Road to Revolution
1763-1776
“Salutary Neglect”
• Early on…colonies were left to run
themselves
• Invented their own local legislatures
• Set up their own churches
• Formed their own armed militias
• Attitudes begin to change in 1660s as
economic ties become more
pronounced (but laws not fully
enforced until 1760s)
• Americans purchased nearly 50% of all
British exports
• 1/3 of all British imports came from
America
Increasing Regulations
• 1660: British Government begins imposing new regulations on
colonial trade.
• Navigation Acts of 1650: Mandated goods be shipped on British ships;
• Goal: prevent colonies from trading with other nations
• Wool Act of 1699: forbade the dumping of cheap American wool in
Britain
• Iron Acts of 1750 & 1757: prohibited new growth in American iron
manuf.
• At 1st, few Americans angered by the acts, only touched external
trade, not domestic economies, increased costs could be passed
onto consumers, and smuggling allowed for violation of import
laws…
• Then came the French and Indian War…
Effects of the French and Indian War
• Writ of Assistance (1761):
• Allowed British customs officials to search any colonial
ship…why?
• French and Indian War Debt
• 123 million pounds sterling (50 billion pounds today)
• Pontiac’s Rebellion
• What was the impact of this?
• Proclamation Act of 1763
• Prevented colonists from settling land west of the
Appalachian Mts…Why?
• What was the reaction of American colonists?
• Besides the Proclamation Act, what was the other
consequence of the French and Indian War?
Rising Tensions: British Crown v. Colonists
• British Acts of Aggression
• Sugar Act (1764)
• Tax on imported
sugar/molasses
• Stamp Act (1765)
• Tax on legal papers,
newspapers, and pamphlets
• Declaratory Act (1766)
• Parliament can “bind the
colonies and people of
America in all cases
whatsoever”
• Quartering Act (1767)
• Laws requiring the provision
of housing, food and drink to
British troops
• Townshend Acts (1767)
• Tax on imports including glass,
lead, paints, paper & tea
• Colonial Response
• Boycott British Goods (nonimportation agreements)
• Sons of Liberty
• Stamp Act Congress
• “No Taxation W/O
Representation
• Act eventually repealed
• Smuggle Goods/Protest
“No Taxation Without Representation”
"...For if our Trade may be taxed, why not our Lands?
Why not the Produce of our Lands & everything we
possess or make use of?
This we apprehend annihilates our Charter Right to
govern & tax ourselves.
It strikes at our British privileges, which as we have never
forfeited them, we hold in common with
our Fellow Subjects who are Natives of Britain.
If Taxes are laid upon us in any shape without our
having a legal Representation where they are laid,
are we not reduced from the Character of free
Subjects to the miserable State of tributary Slaves?
Rising Tensions: British Crown v. Colonists
• Boston Massacre (March 1770): 5 colonists killed
• What do you think of when you hear “massacre?”
• Why call it a “massacre?”
• Colonists attack and burn a British customs ship
(1772)
• King George plans to bring suspects to England for
trial
• Committees of Correspondence Estbl. (MA/VA)
• Communicate protests amongst the colonies
Final Steps Toward War
• Tea Act (1773)
• Estbl. Monopoly for British East India Company:
right to sell tea tax free; while colonial tea
sellers had to pay taxes.
• Boston Tea Party (1773)
• Intolerable Acts (1774)
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Shut down Boston ports until tea paid for
Dissolved Mass. Assembly
Ban town meetings
Reinstate Quartering Act
Remove right to fair trial/due process
Quebec Act
• Gave Quebec control of all the land and fur trade
between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
Revolution Begins…
• 1st Continental Congress (1774)
• Issues declaration of colonial rights; colonies’ rights to run own affairs, and arm themselves against British
forces…sign of greater colonial unity…but no call for independence…yet…
• March 23, 1775
• “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”—Patrick Henry
• April 19, 1775
• British General Gage find out about colonies arming themselves…sends troops in 1775 to seize illegal
weapons
• Battle of Lexington & Concord… “Shot hear round the world”
• July 1775: Olive Branch Petition Ignored
• 2nd Continental Congress (Summer 1775)
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Col. Govt. during War
Estbl. Continental Army
Appt. George Washington as Commander
Issue Dec. of Indep. (1776)
• January 10, 1776
• Thomas Paine, Common Sense
• 1st Document to openly call for independence from the British
Roots of American Government: The Enlightenment
• Hobbes & Locke
• Hobbes
• People naturally fight so need
govt for protection (stability)
• Social Contract
• Rousseau
• Social Contract
• Locke:
• Govt’s purpose is to reserve and
protect people’s inalienable
rights/property
• Separation of Powers
• Montesquieu:
• Separation of Powers
D.O.I. Questions
• O, P, V, L Analysis
• What is the origin of this document?
• What is the purpose of this document?
• What is the value of this document?
• What are the limitations of this document?
D.O.I. Critical Thinking ?s
• In the Preamble of the Declaration, what does Jefferson argue is
his reason for issuing the Declaration of Independence?
• Jefferson states, “All men are created equal…with certain
unalienable rights”…what were those rights?
• How can Jefferson make this statement with the reality of slavery and
indentured servitude in America?
• Why does Jefferson argue government’s are formed? Where do
governments get their power from?
• When is it okay for a group of people to break away from their
government?
• What are some of the specific charges/accusations Jefferson
makes again King George of Britain?
D.O.I. Critical Thinking Questions
• Why does Jefferson focus charges on the King and not the British
people as a whole?
• What was Jefferson’s goal in listing all these charges against the King?
• Whose support was Jefferson trying to win over with this document?
Philosopher John Locke’s Influence on Jefferson
• John Locke
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Nat’l Rts. (Life, Liberty, Property)
Govt. to Protect Nat’l Rts
Equality
Consent of Governed
Limited Government/ Rule of Law
Right to Revolt
• Dec. of Indep.
• Nat’l Rts. (Life, Liberty, Pursuit of
Happiness)
• Govt. Secures Rts
• Equality
• Consent of Governed
• Limited Government
• Right to Revolt
• Lists long train of abuses