1763Proclamationof 1763

1764Parliament passesSugar Act

1765Parliament enactsStamp Act

1767Townshend Acts taxcolonial imports

Main IdeaThe British government’s actions afterwinning the French and Indian Warangered American colonists.

Key Termsrevenue, writs of assistance, resolu-tion, effigy, boycott, nonimporta-tion, repeal

Reading StrategyClassifying Information Britishactions created colonial unrest. Asyou read Section 1, re-create the diagram below and describe why the colonists disliked these policies.

Read to Learn• why the British faced problems in

North America after the French andIndian War.

• why the American colonistsobjected to new British laws.

Section Theme Civic Rights and Responsibilities TheAmerican colonists believed that newBritish laws denied their civic rights.

Taxation WithoutRepresentation

Huron and Ottawa warriors silently peered from the woods. They watched about100 British soldiers camped on Lake Erie’s shore. The soldiers—sent by the BritishCrown—had just stopped to rest on their way to Fort Detroit. They were worried aboutrumors of Native Americans planning war.

Suddenly the warriors rushed from the forest. The British managed to escape in twoboats. War raged on the frontier—and the British were in the thick of it!

Relations with BritainAfter winning the French and Indian War, Great Britain controlled a vast

territory in North America. To limit settlement of this territory, Britain issuedthe Proclamation of 1763. Parts of the land acquired through the Treaty of Parisbecame the provinces of Quebec, East Florida, West Florida, and Grenada (acombination of several Caribbean islands). Most importantly, the Proclamationprohibited colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains.

132 CHAPTER 5 Road to Independence

British action Colonists’ view

Proclamation of 1763

Sugar Act

Stamp Act

Preview of Events

Guide to Reading

✦ 1760 ✦ 1765 ✦ 1770

St. Edward’s crown, wornby George III

133CHAPTER 5 Road to Independence

Stopping western settlement provided sev-eral advantages for Britain. It allowed the Britishgovernment, not the colonists, to control west-ward movement. In this way, westward expan-sion would go on in an orderly way, and conflictwith Native Americans might be avoided.Slower western settlement would also slowcolonists moving away from the colonies on thecoast—where Britain’s important markets andinvestments were. Finally, closing western set-tlement protected the interests of British officialswho wanted to control the lucrative fur trade.The British planned to keep 10,000 troops inAmerica to protect their interests.

These plans alarmed the colonists. Manyfeared that the large number of British troops inNorth America might be used to interfere withtheir liberties. They saw the Proclamation of1763 as a limit on their freedom. These twomeasures contributed to the feeling of distrustthat was growing between Great Britain and itscolonies.

The financial problems of Great Britain com-plicated the situation. The French and IndianWar left Britain with a huge public debt. Des-perate for new revenue, or incoming money, theking and Parliament felt it was only fair that thecolonists pay part of the cost. They began plansto tax them. This decision set off a chain ofevents that enraged the American colonists andsurprised British authorities.

Britain’s Trade LawsIn 1763 George Grenville became prime min-

ister of Britain. He was determined to reduceBritain’s debt. He decided to take action againstsmuggling in the colonies. When the colonistssmuggled goods to avoid taxes, Britain lost rev-enue that could be used to pay debts.

Grenville knew that American juries oftenfound smugglers innocent. In 1763 he convincedParliament to pass a law allowing smugglers tobe sent to vice-admiralty courts. Vice-admiraltycourts were run by officers and did not havejuries. In 1767 Parliament decided to authorizewrits of assistance. These legal documentsallowed customs officers to enter any location tosearch for smuggled goods.

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1. Place What natural feature marked the western bound-ary of British territory?

2. Analyzing Information Who controlled the Louisiana Territory in 1763?

The Sugar ActWith a new law in place to stop smuggling,

Grenville tried to increase tax revenue. In 1764Parliament passed the Sugar Act. The act low-ered the tax on molasses imported by thecolonists. Grenville hoped the lower tax wouldconvince the colonists to pay the tax instead ofsmuggling. The act also let officers seize goodsfrom smugglers without going to court.

