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The Navigation Acts and Writs of Assistance
To increase revenue during the years after the French and Indian War, the British government started finding American Officials were given the right to search warehouses, homes, and ships whenever they wanted without a cause. The colonies were angered and thought it violated their rights. -
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Years of the Causes of the Revolutionary War
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End French and Indian War
After winning the war, Britian was deep in debt. They had to think of new ways to earn revnue and finding and testing new ways to increase revenue. -
Proclamation of 1763
KIng George III made a prclamation which did not allow colonist settlement to the west of the Appalachin mountains. Colonists were furious, because they had either purchased land west of the mountains or had land given to them to move west, to stop the french expansion. -
New Taxes
To increase revenue for Britain, they started taxing the colonists on many items. The Sugar Act added a tax on molasses and specific goods which could be exported to Britain.It led to anger from colonial leaders who stated "taxation without representation." The Currency Act which made printing paper money illegal in the colonies. The Quartering Act required colonists to house and feed Brittish troops. The colonies were outraged and began boycotting British goods. -
Stamp Act and Boycotts
Parliment made the Stamp Act which put tax stamps on all paper items sold in the colonies. It thought of as an attempt to levy direct tax in the colonies . The colonies were very offended and angred. The colonies started to boycott British items causing imports to drop. The "Sons of Liberty" formed. -
Townshend Acts
Parliment ratified the Townshed Acts. The sales tax put import duties on various items. They also created new Admiralty courts in the colonies and acknowledged the authority of the writs of assistance. Colonists protested with the phraseof taxation without representation. Colonial leaders organized boycotts of the taxed items, and smuggling increased. -
Boston Massacre
Angry colonists started throwing snowballs, rocks, and other items at British troops outside the Customs House in Boston. During the event, British troops shot at the mob, kIlling three immdiately, two died later because of injuries. 3 of the soldiers were charged with murder, and the other 2 were charged with manslaughter. Finally, Parliament repealed most of the townshed acts on April, 1770. -
Tea Act
Parliment ratified the Tea Act with the objective of helping the British East India Company, which previously had been taxed. Under the new law, the company would be allowed to sell tea to the colonies without additional tax. One of the results was tea prices would be reduced in America, if the Townshed tea duty ssessed. The Sons of Liberty disagreed with the act, thinking it was made to try to break the boycott of Birtish goods. -
Boston Tea Party
The tea situation came to a climax in November, 1773. Three ships from the East India Company came into the harbor carrying tea. The members of the Sons of Liberty were dressed as Native Americans. They borded the ships carefully and tossed 342 chests of tea into the harbor. -
The Coercive/Intolerable Acts
Parliament passed many treachorous laws in early 1774, answering to the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Port Act, which closed the Boston harbor to shipping until the East India comparny had been rendorced for the lost tea. The next act was the Massachusets Government Act which allowed the crown to appoint poitions in the Massachusets colonial government. This was followed by a new Quartering Act. It stated that British troops could use unoccupied or empty buildings as quarters in the colonies. -
The First Continental Congress
The colonial leaders began to plan a congress to talk about the effects of the Acts. The met at Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia were representitives from 12 colonies came. As a result of the congress the colonies agreed to form the Continental Association.The colonies would boycott all goods starting on the first of December, 1774. In the end, they returned for a second Continental Congress in May 1775. -
The Start of the Revolutionary War
Gage demanded many raids with the hopes of disarming the colonial militias. The night of April 18, Gage ordered his troops to go to Concord to collect munitions and gunpowder. The next morning, British troops came upon a colonial milita in Lexington. An unknown shot rang out and started off the eight year war.
