SSUSH3: Causes of the American Revolution (Comprehensive Notes)
Background: French and Indian War
French established Quebec and allied with Native Americans as part of the fur trade.
Both French and British sought to grab more land in North America.
In 1754, the French began building Fort Duquesne (present-day Pittsburgh). The land had been granted by the British to wealthy planters, sparking conflict over land claims.
The war began poorly for the British; George Washington, a young officer, was defeated early.
Native Americans tended to support the French because the French made friendly alliances rather than attempting to conquer them outright.
In 1759, the British won a decisive victory at Quebec, turning the tide of the war.
The conflict ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763, reshaping territorial control in North America.
The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Groundwork for Revolution
The treaty formally ended the French and Indian War in $1763$.
The French lost almost all of their territory in North America to the British.
Native Americans also suffered because their allies (the French) lost their power and protection.
The shifting boundaries and the debt from the war laid groundwork for imperial policies that would fuel discontent in the colonies.
Postwar Boundaries and their Consequences
Postwar Boundaries (1763) show British American colonies expanding but with new colonial and imperial tensions:
France ceded territory east of the Mississippi to Britain except for parts that went to Spain.
Spain gained Louisiana west of the Mississippi, and Florida remained under Spanish control in some areas.
The Proclamation Line of 1763 attempted to limit colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains to keep peace with Native Americans.
The maps illustrate contested territories and the shifting balance of power between Great Britain, France, and Spain.
Key geographic notes mentioned in the transcript:
Ohio River Valley became a flashpoint after the war, as did territories around Quebec and the St. Lawrence River.
New Orleans and Florida were part of the broader territorial realignments following the treaty.
Native Americans after the War
Although the British gained the Ohio River Valley, this created friction with Native Americans who feared colonial expansion.
The Ottawa and other tribes resisted colonist encroachment; during peace talks, some colonists gave blankets infected with smallpox to Native Americans, leading to devastating outbreaks.
By 1766, many Native Americans had signed treaties with the British, reducing their resistance as disease and war took a toll on their populations.
Proclamation of 1763
Passed by King George III to keep peace with Native Americans by restricting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The Proclamation stated that ALL colonists were forbidden from settling west of the Appalachians.
Public reception among colonists: most ignored it; it was nearly impossible to enforce.
Consequences in perception: colonists felt the British government did not care about their interests or rights, contributing to a growing sentiment of grievance against imperial authority.
Military enforcement: the British stationed about $10{,}000$ troops in the colonies to ensure compliance and to keep Native Americans on favorable behavior.
The Proclamation contributed to a sense of colonial grievance and the perception that imperial policy limited westward opportunities.
Prewar Boundaries Map Details (1763)
Visual notes from the transcript show the shift from 1754 to 1763 boundaries, emphasizing:
Louisiana and Texas changes, Mississippi River, Ohio River, and Quebec/St. Lawrence boundaries.
Disputed territories and the line drawn by the Proclamation of 1763.
The division of territories among British, French, and Spanish control after the war.
The Taxes Begin: Debt and Control After the War
The British government incurred a huge debt during the French/Indian War and sought to recoup costs through stricter enforcement of trade and new taxes.
The focus was on cracking down on smuggling and creating revenue mechanisms to pay down the national debt.
The Sugar Act (1764)
Parliament passed the Sugar Act with three main provisions:
Cut the tax on foreign molasses in half to encourage lawful trade and reduce smuggling.
Imposed taxes on certain imports.
Strengthened smuggling enforcement by allowing smugglers to be tried in vice-admiralty courts, where penalties could be harsher.
Significance: marked a shift toward stricter imperial policing of colonial commerce and laid groundwork for future revenue-raising measures.
The Sugar Act: Details
The reduced molasses tax aimed to incentivize compliance and reduce illicit trade.
Taxes on imports extended crown control over colonial economies.
Vice-admiralty courts decreased colonial legal protections for accused smugglers and concentrated prosecution in British-administrated courts.
The Stamp Act (1765)
Parliament passed the Stamp Act in $1765$, imposing a tax on all paper items: legal documents, licenses, newspapers, pamphlets, and almanacs.
It was the first DIRECT tax collected from those who used the goods, rather than a tax on trade done by merchants.
Violators would be tried in vice-admiralty courts, increasing the severity of punishments.
The Stamp Act: Colonial Response
The Sons of Liberty emerged as a secret resistance group (Samuel Adams was a founder).
The Stamp Act provoked widespread protests and harassment of tax collectors.
The Stamp Act Congress convened in New York to protest, and colonists agreed to boycott British goods until the act was repealed.
The Declaratory Act (1766)
After the repeal of the Stamp Act, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act.
It asserted that Parliament had total authority to make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever,” with no exceptions.