The Sugar Act and the new laws to controlsmuggling angered the colonists. They believedtheir rights as Englishmen were being violated.Writs of assistance violated their right to besecure in their home. Vice-admiralty courtsviolated their right to a jury trial. Furthermore, intrials at vice-admiralty courts, the burden of

Proclamation of 1763

ProclamationLine of 1763

Spanishterritory

Other Britishterritory

ThirteenColonies

proof was on defendants to prove their inno-cence. This contradicted British law, which statesthat the accused is “innocent until proved guilty.”

These measures alarmed the colonists. JamesOtis, a young lawyer in Boston, argued that

“no parts of [England’s colonies] can be taxedwithout their consent . . . every part has a rightto be represented.”

In his speeches and pamphlets, Otis defined anddefended colonial rights.

Analyzing Why did Parliament passthe Sugar Act?

The Stamp ActIn 1765 Parliament passed another law in an

effort to raise money. This law, the Stamp Act,placed a tax on almost all printed material in thecolonies—everything from newspapers andpamphlets to wills and playing cards. Allprinted material had to have a stamp, whichwas applied by British officials. Because somany items were taxed, it affected almost every-one in the colonial cities. The Stamp Act con-vinced many colonists of the need for action.

Opposition to the Stamp Act centered on twopoints. Parliament had interfered in colonialaffairs by taxing the colonies directly. Inaddition, it taxed the colonists withouttheir consent. In passing the Stamp Actwithout consulting the colonial legisla-tures, Parliament ignored the colonial tradition of self-government.

Protesting the Stamp ActA young member of the Virginia House

of Burgesses, Patrick Henry, persuadedthe burgesses to take action against theStamp Act. According to tradition, whenhe was accused of treason, Henry replied,

“If this be treason, make the most of it!”The Virginia assembly passed a resolution—a

formal expression of opinion—declaring it had“the only and sole exclusive right and power tolay taxes” on its citizens.

134 CHAPTER 5 Road to Independence

In Boston Samuel Adams helped start anorganization called the Sons of Liberty. Mem-bers took to the streets to protest the Stamp Act.People in other cities also organized Sons ofLiberty groups.

Throughout the summer of 1765, protestersburned effigies—rag figures—representingunpopular tax collectors. They also raided anddestroyed houses belonging to royal officialsand marched through the streets shouting thatonly Americans had the right to tax Americans.

The Stamp Act CongressIn October delegates from nine colonies met

in New York at the Stamp Act Congress. Theydrafted a petition to the king and Parliamentdeclaring that the colonies could not be taxedexcept by their own assemblies.

In the colonial cities, people refused to use thestamps. They urged merchants to boycott—refuse to buy—British and European goods inprotest. Thousands of merchants, artisans, andfarmers signed nonimportation agreements. Inthese agreements they pledged not to buy or usegoods imported from Great Britain. As the boy-cott spread, British merchants lost so much busi-ness that they begged Parliament to repeal, orcancel, the Stamp Act.

The Act Is RepealedIn March 1766, Parliament gave in

to the colonists’ demands andrepealed the Stamp Act. Yet thecolonists’ trust in the king and Par-

liament was never fully restored.While the colonists celebrated

their victory over the Stamp Act,Parliament passed another act onthe same day it repealed theStamp Act. The Declaratory Act

of 1766 stated that Parliament hadthe right to tax and make decisionsfor the British colonies “in all

cases.” The colonists might have won one battle,but the war over making decisions for the colonieshad just begun.

Evaluating What role did SamuelAdams play in colonial protests?

Revenue stamp

New TaxesSoon after the Stamp Act crisis, Parliament

passed a set of laws in 1767 that came to beknown as the Townshend Acts. In these acts theBritish leaders tried to avoid some of the prob-lems the Stamp Act caused. They understoodthat the colonists would not tolerate internaltaxes—those levied or paid inside the colonies.As a result the new taxes applied only toimported goods, with the tax being paid at theport of entry. The goods taxed, however,included basic items—such as glass, tea, paper,and lead—that the colonists had to importbecause they did not produce them.

By this time the colonists were outraged byany taxes Parliament passed. They believed thatonly their own representatives had the right tolevy taxes on them. The colonists responded bybringing back the boycott that had worked sowell against the Stamp Act. The boycott provedto be even more widespread this time.

