APUSH: Taxes, Acts, Resistance, Boston Massacre

Why did Britain implement taxes?

Britain was in debt so it was reasonably to tax the colonies because Britain helped them and so they felt like they should pay it back.

What was the Sugar Act (1764)?

This was the first set of taxes that taxed molasses. Aimed to stop colonial smuggling and increase British exports.

Currency Act (1764)

Prohibited colonist from issuing and printing their own money. Many were mad.

What was the Stamp Act (1765)?

Taxed all paper goods like cards, documents, paper with a stamp. This is important because it taxed ALL COLONIST DIRECTLY. This will make colonist mad and will cause a slow divide.

Stamp Act Congress (Oct, 1765)

• 27 delegates from 9 states met which is one of the first times to unite colonies.

• Boycotted British goods

• “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” Wanted same rights as an Englishman, the idea of gov consent and “no taxation without representation”

What is “No taxation without representation” ?

Motto the colonist used because they felt like they shouldn’t be taxed without having representation in parliament

What is virtual representation?

Some members of parliament “represented” the colonies in government.

Sons of Liberty (1665)

• Protested and organized protest against Britain

• Harrassed and traumatized officers and tax collecters so that they do not collect the tax

• Tarred and Feather

Were the Stamp Act Congress and Sons of Liberty successful?

Yes, because Britain repealed the act in 1766.

Declaratory Act (1667)

Basically said that Britain had a right to implement laws and taxes

Townshend Acts (1667)

Taxed all imported goods like glass, papers. The goal was to stop smuggling

Daughters of Liberty

Boycotted Townshend Acts by boycotting imported goods. Women were responsible for purchasing items for household so now they decide to focus on homemade goods like sewing clothes.

Townshend Acts Boycotts

Boycotts of nonimportation started happening which will be difficult since many relied on goods like merchants. This will last until 1770.

Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1767)

• Written by John Dickson

• Argued for civil relations with Britain but also that colonies should get the same rights as Englishmen

• Enlightenment ideas from Montesquieu mentioned

Were the Daughters of Liberty and boycotts sucessful?

Yes, because the townshend acts were repealed in 1770 (after Boston Massacre)

Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770)

• A group of protestors gathered and led by Crispus Attucks a once slave who became free. He will later become a symbol of liberty and a martyr

• Protestors harrassed brits by throwing snowballs and rocks

• Shots fired and 11 citizens shot

• 2/9 officers were convicted and were represented by John Adams

• Paul Revere will publish a print about this which as a result depicted Britain to be cruel and shooting in an unarmed crowd.

Committees of Correspondence (1772)

• Group of Bostonians that communicated to other colonist to resist tax

• Exchange ideas of resistance

Tea Act (1773)

Taxed tea and only allowed tea to be bought from British East India Company.

Boston Tea Party (Dec 16, 1773)

Members from the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Native Americans at night and dumped about 92 lbs = $1,700,000 of tea in the water.

Intolerable Acts (1774)

Britain’s response to Boston Tea Party. United colonies as this was a threat to freedom.

• Boston Port Act: closed the port until all the tea was paid back

• Massachusetts Government Act: Basically changed the Massachusetts Charter of 1691, that allowed town meetings and governors selecting members of council; replaced it with an appointed gov

• Administration of Justice Act: Protected British officers by allowing a trial outside the colony or in England

• Quartering Act: Right to house British troops in houses and buildings

First Continental Congress (Oct 1774)

• Coordinated to resist Intolerable Acts

• Twelve colonies met in Philly except Georgia

• Adopted Sulffolk Resolves (resolutions)

• Had a Continental Association which stopped trade with Britain and west indies once again. They were determined to not let boycotts stopped like it did in 1770.

• Young merchants and artisans were majority of association

• Committiees of Safety: authorized to take “enemies of american liberty” also transferred power of government systems that derived power of britian to the people

Local Committees

• Small farmers, artisans, and laborers met to discuss political issues. This is important because the lower classes started to become involved.

Quebec Act (1774)

Expanded southern border of Canada to Ohio Valley region and granted Roman Catholic Church toleration. Grew tensions in the south as those rights were denied to them. Also caused land confusion

Overall, how did taxes cause tension and affect the colonist?

Taxes were the first sets of rules implemented after salutary neglect. The colonists were not used to being ruled and felt it was not justified because they did not have representation. These taxes were also not what they wanted so many resistance acts started. This started to divide colonist and Britain.

When and what was the Boston Massacre?

Happened on March 5, 1770 with a group of protestors harassing British officers. Shots were fired and harmed eleven citizens. 2/9 British officers were convicted and were represented by John Adams.