Imperialism in the Colonies and Push into Revolution

Managing New Possessions and Debt

• Following the French and Indian War, Britain faced challenges in managing its expanded colonial territories and addressing war debts.
• Key questions arose regarding defense, governance, western lands, and the role of colonies.
• George Grenville, the new chief minister, aimed to involve the colonies in managing these issues and alleviating the debt, while also acknowledging the lighter tax burden in the colonies compared to England.

Enforcing Navigation Acts and the Sugar Act

• The British ended the period of "salutary neglect" by enforcing the Navigation Acts more strictly and establishing new courts to suppress smuggling.
• The Sugar Act lowered taxes on molasses but introduced new taxes on other items.
• Significance of the Sugar Act: It marked a shift towards collecting duties to raise revenue, rather than solely regulating trade, which caused concern among colonists due to lack of representation in Parliament.

The Stamp Act

• The Stamp Act was introduced to further generate revenue from the colonies.
• It mandated that revenue stamps be affixed to various printed materials and legal documents, including newspapers, pamphlets, almanacs, bonds, leases, deeds, licenses, insurance policies, diplomas, dice, and playing cards.

The Quartering Act

• The Quartering Act required colonies to supply British troops with provisions and lodging.
• While it applied to all colonies, it mainly affected New York, where the British Army headquarters were located.

Ideological Problems with British Policies

• The presence of a standing army in America after the French and Indian War raised suspicions among colonists, who feared the troops were there to subdue them rather than protect them.
• The establishment of maritime courts (vice-admiralty courts) without juries was seen as a violation of the British right to trial by jury in which one is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
• The concept of "taxation without representation" became a central grievance, as colonists protested taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation.

Colonial Protests and the Stamp Act Congress

• Widespread protests, particularly against the Stamp Act, united various segments of colonial society, including merchants, planters, lawyers, and newspaper editors.
• The slogan "No taxation without representation" encapsulated the colonists' opposition to the tax.
• The Stamp Act Congress was convened to coordinate colonial response to the tax.
• Colonists boycotted the Stamp Act, refusing to use the stamps, and also boycotted British goods.
• The economic impact of the boycotts on British merchants led Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act.

The Declaratory Act

• To assert its authority, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act after repealing the Stamp Act.
• The act affirmed Parliament's full power to make laws binding the colonies in all cases.

The Townshend Acts

• Under Chief Minister Charles Townshend. the Townshend Acts were enacted.
• The New York assembly was suspended for defying the Quartering Act until they complied with providing supplies to British troops.
• The Revenue Act of 1767 imposed new duties on colonial imports of glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea.
• Townshend reorganized customs to curb colonial smuggling.

Colonial Resistance and the Sons of Liberty

• Samuel Adams established the Sons of Liberty to educate colonists about British actions and mobilize resistance.
• Adams wrote newspaper articles and circular letters to disseminate information and galvanize support against British policies, and organized protests.

The Boston Massacre

• An incident occurred where British soldiers fired on a mob of colonists, resulting in several deaths, including Crispus Attucks.
• The event was used to galvanize colonial resistance, with the soldiers involved being charged with murder.
• John Adams defended the soldiers in court to ensure they had a fair trial.
• The soldiers were eventually branded on their thumbs as punishment for being convicted of manslaughter.

Repeal of the Townshend Duties and the Gaspee Incident

• Parliament repealed the Townshend duties, except for the tea tax.
• The Gaspee incident involved colonists burning a British ship that had run aground near Providence, Rhode Island, further escalating tensions.

Governor Hutchinson's Salary and the Boston Tea Party

• Governor Hutchinson of Massachusetts and British judges were now going to he paid via the customs revenues instead of the colonies' elected assemblies.
• The Tea Act of 1773 aimed to aid the East India Company by making tea cheaper for colonists, but colonists suspected Britain was trying to create a monopoly and could start doing that with other resources.
• Colonists protested the Tea Act, leading to the Boston Tea Party, where patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

The Intolerable Acts

• Parliament responded to the Boston Tea Party with the Intolerable Acts (also known as the Coercive Acts), which included:
  • the Justice Act, mandating that British officials be tried in England rather than in the colonies.
  • a new Quartering Act, forcing colonies to provide lodging for soldiers in private homes.
  • the Massachusetts Government Act, which appointed council and law enforcement officers instead of allowing elections, and required the governor's consent for town meetings.
• General Thomas Gage was appointed the military governor of Massachusetts, placing the colony under military rule.

Colonial Response and the First Continental Congress

• The Intolerable Acts united the colonies, who saw them as a threat to their collective liberties.
• Delegates from the colonies convened the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
• The Congress declared the Intolerable Acts null and void, urged Massachusetts to arm for defense, implemented economic sanctions against Britain, and adopted the Declaration of American Rights.
• The Declaration of American Rights denied Parliament's authority over internal colonial affairs but acknowledged its right to regulate trade.

British Actions and Mobilization for Defense

• Parliament declared Massachusetts to be in rebellion and restricted New England colonies from trading outside the British Empire.
• The colonies began mobilizing their militia units and organizing Minutemen for quick response.
• Colonists stockpiled arms and munitions, including a supply depot in Concord, Massachusetts.

Lexington and Concord

• British troops marched to Lexington and Concord to seize colonial arms but were met by armed resistance.
• At Lexington, shots were fired, resulting in casualties and deaths on both sides.
• The British continued to Concord and destroyed limited supplies. However, their return to Boston was met with heavy resistance from American forces.
• The battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the American Revolution.
  • British casualties: 250 (killed or wounded).
  • American casualties: nearly 100 (killed).