
France
Britain gains Florida from Spain
British borrowed money to fund war
Brit. adopts policies to force colonies
to repay war debts through taxation
North America in 1763
The Colonies Grow Discontented
Royal Proclamation of 1763
King George reserved land west of
Appalachian mts. to Native Americans to
avoid war
Customs Reforms
British begin sending smugglers to viceadmirality court in Nova Scotia for not paying
customs duties
Sugar Act 1764
increased taxes on sugar and molasses from
foreign colonies
merchants felt this hurt trade
traditional English rights violated
accused smugglers guilty until proven innocent
govt. could seize goods without due process
pamphlets condemned the Sugar Act
James Otis – “No taxation without
representation”
The Stamp Act Crisis
Stamp Act 1765
stamps placed on printed materials (e.g. newspapers, pamphlets,
wills, deeds, playing cards)
Quartering Act 1765
if colonies didn’t provide barracks for British troops, colonies must
pay rent for troops to live elsewhere
Sons of Liberty 1765 formed to protest Stamp Act
Stamp Act Congress 1765 wrote Declaration of Rights and
Grievances arguing only colonial representatives had the right to
tax them
Non-importation agreement formal agreement to boycott British
imports until parliament repealed Stamp Act
The Townshend Acts
New regulations and taxes
Revenue Act of 1767 allowed customs officials to enter any
location to look for evidence of smuggling
Massachusetts Assembly and Virginia House of Burgesses
dissolved after standing up to the British government against
Townshend Acts
results in further boycotting of British goods
Daughters of Liberty formed by women to spin their own
cloth in the colonies – sign of patriotism
1770 Boston Massacre
1000 British troops deployed to Boston to maintain order
colonists taunted troops regularly
snow ball thrown and in the chaos British troops fire on
colonists killing 5 and wounding 6
What major events fueled colonial
discontentment with British rule?