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Cause 1: French and Indian War
Who fought on each side: French and Native Americans vs. British Government. Where: North America. When: 1754 to 1763. Who won the war: The colonists. How is this a cause that led to war?: The colonists had fought the French for their land, while Great Britain helped the colonists win the war by sending troops to fight. Great Britain ended up in huge war debt that they needed to pay off. -
Cause 2: Proclamation of 1763
Who issued it: King George II. Who did it affect: The colonists. When: 1763. What did the Proclamation do to the colonies?: The King didn't want the colonists to go west. Colonists couldn't buy land, traders going west needed the British Parliament's consent. How is this a cause that led to war?: Britain helped the colonists win the war, so they put more tariffs onto the colonies.They did not allow the colonists to get land from the Natives, and colonists living there were forced to leave. -
Cause 3: Sugar Act
When was it enacted: 1764. How did it affect the colonists? Britain needed to pay off war debt and to make rum, so they taxed the colonists on imported goods. How is this a cause that led to war?: The Sugar Act made the colonists upset because they were taxed on goods, and they saw the raised taxes as another way of Great Britain controlling them. They formed the Committee of Correspondence to talk about the British Government. -
Cause 4: Stamp Act
When was it enacted: March 22, 1765. How did it affect the colonists? All documents printed had to be stamped. How is this a cause that led to war?: The colonists believed that the British Government were getting money off of the colonies without their approval. Colonists that weren’t Loyalists began to protest it since they didn’t want new taxes forced on them. -
Cause 5: Quartering Act
When was it enacted: March 24, 1765. How did it affect the colonists? British militia needed food and lodging provided by the colonists, and remained in the colonies. How is this a cause that led to war?: The colonists wanted to refuse providing for the British militia, and felt that the taxes were pretty overwhelming. They wanted the troops out because the war was over. -
Cause 7: Boston Massacre
Who: British troops vs colonists. Where: Boston. When: March 5, 1770. What happened and why: The colonists were protesting and provoked the British troops, resulting in the deaths of five colonists. How is this a cause that led to war? This separated the Rebels against the British Government even more. -
Cause 6: Tea Act
When was it enacted: May 10, 1773. How did it affect the colonists? Colonial merchants couldn’t export tea anymore, only the British East India Company could sell tea to the colonies while the tax on tea was high. How is this a cause that led to war?: The colonists said for the tea to be returned, and they did not buy it anymore. -
Boston Tea Party
Who: Sons of Liberty. Where: Boston Harbor. When: December 16, 1773. What happened and why: The Sons of Liberty dressed up as Mohawk Native Americans, and dumped 342 chests of tea off of the British ships in Boston Harbor because they did not want the tea being sold. Outcome/effect: The King punished all of Boston with the Intolerable Acts, which allowed Britain to completely control the colonies. -
Cause 8: Intolerable Acts
Who: King George II. Where: Boston. When: March 24, 1774. What happened and why: The King closed trade off of the Boston Harbor until the East India Company repaid for the tea. How is this a cause that led to war? Britain fully controlled the colonies, punishing all of Boston and the colonists could not trade until the tea was repaid. The governor of Massachusetts now had the most power, the colonists could not vote anymore, and they were only allowed one town hall meeting per year.
