Key Topic 3 - The loss of an empire 1765-83

Stamp Act

• 1765

• Tax on newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards.

• Paid in scarce metal coins, making it hard for colonists to pay.

• Lawbreakers tried in vice-admiralty courts (like the Sugar Act).

• Affected almost all colonists, not just sugar merchants.

Consequences of Stamp Act

• Political:

  • Virginia Assembly protested.

  • Stamp Act Congress (9 colonies) met, showing colonial unity against Britain.

• Economic Boycotts:

  • Traders in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston boycotted British goods and refused to pay debts.

  • British lost £60,000 per year in tax revenue.

• Mob Action:

  • Violent protests in Boston; Loyal Nine smashed the tax collector’s windows.

  • Riots spread to other colonies, encouraged by the Sons of Liberty, a well-organized group of lawyers and skilled workers (they began in New York 1765).

  • By 1766, only one colony had a stamp tax collector; others were intimidated by mob violence.

• Outcome:

  • British repealed the Stamp Act in 1766.

  • Introduced the Free Port Act to encourage trade with Spain, helping colonists gain metal coins.

Liberty Poles

1766

• Built in New York to celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act.

• Served as a meeting place for colonists and stood outside British barracks, challenging authority.

• Caused conflict; British attempts to remove them led to violence, including the Battle of Golden Hill (January 1770).

• The practice spread from New England to the middle colonies.

Boston Massacre Causes

1770

• Revenue Act 1767

• Imposed new duties on tea, glass, paper, and painters’ colours.

• Revenue was meant to pay salaries of government officials.

• Boston became the headquarters of the Board of Customs Commissioners.

• Initially met with a peaceful boycott, but tensions eventually turned violent in Boston.

Boston Massacre Events

• Colonists protested/responded to Revenue Act through assemblies and organized a boycott of British goods.

• In Boston, mobs attacked customs officials; Britain sent 4,000 troops to maintain control.

• 1770: Most duties repealed except on tea, but tensions remained high.

• March 1770 – Boston Massacre: Crowd threw snowballs and ice at soldiers; soldiers fired, killing 4 and wounding 8.

Boston Massacre Consequences

• British view: Signal to either back off or fight.

• Colonial view: Used by Sons of Liberty for anti-British propaganda (e.g., Paul Revere’s picture - bloody massacre).

• News spread quickly, increasing colonial anger.

• Committees:

  • Committee of Correspondence (1770s): Set up to strengthen links between colonies and coordinate protest.

  • Boston committee (1772): Local group in Boston to protest further British policies.

Boston Tea Party

1773

• Most Revenue Act duties repealed by 1770(so most duties disappeared), except tea.

• Tea Act of 1773 aimed to make tea cheaper; tax reduced from 12 pence → 3 pence.

• Colonists still saw it as an attempt to enforce British taxation and control trade.

Boston Tea Party Events and Consequences

• Three East India Company ships arrived in Boston Harbour with tea.

• Bostonians blocked the unloading of the tea.

• Around 60 men, many former Sons of Liberty, disguised as Native Americans, boarded the ships and dumped the tea into the sea.

• £10,000 of tea was destroyed

• • March 1774 the British government introduced Coercive (Intolerable) Acts as a punishment

Importance of the Boston Tea Party

• Directly challenged British authority and provoked a harsher British response.

• Carried out by Sons of Liberty and witnessed by a large crowd, showing broad colonial support.

• Led to the Intolerable Acts (1774), further escalating tensions.

• Inspired similar actions in other colonies, e.g., New Yorkers distributing tea from the ship Nancy in 1774.

The Intolerable Acts

1774

• Boston Port Act: Closed Boston’s port until compensation paid to the East India Company.

• Massachusetts Government Act: Massachusetts council replaced by British appointees; governor given more power.

• Impartial Administration of Justice Act: Suspects in riots or killings could be tried in England or another colony.

• Quartering Act: British troops could be housed in private homes.

Impact of the Intolerable Acts

• Food shortages in Boston due to the blockade affected all residents.

• Bostonians tried to enforce a boycott of British goods (Solemn League and Covenant), with limited support.

• Other colonies sent food and supplies to Boston.

• Colonists were alarmed by the ending of elected assemblies and protections for British supporters.

• Led to the decision to hold a Continental Congress with representatives from the colonies to coordinate a response.

First Continental Congress:

• All colonies except Georgia were represented.

• Agreed that Britain could not tax the colonies through trade.

• Decided the colonies would stop trading with Britain, going beyond previous boycotts.

Consequences of the First Congress

• Colonial governments struggled to collect taxes and began shutting down.

• Colonial committees took control of local government in some colonies.

