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Proclimation of 1763
After Pontiac’s war in 1763, the British did not want to fight the Native Americans over land if they did not have to. A line was drawn through the Appalachian Mountains as a western boundary for settlement. This angered the colonists who considered it a threat to their self-government if Britain was going to decide were the colonists could settle. Over time, the line moved farther west, and some colonists moved west despite the line. -
Sugar Act of 1764
This act changed many taxes and tariffs. Before the acts, a 6 pence tax on foreign molasses existed but was loosely enforced. Lord Grenville, needing money from the colonies, lowered the tax from 6 to 3 pence but enforced collection. In addition, taxes would be collected on foreign sugar and other products like calico. This act by itself did not anger the colonists but combined with the Stamp Act started the road to revolt. -
Stamp Act of 1765
This tax required that all paper products needed to be “stamped”, the cost of which was paid to Britain to defend the frontier. There was not much opposition to the tax itself, especially at first. The main colonial grievance was that this tax was specifically to raise money for England and not to regulate commerce, as before. Patrick Henry believed that the British government was wrong and encouraged the Virginia House of Burgesses to pass the Stamp Act resolves in opposition to the Stamp Act. -
Quartering Act of 1765
This act required colonists to house, food, and assist with the transport of British soldiers in the colonies. The main purpose of this act was to try and cut the cost of having a greater military presence in the colonies. It also asserted Britain's dominance over the colonies, because financing troops had been a colonial responsibility. Resistance led to the Quartering Act’s expiration in 1670. -
Stamp Act Congress
Proposed by James Otis, the Congress was an intercolonial measure to make a plan of action against British taxation. It was enacted after individual colonies failed in their efforts to oppose the Stamp Act. The Congress only involved nine colonies and did not do much. However, colonial boycotts led to the repeal of the Stamp Act. -
Declaratory Act
This act repealed the Stamp Act, which was a victory for the American colonies. However, it increased British authority over the colonies. It asserted Parliament’s rights to tax the colonies, and make laws for them “in all cases whatsoever”. This led to colonial resistance in the acts that would follow because the colonies were used to self-government. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a series of acts and taxes passed on the colonies. Taxed items were glass, paper, lead, and tea. Stronger customs were established to enforce the Acts. The New York legislature was suspended for violating the Quartering Act. Just like the Stamp Act, there was heavy colonial resistance. It was partially repealed in 1770. -
Writs of Assistance
A writ of assistance is a search warrant issued by the British courts in order to assist the British govt in enforcing their acts and laws. The first opposition to these writs was in 1761, when James Otis declared that the British were breaking English law by writing these writs. The English ignored this and still gave out writs until 1767, where every single supreme court in the 13 colonies challenged the approval of these writs. 8 out of 13 colonies refused to allow writs to be used. -
Boston Massacre
A fight broke out between “patriots” and British soldiers. In the confusion, British troops shot and killed five civilians, though likely by accident or in self defense. The event, like Paul Revere’s picture, turned the event into anti-British propaganda, demonizing the soldiers despite the fact most of them were acquitted. Eventually it was coined the Boston Massacre. This event led to resistance and hostility towards British troops occupying Boston. -
Tea Act of 1773
Passed to help the British East India Tea Company, which had 18 million pounds of tea they could not sell. It would have given the company tax breaks, cutting their tea prices and essentially monopolizing the tea industry. The colonists disliked the act because it allowed the British East India Company to ruin local tea merchants. Eventually this leads to boycotts and the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
100 American patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians snuck into numerous ships in the Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea that belonged to the British East India Company into the ocean. This act was performed because the colonists were upset with the monopoly of the British E. India Tea Company. In Boston, the Sons of Liberty had decided to act. Also, they were protesting the “taxation without representation” of the tea of the colonies by the British (Townshend Act/Tea Act of 1773). -
Intolerable Acts
Also known as the Intolerable Acts, these acts had four separate parts. The Boston Port Bill closed the Boston harbor until they paid for destruction of the tea that the colonists destroyed. The Massachusetts Government Act replaced the elective local council with a British appointed one. The Administration of Justice Act provided protection for British officials charged with capital offenses. Finally, the Quartering Act forced all colonists to provide food and shelter to British troops. -
Quebec Act
The Quebec Act was the British attempt to bring the French colony of Canada under British control. The act gave Catholic, French Canadians religious freedom and provided a civil government for them. This law caused the expansion of the Quebec province to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, which also limited the expansion of the colonies to the west. -
First Continental Congress
In response to Coercive Acts, all colonies except George sent representatives to Carpenter’s Hall in Pennsylvania in September of 1774. Many of the colonies had different opinions on how to react to the numerous new acts and laws of the British, but the general consensus was that the King and Parliament needed to know how the grievances of Britain was impacting them, and they requested that King George III to re-address these grievances. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive branch petition was a last-second effort in 1775 to avoid war between the British and the colonies. Inside the petition, it states that the colonists were upset with Britain because after the colonies won the French and Indian War, the British government enacted new laws and taxes and the colonists felt it was unfair. However, the petition also states that the colonists still considered themselves to be British subjects and that they request the repeal of these unjust laws and taxes. -
Lexington and Concord
These two battles were considered to be the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. Gen. Thomas Gage, the royal governor of Massachusetts, was ordered by London to suppress the rebellious colonists. The first attack took place in Lexington, where 700 British soldiers were met by 77 local militiamen who were warned of the attack by Paul Revere. British defeated the 77 colonials and then advanced to Concord. The total losses were 273 for the British and 95 for the colonies. -
Second Continental Congress
After the battles of Lexington/Concord and the Boston Massacre, the Second Continental Congress took place in Pennsylvania in May 1775. The colonists stated that they were going to create a continental army, with George Washington as the leader. Congress also authorized the printing of money, and a standing committee was created to run relationships with other foreign governments. -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston joined to write the declaration of independence. It was divided into five different sections. The introduction was used to state how the colonies thought it was necessary to split from Britain. The preamble lists the rights that the colonies believe every person should have, but Britain was restricting these rights. The bodies list the grievances Britain had committed against the colonies.
