Transcript 2. Application of Navigation Laws, 1763

Causes of the
American
Revolution
New Imperialism
 After the end of the Seven Yrs War, Britain was at
peace for first time in 50 yrs – gave more attention to
governing the colonies in Nth Am
 Had a new King and Prime Minister (P.M.) with new
ideas on how the Empire should be managed
 New Policy - New Imperialism: The Colonies would
be made to “Obey and Pay” (for the costs of war /
defense)……erosion of Salutary / Benign Neglect
 George III
 wanted to expand the authority of the monarchy,
which he felt had been eroded
 had serious intellectual and psychological
limitations / bouts of insanity: young and
immature - only 22 when he became King – “ill
equipped to handle the challenges of office”
 as a result he was
“inflexible, intransigent,
stubborn, unwilling to
compromise”
 Grenville
 Described as an excellent administrator – “hard working, well
informed, efficient, conscientious. But as a politician he was a
disaster – “tactless, uncompromising, unwilling to bargain”
 felt his main task as PM was the elimination of Britain's enormous
debt: 140m British Pounds, half of it incurred in defending the
Colonies.
 felt that people in Britain already paid too much tax – felt
Colonists had contributed virtually nothing to the support of a war
fought in large part for their benefit.
 believed that the colonies had for too long been indulged: but he
was willing to compromise: they would be asked to pay only one
third of the cost of only their future defense: felt this was very
reasonable
 felt that, since the Colonists had cooperated so little with the British Govt.
during the war, that they could not be
relied on to willingly contribute (tax
themselves) to their defense.
taxes, fees, would have to be imposed
on them by the British Govt. …..
and anyway the British Govt.. as the
parliament for all the Empire, had
every right to pass laws for / tax the
Colonies, even without their consent
(principle of absolute authority)…the
Govt. would “Make them Obey and
Pay”
11 steps to the American
Revolution
 A series of laws / decisions / measures (over the
next 11 yrs) that the British perceived to be
reasonable and the Colonists perceived to be
oppressive
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1. Proclamation of 1763
2. Application of Navigation Laws, 1763
3. Sugar Act, 1764
4. Currency Act, 1764
5. Stamp Act, 1765
6. Declaratory Act, 1766
7. Quartering Act, 1766
8. Townshend Duties, 1767
9. Tea Act, 1773
10. Coercive / Intolerable Acts, 1774
11. Quebec Act, 1774
 Know the Background, Details, Colonists response /
reaction – of each of these 11 “measures”
 They led to the First Continental Congress, 1774…
 led to the events at Lexington and Concord, 1775…
 led to the Second Continental Congress, 1775…
 leading to the Revolutionary War, 1775, and then…
 the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
1. Proclamation of 1763
 The need to control the new lands and find money to
pay for defense was brought home to the Govt. by
conflict between the Colonists who moved West and
Native Americans / Chief Pontiac (Pontiac’s Rebellion /
Uprising) in the Ohio Valley
 Britain had to send troops to defend the settlers:
(infected blankets): expensive, more debts
 The Proclamation of 1763 forbade Colonists from
advancing West beyond a defined line along the
Appalachians.
 Grenville’s reasoning
 avoid conflicts with Ind’s, to reduce military costs
 control westward movement, which henceforth would take
place in a planned, orderly fashion
 slow down the population exodus from the coastal colonies
where England’s most important markets and investments were
 Control and taxation would be facilitated by keeping settlers in
the East
 felt the Proclamation was reasonable and within the powers of
the Br. Govt.
 The Colonists bitterly resented the Proclamation.
 Sign of British ingratitude for their role in helping to
defeat Fr and Ind.
 Frustrated: barrier to their ambitions to move West –
the main reason many fought in the War
 Felt the British were interfering in what was
essentially an internal matter: right to determine their
own destiny / Westward movement had always been a
local / Colonial decision (Salutary / Benign Neglect)
 The Proclamation was the first in a series of British
attempts to increase its control and authority over the
colonies.
 Signaled the end of the period of Salutary Neglect
(threatened during the French and Indian War:
impressment, requisitioning, quartering)
 While objecting to the Proclamation in principle (the
implication, rather than the reality), the colonists
proceeded to ignore it in practice, swarming over the
boundary into the Ohio Valley. The British govt. didn’t
have the will or means to prevent them ……yet it helped
sour the relationship between Britain and the colonists
2. Application of Navigation Laws,
1763
 Grenville hoped to increase Govt. revenues to pay for
more troops / defense by enforcing the Navigation Laws
(such as Molasses Act of 1733) - to collect customs
duties on imports and exports: eliminate smuggling
 Sent more naval vessels to patrol, increased number of
customs officials, who had to come in person
 Restrictions were applied to Colonial manufacturing:
woolen goods, hats…
 Grenville was for the most part just reviving the old
concept of Mercantilism…but the Colonists complained
 objected, not so much to the actual restrictions, but to
the fact decisions were being made from a distance
without their consent – they were much more sensitive
to this now
 they also felt that the revenues would be used to control
them more (more troops) – felt they didn’t need
defending any more (defense meant control): up to this
the Navigation Laws / Import and Export duties were
more to regulate trade / raise money for the treasury, but
now the money would be used to control them
 Again, little enforcement – objection was to the
Principle involved: erosion of their previous
independence / rights as Englishmen to make decisions
through their representatives…….contributed to souring
the relationship
3. The Sugar Act, 1764
 A new import tax of 3 pence a gallon on molasses /
sugar (was actually less than the Molasses Act - 6
pence)….the intention was to actually apply the new tax
 In reality the tax was very small and had little impact on
the price of sugar (absorbed by merchants)
 Also it was an importation tax – at the point of entry –
and so did not arouse as much opposition as a direct,
internal tax would have.