• Colonists formed militias called Minutemen.

• 1775 – Lexington and Concord: First battles between British and colonists, starting the War of American Independence.

The Second Continental Congress

1775

• Began acting as a national government.

• Sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, asking to repeal the Intolerable Acts.

• Appointed George Washington as head of the colonial army.

• Set up a committee to seek foreign support.

• Printed 2 million Spanish dollars to fund the war.

Consequences of the Second Congress

• August 1775: King George III rejected colonial demands.

• December 1775: American Prohibitory Act banned trade with British America; British Navy blockaded ports.

• Colonial loyalties:

  • 40% neutral

  • 20% supported Britain

  • 40% at war with Britain

• With all colonies represented, the Continental Congress acted as a national government.

The War of American Independence

1775-1783

• The Second Continental Congress acted as the national government once the war began.

• April 1776: Colonies sent representatives to congress to vote on independence.

• Congress created a Declaration Committee (including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin) to write the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Paine

• Key figure behind American independence.

• Wrote Common Sense in 1776 using everyday language; over 100,000 copies sold.

• Influenced colonists to move from wanting reform to seeking full independence.

Beliefs:

• Independence would bring freedom in trade and politics.

• The British monarchy limited Parliament’s power.

• Favored a republic led by an elected President.

Why was Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence important?

• Key member of the Declaration Committee.

Declaration of Independence:

• Adopted: July 4, 1776.

• Stated that all men have natural rights and the government should protect them (Enlightenment ideas).

• Declared the USA independent because Britain had violated their rights.

• First document to use the term “United States of America.”

• Listed crimes of George III, such as closing assemblies and unfair taxation.

• Gave colonists a cause to fight for in the war.

Main events of the War of American Independence

• April 1775: Fighting at Lexington and Concord – war begins.

• June 1775: Battle of Bunker Hill – British suffer heavy losses but take Boston.

• August 1776: Battle of Long Island (New York) – Britain controls New York; Washington escapes.

• September 1777: Battle of Brandywine Creek – Washington loses; British take Philadelphia.

• October 1777: Battle of Saratoga – turning point (see notes).

• May 1780: Siege of Charleston – Britain captures city; Americans lose large supplies.

• October 1781: Battle of Yorktown – decisive American victory (see notes).

• February 1782: Parliament votes to end the war.

• 1783: Treaty of Paris – war officially ends.

Saratoga

1777

• British plan: General Burgoyne to conquer New England with two forces:

  • His own from Canada down the Hudson River.

  • Lieutenant Colonel St. Leger’s force down the St. Lawrence River to meet him.

• Problems:

  • Burgoyne’s 8,300 men struggled to advance through forests (~1 mile/day).

  • St. Leger was defeated at Oriskany.

• Outcome:

  • Burgoyne’s path blocked by Americans.

  • Battle of Bemis Heights: Burgoyne defeated.

  • October 1777: Burgoyne surrenders 5,800 troops at Saratoga.

• Significance: Turning point in the war, boosting American morale and securing French support.

Consequences of Saratoga and Importance

• British response: Prime Minister Lord North offered peace and a return to pre-1763 conditions; Americans refused.

• Leadership change: British commander-in-chief General William Howe resigned; replaced by Sir Henry Clinton.

• French involvement: France joined the war, providing support to the Americans.

• British forces were surrounded and forced to surrender, opening negotiations.

• First major defeat of the British by the Americans, shifting the balance of power.

• Victory persuaded France to enter the war in support of the Americans.

• As France’s ally, Spain also joined the war against Britain.

• Strengthened American morale and credibility on the international stage.

Yorktown

1781

• British goal: General Cornwallis(GB) aimed to control the southern colonies.

• Prior successes: Victories including Charleston (1780), but his army was exhausted, needing rest.

• Yorktown 1781: Cornwallis waited for supplies from New York, but the French Navy blocked the port, isolating his forces.

• Combined attack: 17,000 French and American troops led by George Washington attacked.

• Outcome: Cornwallis surrendered in October 1781, effectively ending major fighting in the war.

Consequences of Yorktown

• British public lost enthusiasm after Yorktown defeat.

• February 1782: Parliament voted to end the war and seek peace with America.

• Yorktown was the last major campaign of the war, confirming American victory.

Why Britain lost the War?

The role of George Washington

• Kept the army together:

  • Used strategic retreats (e.g., Battle of Long Island).

  • Cared for troop welfare and maintained discipline, gaining civilian support.

  • Inoculated against small pox.

• Took advantage of opportunities:

  • Attacked unexpectedly in winter (Trenton 1776, Princeton 1777). Britain not prepared.