Checking for Understanding1. Key Terms Write sentences or short

paragraphs in which you use the fol-lowing groups of terms correctly: (1)revenue and writs of assistance;(2) resolution, effigy, boycott, nonimportation, and repeal.

2. Reviewing Facts State two reasonsfor the deterioration of relationsbetween the British and the colonists.

Reviewing Themes3. Civic Rights and Responsibilities

Why did the colonists think the writsof assistance violated their rights?

Critical Thinking4. Identifying Central Issues Why did

British policies after the French andIndian War lead to increased tensionswith colonists?

5. Determining Cause and EffectRe-create the diagram below anddescribe the effects of these Britishactions.

Analyzing Visuals6. Geography Skills Review the map

on page 133. Why did the Britishgovernment want to halt westernmovement?

CHAPTER 5 Road to Independence 135

Sugar Act

British Actions Effects

Stamp Act

Townshend Acts

Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House ofBurgesses by Peter F. Rothermel Patrick Henrygave a fiery speech before the Virginia House ofBurgesses in 1765. Why did Henry deliverthe speech?

History Through Art

Women took an active role in the protestagainst the Townshend Acts. In towns through-out the colonies, women organized groups tosupport the boycott of British goods, sometimescalling themselves the Daughters of Liberty.They urged Americans to wear homemade fab-rics and produce other goods that were avail-able only from Britain before. They believed thiswould help the American colonies become eco-nomically independent.

Comparing How did the Town-shend Acts differ from the Stamp Act?

Persuasive Writing Write a letterto the editor of a colonial news-paper in which you attempt to persuade fellow colonists to boy-cott British goods. Use standardgrammar, spelling, sentence struc-ture and punctuation.

New TaxesSoon after the Stamp Act crisis, Parliament

passed a set of laws in 1767 that came to beknown as the Townshend Acts. In these acts theBritish leaders tried to avoid some of the prob-lems the Stamp Act caused. They understoodthat the colonists would not tolerate internaltaxes—those levied or paid inside the colonies.As a result the new taxes applied only toimported goods, with the tax being paid at theport of entry. The goods taxed, however,included basic items—such as glass, tea, paper,and lead—that the colonists had to importbecause they did not produce them.

By this time the colonists were outraged byany taxes Parliament passed. They believed thatonly their own representatives had the right tolevy taxes on them. The colonists responded bybringing back the boycott that had worked sowell against the Stamp Act. The boycott provedto be even more widespread this time.

Checking for Understanding1. Key Terms Write sentences or short

paragraphs in which you use the fol-lowing groups of terms correctly: (1)revenue and writs of assistance;(2) resolution, effigy, boycott, nonimportation, and repeal.

2. Reviewing Facts State two reasonsfor the deterioration of relationsbetween the British and the colonists.

Reviewing Themes3. Civic Rights and Responsibilities

Why did the colonists think the writsof assistance violated their rights?

Critical Thinking4. Identifying Central Issues Why did

British policies after the French andIndian War lead to increased tensionswith colonists?

5. Determining Cause and EffectRe-create the diagram below anddescribe the effects of these Britishactions.

Analyzing Visuals6. Geography Skills Review the map

on page 133. Why did the Britishgovernment want to halt westernmovement?

CHAPTER 5 Road to Independence 135

Sugar Act

British Actions Effects

Stamp Act

Townshend Acts

Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House ofBurgesses by Peter F. Rothermel Patrick Henrygave a fiery speech before the Virginia House ofBurgesses in 1765. Why did Henry deliverthe speech?

History Through Art

Women took an active role in the protestagainst the Townshend Acts. In towns through-out the colonies, women organized groups tosupport the boycott of British goods, sometimescalling themselves the Daughters of Liberty.They urged Americans to wear homemade fab-rics and produce other goods that were avail-able only from Britain before. They believed thiswould help the American colonies become eco-nomically independent.

Comparing How did the Town-shend Acts differ from the Stamp Act?

Persuasive Writing Write a letterto the editor of a colonial news-paper in which you attempt to persuade fellow colonists to boy-cott British goods. Use standardgrammar, spelling, sentence struc-ture and punctuation.