American Revolution Notes

The Seven Years' War concluded with the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
The treaty caused discontent among colonists due to:
- Limitations on westward expansion into Indian lands.
- Financial burden of war debt.
The British government incurred a debt of £150,000,000 during the war.
Interest payments on the debt strained British finances.
To address the debt, the British government decided to increase taxes, including those levied on the American colonies.
Rationale: The colonists were primary beneficiaries of the war, so they should bear some of the financial burden.

Taxes on colonial trade existed prior to the war (e.g., wool, hats, molasses).
- These taxes aimed to regulate trade per mercantilist policies rather than to pay war debt.
- Colonists evaded these taxes through smuggling.
The primary grievance was the lack of colonial representation in the British Parliament.
- Colonies had established their own legislatures with the power to levy taxes for approximately 100 years.

Extended the Molasses Act.
Reduced the tax on imported molasses from the Caribbean from 6¢ to 3¢ per gallon.
Enforcement was strengthened to suppress smuggling.
British courts were granted jurisdiction over colonial smugglers, superseding colonial courts known for leniency (likely due to their own consumption of smuggled rum).

Required all printed materials to bear a stamp, which was not free.
The act's purpose was to generate revenue for Britain.
Heavily impacted newspaper printers and lawyers.
The Stamp Act Congress was organized in October to protest the act.
- They boycotted British goods.
- This marked a significant instance of coordinated action among the colonies.

Committees of correspondence:
- Expanded to coordinate boycott efforts.
- Increased awareness of colonial liberties.
- Incited street actions, sometimes violent, by groups like the Sons of Liberty.
The British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act.
The Declaratory Act was passed, asserting Britain's right to tax the colonies.
- The repeal was seen as a victory, but elites primarily organized the protests.
- The idea of representation gained traction among all colonists.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend introduced new taxes.
A new Board of Customs was created to curb smuggling.
Colonists responded with renewed boycotts.
The Daughters of Liberty encouraged the production of homespun clothes.
Differing opinions among the colonies:
- Artisans supported boycotts due to increased business.
- Merchants in cities like Philadelphia and New York opposed boycotts because their livelihoods depended on importing and selling British goods.

Took place on March 5, 1770.
Five colonists were killed, including Crispus Attucks.
British soldiers were put on trial; seven were acquitted, and two were convicted of manslaughter.
John Adams defended the British soldiers.
Boycotts and protests proved effective.
British merchants advocated for the repeal of the Townshend Acts, except for the tax on tea.

Offered tax exemptions and rebates to the British East India Company.
Enabled the company to sell tea at lower prices in the colonies.
On December 16, 1773, colonists (disguised as Indians) dumped tea into Boston Harbor, causing a $4,000,000 loss in today's money.
Motivations for the Boston Tea Party:
- Some colonists were concerned about the impact on smugglers and established tea merchants.
- Many colonists opposed the principle of taxation without representation.

Passed by the British in response to the Boston Tea Party.
Included:
- The Massachusetts Government Act: Limited self-government in Massachusetts.
- The Quartering Act: Required colonists to house British soldiers.
- The Quebec Act: Extended the southern boundary of Quebec and granted religious toleration to Catholics.

Colonial response to the Intolerable Acts:
- Massachusetts called for disobedience, tax resistance, and war preparation.
- Delegates from 12 of 13 colonies (excluding Georgia) met in Philadelphia in September 1774 to coordinate resistance.
The Continental Congress established the Continental Association to enforce the boycott and promote domestic manufacturing.
It acted as the de facto government of British America.
Sending delegates to Philadelphia in 1774 was a pivotal moment in the American Revolution.
The Continental Congress advocated for the rights of English subjects and
invoked immutable laws of nature.
The concept of natural rights became increasingly important.

The American Revolution and the American War for Independence were not synonymous.
Fighting predated the Declaration of Independence by fifteen months.
Declaring independence did not guarantee it.
The war began on April 19, 1775, with battles between British soldiers and Massachusetts militiamen at Lexington and Concord.
The "shot heard around the world" was immortalized in Longfellow's poem about Paul Revere's ride.
The colonists lost the Battle of Bunker Hill but inflicted heavy casualties on the British, leading to the British abandonment of Boston.
The British later captured New York.
Not all colonists supported independence.
Elites in colonies like New York and Pennsylvania were wary of revolutionary fervor.

The mystery document was written by Charles Inglis, a bishop who believed Americans were Britons who sought a middle ground between republicanism and monarchy.
In July 1775, the Continental Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, expressing loyalty and seeking reconciliation.
Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense" was published in January 1776.
- Advocated for independence using straightforward language and powerful arguments.
- Argued that America should not be governed by an island and that the cause of America was the cause of all mankind.
- Sold 150,000 copies and widely read.

Paine's arguments contributed to the decision to declare independence.
The Second Continental Congress declared independence and signed the Declaration of Independence.