-
Sugar Act
Indirect tax ( out of sight=out of mind)
Duties on molasses and sugar. -
Stamp Act
Tax on all paper products.
Official stamp/seal on all paper items (proof tax was paid)
Legal documents.
Licenses.
Newspaper.
Pamphlets.
Playing cards.
Purchased only with valuable silver coins.
If didn’t purchase=fined or jail.
Protested Stamp Act, feeling rights were violated.
Direct Tax
-(in your face tax.) -
Declaratory Act
Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonist “in all cases whatsoever.”
Parliament passes this to save face. -
Townshend Act
Taxes on glass, lead, paints, and tea.
Searched for smuggled goods
Sons of liberty start to do violent acts
-British Soldiers arrive to protect tax collectors. -
Bloody Massacre
Fights between troops and Bostonians were common.
March 5, 1770: soldiers strikes colonist.
Crowd gathers and hassles soldiers, throwing snowballs and shouting insults.
More troops arrive, colonists get more and more angry.
“Fire if you dare!” -
Tea Act (not a tax)
Passed in 1773 and allowed BritishEast India Company (DEIC) to sell tea directly to colonists.
Lower Prices than colonist merchant prices.
Tax Tea cheaper than smuggled tea.
Less smuggling=more tax money.
Colonial Merchants feared BEIC would put them out of business. -
Boston Tea Party
Members of Sons of Liberty Dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor
“Boston harbor is a teapot tonight!”
Caused problems for loyalists /Tories
Loyalist/Tory=a person in the Colony who remains “loyal” to the King and Great Britain -
Intolerable Act
Passed to punish Boston for Tea Party
Boston HArbor Closed until tea paid for
Massachusetts Charter canceled
Royal officials had trial in Britain
Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers
“If a soldier comes knocking at the door…. You’re sleeping on the floor.
Large amount of land given to Quebec
General Thomas Gage became new governor of MA -
First Continental Congress
All colonies but Georgia have representatives.
Voted to send a "statement of grievances".
Voted to Boycott all British Trade.
Patrick Henry-VA rep. urged colonist to unite against Britain. -
1,000’s of Redcoats in Boston
General Gage brings thousands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way. -
Midnight ride of Paul Revere
Paul Revere rides to warn the Sons of Liberty in Lexington and Concord that the “British are coming… The British are coming..” -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
Battle of Lexington
1st battle of American Revolutionary War.
“Shot heard round the world” -Ralph Waldo Emerson.
BRITISH Victory
Battle of Concord
Americans Stop British and force them to retreat back to Boston. -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen capture the fort.
Get all supplies in the fort including cannons.
AMERICAN Victory -
Second Continental Congress meet
Print $$$$.
Set up post office.
Created Continental Army led by George Washington.
Sent Olive Branch asking King to protect their rights.
-King hires 30,000 Hessians Soldiers in response. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Fought on Breed’s Hill.
“Don’t Fire until you see the whites of their eyes”-William Prescott.
BRITISH Victory (Americans ran out of ammunition) British learn defeating Americans would NOT be easy. -
Washington arrives on outskirts of Boston with Continental troops
Realizes men are disorganized and need discipline.
Need weapons. -
“Common Sense” published by Thomas Paine
Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots
“Every thing is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the
weeping voice of nature cries, ‘TIS TIME TO PART” - Thomas Paine, Common Sense. -
British Surrender Boston
Washington believes his army is ready and weapons arrive.
Washington puts cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston.
BRITISH retreat-AMERICAN Victory -
Second Continental congress meets again
Debate on declaring independence.
Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document. -
Second Continental Congress votes for independence
-
The declaration of independence is signed
