MOVING TOWARD REVOLUTION

Chapter 5

America Pre-1763

Cheap land, religious tolerance and economic opportunity all brought colonists to the New World. Population grew from 50,000 to 1million+ in just a century

Britain let the colonists solve most of its own problems with self-governance

Americans had more freedom than most in Europe even though they were a colony

Battle for the Ohio River Valley The French founded Ft. Duquesne in

Pittsburgh in 1754, and this angered the British Colonists

George Washington led the charge on Ft. Duquesne and made a name for himself as a good officer in the army, sparking the French and Indian War

The French and Indian War

British Colonists vs. French/Native Americans

Britain sent 1,400 troops over to help. Struggled turned in Britain’s favor when

they captured Canada in 1759 from the French and in 1763, the French surrendered and gave Canada to Britain

Canada still a part of the British Commonwealth today

French Indian War Map

After the War

The war proved very costly for King George III and Britain.

George III took the throne In 1760 andwas not very bright, yet wanted to be a strong ruler

To help keep the Natives and colonies at peace, he drew up the Proclamation of 1763 and made the colonists stay east of the line King George III increased the British

army in colonies to 7,500 men to help enforce the line

How to pay off the debt

Americans were taxed very little before 1765, so the British Parliament imposed a series of taxes to help pay off debt from French and Indian War

Stamp Act: Must buy a stamp for every piece of paper they used from magazines to playing cards Colonists protested since their own

assemblies did not impose the tax and cried “No taxation without Representation!!”

After protests, the Stamp Act was repealed (cancelled)

More Taxes…

Quartering Act: Colonists must provide British soldiers with room and board 1765

Townshend Acts: Acts imposed by Parliament leader Charles Townshend on glass, paint, paper and tea to help pay for the British Army that occupied America Colonists responded by boycotting British

goods. Women played a key role since they purchased most of the goods in the shops. Even Loyalists boycotted

The Boston Massacre

Just as soon as one of the Townshend Acts was taken away, a fight ensued between the British and some of the patriotic colonists

The colonists were calling the Brits

March 5, 1770, the mob started throwing rocks and ice and tempted the soldiers

One soldier panicked and opened fire, killing a black man, , at the front of the crowd, the first death of the Revolution

Creating a Spark

and , an engraver, began to organize the Patriots after the “horrid massacre” and wanted the recoats tried for murder

But John Adams (below), a patriot, defended a few of the British soldiers in trial, and won the case, arguing they acted in self-defense against the angry mob

Taxing the tea

Tea was taxed by Townshend, but it was smuggled in by the Dutch, so the colonists didn’t mind.

Lord North of Britain made a deal to sell taxed tea at a very cheap rate to save the British East India Company

Even though they would have saved money, colonists saw this as an attempt to tax without consent again

Britain brought in 17 million pounds of tea to America

Throwing a Tea Party

Americans protested, but the British said the ships could not leave the harbors until the tea was unloaded

On Dec 16, 1773 the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians and boarded three ships, throwing 90,000 pounds into Boston Harbor

John Adams said it was a great event in the news the next day, but said it would have great consequences

Intolerance

In response to the Tea Party, the British Government made some new rules:1. Close the harbor until the tea was paid for2. British gov’t now controlled Mass. (not the

assembly)3. No town meetings without permission4. British soldiers accused of murder will be

tried in England, not America5. More troops in Boston to help enforce laws