• Inspirational leader:

  • Recruited about 230,000 men to fight for American liberty.

  • Collaborated effectively with other generals and gained support from foreign allies.

Why Britain lost the War?

British Mistakes

• Poor Planning:

  • Bunker Hill (1775): Frontal assault → 228 dead, 800 wounded.

  • Burgoyne’s march (1777): Dense forests + 30 supply carts slowed army, contributing to Saratoga defeat.

  • Battle of Long Island (1776): 9,000 Americans escaped due to failure to stop retreat.

• Poor Communication Between Generals:

  • Clinton didn’t reinforce Cornwallis at Yorktown → Cornwallis stuck waiting.

  • Howe and Burgoyne failed to coordinate attacks on Philadelphia and New York → Burgoyne got no support when hsi troops were struggling because they did not communicate about their attacks.

• Poor Behaviour of British Troops:

  • Use of Native American and Hessian troops alienated neutral Americans.

  • Hired Hessians(Germans) behaved violently and stole from civilians, turning public opinion against Britain.

• Allowed Rebels to Escape:

  • After the Battle of Long Island, 9000 rebel troops escaped to re-group and fight again.

French and Spanish Support

• 1778: France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the Americans after Saratoga.

• Naval superiority: French and Spanish ships outnumbered British ships (121 vs 90).

• Spanish involvement: Forced Britain to send troops to Florida, splitting their forces.

• French aid: Sent £48 million in weapons and provided officers to help plan campaigns.

• French fleet at Yorktown: Blocked British supplies, helping to defeat Cornwallis and secure surrender.

Treaty of Paris

1783

• Official end of the War of American Independence, though last fighting was at Yorktown.

• Benjamin Franklin played a central role in negotiations.

  • Set America’s main demands: Britain recognize independence and remove all troops.

  • Franklin maintained good relations with France, who were initially upset about secret talks with Britain.

• USA: Recognized as independent; gained land between the Appalachians and the Mississippi.

• British troops: Had to withdraw from the USA; loyalists could reclaim property.

• Britain: Kept Gibraltar and Bermuda.

• France: Regained St Lucia, Tobago, and parts of India.

• Spain: Gained Florida and Minorca.

Consequences of the War of American Independence

Slaves

• The Declaration of Independence said “all men are created equal,” but each colony decided if this applied to slaves.

• Massachusetts: Slavery ended relatively quickly after the war (1783).

• New York: Slavery was not fully abolished until 1827.

• Pennsylvania: Gradual abolition began in 1780.

• Southern colonies: Slavery continued; slaves had no legal rights under the Virginia Declaration of Rights.

• During the war: About 80,000 slaves from the South escaped.

• Black Loyalists: 20,000 fought for Britain; 10,000 survived and were freed and evacuated at the war’s end.

• Slaves in the North often had to fight or take legal action to gain freedom.

• Slavery persisted in the South after the war.

• Virginia (1782): Owners could free slaves in their wills

Consequences of the War of American Independence

Loyalists

• Population: About 20% of colonists (19,000) remained loyal to Britain; they faced attacks and had property taken by American mobs.

• Migration: 60,000 Loyalists left the USA to settle elsewhere in the British Empire.

• Nova Scotia:

  • 30,000 settled here; land grants of 300 acres were given along with farming tools, food, and clothes.

  • 1,485 Black Loyalists settled in Birchtown; they received smaller land grants than white settlers.

  • Tensions with existing settlers led to the creation of New Brunswick for Loyalists.

  • Towns like Shelburne had 8,000 Loyalists by 1784.

• Quebec and Upper Canada:

  • 5,000 Loyalists settled in Quebec; Upper Canada was developed as a new Loyalist colony with Niagara as its capital.

• Hardships: Many Loyalists died during the first winter in Canada due to cold and temporary housing.

Consequences of the War of American Independence

Native Americans

• No Protection from Treaty: The Treaty of Paris (1783) did not protect Native American lands or rights.

• Viewed as Enemies: Many Americans saw Native Americans as enemies because they had sided with Britain.

• Land Loss & Violence:

  • Americans increasingly claimed Native lands, causing revenge attacks by Native groups.

  • Colonists breached the former Proclamation Line, leading to frontier violence.

• Abandoned by Britain: Former British allies were left without support.

• Division & Weakness: Tribes failed to unite in dealing with the new USA.

• Forced Treaties: Some tribes had to sign treaties, leaving them with only small reservations.

• Migration & Displacement:

  • Some fled due to violence.

  • Southern tribes went to Spanish Florida; Mohawks fled to Quebec.

  • Others moved to Canada, Spanish territory, or British trading posts.

• Iroquois: Lost lands in New York and had to accept blame for the war.