Colonial Resistance and the Road to Revolution

Initial Acts: British policies aimed at controlling colonial trade and governance.
Smuggling: Colonial courts were lenient towards smugglers due to widespread participation in and enjoyment of smuggled goods.
The Stamp Act (1765):
- Required all printed materials to carry a stamp, a direct revenue-raising measure for Britain.
- Affected those who used a lot of paper, like newspaper printers and lawyers, stirring up opposition among influential groups.

Stamp Act Congress:
- Organized in October as a coordinated response to the Stamp Act.
- Boycotted British goods, marking the first major united action by the colonies.
Committees of Correspondence:
- Initially formed to oppose earlier acts.
- Coordinated boycott efforts and raised awareness of colonial liberties.
- Spurred street actions, some of which turned violent.
Sons of Liberty: Organized direct actions, including protests and boycotts.
Repeal of the Stamp Act:
- Coordinated colonial action proved effective, leading to the repeal of the Stamp Act.
- The British Parliament then passed the Declaratory Act to assert its authority to tax the colonies.

Declaratory Act: Asserted Britain's right to tax the colonies, though they chose not to at that moment.
Representation: The idea of representation gained traction, with more colonists desiring it.
Townshend Acts (1767):
- Introduced new taxes to generate revenue for Britain.
- Established a board of customs to suppress smuggling.
Colonial Response:
- Renewed boycotts of British goods.
- Daughters of Liberty: Encouraged the use of homespun clothes to replace British textiles.
Economic Impact and Division:
- Artisans supported boycotts as they benefitted from increased demand for local goods.
- Merchants in cities like Philadelphia and New York opposed boycotts because their livelihoods depended on importing and selling British goods.

Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770):
- A confrontation between colonists and British soldiers resulted in the death of five colonists, including Crispus Attucks.
- John Adams defended the British soldiers in court; seven were acquitted, and two were convicted of manslaughter.
Partial Repeal: Boycotts and protests were effective, leading British merchants to push for the repeal of most of the Townshend Acts, except for the tax on tea.

Tea Act (1773):
- Gave tax exemptions and rebates to the British East India Company, allowing them to sell tea cheaply in the colonies.
- Although it lowered the price of tea, colonists opposed it on principle.
Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773):
- Colonists disguised as Indians dumped tea into Boston Harbor, causing a significant financial loss (equivalent to $4,000,000$ in modern times).
- The act was a protest against taxation without representation and the precedent it set.

Intolerable Acts: British response to the Boston Tea Party, aimed at punishing Massachusetts and asserting greater control.
- Massachusetts Government Act: Curtailed self-government in Massachusetts.
- Quartering Act: Forced colonists to house British soldiers.
- Quebec Act: Extended the southern boundary of Quebec and granted religious toleration to Catholics, angering Protestant colonists.
Colonial Response:
- Massachusetts passed resolutions calling for disobedience to the Intolerable Acts.
- First Continental Congress: Convened to address the crisis and set up the Continental Association to enforce boycotts and promote domestic manufacturing, representing the first colony-wide government.

First Continental Congress (1774):
- Coordinated action across the colonies, functioning as a de facto government.
- While not initially seeking independence, it marked a shift in colonial attitudes.
Evolving Justifications: Colonists began to argue for their rights based on natural law and abstract ideas about freedom, rather than solely as English subjects.
Natural Rights: The concept of universal human rights derived from natural law gained prominence, influencing political thought beyond America.

Distinction: The American Revolution encompassed broader ideological and social changes, while the War for Independence was the military conflict.
Declaration of Independence: Declaring independence did not automatically create an independent nation; it required military victory.

Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775):
- Fighting broke out between British soldiers and Massachusetts militiamen (Minutemen).
- "The shot heard round the world" marked the beginning of the war.
Early Battles:
- The colonists lost the Battle of Bunker Hill (fought on Breed's Hill), but the British suffered heavy casualties.
- The British were eventually forced to abandon Boston but later captured New York.

Loyalists vs. Patriots: Not all colonists supported independence; elites in some colonies were wary of revolutionary fervor.

Olive Branch Petition (July 1775): The Continental Congress sent a petition to King George III, seeking reconciliation and affirming loyalty to the crown.
Common Sense (January 1776):
- Thomas Paine's pamphlet powerfully argued for independence.
- Used accessible language and persuasive arguments to advocate for American exceptionalism and the idea that America's cause was the cause of all mankind.
- Sold widely and influenced public opinion towards independence.

The escalating tensions and ideological shifts led to America's eventual declaration of independence.

Molasses was used as a sweetener, but this didn't bring in much revenue for the English, which is what they wanted.

Addressed concerns for the stamp act, which was the first time something like this everyone in every colony refused to pay.

Their action to boycott british clothing meant colonists can make their own clothes and furniture rather than import.

The first included included 12 of the 13 colonies, excluding Georgia due to a mishap with invitation delivery.

Accomplices who assisted in the warnings to the British troops included William Dawes and Deborah Champion.