Transcript Taxes and Boycotts

Taxes and Boycotts
The Treaty of Paris that ended the French and Indian War doubled the size of
Great Britain’s North American empire. The huge territory brought problems as well
as money to the British. The territory was too expensive to support and defend.
When Great Britain asked the colonist to pay for the services they received…they
grew angry…and eventually protested against British rule
1750
1763
King George III
Changes that were taking place in Great
Britain soon clouded the colonist’s bright
future. A new King, George III, was crowned
in 1760. He was not a bright man…in fact,
some say he was really, really stupid. Worse
yet, he surrounded himself with people like
himself…stupid! He was take-charge kind of
king and he soon set his sights on the
English Colonies in the Americas. His
actions soon angered many colonists!
Trouble in the Frontier
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During the war, most Native Americans
supported the French. The English had
driven the French out of the Ohio Valley
after the war but the Indians remained.
One, named Pontiac, sent word to other
clans to attack the British. This rebellion
against the British at a fort named Fort
Detroit, a military outpost in the Great
lakes Region took the British by surprise.
The Native Americans captured several
forts and frontier settlements. When
Pontiac learned the French had signed an
agreement not to help the Natives…his
forces stopped fighting.
Pontiac’s Rebellion
The Proclamation of 1763
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Pontiac’s Rebellion led the British and
King George to close the western lands to
settlement. King George III issued an
order, known as the Proclamation of 1763,
that forbade colonists from settling west of
the Appalachian Mountains.
The American colonists hated the
proclamation. They suggested the king’s
order smelled of tyranny, or unjust use of
government power. They argued the lands
in the east were already settled. They
wanted a chance to get rich off of the rich
land and fur trade in the Ohio Valley. Some
colonists simply ignored George III order
and moved west anyway. To enforce the
proclamation, the British government
stationed troops in frontier forts. This further
angered the colonists, who disliked any
idea of a military force from England here.
Could you imagine if your parents bought
you this, and they refused to let you drive it?
Especially if you helped them pay for it!
Pinto
Ferrari
The Stamp Act
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The British government had other problems besides keeping the
colonists and Native Americans from killing each other. One was how to
pay off a large debt left by the French and Indian War. The solution
was clear to the English Prime Minister George Greenville…head of
Parliament, have the colonists pay taxes! People in Britain were already
paying taxes on everything from windows to salt. Americans were the
least taxed people in the English Empire. It was time, said Greenville, for
the colonists to pay their fair share of the costs of protecting them!
In 1765, Greenville proposed a new act, or law, called the
Stamp Act. This law required all colonists to buy a stamp for
every piece of paper they used. Newspapers had to be printed on
stamped paper. Wills, licenses, and even playing cards had to have the
stamps. Once again, the colonists screamed
TYRANNY!
Stamp Act 1765
Stamp Act and George Greenville
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It wasn’t just the idea of higher taxes that upset the colonists. They were
willing to pay taxes passed by their own assemblies, where their own
representatives from the colonies could represent them. But the
colonists had NO Representative in Parliament. For this
reason, Parliament had no right to tax them…do you hear John Locke’s
words? They saw the Stamp Act as a violation of their rights as English
citizens.
NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!
They cried.
Stamp Act 1765
Some colonists protested the Stamp Act by sending messages to Parliament.
Loyalists (Supporters of the king.) simply refused to buy stamps. Patriots
(Americans who opposed the king and English rule.) took more violent act. Mobs
calling themselves the “Sons of Liberty” attacked some tax
collectors. After months of protest, Parliament repealed, or cancelled, the Stamp
Act!
Stamp Act Controversy
Protest Tyranny!
The Quartering Act
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As anger over the Stamp Act began to fade,
Americans noticed another law passed by
Parliament in 1765. Called the Quartering Act,
this law ordered colonists to provide British
troops with quarters, or housing. They were
also told to provide the soldiers with “candles,
bedding, cooking utensils, salt, vinegar,
and…beer!” Once again, the colonists smelled
Tyranny and began to protest…Still no
colonists was allowed to be a member of
Parliament even though they were English!
Tyranny: The unjust use of government power.
A ruler who uses power in this way is said to be a
Tyrant!
Quartering Act 1765
Townshend Acts
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The next British leader to face the challenges of taxing the colonies was
Charles Townshend…New Prime Minister. He was known as
“Champaign Charlie” because he liked to drink. He was bound and
determined to get control of the colonists! To him, the colonists needed
a firm hand and he was about to show how tough he was. Townshend
talked Parliament into passing the Townshend Acts 1767. This
put a duty, or tax, on certain goods the colonists imported from Britain.
These goods included such needed items as: glass, paper, paint, and
tea. Townshend kept his promise to tax the colonists and later caught
the flu and died. His new duties made the colonists even more
upset…still no member in Parliament from the colonies…Tyranny!
