The Primary Causes of the American

Revolution

Georgia Performance StandardSSUH3: The student will explain the primary causes of the American Revolution

Proclamation of 1763

What happened: It was a response to the French and Indian

War. Its goal was to prevent further conflict with the Native Americans.

The British government banned all settlement west of the Appalachians.

Established a Proclamation Line

Proclamation of 1763

Affects on the colonists -It had no affect on the colonists because the British Government could not enforce it.

Colonists response-They continued to move west onto Native American lands.

Stamp Act1765

What happened: Parliament passed the Stamp Act in March

1765 A tax that required the colonists to purchase a

special stamped paper for every legal document, license, newspaper, pamphlet, and almanac.

It also imposed stamp duties on items like dice and playing cards.

Stamp Act

Affect on colonists: The Stamp Act affected most, if not all,

colonists and the British colonies. It was expensive on the colonists. If a colonist disobeyed, they were tried in

court. Most of the time they were convicted.

Stamp Act Colonists Response:

When the colonists learned of the Stamp Act in May of 1765, the colonists came together to protest it.

In Boston, men organized a secret group called the Sons of Liberty.

One of the founders: Samuel Adams The Sons of Liberty harassed custom workers,

stamp agents, and royal governors.

Stamp Act

Colonists Response: Individual colonial assemblies decided to pass

resolutions against the Stamp Act The resolutions stated that only the colonial

assemblies could tax the colonists 9 colonies met at the Stamp Act Congress to

issues a Declaration of Rights and Grievances “No taxation without representation.

In the end, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766

What did “no taxation without representation” mean to the colonists?A. The taxing power of British

shopkeepers is represented in Parliament.

B. There should be no taxation of British goods entering the colonies.

C. Taxation in the colonies should only be for British citizens

D. The colonists should not be taxed without representation in Parliament

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Townshend Acts1767

What happened: It was an indirect tax on imported goods. It also taxed tea.

Affects on Colonists: This tax had more affect than the Stamp Act

because more items were taxed, not just paper goods.

It was more expensive on the colonists.

Townshend Acts

Colonists Response: Samuel Adams called for a complete boycott

of British goods. Women become more involved in the protest. Women in the colonial began to show public

display of spinning their own cloth and shared recipes for tea. This showed their support of the boycott.

Became known as the Daughters of Liberty

Townshend Acts

Response by the British government: The British government seized the ship

Liberty, owned by John Hancock. They stated that he did not pay the proper taxes.

This seizure sparked mass riots, which led to the British government stationing “red coats” in Boston.

What effect did the Townshend Acts have on the colonies?

A. They willingly paid taxes because they were loyal British subjects.

B. They sent delegates to Parliament to negotiate the tax rates.

C. They boycotted English goods as a way to protest the taxes.

D. They allowed for the taxing of English goods but protested the tax on tea.

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Boston Massacre March 5, 1770

What happened: British soldier and local men were competing

for jobs in Boston, this led to tension between the men of Boston and the British soldiers

On the night of March 5, 1770, men in Boston began to torment the soldiers.

A fight broke out and five Boston men died. Samuel Adams and others labeled it the

Boston Massacre

Boston Massacre

Affects on colonists: This event upset all colonists and led them to

distrust the British soldiers. Eventually, tensions relaxed until 1772.

In 1772, burned a British boat. King George wanted a commission to seek out the suspects and bring them back to England

Boston Massacre

Colonists response: The colonists disagreed with King George and

did not want the colonists hauled back to England to be tried

Colonists created the committees of correspondence. These committees helped colonists to communicate with each other about threats to their civil liberties.

Tea Acts and the Boston Tea Party1773

What happened: In 1773, the British East India Company was

on the edge of going bankrupt because of the boycotts on tea.

The British government created the Tea Acts The Tea Acts would allow the company to sell

tea to the colonists without ANY taxes.

Tea Acts and the Boston Tea Party

Affect on colonists: Since the East India Company could sell tea to

the colonists, the merchants in colonies would be severely hurt.

The East India Company could sell tea to the colonists for less than the merchants in the colonies.

Tea Acts and the Boston Tea Party

Colonists Response: The colonists continued the boycott on the

British tea. On December 16, 1773, Boston men disguised

themselves as Native Americans and boarded British ships.

They dumped 18,000 pounds of the East India Company’s tea into the Boston Harbor.

Became known as the Boston Tea Party

Intolerable Acts1774

What happened: The Intolerable Acts were in response to the

Boston Tea Party and were a series of acts. One law shut down Boston Harbor The Quartering Act was passes.

House soldiers in colonial homes Boston was placed under marital law.

Rule imposed by military force

Intolerable Acts

Affect on Colonists: Colonists were forced to house British soldiers.

They felt this was a violation of their civil liberties.

Bostonians could not export or import any goods.

Response: The committees of correspondence assembled

the First Continental Congress which met in Philadelphia on September 1774.

What followed the Boston Tea Party?

A. The free flow of trade between the colonies and other countries.

B. Harsh restrictions on colonial liberties and trade.

C. Increased self-government in New England

D. The removal of British troops from the colonies.

Thomas Paine and Common Sense

What happened: Paine anonymously attacked King George III in

a 50 page pamphlet. Stated that it was time for the colonists to

declare independence. Affects on Colonists:

Colonial leaders began to think more about independence.

Colonists Response: Colonial leaders began to push towards

declaring independence.

Why is Thomas Paine given credit for saving the independence movement?

A. He led the Continental Army to victory at the Battle of Trenton

B. His work, Common Sense, inspired colonists to fight for independence.

C. He wrote the 1783 Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolution.

D. He served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.