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Parliament decided to impose charges on colonial trade. It passed the Sugar Act, imposed duties on foreign wines, coffee, textiles, and indigo imported into the colonies, and expanded the customs service.This was a huge disruption to the Boston and New England economies because they used sugar and molasses to make rum, a main export in their trade with other countries. This began the controversy over Britain taxing the colonies when they had no representatives in Parliament
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Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which required a tax stamp on legal documents, almanacs, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards. This was a violation of the principle that only the colonies' legislative assemblies could impose taxes. Colonists boycotted British goods and intimidated stamp distributors into resigning.The Stamp Act made Americans realize for the first time that the British government could act contrary to the colonies' interests.
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Parliament passed the Tea Act that authorized the East India Company to bypass American wholesalers and sell tea directly to American distributors. Cutting out the wholesalers' profit would make English tea cheaper than tea smuggled in from Holland. Colonists in Boston, disguised as Indians, boarded three vessels and dumped 342 canisters of British tea into Boston harbor. The British government responded harshly.
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In September, the first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to orchestrate resistance to British policies. It declared that all trade with Britain should be suspended.
The Continental Congress provided leadership during the American Revolution and drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. -
Virginia took the lead in opposing British policies. Local committees called for the support of Boston and the elimination of all trade with Britain. They were the first states to oppose British policies which influenced the other colonies to.
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British General Thomas Gage was ordered to use military force to put down challenges to royal authority in the colonies. Mass.On April 19, British redcoats arrived at Lexington and ordered 70 armed "Minutemen" to disperse. Eight Americans were killed. The British moved on to Concord, destroyed supplies, returned to Boston, as American patriots fired from behind hedges and walls. British losses were 65 dead, 173 wounded, and 26 missing. American casualties were 49 dead and 46 wounded or missing.
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On July 2, the Continental Congress approved a resolution that begins: "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent."