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
• Raised prices of these goods all throughout the colonies
• Reduced trade for other foreign colonies had cheaper products
• Lead to smuggling of goods by the colonists themselves
• Created even more tension between the British and the colonists

QUARTERING ACT OF 1765

• Forced colonists to provide British troops with food, housing, and goods
• This act was seen as a form of taxation for the colonists
• Colonists despised constant taxation and unfair representation
• Wanted to now push even more for reduced taxation

STAMP ACT OF 1765

• Imposed taxes requiring colonists to purchase stamps
• Any document or paper based product required a stamp, including playing cards
• The most influential people in the colonies suffered most from this tax
• Riots and protests broke out, known as the Stamp Act Crisis

STAMP ACT CONGRESS (1765)

• The first attempt to officially oppsose the stamp act
• 9 of the 13 colonies sent representatives to meet in New York
• Virginia, Georgia, New Hampshire, and North Carolina were not represented
• Strongly expressed their idea of "no taxation without representation"

REPEAL OF THE STAMP ACT (1766)

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• Stamp Act repealed to end crisis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

DECLATORY ACT (1766)

• After the Stamp Act was repealed, Parliament enforced the Declatory Act
• Britain wanted to maintain imperial taxation
• This act called for colonists to continue to abide to British authority
• Colonists saw this as a form of more taxation to come

TOWNSHEND ACTS (1767)

• Imposed new taxes on certain products to pay the salary of colonial officials
• 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)

• Colonists of Massachusetts came close to complete rebellion
• 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)

• Another example of taxtion without representation was the Tea Act of 1773
• American tea monopoly was to be handed over to British East India Company
• Started the Tea Act Crisis, which was again primarily in Boston
• Colonists of Boston dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston harbor
• Became more clear to Britain that colonists were very aggrevated

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
• Pushed into the Ohio River and Mississippi Areas
• Was viewed as an intolerable act by the colonists
• Caused even more bitterness toward Britain
• Britain seemed to care very little about colonial problems or claims

FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS (1774)

• Triggered by the effects of the Intolerable Acts
• 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
• Colonies pledged union, protecting each other from expecting British attacks

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