Colonial tensions with Britain

Transcription

1 Colonial tensions with Britain Victory of the French and Indian War means new set of problems for Great Britain Large debt, conflict with Native Americans, and housing British troops in colonies Great Britain enacted series of taxes to try to pay back their debt Taxes caused colonists to resort to smuggling Great Britain tried to stop the smuggling Custom officers could obtain writs of assistance court document allowing officers to search almost anywhere for smuggled goods

2 Proclamation of 1763 All English settlers were prohibited barred - to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains Settlers already in the areas were forced to move Helped keep peace between Native Americans and settlers Kept colonists near the Atlantic Coast where British authority was stronger Allowed Britain to control westward expansion and the fur trade in the region

3 Proclamation of 1763 (continued) King George III sent 10,000 troops to the colonies to enforce it and keep peace with the Native American Proclamation was loosely enforced soldiers were unwilling to forcibly stop colonists from settlement

4 Sugar Tax Lowered tax on imported molasses Smuggled goods were seized without a trial Angered colonists Trial by jury Innocent until proven guilty Search and seizure

5 The Stamp Act Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765 Taxed all printed products in the Colonies Newspapers, legal documents, letters, and even playing cards were taxed Angered colonists Only local government could tax Virginia s House of Burgesses passed resolution formal expression of opinion the only and sole exclusive right and power to lay taxes

6 Sons of Liberty is formed by Samuel Adams Burned effigies stuffed figures made to look like unpopular tax collectors Colonial leaders begin to work together Stamp Act Congress Sent statement declaring only colonial assemblies could tax colonists Boycotts refuse to buy - begin Repealed to cancel - March 1766 Parliament passed Declaratory Act giving Great Britain the right to tax and make decision for the colonies in all cases (CHECK OUT LESSON 1 VIDEO)

7 The Townshend Acts Tax imported goods such as glass, tea and paper Taxed goods when they arrived in the colonies Colonists reacted with boycotts Urged colonists to wear fabrics made in the colonies Daughters of Liberty some women s groups

8 Tension Increase protests made British officials nervous Soldiers sent to Boston Really upsets the colonists Laws violate colonial rights Army sent to occupy colonial cities Rude soldiers; competition for jobs; stole from shops; got into fights with colonists

9 A Boston Massacre? On March 5, protest in Boston turned violent British Redcoats try and keep the peace Protesters began to throw sticks and stones at the soldiers One soldier knocked down; other nervous soldiers fired their muskets 5 protesters lay dead Crispus Attucks a dockworker who was part African, part Native American among the dead Colonists refer to this as the Boston Massacre.

10 Why would Colonists who did not like the British rule refer to this event as a massacre?

11 Impact of the Boston Massacre Propaganda Samuel Adams created posters about the Massacre Paul Revere made an engraving depicting a British officer giving the order to open fire on a crowd Boycotts become stronger Townshend Acts are repealed except on tea Boycotts end except on tea Trade resumes with Britain Samuel Adams revives the Boston committee of correspondence Used to unite colonists against Britain

12 Tea Act British East India Company (BEIC) is nearly bankrupt Essential to Britain s economy BEIC is given nearly full control of the tea market in the colonies Does remove some tea taxes Tea is actually less expensive Colonists didn t want to pay any taxes Didn t want to be forced to buy a particular tea Daughters of Liberty pamphlet saying give up our tea New York and Philadelphia forced tea ships to turn back Royal governor in Boston allowed ships to unload Boston s Sons of Liberty acted December 16, 1773, dressed as Native Americans threw 342 chests of tea overboard No talk of independence Colonists still see themselves as loyal British citizens

13

14 Tea Act British East India Company (BEIC) is nearly bankrupt Essential to Britain s economy BEIC is given nearly full control of the tea market in the colonies Does remove some tea taxes Tea is actually less expensive Colonists didn t want to pay any taxes Didn t want to be forced to buy a particular tea Daughters of Liberty pamphlet saying give up our tea New York and Philadelphia forced tea ships to turn back Royal governor in Boston allowed ships to unload Boston s Sons of Liberty acted December 16, 1773, dressed as Native Americans threw 342 chests of tea overboard No talk of independence Colonists still see themselves as loyal British citizens

15 The Intolerable or Coercive Acts? King George III We must either master them or totally leave them to themselves 1774 pass the Coercive (force someone to do something) Acts - meant to punish colonists Quartering Act forced colonists to let British soldiers live with them Massachusetts Government Act banned town meetings in Massachusetts Boston Port Act closed Boston Harbor until all the ruined tea was paid for Britain was trying to cut off Boston from the other colonies but it united them instead

16 The Intolerable or Coercive Acts? (continued) Quebec Act created a government for Canada and extended its territory south to the Ohio River Ignored colonies claims to this region Colonists called these acts Intolerable painful and unbearable (CHECK OUT LESSON 2 VIDEO)

