The Causes of the American Revolution

Debts, Taxation, and Misunderstanding

War Debts

• Britain accumulated £123,000,000 in war debts.

• An annual budget of £250,000 to maintain a military presence in colonies.

The Sugar Act

• Lowered the tax (duty) on sugar by ½.

• Colonial tax burden? 1:26

• Set up special courts for smugglers.

• Response? Led by Samuel Adams—non importation/non-consumption.

The Stamp Act

• Nature of discontent?• The Law?

Virtual Representation

• “the right of exemption from all taxes without their consent…would deprive them of every privilege distinguishing freemen from slaves.

The Protest

• Stamp Act Congres• Harrasment: Andrew

Oliver and Thomas Hutchinson

• Key components of protest: restating of civil rights and non-importation.

The Virginia Resolves

• The resolves claimed that Virginia was an independent realm of the British Crown, subject to taxation only by its colonial assembly and not by Parliament.

“The Repeal”

The Declaratory Act

• The Declaratory Act asserted Britain's exclusive right to legislate for and tax its colonies

External v. Internal Taxes

• Colonists tended not to mind “external taxes” such as the Molasses Act.

• These were meant to regulate trade.

• Internal or “direct” taxes were much more contemptible to the colonists. They were designed not to regulate trade, but to raise revenue.

Townshend Acts

• Revenue Act: a duty placed on items such as tea, lead, paper, and barrels.

• Taxation and the salary of governors…a key component.

Response to the Townshend Acts

• Daughters of Liberty

• Samuel Adams Circular Letter

• Non-Importation (40% dip in already strained British commerce)

• Townshend Acts Repealed.

3/5/1770: Joy and Sorrow

• The Townshend Acts Repealed

• Boston Massacre

Tea Act of 1773

• Changes in the tea policy.

• Dutch smuggling• Cheaper yet better

tea!• Oh…wait. Merchants

role, the new “Consignee”

Boston Tea Party:

First Continental Congress

• Coordinating event that saw 12/13 (Ga.) colonies meet in Philadelphia. Their powers were limited, but it was unified.

• Boycott • Continental

Association• Committees of

Correspondence

Goal of the 1st CC?• “We ask for only for peace, liberty, and

security. We wish no diminution of royal prerogatives, we demand no new rights.”