 Grenville again felt it was reasonable
 But colonists again rejected the idea of taxation by an
outside authority / British govt., by an authority other
than their state legislatures.
 What also outraged the Colonists was the revival of the
hated The Writs of Assistance – customs officials were
given general search warrants that authorized
indiscriminate search of ships and dwellings for “illicit
goods” / “blank check” search warrants (didn’t mention
specific premises) – which they felt was a serious denial
of their Rights as Englishmen to protection of property
 Colonial response at this stage was peaceful. It took the
form of:
 1. Heated debate / criticism in Colonial Legislatures
 2. Petition signed by many leading politicians was sent
to the British Parliament, drafted by Sam Adams: (Br
Govt. ignored it)
 3. Boycott of Br. goods until the tax was repealed
 Escalation of responses – complaints and criticism of 1
and 2, now to a Petition and Boycott
 British ignored the protests and proceeded to introduce
more restrictive measures…………
4. Currency Act, 1764
 required the Colonial Assemblies to stop issuing paper
money and to retire all the paper money already in
circulation – must use British paper currency / notes
 only hard money / coins could be used to pay for
British goods
 this could be a setback for colonial trade, esp. given the
shortage of gold and silver coins in the colonies, and of
British notes.
 What would they use for internal trade? felt they
would be forced to return to the system of barter
 The Colonists complained, but again, for the most
part, they ignored the new law
 their objection was to the decision / principle, that
the decision was not made internally, and that it was
another attempt to regulate / control them
5. Stamp Act, 1765
 imposed a tax on every printed document in the
colonies, legal and commercial; newspapers, diplomas,
almanacs, pamphlets, deeds, wills, marriage and other
licenses.
 to be valid these documents had to carry a stamp for
which they would have to pay a tax to a Govt. official /
Stamp Agent.
 whereas the tax of the Sugar Act really only affected
some of the merchants, the Stamp Act tax affected most
Americans, from all colonies and all classes: hence the
opposition was greater – the most intense and extreme
so far…universal
 Again, the amount of the taxes was small….the
objections were to the principles involved / the
implications: they complained that
 it was a direct, internal tax (worse than the external Sugar Tax)
 it threatened the authority and independence of the provincial
legislatures; it was a decision by an outside authority in which
they were not represented, without their consent
 it might threaten the power of the purse which gave the lower
house control over the upper house, if, as they suspected, revenues
were to be used to pay the Governor’s salary
 Again, they didn’t want to pay taxes to support an army which
they felt they no longer needed now that the French had been
defeated (now about control)
 The British Govt. responded by reminding the
colonists that stamp taxes had been in force in the rest
of the empire for over 100 yrs, and in fact in England
the stamp tax was much higher than the one being
introduced in the colonies
 Told colonists they paid only about one twenty-fifth
(an exaggeration?) of what inhabitants of England
paid in taxes.
 On the subject of Representation, the British argued that
the colonists were “Virtually Represented” in the
British Parliament - even though they did not elect
representative - that the Members of Parliament served
the interests of the whole empire
 But the colonists rejected these arguments. From their
experiences with the town meetings, and the Colonial
assemblies, they believed in “Actual Representation".
Since none of their representatives sat in the British
Parliament, then they were not represented there. Only
their own colonial assemblies fairly and truly
represented them.
 The Colonists became particularly upset when the
Govt. decided to put evaders of the Stamp Act, as well
as those charged with smuggling, on trial in the new
Vice Admiralty Courts / Admiralty Courts: military
courts / tribunals, without juries - thus again depriving
them of their rights as Englishmen, to be tried in a civil
court of their peers (trial by one or more officers)
 And, in the Vice Admiralty Courts, one was presumed
guilty until proven innocence
 Reaction
 1. Condemned by Colonial Assemblies.
 Many legislatures, - esp. VA and Mass, debated the
new Act – condemned the Act.
 In the House of Burgesses Patrick Henry made a
dramatic, defiant speech (May 1765) concluding with
a prediction that if present policies were not revised,
George III, like previous tyrants, might lose his head.
(he was forced to apologize – too outspoken and
critical for most reps)
Patrick Henry
“Give me liberty or give me death.”
 He introduced a set of resolutions declaring that
Americans possessed the same rights as the English,
esp. the right to be taxed only by their own
representatives: that Virginians should pay no taxes
except those voted by the VA Assembly: and that
anyone advocating the right of Parliament to tax
Virginians should be deemed an enemy of the Colony.
