Road to the Revolution

French and Indian War

GB and NA against France and NA, global conflict(7 years war), Brits won, Treaty of Paris signed kicking France out of North America→war debts caused increased colonist taxes

Proclamation of 1763

decree from Parliament prohibiting settlement beyond Appalachians=rising resentment of Brits; Forbade acquisition of western land, meant to stabilize relations w/ NA,

Merchanitilism

Econ system Brits used w/ colonies0>increase mother country’s wealth and power, colonists exist mainly to benefit Britain(gave raw materials and bought finished goods from Brits), Brits tried to control colonial money and resources, colonies not supposed to compete with Brit industries

Navigation Act

laws to enforce mercantilism, certain valuable products could only be shipped to Britain, some goods from Europe had to go through Britain first, colonists encouraged to buy Brit goods

Enforcement 1763

huge debt after F&I war=strictly enforce trade laws and colonial regulation; stronger Navigation Acts, brits stopped smuggling and royal navy used to enforce trade laws, Brits began passing new taxes and laws to raise money from colonists

Salutary Neglect

Practice of the British for the colonists(1600-mid 1700s) where regulations were loosely enforced and government was hands off→allowed colonies to gain sense of self and governments run by the ppl

Sugar Act 1764

Duty on imported sugar from W Indies, first tax leived on the colonists by the crown(lowered a lot bc of protests)

Quartering Act 1765

required colonists to provide food and quarters for British troops, many resented this act bc they felt their rights were being encroached upon(food, fuel, drinks, quarters, and transportation required)

Stamp Act 1765

raised revenues to support the new military force, stamps required on bills of sale for abt 50 trade items(ex, documents, pamphlets, newspapers, etc.)

Stamp Act Congress 1765

Brough together 27 delegates from 9 colonies in NYC who drew up a statement of their rights and grievences and beseeched the King and Parliment to repeal Stamp Act; largely ignored and did basically nothing; brought colonies together

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

group of passionate spirts who took the law into their own hands after unjust taxation from Brits; group enforced the nonimportation agreements(agreements to rebel against the restricting taxes) against violators, often tar and feathering

Virtual Representation

British theory that members of Parliament represented all British subjects including those who did not elect them→used it to justify taxation of colonies(“virtually” represented by Parliament)→major ideological cause of American Revolution

“No taxation without representation”

Brits taxed colonists to pay fro F&I war, opposed virtual representation, colonists didn’t like being taxed w/o representation, argues taxes are only legitimate if approved by elected representatives of those taxed(in colonies)

Declaratory Act 1766

Townshend Acts 1767

Indirect levies on glass, white lead, paper, paint, and tea; proceeds used to pay colonial governors who were already paid by colonial assemblies, sparked protests, meant to strengthen trade enforcement/pay colonial officials/raise revenue, Brits intended to strengthen civil gov in colonies

Boson Massacre 1770

Brit officials faced w/ breakdown of law and order, put two reigment troops in Boston, colonists resented them, crowd of 60 ppl(March 1770) taunted and threw snowballs at abt 10 redcoats, redcoats acted w/o orders and opened fire→killed/wounded 11 citizens, Crisprus Attucks was the first to die

Tea Tax 1773

granted Brit East India Comp monopoly on tea sales in the colonies→allow to sell directly to colonists and bypass colonies merchants; principle of no taxation without representation matter more than the lower price

Committees of Correspondence 1773

organized by Samual Adams→networks of colonial committees that shared political info and coordinated resistance across the colonies, spread outrage abt events, Sam Adams established first committee in MA(1772), and by 1773 nearly every colony

Boston Tea Party

hundrend Bostonians loosely disguised as NA smashed 342 chests of tea and dumped into bay, many watched, Sam Adams/Sons of Liberty organized raid(against Tea Act)

Intolerable Acts

Many chartered rights if colonists(MA) were swept away, restrictions on town meetings, officers who killed colonists in line of duty sent to Britain for trial(colonists suspected they get off scot-free)

First Continental Congress 1774

The Association

agreement created by the first continental congress to organize a colony wide boycott of Brit goods→called for non-importation, non-consumption, and non-exportation to pressure Brits to take legislature back; first major steps toward unified colonial resistance

Quebec Act 1774

french guaranteed Catholic religion, permitted to retain old customs/institutions(didn’t have a representative assembly or trial by jury in civil cases), old boundaries of Quebec extended southward towards Ohio River

Lexington and Concord

Brit troops meant to seize stores of colonial gunpowder and bag rebel leaders(sam adams and john hancock)→at lexington colonial minute men refuse to disperse fast enough and 8 US killed, massacre on battle field, redcoats moved to concord where they wee forced to retreat, official start of war