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Period: to
Pre-Revolution
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End of the French and Indian War
As a result of this war, the French lost all of their land to the east of the Mississippi to the British and all the land to the west of the Mississippi to the Spanish. Itcost the British $8 million to defeat them. This caused the British to heft this load of debt onto the shoulders of the colonists in the form of multiple taxes. Also the British left troops in America to enforce the past laws, and limited westward expansion. Now the British had involvement in the colonies and no longer salutory -
Sugar Act
This was the first act put into place after the French and Indian War, and it actually lowered the tax from the original Molasses act.This tax was applied as an indirect tax meaning it was added to the cost of sugar. This act was put into place as a detterent against smuggling and allowed the British to issue Writs of Assisstance which allowed homes to be searched without warrants and the colonists saw this as a intrusion on their privacy. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act created a tax on all printed goods, and it was paid as a direct tax meaning it was paid seperatley. This tax ranged from 1 cent on newspaper to $10 on diplomas. The colonists believed their rights were being violated by the British because they are taxing all paper goods which was met with colonial resistence in the form of boycotts, non-importations, and the Stamp Act congress. All three of these thing led to the unity of the colonies against the British, and eventually a congress -
Townshend Act
This was the Act that came just as the Stamp Act was repealed, and this created a tax on everyday items such as tea, paint, glass etc. This act was very similar to the Navigation Acts in the form of limiting colonial power in the economy and their ability to send products to countries and groups outside of Great Britain. The majority of the money raised through this act was given to the troops that were in the New World enforcing laws, and there were boycotts and non-importation. -
Quartering Act
This act allowed Britsh troops to stay in colonists' house when they needed to and the colonistscould not refuse. The colonists saw this as an intrusion on their property and as an inconvinience to have to provide room and board. The colonists also were irate solely about the presence of the British in their everyday lives and that they thought they could come into a home and expect to be treated almost like family, which led the colonists to unite and revolt against this idea. -
Boston Massacre
This event was a crucial point in the road to revolution, because the colonists in a mob of hundreds were begging the spoldiers to shoot mockingly and the colonists were armed with clubs for beating rope. During this, once of the colonists attacked a soldier and knocked him to the ground and his rifle discharged starting the shoot. This was critical because it led to propoganda from both sides, adnthe troops were proven innocent which outraged the colonists. -
Tea Act and The Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act was a tax on tea, applied by the British because the British tea company was losing business to the Dutch, so the British granted a monopoly. In reaction to this Sam Adams organizes a group of 40-50 settlers and they dress up like Mohawk indians and dump the equivalent of $1 million worth of tea into the Boston Harbor. This led the British government into the Intolerble Acts as punishment to the rowdy colonists, and these were very harsh measures. -
Intolerable Acts
These acts shut down the Boston Harbor, reaffirmed the Quartering Act, nulified the Massachusetts government, allowed troops in America that are charged with crimes to be tried in Great Britain, and allowed Quebec access to the Ohio River Valley and keep their government. These acts caused Boston to lose all of its economy and supremacy around the colonies, and its ability to govern itself, and outraged the colonists because the troops were back and got off easy, and Quebec was granted a lot. -
Lexington and Concord
This is considered the first battle of the Revolution, and starts relatively dismally for the colonists because they start by having to retreat from Lexington when the British overwhelm them. But William Dawes is able to reach Concord and alert the colonists. This allows them to take all their munitions and prepare to force the British back which they do. This battle boosts the spirits of the colonists, and reveals the secret plans of the British, 3 times more British killed than colonists. -
Declaration Of Independence
This is the document that starts it all. This declaration written by Jefferson puts everything the British have done to the colonists into prospective from the America mind. This includes the British conflict that constantly erupts, the various acts which crippled the colonies in their entirety, the Proclomation line which limited westward expansion after the F&I war, the hard work the colonists have put into their land, the halting of immigration to the colonies, and they declare independence.
