ROAD TO REVOLUTION

COLONIAL DISSENT

As Britain became more involved in colonial affairs in America, the colonists became more and more frustrated and decided to take action against their oppressors.

ALBANY PLAN OF UNION (1754)

FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR (1754-1763)

• Britain took total control of the war effort in the colonies and proposed many taxes
• American colonists were viewed as inferior in the military
• Could not be promoted in military ranking
• Colonists also had to give up their houses and hard earned goods to British troops
• These unfair regulations created bitter feelings toward the British in the colonies

TREATY OF PARIS (1763)

• Ended the French and Indian War
• Booted France out of America
• Gave unfair proportions of land to only Britain and Spain
• America receieved little to no land to expand their settlements
• Colonists now taxed even more to pay off war debts in Britain

PROCLAMATION ACT OF 1763

• Colonists were upset for receiving no land for their contributions
• Their population kept expanding and needed more room to thrive
• The proclamation lines made the colonists feel belittled by the British
• Felt as their rights were very limited as well

SUGAR ACT OF 1763

• Unfair taxation of imported sugar and molasses into American colonies
• Lead to smuggling of goods by the colonists themselves
• Created even more tension between the British and the colonists

QUARTERING ACT OF 1765

• Wanted to now push even more for reduced taxation

STAMP ACT OF 1765

• The most influential people in the colonies suffered most from this tax

STAMP ACT CONGRESS (1765)

• 9 of the 13 colonies sent representatives to meet in New York

REPEAL OF THE STAMP ACT (1766)

• Activist mobs against British Parliament became unbearable
• Stamp Act repealed to end crisis

DECLATORY ACT (1766)

• Britain wanted to maintain imperial taxation
• Colonists saw this as a form of more taxation to come

TOWNSHEND ACTS (1767)

• Allowed writs of assistance, or vague search warrants
• Searches could be conducted on goods imported to or from America
• Mostly affected port colonies, especially Massachusetts

BOSTON MASSACRE (1770)

• Mostly due to the decline of trade from the Townshend Acts
• Started the Townshend Act Crisis prominently in Boston
• March 5th, 1770, colonists were fire upon, killing three and wounding eight
• This severely angered the colonists, as they felt heavily betrayed by Britain

BOSTON TEA PARTY (1773)

• Started the Tea Act Crisis, which was again primarily in Boston

INTOLERABLE ACTS (1774)

• Package of five laws to reinforce authority of Britain in the colonies
• Seen as a violation of natural rights to the colonists
• Infringed mainly the right of self-governance
• Increased push toward local representation in colonies

QUEBEC ACT OF 1774

• Extended the providence of Quebec into the land of the colonies
• Caused even more bitterness toward Britain
• Britain seemed to care very little about colonial problems or claims

FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS (1774)

• Purposed to present a solid, united voice against British legislature
• Was formed at Carpenter's Hall in Pennsylvania
• 56 delegates from 12 colonies attended this congress

BATTLE OF LEXINGTON AND CONCORD (1775)

• The built tensions over the years made war inevitable at this point
• On April 8, British troops were sent into Concord to seize an ammo cache
• As residents heard of British approach, they took up arms and fought back
• Colonists had had enough and conducted their first fight for independence
• They successfully repelled the attack, sparking revolution in the colonies

AND THUS A REVOLUTION BEGAN