Causes of the
American Revolution
1660: The Navigation Acts
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British Action:
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Colonial Response:
Designed to keep trade in
England and support
mercantilism –
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The idea that colonies
should provide resources
to make the mother
country rich.
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Colonists could only trade
goods with England
All colonial ships must
stop in a British harbor
before going to another
country (taxed)
Ignored them (profitable
to trade with other
countries)
Salutary Neglect- Britain
basically ignored the
colonies

They had bigger
problems
The French and Indian War

French Empire collided with British Empire

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Also known as 7 Years War
Competing in America over Ohio River Valley
Treaty of Paris, 1763
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Ended French and Indian
War
Britain Claimed all land east
of the Mississippi
Proclamation of 1763
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Banned all settlement west of
Mississippi (to ease tensions
with Native Americans)
Americans were outraged and
ignored the proclamation
Britain’s New Policy for Colonial
America
The French and Indian War ENDED
Salutary Neglect (the policy where England
left the colonies alone)
 Britain needed Americans to help pay their
debt from the French & Indian War

Started to enforce the Navigation Acts
 Passed new taxes
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New Taxes
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1764: The Sugar Act
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British Action:
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Increased tax on textiles,
wine, coffee, indigo, and
sugar

1765: The Quartering
Act

British Action:
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Colonial Response:

Colonial merchants
protested

Colonists were forced to
keep troops in their
homes
Colonial Response:

Did not want a
permanent British
military force
22 March, 1765: The Stamp Act

British Action:
Taxed all
documents,
newspapers, and
playing cards by
forcing colonists to
place a special stamp
on the items
 Direct tax
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Colonial Reaction:
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Sons of Liberty
Harassed stamp
distributors
Boycotted (a collective
refusal to use, buy or deal
with) English goods
Stamp Act Congress
issued a Declaration of
Rights and Grievances (9
legislatures)
Colonists won this round…but Britain passed the Declaratory Act,
proclaiming British rights over the colonies, on the same day they
repealed the Stamp Act.
1767: The Townshend Acts

British Action:
Put tax on goods
such as paper, glass,
paint, and tea
 Revenue raised
would be to pay
salaries of British
officials in the
colonies

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Colonial Reaction
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Organize new boycott
of goods
Protest “No taxation
without
representation”
Demonstrations and
clashes between
colonists and soldiers
March 3, 1770: The Boston
Massacre
5 Americans killed accidently shot and killed while protesting in Boston
10 May, 1773: Tea Act

Parliament repealed Townshend Acts except for
the tax on tea

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Tea from England was not taxed at all…only
American tea was taxed
Was designed to help the East India Tea
Company which was struggling economically
Dec. 16, 1773: Boston Tea
Party
The Sons of Liberty, dressed as Indians, dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to protest
the Tea Act
Coercive/Intolerable Acts

Punished Boston for the Tea Party

Closed the port until the tea was paid for

Crippled the city economically
Banned all public meetings
 Allowed British officials to search American
property without cause

1774: First Continental
Congress (9-5 thru 10-26)
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Met in Philadelphia
All colonies had representatives except Georgia
Divided on the issue of declaring independence
Sent Declaration of Rights and Grievances to
King George III
Defended colonies’ right to run their own affairs
 Supported the protests in Massachusetts
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April 19, 1775
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Shot heard round the world fired at the Battle
of Lexington
Start of the revolutionary war
“Common Sense”

Pamphlet issued by Thomas Paine (Jan 10, 1776)
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Argued that Independence was the only option that made
sense
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It was absurd for an island to rule a continent.
America was not a "British nation"; it was composed of influences and
peoples from all of Europe.
Even if Britain were the "mother country" of America, that made her actions
all the more horrendous, for no mother would harm her children so brutally.
Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary European wars,
and keep it from the international commerce at which America excelled.
The distance between the two nations made governing the colonies from
England unwieldy. If some wrong were to be petitioned to Parliament, it
would take a year before the colonies received a response.
The New World was discovered shortly before the Reformation. The Puritans
believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the persecution of
British rule.
Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and did not consider the best
interests of the colonists in governing them.
The Second Continental Congress
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May 10, 1775 to March 1, 1781
After L&C and Common Sense colonies made the
move for independence

NC was first in line
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20 May, 1775: Mecklenburg Resolves

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Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) first county to declare independence
12 April, 1776: Halifax Resolves
NC became the first state to authorize a colonial declaration of
independence
1776: Members of the 2nd CC signed the
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4 July,
Declaration of Independence
The 2nd CC ran the war effort and drafted a
constitution for America (Articles of Confederation)