OS Ch 5: Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774

French and Indian War

A conflict between the British and French in North America from 1754 to 1763, which had significant impacts on the relationship between the colonists and the British government.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

An Indian uprising led by Pontiac in 1763 against British forces in the Ohio Valley following the French and Indian War. It ultimately failed.

Paxton Boys

A group of Scots-Irish frontiersmen who marched on the capital in 1763 to protest the government's support for Native Americans, representing conflicts between the colonial elite and poorer settlers.

Proclamation of 1763

A British decree that prohibited settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to stabilize relations with Native Americans after Pontiac’s Rebellion.

Lord Grenville

British Prime Minister from 1763 to 1765 who ended the period of salutary neglect and implemented various taxes on the colonies.

Sugar Act

A law passed in 1764 to raise revenue and reduce smuggling by increasing duties on imports and enforcing stricter regulations.

Vice-Admiralty Courts

Courts where judges, not juries, decided cases related to violations of trade laws, leading to colonists feeling their rights as Englishmen were violated.

Traditional Rights of Englishmen

Basic rights protected by English common law and statute law, including the right to a fair trial and protection against arbitrary actions by the government.

Stamp Act

A tax imposed by Britain in 1765 on legal papers, newspapers, and other items, leading to strong protests from the colonists.

Quartering Act

An act passed in 1765 requiring colonists to provide food and shelter to British soldiers, further straining relations between the colonies and Britain.

Stamp Act Congress

A meeting in 1765–1766 where colonial delegates affirmed Parliament's lack of authority to levy taxes outside Britain and advocated for non-importation agreements.

Sons of Liberty

Groups of colonists who took direct action against British taxation and enforcement, including enforcing non-importation agreements.

Daughters of Liberty

Women who played a crucial role in supporting the non-importation movement by reducing household consumption of British goods and producing domestic alternatives.

Non-importation Agreements

Agreements among colonists to boycott British goods, enforced by groups like the Sons and Daughters of Liberty.

Declaratory Act

A measure passed in 1766 asserting Parliament's authority over the colonies, following the repeal of the Stamp Act.

Townshend Acts

Taxes imposed by Charles Townshend in 1767 on imports like lead, paper, paint, and tea, leading to further colonial resistance.

Writs of Assistance

General search warrants allowing British officials to search colonial homes, ships, and buildings for smuggled goods.

Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1767-1768)

Series of letters by John Dickinson equating taxation without representation with slavery, advocating for colonial self-taxation.

The Boston Massacre (1770)

Incident where British troops fired on colonists, killing or wounding eleven citizens, leading to increased colonial resentment against the British.

The Gaspée Incident (1772)

Colonists boarded and set fire to the English customs ship Gaspée in protest against import duties, leading to the development of Committees of Correspondence.

Committees of Correspondence

Committees organized to communicate with patriots in other colonies, print political pamphlets, and support resistance to the Crown, playing a key role in unifying the colonies.

Samuel Adams

Organized local committees of correspondence in Massachusetts, known as the “penman of the Revolution” for his role in rebellion.

East India Tea Co.

Company granted a monopoly on the American tea market by the London government to prevent bankruptcy, leading to the Tea Act of 1773.

Tea Act (1773)

Legislation reducing the tax on tea to aid the East India Tea Company, angering colonial smugglers and merchants, ultimately leading to the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party (Dec. 1773)

Protest where Bostonians dumped 342 crates of tea into the harbor in response to the Tea Act, resulting in the Intolerable or Coercive Acts by Britain.

Intolerable/Coercive Acts (1774)

Series of acts including the Boston Port Act, Massachusetts Government Act, expanded Quartering Act, and Administration of Justice Act, in response to the Boston Tea Party and colonial resistance.

Quebec Act (1774)

Act alarming colonists for recognizing the Catholic Church in Quebec, seen as a sign of Britain imposing Catholicism on the colonies.

The First Continental Congress (Sep.1774)

Meeting of delegates from twelve colonies to address colonial grievances, leading to the creation of the Declaration of Rights and Grievances and the Continental Association.

Edward Braddock

British general during the French and Indian War. Known for his defeat at the Battle of the Monongahela in 1755. His death marked a turning point in the conflict.

James Otis

A prominent lawyer in colonial America who famously argued against British writs of assistance in 1761, laying the groundwork for American independence.

Massachusetts Circular Letter

A document written by Samuel Adams in 1768, urging colonies to protest against the Townshend Acts and assert their rights.

Patrick Henry

American Founding Father known for his "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech advocating for American independence from Britain.