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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was brought on mainly by land competition between the French and the British and was sparked by the French alliance with the native Indians. The war was a source of turmoil and hysteria for the colonists for nine years. Thousands of British soldiers came to the colonies and the colonists had to provide and house them for the duration of the war. The colonists were blamed for the war, were forced to pay $8 million in war debt, and restricted colonial access to the OHR. -
Period: to
Pre-Revolution
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King George III Signs the Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 stated that the colonists couldn't go west of the Proclamation Line which roughly followed the Appalacian Mountains. This was the first law that King George III signed that went against the previous policy of Salutary Neglect. It restricted the colonists from settling the Ohio River Valley which they had been fighting for in all of these frontier wars. It also caused crowded coasts and increased land prices in those areas. -
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act also went against the King's previous policy of Salutary Neglect by lowering the tax set by the Moalasses Act, but it added an indirect tax to the cost of sugar instead of a direct tax. It also established Writs of Assistence which had the British signature on it and allowed homes to be searched without warrants. It was the first deterrent against smuggling and was the first act that really controlled the colonists in what they did. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax on all printed goods which made the colonists feel like their rights were being violated and they were being treated unfairly. In response to the Stamp Act, the colonists established the Stamp Act Congress, boycotts against the taxes on different goods it affected, and the Non-Importation Agreement. All of these came together to form the first real example of colonial rebellious actions towards the British crown. -
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required the American colonists to house and feed the British soldiers in the colonies which made the colonists very upset. This strict law caused the colonists to unite as one and try to fight the idea of needing to house British soldiers in the comfort of their own homes. This idea made the colonists very irate and caused the fire inside of them to grow against the British. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts repealed the Stamp Act and put a tax on glass, paint, tea, and other goods. The American colonists were very upset about this act also becuase it taxed them on things they used everyday so it had a greater effect on them. These put the colonists to the brink with now having to quarter soldiers in their homes and paying various taxes which were starting to amount. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a major event that made the American colonists absolutely furious with the Brittish soldiers. A crowd of colonists were throwing things at a group of soldiers and after a soldier was knocked to the ground, the soldiers fired into the crowd, killing five people. The Americans showed a sign of rellion with this and the shootings only made them hate the British more. -
The Burning of The Gaspee
The Burning of the Gaspee was a direct act of defiance and rebellion against British rule. The British ship ran aground near Providence where about 100 colonists forced British soldiers off of the ship and burned it. This sent a very clear message to King George III who took it as a threat to the safety of his soldiers. It was also the first incident where the American colonists took action without provocation and caused damage to British property. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act instituted a hefty tax on tea which the colonists were very fond of and drank everyday. This got rebellious groups of colonists to defiantly rebel against the crown. At this point, the colonists were fed up with the British and just couldn'd stand them anymore. The Sons of Liberty led by Sam Adams were determined to get their revenge against the British any way they could. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a rebellion against the Tea Act institued by the British that was led by Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty where they dumped 40-50 crates of tea into Boston Harbor. King George III again takes it as a threat to Britsih rule and because he can't distinguish the colonists responsible, he decides to punish all of the colonists with the Intollerable Acts. The Intollerable Acts did extreme things like shutting down Boston Harbor and nullifying self government in the colonies.