the seeds of unrest
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The Seeds of Unrest. Governing New Territories. Treaty of Paris of 1763 – France gave up its North American empire Britain now control land from Appalachian Mtns. to Mississippi River Farmers and land speculators moved to new region - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Governing New TerritoriesTreaty of Paris of 1763 – France gave up
its North American empireBritain now control land from
Appalachian Mtns. to Mississippi RiverFarmers and land speculators moved to
new regionEveryone seemed to be ignoring the
American Indian claim to the land
American Indian ResistanceBritish limited the amount of ammunition
and rum available for trade with Indians Naturally this angered many American IndiansConsidered trade items as fair payment for
landNeolin (American Indian), denounced European
goods and urged other Indians to drive out the British
Pontiac’s Rebellion – in 1763, many Indian tribes took up arms against the BritishKilled over 2000 troopsRebellion ended when Pontiac could not take
Fort Detroit or Fort Pitt (lack of supplies and cold winter)
The Proclamation of 1763Although British held military control in
“Frontier”, could not successfully protect all British settlers
Proclamation of 1763 barred settlement west of Appalachians
Hard to enforce, many colonists land hungry and continued to move west
[Colonists resented the Proclamation]
Financing the EmpireBritish in major debt after war, put some
of the financial burden on the backs of the colonists – creating more resentment
Question became how to raise revenue ($$$)
TAXESSugar Act of 1764 – import tax on foreign
sugar, molasses, and a few other items…. ***not first tax on sugar or molasses, but first time
it was seriously enforced Colonists could no longer smuggle goods into the
colonies
Financing the EmpiresSugar Act decreased business for
colonial merchants who profited from smuggling
Often refused to cooperate with inspectors of the Royal Navy in shipyards
Controversy continued….. In 1765, Parliament slapped another tax…..
Stamp Act of 1765Placed a tax on anything printed….
Colonial ProtestsBritish officials were unprepared for the
colonial resistanceParliament passed act without any direct
representation from colonies…“No taxation without representation”
May 1765, VA House of Burgesses passed several resolutions condemning the Stamp Act
A Call to ActionColonists signed non-importation
agreementsPromised not to buy or import British
goodsProtesters hit the streets, sometimes violently
Edenezer MacIntosh led a violent protest destroying the property of a stamp agent
Boston Sons of Liberty – artisans, lawyers, merchants, politicians
Repeal of Stamp ActSamuel Adams – elected to Massachusetts House
of Representatives in 1765Became a leader in the fight for the colonists
October 1765, delegates from 9 colonies gathered in NYC – Stamp Act Congress Pledged obedience to ParliamentVoiced objections to Stamp Act – had no right
to tax colonistsBritish merchants who were losing business
joined in the protestsREPEALED in March 1776
Declaratory Act of 1766 – asserted full power and authority of Parliament
The Townsend Acts Charles Townsend, a British finance
minister, believed colonists resented the Stamp Act because it was collected in the colonies
Townsend believed they would be willing to accept taxes at colonial ports
Townsend Acts of 1767Import taxes on tea, lead, glass, dyesBritish custom officials used writs of assistance
to enforce act – meaning they could search anything
Colonial OppositionPowerful opposition from the colonistsCrown placed additional soldiers in coloniesNY’s assembly imposed the Quartering Act
of 1765Refused to provided money to quarter the
soldiers
The Boston MassacreOn March 5, 1770, an angry crowd
gathered outside a customs houseCrowed yelled insults, threw snowballs,
rocks, and coal at the soldiersBefore long, a soldier’s gun went off, 3
colonists lay dead, 2 more die later
Continuing Unrest…1770, partial repeal of the Townsend Act,
Quartering Act expiredBritish kept a small tax on tea
King George – “always must be one tax to keep up the right”
Repeal quieted general unrest, for a little while1772, Parliament announced it would pay
salaries of governor and judges in Mass. Feared they would now ignore colonial demands
The Tea Act of 1773British East India Company almost
bankruptTo save company – Parliament passed Tea
ActExcused the company from paying certain
taxes and permitted the company to see directly to American agents
Most colonists refused to buy TeaSons of Liberty in Philadelphia and NYC
threatened tea importers and boycotted
Boston Tea PartyDecember 16, 1773
Governor refused colonist’s demands Later that night, dressed as Indians, a well-
organized group of colonists boarded tea ships in Boston Harbor
Dumped 342 chests of tea into water
Intolerable Acts of 1774Boston Tea Party infuriated British officialsParliament responded by passing the Coercive
Acts – designed to strengthen British control in Mass.Colonists Called these Acts the Intolerable Acts
Colonists had to repay for lost tea – Ports closed indefinitely
Forbade colonists from holding town meetings Royal officials charged of crimes to be tired in
other colonies Local officials had to provide housing and food for
British soldiers
The Intolerable Acts deepened Colonial hostility toward Britain
Along with the Quebec Act, which extended Quebec territory south, angered colonists
Move towards colonial unity….
Thus begins the Revolutionary War…
First Continental CongressPhiladelphia – October 26, 1774
Every colony except for GA represented -1st time colonies really acted as one
Not a lawmaking body – met to air grievances and consider their options
Stay with Britain or declare independence Declaration of Resolves
Expressed loyalty to the British crown, stated that colonists had rights as British subjects
Colonists had “free and exclusive power of legislation in their several provincial legislatures”
Called for a ban on all trade with Britain Agreed to meet again in May 1775
King George III saw this as the last straw…….rebellion must be shut down
Lexington and ConcordUnder orders from King George III – General
Thomas Gage decided to seize rebel military supplies in Concord, Mass.
April 18, 1775, under night sky, 750 British troops left Boston toward Concord
The Patriots (colonists who supported independence) had placed watchmen on the shore of the Charles River
As Gage moved in close, Paul Revere ran back yelling “The British are coming!”
April 19th, 70 minutemen waited for the arrival of the British
British finally arrive – “Lay down your arms rebels, and disperse”
Colonists began to flee and then out of nowhere (each accusing the other) a shot was fired – “shot heard round the world”
British open fire – 8 colonists dead, 10 wounded
British marched on towards the rebels military supplies in Concord
As the British headed back to Boston, 100s of minutemen from behind stone walls open fire of the red coats
273 British soldiers dead