Chapter 5 Section 1 Taxation
Without Representation
Page 132-135
Objectives
• Students will learn why the British faced
problems in N. America after the French
and Indian War.
• Why Americans objected to the new British
laws.
I. Relations with Britain
A. The Proclamation of 1763.
1. To limit the westward movement. Thus
the British controlled the movement.
2. Keep peace with the Natives.
3. Keep people in the east to use British
goods and spend money there making
revenue for the English with taxes.
4.10,000 Redcoats stayed in Colonies to
protect the British interest.
B. Britain's Trade Laws
1. George Greenville 1763 became the new
Prime Minster.
2. He wanted to stop smuggling and Parliament
passed the “writs of assistance,” 1767, which
allowed searches anywhere they wanted to
look for smuggled goods.
3. Smugglers would no longer be tried by
Colonial jury (in which they usually get off free)
and they were tried in Vice-admiralty courts.
(British officers)
C. The Sugar Act
1. 1764 the tax on molasses imported to the
colonist was lowered to convince people to pay
the tax and not smugglers. This also let officers
seize goods without going to court.
2. Colonist were angered because the innocence
of the smugglers was theirs to prove. Before
you were innocent until proven guilty.
3. A leader of this “innocent until proven guilty”
campaign was Boston lawyer James Otis.
II. The Stamp Act
A. Stamp Act 1765
1. Stamp Act placed a paper tax on
everything from playing cards to
newspapers, even pamphlets and wills.
2. Opposition centered on two points.
a. Parliament taxed colonist
directly.
b. They had no one in Parliament
to represent them.
B. Protesting the Stamp Act
1. Patrick Henry of the Virginia House of Burgesses decide
to take action against the Stamp Act.
2. He was accused of treason, and he told them, “If this be
treason, make the most of it.”
3.The Virginia assembly passed a resolution (formal
expression of opinion) that they had, “the only and sole
exclusive right and power to lay taxes” on its citizens.
4. Samuel Adams organized the “Sons of Liberty” to protest
the act; they burned effigies (rag figures) of tax collectors
and marched through the streets.1765
C. The Stamp Act Congress
1. Delegates from 9 Colonies met in New
York and declared they only had the right
to tax Colonist.
2. They urged merchants to boycott (refuse
to buy) British goods. Thousands of
shops, farmers, artisans signed nonimportation agreements.
3. The British lost money and begged
Parliament to repeal (cancel) the act.
D. The Act is Repealed
1. 1766 the Act is repealed but on the same
day Parliament passed the “Declaratory
Act,” that stated Parliament had the right
to tax and make all the decisions for the
colonist.
2. The colonist didn’t gain much and their
angered feelings were still felt.
III. New Taxes
A.
1767 The Townsend Acts
1. Parliament knew that internal taxes would only
anger large numbers of colonist. They decided to tax
stuff at the ports of entry.
2. These were on basic goods like glass, tea, paper,
and lead.
3. Colonist were outraged by any taxes and wanted
their own representatives.
4. They started the boycott and changed the look of
Americans by the women.
5. The Daughters of Liberty started to make their own
clothes and people produced American products.