No Taxation Without Representation U N I T 3, N O T E S 3

Transcription

1 No Taxation Without Representation U N I T 3, N O T E S 3

2 Results of the French and Indian War Britain became the leading European power in North America English language and traditions became the status quo in most of North America British government in deep economic debt after borrowing so much money to fund the war effort New territory required the presence of additional forts and military outfits (10,000 new troops) along the frontier British government decided that American colonists would pay for the war and their protection through extra taxes

3 Proclamation of 1763 Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa Indians united several tribes and attacked forts/towns along the frontier west of the Appalachians Colonists wanted to fight for their right to settle west of the Appalachians British officials did not want to pay for another war or disrupt the fur trade Royal Proclamation of 1763: decree issued by King George that prevented colonists from settling west of the Appalachians without special permission from the British government Western farmers outraged

4 Colonial merchants smuggled goods in and out of North America without paying customs duties (taxes on imports and exports) George Grenville, British Prime Minister and lord of the Treasury, came down harder on smugglers by denying them a fair trial by jury and sending them before military tribunal Young colonial lawyer named John Adams defended an alleged smuggling merchant named John Hancock on the basis that Hancock s rights as a British citizen were being denied Customs Reform

5 Taxes! Sugar Act (1764) Increased tax rates on raw sugar, molasses, silk, wine, and other goods imported from foreign countries Allowed British officials to seize goods without due process (proper court procedures) Currency Act (1764) Banned the use of paper money in the colonies to slow inflation (excess money = loss in value of every dollar/pound) Angered farmers and artisans that needed paper money to pay back loans Stamp Act (1765) Required stamps to be purchased and placed on most printed materials including newspapers, pamphlets, wills, mortgages, deeds, etc. First direct tax Britain had imposed on colonists Quartering Act (1765) Required colonists to provide barracks for British troops or pay for their rent

6 Stamp Act Crisis Propaganda Pamphlets and editorials circulated through the colonies and public speeches were made condemning the taxes James Otis wrote a pamphlet arguing that colonists could not be justly taxed without representation in Parliament No Taxation Without Representation! Stamp Act Congress Representative body with members from 9 colonies Drafted the Declaration of Rights and Grievances stating that only colonial representatives had the power to tax the colonists Sons of Liberty Group of organized activists and protestors that led anti-tax demonstrations and defied British law Organized by Isaac Sears Propaganda: meetings, demonstrations, hung an effigy of the stamp distributor from a tree Boycott Colonists boycotted all British goods when the Stamp Act took effect on November 1, 1765 Nonimportation agreement: document signed by merchants agreeing not to buy British goods until the Stamp Act was repealed

7 More Taxes! Declaratory Act (1766) Passed after Parliament repealed the Stamp Act Asserted that Parliament had the power to make laws for the colonies Townshend Acts (1767) Included the Revenue Act of 1767 that put new duties on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea Legalized writs of assistance: search warrants that enabled customs officers to enter any location to look for evidence of smuggling

8 Response and Retaliation John Dickinson wrote Letters From a Pennsylvania Farmer Only assemblies elected by colonists had the right to tax them Sam Adams Helped organize the Boston chapter of the Sons of Liberty United Bostonians of different social classes to stand against British tax policies Responsible for circulating a letter disclosing information about a British scheme to pay government officials with Townshend Act tax money and thereby use those officials to replace colonial assemblies Virginia Resolves: document created by the House of Burgesses claiming that it alone had the power to tax Virginians Daughters of Liberty: female version of the Sons of Liberty; refused to buy British wool so they homespun their own clothes In view of the colonial protests, Parliament dissolved several colonial assemblies Colonists signed new nonimportation agreements to further boycott British goods

9 What is this a picture of? IQ s Is this an accurate interpretation of the events of that day?

10 Response and Retaliation Boston Massacre Mobs continued to threaten customs officers in Boston Britain dispatched 1,000 troops ( lobster backs ) to Boston to maintain order On March 5, 1770 a crowd of angry Bostonians began taunting and throwing snowballs at British soldiers British soldiers fired into the crowd and killed 5 colonists, including the famous African-American Crispus Attucks (1 st casualty of the Revolution) Colonials newspapers and propaganda portrayed the soldiers as killers and the British government as tyrannous Parliament repealed the Townshend Acts

11 CW/HW Unit 3, Notes 3 Page 123- # s 3, 4 and 5 1) What argument did the Stamp Act Congress make in protest against the British taxes? 2) Why do you think the British were so willing to pass new taxes in the face of colonial opposition?

12 CW/HW Unit 3, Notes 3 Page 123 # s 3, 4 and 5 3) Use a graphic organizer similar to the one below to list the acts passed by the British Parliament and the colonists reactions to the acts ACT Colonists Reaction