This established the principle of parliamentary sovereignty over the colonies and set the stage for later conflicts over taxation and governance.
The Townshend Acts (1767)
Indirect taxes imposed on British imports: glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea.
Revenue collection through these duties was intended to fund imperial administration but generated colonial resistance.
The phrase “no taxation without representation” emerges in this period as colonists argued that taxation without colonial representation in Parliament was illegitimate.
The Boston Massacre (1770)
Context: mounting anger over the Townshend Acts and a broader imperial crackdown.
A mob outside the Customs House confronted British soldiers; shots were fired, resulting in five colonial deaths: Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, Crispus Attucks, and Patrick Carr.
The event was heavily propagandized in colonial media and by Paul Revere (engraved imagery), reinforcing anti-British sentiment.
The Boston Massacre escalated tensions and spurred further resistance to British authority.
The Sons of Liberty and Public Demonstrations
The Sons of Liberty organized resistance to British policies, including harassing tax collectors and promoting boycott of British goods.
Public sentiment and demonstrations helped sustain colonial opposition to Parliament’s acts.
Committees of Correspondence (1772–1773)
The committees were formed to facilitate intercolonial communication about threats to liberty and imperial policy.
A notable incident involved attacks on a British customs boat; Parliament’s attempts to try suspects in England intensified colonial outrage.
Massachusetts and Virginia established committees to coordinate responses and share information across colonies.
The Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party (1773)
The Tea Act favored the British East India Company to help it avoid bankruptcy.
The Act allowed the company to sell tea in the colonies without the taxes that colonial merchants paid, undermining local merchants and preserving monopoly power.
The colonists organized boycotts of British tea; in December $1773$, the Sons of Liberty dressed as Native Americans boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped $18{,}000$ pounds of tea into the water (approximately $342$ chests).
The Boston Tea Party became a powerful symbol of colonial resistance to imperial taxation and monopoly practices.
The Intolerable (Coercive) Acts (1774)
In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament enacted a series of punitive measures, known as the Intolerable Acts, aimed at tightening imperial control over Massachusetts and punishing Boston.
Boston Harbor was shut down until the tea was paid for in full, crippling commerce.
The Quartering Act required British soldiers to be housed in empty buildings and other accommodations.
Massachusetts was placed under martial law, with the British military taking the lead in governing the colony.
These acts intensified colonial solidarity and resistance, catalyzing broader efforts toward independence.
Common Sense and the Move Toward Independence
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was published in January $1776$ as a persuasive pamphlet arguing for independence from Britain.
It originally appeared anonymously and later was attributed to Paine.
Its impact:
Shifted colonial sentiment from seeking reform within the British system to advocating for an independent American nation.
Emphasized the economic and political advantages of self-government and a republic.
Promoted the idea that the colonies should form their own nation to pursue their economies and liberties free from tyrannical rule.
Paine argued that independence was a natural destiny for the colonies and helped push the movement toward the Declaration of Independence.
Connections to Foundational Principles and Real-World Relevance
The sequence from territorial conflicts to imperial taxation demonstrates how geopolitical events can drive political movements.
The costs of empire and debt management often lead to revenue-raising policies that provoke resistance when they are perceived as unfair or lacking colonial consent.
The movement from petition and protest to organized political action (Stamp Act Congress, Committees of Correspondence, Sons of Liberty, Common Sense) illustrates key steps in building collective political identity and sovereignty.
Ethical and practical implications:
Questions about taxation without representation and the legitimacy of imperial authority.
The tension between maintaining security and protecting civil liberties within colonies.
The use of propaganda (such as engravings of the Boston Massacre) to shape public opinion.
Key Dates and Numerical References (for quick recall)
$1763$ – Treaty of Paris ends French and Indian War; major territorial realignments.
$1764$ – Sugar Act enacted.
$1765$ – Stamp Act enacted; direct tax on paper items.
$1766$ – Declaratory Act asserted Parliament’s authority over the colonies.
$1767$ – Townshend Acts enacted (indirect taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, tea).
$1770$ – Boston Massacre occurs (five colonists killed).
$1772$ – Committees of Correspondence begin exchanging information among colonies.
$1773$ – Boston Tea Party (tea dumped into Boston Harbor; $18{,}000$ pounds; $342$ chests).
$1774$ – Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) enacted.
$1776$ – Common Sense published (January); push toward independence.
Summary of Significance
The sequence—from war debt and territorial expansion to proclamations and taxes, then to organized resistance (Sons of Liberty, Committees of Correspondence, Stamp Act Congress), then to direct actions (Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts) and finally to ideological justification for independence (Common Sense)—maps a clear path: the colonies evolved from subjects within an empire to a self-conscious political community seeking sovereignty.