 What do you believe caused the American Revolution?
 Jot down some ideas at the top of your paper and be ready to discuss

 1754-1763
 Larger imperial conflict between France and
England
 English and French colonists moving into each others’ territories- Ohio River Valley
 Despite the victory, brought trouble for Britain
 Expense- unwelcome taxes on the colonies
 Limitation of westward expansion

 Created unity and separation from England
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No aristocracy
Widespread property ownership
Religious diversity
Relative lack of poverty
Lack of urban development
Lack of deference
Slavery

 1754
 Plan to place British North American colonies under more centralized leadership
 Feared possibility of attack
 Adopted but never implemented
 First American political cartoon published by
Benjamin Franklin just before

 Began 40 years before the revolution
 Molasses Act- 1733- taxed rum, molasses and sugar- protecting English economic interests
 Colonists- protested and largely ignored (smuggling)
 British Response- Sugar Act
 Iron Act- 1750- limit colonial iron manufacturing
 French and Indian War
 Proclamation Line of 1763- prevented colonial expansion past the Appalachians - stationed
10,000 troops to enforce.
 Colonists- angered because of investments; largely ignored
 British Response- Quebec Act- further limitation

 Sugar Act- 1764- taxed wine, coffee, textiles, dye- attempts to stop smuggling
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Colonists- protests- felt it violated English rights
British enforcement- protecting economic interests
 Stamp Act- 1765- required purchased stamp for all legal documents, almanacs, newspapers, pamphlets, playing cards, etc.
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First direct tax- broke principle that only local government could impose taxes
Colonist response- boycotts, violence and protests
British- unresponsive to colonial complaints
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Money spent in French and Indian War
British tax burden

 Quartering Act-1765- requires colonial governments to provide housing for British troops
 Colonists- frustration- indirect tax, didn’t think they needed protection
 British response- influx of troops to enforce taxes and stabilize frontier
 The Townsend Acts- 1767
 Glass, lead, paint, paper, tea- revenue funded colonial governors
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Colonists- boycotts, harassment, nonimportation acts
British response-1768- Additional troops arrive in the colonies to enforce taxes

 March 5, 1770
 Mob of American colonists gathered at the Custom’s
House- protesting British troops presence
 British soldiers fired on the crowd, killing 5, injuring 3
 Colonial Reaction: Anger at direct act of violence- put soldiers on trial
 British Response: No longer allowed colonial courts to try British citizens/officers

 1773- Parliament passes Tea Act- bi-pass
American wholesale merchants
 December 16 1773- colonists disguised as
Indians threw 342 crates of tea into Boston
Harbor
 British responded harshly- Coercive
(Intolerable)Acts- closed Boston harbor, required that British officials be tried in
England, forbid town meetings, etc.

 People of other colonies rushed to Boston’s defensesending supplies to ease burden of blockade
 Other colonies formed provincial congresses to discuss action against England
 First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia-
September 1774
 Began organizing nationally against England

 British Colonel Thomas Gage sends troops to seize rebel supplies at Concord, Massachusetts.
 Patriots get word- The Ride of Paul Revere
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Revere and Dawes sent warnings throughout the countryside
Revere was captured, Dawes prevented from reaching
Concord, but the word got through
 Next morning April 19, 1775- British arrive at
Lexington- face 70 minutemen
 No one knows who fired the first shot- “Shot heard round the world”
 British Response- deployment of full military force