No Taxation Without Representation!
Townshend Act 1767
Protest to Townshend Duties 1767
British Actions against Colonies
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Navigational Acts 1750…No use of colonial
ships…only sell to British…only buy from
British…(Mercantilism)
Proclamation of 1763…No colonists allowed to
cross Appalachian Mountains.
Stamp Act 1765…All colonists must pay tax for a
stamp on all paper products.
Quartering Act 1765…Forced colonists to house
standing British army in colonies!
Townshend Acts 1767…Colonists forced to pay
Duty, or tax on paint, tea, paper, and glass.
Peaceful Protests
• A popular method of protest was to
boycott, in which people refused to
buy British goods. The first colonial
boycott started in New York in 1765. It
soon spread to other
colonies…remember how the Great
Awakening bonded everyone together
in the 1740s…now was the time to act.
Colonists hoped that their efforts would
hurt the British economy and might
convince Parliament to end the new
taxes.
• Do you think Parliament had the right
to tax the colonies without their
consent?
Mob Violence Breaks Out
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On March 5, 1770, a noisy mob began
throwing rocks and snowballs at troops
guarding the Boston Commons House. They
dared the British soldiers to shoot! Some
Patriot leaders tried to get the colonists to go
home. So did Captain Thomas Preston,
the commander of the soldiers. But their
pleas had no effect. As the mob pressed
forward, someone knocked a soldier to the
ground. The troops opened fire. Two bullets
struck Crispus Attucks, a large black man
at the front of the crowd. He was the first to
die, but not the last. The enraged crowd
went home only after receiving a promise
that the soldiers would be tried for murder!
Massacre or Self-Defense?
Paul Revere's Engraving, Sam and John Adams roles.
The Boston Tea Party
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Despite the hopes of Patriots like Sam
Adams, the Boston Massacre did not spark
new protests against British rule. Instead,
Britain repealed the Towshend Duties and
colonists like John Adams represented the
soldiers during the Boston Massacre. A jury
decided, they were within their rights to
protect themselves and Adams cleared these
men…even though he did not like the British
rule. He thought everyone deserved a fair
trial. The colonies went through a period of
calm. There was still a small duty on tea.
Things did not stay peaceful for long. In 1773,
a new law called the TEA ACT prompted
more protests. One of them was an incident
called the Boston Tea Party.
Boston Tea Party 1773
The Tea Act 1773
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The Tea Act was Lord North’s (The new Prime
Minister replacing Charles Townshend) attempt
to recue the British East India Company. This
large trading company controlled all the trade
between Asia and America. For years, it had
been the money maker for Great Britain. By
1773, it was in danger of being broke. It needed
to sell off 17 million pounds of tea that was
sitting in a British warehouse. The Tea Act
lowered the cost of the tea but forced the
colonists to buy only East India Tea. This
gave the East India Company a monopoly on
tea sold in the colonies. It was supposed to help
everyone. Instead it angered colonists even
more. The colonists thought it was an attempt to
tax them without any say so again. Tyranny!
What might Great Britain try to impose on us
next?
The Tea Ships Arrive
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When the British East India Company’s tea ships sailed into
American ports, angry protesters kept them from unloading their cargo.
More than one ship was turned back to England, still filled with tea. The
British governor of Massachusetts ordered the port of Boston to accept
these ships! On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty decided to
unload the tea, but not in the way the governor thought. That night,
about 50 men dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded three ships and
dumped about 90,000 pounds of tea into the harbor. Nothing else
on the ship was touched. News of the Boston Tea Party deeply
angered Lord North. He thought he was doing the colonists a
favor…giving them cheap tea and this is what they do! The colonists
have called out the full anger of the British crown! Britain’s anger led to
Parliament passing a new series of laws in 1774. These laws were so
harsh that they were unbearable! For this reason, they are called the
Intolerable Acts!
The Intolerable Acts 1774
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Britain’s anger over the Boston Tea Party led Parliament to pass a
series of laws in 1774. These laws were so harsh, they were called
Intolerable. The Intolerable Acts were designed to punish Boston
and Massachusetts for the protests. Here are the Intolerable Acts:
Closed down the port of Boston until the tea was paid for.
Placed the government of Massachusetts totally in the control of the
British. Massachusetts colonists could not even have town meetings
without British say so. No more colonial assemblies. No more
representatives from Massachusetts making decisions for
Massachusetts.
British soldiers who were accused of crimes could not be tried in the
colonies. They would be tried in England.
Finally, more troops were sent in from Britain and the colonists had to
pay even more money to keep them up…Quartering Act.
A few British leaders were worried these laws would push the colonists into
rebellion, but George III was going to push the colonists into submission!
