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Treaty of Paris
After the French and Indian War, both the colonists and the English were benefitting. The colonists had fought for the fertile land around the Ohio River because of it's fertility, which would grant them more space for bigger plantations. For the mother country, this resulted in a greater supply of tobacco, rice, indigo and cotton, which meant greater wealth and a repayment for their war debt. -
Proclamation of 1763
The British Parliament declared that the colonists couldn't pass to the west of the Appalachian Mountains, which reduced profit because they wouldn't use the land their had invested their money on during 9 years. The colonists grew unhappy with the British because they were denying them the fruits of all their work during the war, After all, they emigrated for God, Gold and Glory, but without territory and plantations they wouldn't have gold (profit from crops) or glory (land). -
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Pontiac's Rebellion
Native Americans grew unhappy with the treatment their received from the English, so they allied with the French (previous land owners) in exchange for supplies. To save money, the English promised Pontiac that there wouldn't be a settlement to the west, which made the colonists frustrated because they didn't take part in the treaty, had their freedom limited and lost plantations. To stop the colonists from moving into the Ohio Valley, the Enligsh used troops, so they ended up losing more money, -
Sugar Event
After the Seven Year War, England had a debt of £140m, but if Britain paid there would be civil unrest, so the colonists were taxed for molasses, wine and coffee. This countered smuggling of foreign products, allowed Writs of Assistance and British monopolized American market, which made the colonists unhappy because despite being 1/2 of previous tax, they were forced to pay it. Therefore, previous regulation were for British economy, but this act was to benefit England at colonists' expense. -
Virginia Resolves
As the rich, educated and literate people managed to unite the colonists against the Stamp Act, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed a legislation denying the Parliament's right to tax the colonies because they weren't granted representation, so they argued that they had never had a say in this act, which meant they weren't obliged to respect the law. As the British tax collectors feared the colonists unity, they didn't put a stop to the 8 more colonies who joined the Virginia Resolves. -
Stamp Act
This was the first direct tax and it included the stamping of any printed material to raise British revenue, so those who could access these products (rich, educated and literate people) got irritated. Plus, any one found guilty would be tried in the Admiralty Court. Since those affected had the most influence, they united the colonists and made effigies of burned tax collector: colonial resistance. Unity brought radical groups who burned stamps and began boycotts, as a fight for more liberty. -
Quartering Act
This act stated that colonists must supply British troops with shelter (garage/stables) , food, bedding and alcohol. As the British had war debts, they didn't want to spend money on public spaces for the soldiers. This made the colonists unhappy because with soldiers in their homes, they were prevented from smuggling money and their daughters' honor was at stake because of the drunk soldiers' violence. Additionally, it wasn't a time of war, so they refused to accept this act. -
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Stamp Act Congress
As irritated representatives from each colony united and agreed on solutions to the issue of the Stamp Act, they sent their word in a letter to the government. This was based on the moto "Join or die", which meant that the colonies had to unite to become stronger. Representation was the colonists' wish, so these meetings inspired protests, anti-taxes movements and attacks on tax collectors, who were frightened and stopped taxing as not to make more colonists angry. -
Repeal of Stamp Act
After the Stamp Act Congress used violence to intimidate the tax collectors, the British Parliament realized that they weren't getting the income they had initially hoped for, they didn't want more members dying, and they didn't want to start a conflict with the colonists because of their war debt. Therefore, the abolishment of the Stamp Act arose from economic damage produced by the boycotts, so the colonists got their way. -
Declaratory Act
British Government repealed Stamp Act, but as it caused embarrassment, they also passed law claiming its' rights to tax the colonies. This humiliated the Virginia Resolves because the colonists claimed that English couldn't tax them without representation, but the Declaratory Act says that they actually can. -
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Townshend Acts
Charles Townshend started taxes on lead, glass, paper, paint and tea, to raise revenue to pay the war debt, punish the colonists for not paying their previous taxes, and they believed to have that right. This "Taxing without Representation" led to violence from Sons of Liberty and importment boycotts from the Daughters of Liberty, weaving clothes from poor material, diminishing the need to import from Britain. To stop colonial resistance, drunk ad violent troops were sent, so it raised tension. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre arose from the tension between the Red Coats and the colonists, when colonists insulted these soldiers. As it wasn't the slaughter of innocents in mass, only the death of 5, it wasn't a massacre, but the propaganda was manipulated to unite. For instance, picture didn't show the snow, night sky, colonists fighting on both sides, black men were made white, and it wasn't published under the author, so the propaganda wasn't accurate.