17 Responding to Great Britain 12 of 13 colonies send delegates to Philadelphia First Continental Congress political body to challenge British control Massachusetts: Samuel Adams and John Adams New York: John Jay Virginia: George Washington, Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry Delegates create statement of grievances Demand repeal of 13 acts Laws violated the laws of nature, the principles of the English constitution and the several charters Voted to boycott British trade Don t use or import British goods; wouldn t sell goods to Great Britain

18 Responding to Great Britain (continued) Endorsed the Suffolk Resolves Created by people of Boston and Suffolk County towns in Massachusetts Declared Coercive (Intolerable) Acts illegal Called for resident to arm themselves Other colonies will create militias groups of citizen soldiers - after this approval

19 Revolution begins Colonists sure Britain will attack New England Ready to fight April 1775 British troops were in and around Boston Thomas Gage ordered to seize weapons and arrest leaders Learned weapons stored in Concord (NW of Boston) 700 troops under Lt. Col. Francis Smith Night of April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren warned Paul Revere and William Dawes of British activity Revere and Dawes rode to Lexington (E of Concord) Revere shouted across the countryside Dawes and Revere captured Samuel Prescott carries the warning to Concord (CHECK OUT LESSON 3 VIDEO)

20 Lexington British approach Lexington and meet with 70 minutemen boasted they were ready to fight at a minute s notice - led by Capt. John Parker Shot fired Shots then exchanged 8 minutemen dead Weapons found by British are burned

21 Concord Hiding colonists fired on soldiers heading to Concord British: 174 wounded; 73 dead Colonists sure Britain will attack Massachusetts Shot heard round the world Ralph Waldo Emerson Fight for independence has begun \\Vmsserv2\vol1\USERS\STAFF\brosius\Social Studies\8th Grade Social Studies\Chapter 5\Concord-MA-The-Shot-Heard-Around-the-World.mp4

22 Benedict Arnold Captain in Connecticut Teamed up with Ethan Allen of Vermont head of Green Mountain Boys - to take over Fort Ticonderoga near Lake Champlain in NY Rich in military supplies British troops in Fort Ticonderoga surrendered on May 10, 1775 Becomes a traitor to the Patriot cause Discovered in September 1780 Fled to NYC Commanded British troops against Americans in VA and CT

23 Battle of Bunker Hill Boston in British control June 16, 1775, Col. William Prescott Bunker Hill and Breed s Hill (across the harbor from Boston) Redcoats assemble at Breed s Hill Don t fire until you see the whites of their eyes Americans opened fired forcing British to retreat Redcoats charged two more times Americans have to withdraw British victory Heavy losses more than 1,000 dead and wounded Showed this fight would not be easy or quick

24 Loyalists or Patriot? Loyalists unfair taxes and laws don t justify rebellion Some were officeholders and felt loyalty to British rule Some didn t think it was a reason to break Some didn t want to be on the losing side Patriots supported the war Believed should be able to govern themselves Fight until independence achieved American Revolution America v. Britain and Loyalists v. Patriots

25 Second Continental Congress May 10, 1775 John and Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Hancock (President), Thomas Jefferson Still not ready to break from Great Britain Set up a post office Ben Franklin put in charge Authorized printing of money Committees for relations with Native Americans and foreign countries Continental Army formed; George Washington commander Olive Branch Petition Assured King George III that colonists wanted peace Asked colonist s rights be protected King rejected the petition

26 Washington gets ready British troops in Canada planning to invade NY Patriots marched north from Fort Ticonderoga and captured Montreal Quebec attack led by Benedict Arnold failed Washington reached Boston in July 1775 March 1776 Washington felt troops were ready Moved soldiers and canons into position overnight Surprised British and Gen. William Howe had soldiers withdraw from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia \\Vmsserv2\vol1\USERS\STAFF\brosius\Social Studies\8th Grade Social Studies\Chapter 5\The-Revolutionary-War.mp4

27 Ready for Independence? Many still hope to remain part of Great Britain Support for independence is growing Thomas Paine s Common Sense January 1776 Pamphlet encouraging colonists to break away from British rule Greatly influenced opinions of independence in the colonies

28 Declaring Independence Second Continental Congress independence or British rule? June 1776 Virginia's Richard Henry Lee declares independence is necessary Debated Lee s resolution Not form a separate nation War already started Feared Britain s power Debate continues form committee to write a declaration John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman Jefferson agrees to write the Declaration

29 Writing the Declaration Ideas from John Locke 1690s expressed ideas people are born with certain natural rights to life, liberty and property Government s are formed to protect those rights Government interfering with those rights could be overthrown July 2, Second Continental Congress votes on Lee s resolution 12 colonies approved; NY did not (later did) Reviewed Jefferson s work; made some changes and approved on July 4, 1776 John Hancock signed first Name large enough so King George could read it without glasses Eventually 56 delegates signed Washington had Declaration read to troops in NYC on July 9 Worcester, Massachusetts celebration

30 Declaration of Independence Preamble explains reasons why Rights should have and complaints against Great Britain Proclaims new nation John Adams thought July 2 would be the day celebrated since it was the vote on Lee s proposal (CHECK OUT LESSON 4 VIDEO)