Colonies Begin to Unite
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In fact, the Intolerable Acts did not force
the colonists to give in. Boston said they
would not pay one penny for the tea and the
other colonies united by the Great
Awakening supported Massachusetts. Many
colonies sent food and money to Boston so
that its colonists would not starve. An attack
on Massachusetts would be an attack on all
the colonies! There were Loyalists around
that disagreed and thought Bostonians
should be forced to pay for the tea. If forced
to choose, they would support the king.
They would side against Sam Adams and
the Son’s of Liberty. The Son’s of Liberty
were pushing towards war. Sam Adams
would push even harder for this fight!
First Continental Congress
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Benjamin Franklin called the Boston Tea Party “an act of violent injustice,”
and some Boston merchants were willing to start a collection to pay for
damage. To the British government, the Boston Massacre was an act of
lawlessness that deserved severe punishment.
The First Continental Congress:
In September 1774, some 50 leaders from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia.
The meeting brought together delegates from most of the British colonies
on the North American Continent. For this reason, it is called the First
Continental Congress. Most delegates saw themselves as English and
were strong Loyalists. Others, like George Washington were somewhere in
the middle between strong Tory and Loyalist. In spite of their differences,
the delegates agreed to send a message to King George. The message
urged the king to consider their complaints and recognize their rights as
English Citizens. The delegates also called for a new boycott of British
made goods until the British repealed the Intolerable Acts. They agreed to
meet again the following May if the boycott didn’t work.
First Continental Congress
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1774
The Colonies Form Militias
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In towns and cities throughout the
colonies, Patriots appointed committees
to enforce the boycott. They also began
to organize local militias. In New
England, the volunteers called
themselves Minutemen because they
were ready to fights at a moments notice.
Across the colonies, militias marched and
drilled. Instead of forcing the colonists to
give in, the Intolerable Acts had brought
the two sides closer to war!
Both sides are looking towards war. America
has the cause and fights for
freedom…England has the power of the
crown. It will result in bloodshed. It will be
NO Glorious Revolution!
Colonial Militias
On the Brink of War!
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King George had made a mistake in his
decisions about the colonies. The
Continental Congress listed these
mistakes in a message to the king. Now
he made another one. Rather than
consider the colonial requests, King
George refused to answer their pleas for
help. “The New England governments
are in a state of rebellion”, he said.
“Blows must decide whether they are to
be subject to this country, or
independent.” In Boston, General Gage,
the king’s commander of British troops in
America, got ready to deliver those blows.
General Gage
Lexington and Concord
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In April 1775, a spy told General Gage that the colonists were hiding a large
supply of gunpowder and weapons in the nearby village of Concord, Gage
decided to strike at once. The general ordered 700 of his best troops to march
on Concord and seize the weapons. The attack had to be a surprise.
The colonists had their own spies. When Gage’s troops slipped out of Boston,
Patriots were watching their every move. Soon Paul Revere and William
Dawes were on the move galloping through the countryside warning people
that the British were coming!…The Committees of Correspondence were
warning people. (One of by land, two if by sea…lanterns in the North Church)
At Lexington, a village on the road to Concord, a small band of Minutemen
gathered in the chilly night air. “Stand Your Ground”, ordered Captain John
Parker. “Don’t fire unless fired upon! But if they mean to have a war, let it
begin here!!!” Suddenly, British troops appeared in the early morning mist. A
shot rang out-from where, no one was sure. Without orders, the soldiers
rushed forward, shooting wildly. When the firing stopped, eight colonists lay
dead or dying. The British gave three cheers for victory and marched on to
Concord.
Paul Revere and William Dawes
Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal
light,-One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."
Lexington and Concord
Old North Bridge…Shot Heard Around the World!
The Second Blow at Concord
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By breakfast time, the British were in Concord, looking for gunpowder and
Sam Adams. The colonists had moved the gunpowder and hidden their
weapons. In frustration the soldiers piled up a few wooden tools, tents, and
gun carriages and set them on fire. On a ridge outside the city, militiamen
from the surrounding countryside watched the smoke rise. The volunteers
ran down the hill. As they approached, the British troops opened fire. The
British expected the militia to run but the Minutemen stood their ground. A
few minutes later, it was the redcoats running for their lives. The retreat
back to Boston was a nightmare. Minutemen lined the route shooting them
at will. By the end of the day, 74 British soldiers were dead, and another
200 missing or wounded.
The British had been mistaken about the Americans again and again.
Their biggest mistake was thinking ordinary people-farmers, merchants,
lawyers, and housewives-would not fight for their rights. Instead,
Americans proved they were willing to die for these rights they held so
dear.
Concord, Massachusetts
Retreat from Concord!