Causes of the Revolutionary War

Death and Taxes

• After the French and Indian War (Seven Years War) the British had war debts

• To pay for war debts the British began to tax the colonists – OH NO YOU DIDN’T!!!!

Opposition to taxes

• The colonists first complained about taxes • Gradually they became more angry and

refused to pay taxes• They organized boycotts

Townsend Act 1767

• tax on imports of glass, paint, paper, and tea• New York Legislature was suspended until

it agreed to quarter British soldiers• Boycotted British goods causing the

Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party

Boston MassacreThe Boston Massacre

was the killing of five men by British soldiers on March 5, 1770.

Boston Tea PartyDecember 16, 1774

• In protest of the tea act• 50 individuals dressed as Indians• boarded three vessels docked in the

harbor and threw 90,000 pounds of tea into the water

Coercive Acts

• closing of the port of Boston until the East India Tea Company received payment for the tea dumped into the harbor.

• The Royal Governor took control over the Massachusetts government and would appoint all officials.

• British took the right to quarter soldiers anywhere in the Colonies.

Common Sense

Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet which blamed the King for the problems not the colonists

• Drafting the declaration of Independence by JLG Ferris

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

PURPOSE- justify independence from EnglandIDEAS- 1- all people have natural rights

2- governments get power from the consent of governed

3- when government doesn’t do its job people have the right to alter or abolish it

“NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!”