 Some of his resolutions were approved, most were
not: all of them were printed and circulated as the
"Virginia Resolves" - creating an impression in other
Colonies that VA was far more militant than it
actually was – encouraged other colonies to follow
and be outspoken and militant too
 In Mass, James Otis (‘taxation without representation
is tyranny”) proposed an inter-colonial Congress to
plan concerted action against the new tax.
 Otis – a lawyer, had become famous when he argued
that the Writs of Assistance represented a crime against
the natural law and natural rights and therefore
against the English Constitution and so were illegal
 He had lost a case protesting the Writs but he had
helped to inflame the passions of the people of Boston
so much that the Writs were never again enforced in
Mass.
 2. Mob Riots
 Riots erupted in protest against the new Act, in several
coastal towns / cities, esp. Boston: people began
taking the law into their own hands (also affected by
other issues: unemployment, high prices)
 passions were stirred up by pamphlets and by eloquent
lawyers and printers who feared a loss of business
 Sons (and Daughters) of Liberty – Sam Adams terrorized stamp agents and destroyed the stamps, and
terrorized those who ignored the boycott of British
goods
 A mob destroyed the home of Andrew Oliver, the
Distributor of Stamps for Mass, and hanged him in
effigy (he promptly resigned): same in other colonies,
inc. tarring and feathering
 A Boston mob also destroyed the home of Chief
Justice, Thos Hutchinson.
 Due to intimidation, so many agents resigned that the
sale of stamps virtually ceased.
Stamp Act Protest
 3. Stamp Act Congress.
 In Oct 1765, the Stamp Act Congress met in N.Y. with
27 delegates from 9 cols (most ever – 7 colonies
represented in Albany, now 9). They agreed:
 not to cooperate with the use of the stamps
 to again petition the king and Parliament: their petition
respectfully conceded that Americans owed to Parliament "all
due subordination", but it denied that the Colonies could
rightfully be taxed except through their own Assemblies
 Issue a statement of their rights and grievances
 support the boycott of British goods
 The Stamp Act crisis had brought many of the colonies
together - an important step towards unity among colonies.
 The Stamp Act crisis might have brought the Colonies to
the brink of war with Britain – but the crisis subsided
when the British Govt. backed down
 The main reason was the pressure, back in Britain, from
traders, merchants, workers affected by the Boycott, put
on the Govt. to repeal the Stamp Act, so the Boycott
would be called off
 Stamp Act and Sugar Act were repealed in 1766….mostly
because of events in Britain – Colonists believed it was
because of their actions / pressure
6. Declaratory Act, 1766
 The British Govt., somewhat embarrassed, tried to
save face by this Act, declaring Parliament’s authority
over the Colonies "in all cases whatsoever". This was
an attempt to salvage something from the crisis.
(“face-saving Act”)
 Colonial representatives objected, but only
mildly…..they were too busy rejoicing over the repeal:
most Americans paid little attention to this sweeping
declaration of Parliament’s power.
7. Quartering Act, 1766
 Introduced by the new Prime Minister Townshend:
feeling was that if the Colonies were not going to pay
taxes to contribute to their defense, then they would
have to house / take on costs of the upkeep of the
British troops through Quartering
 Again, the British considered this reasonable: the
soldiers were there to defend the Colonists…the
Colonists refused to pay taxes – hence the need for
Quartering
 To the Colonists, however, this was another assault on
their liberties.
 They didn’t need to be defended (controlled) and the
Law amounted to an indirect form of taxation, and was
again made without their consent
 The Massachusetts and New York Assemblies were the
most defiant, refusing to co-operate with the new law:
esp. difficult for the British, since the British army had
its headquarters in N.Y.
 Townshend responded by disbanding the NY assembly,
until such time as it accepted the Act. The colony
would be governed directly by the Governor.
 He hoped to send a message to the other Colonies –
the same might happen to them if they did not cooperate.
 Considered an outrage: tampering with their
democratic system, their elected Assembly
8. Townshend Duties
 He wanted to increase revenues: imposed import duties the Townshend Duties – on various goods imported
from Eng - lead, paint, paper, tea, glass.
 He authorized Writs of Assistance to again be used to
search for illegally imported goods
 The duties were not very high (light and indirect
compared to Stamp Act) and smuggling continued – but
the Colonies again protested and complained - again the
objection was in principle, to taxation without their
consent...they continued to fear erosion of the “power of
the purse” over the Governor ...Townshend earmarked
the proceeds of the new duties to pays Governors
salaries
 Townshend argued that these were not direct taxes, but
indirect tariffs / duties
 To the Colonists there was no longer any distinction
between direct and indirect taxes – all were
unacceptable….opposition best expressed in John
Dickinson’s Letters from a Pennsylvania
Farmer….pamphlet
 The Massachusetts Assembly, undeterred by the
suspension of the NY Legislature, called on all the
Colonies to resist the duties: received much support
from other colonies
 Townshend, to enforce these duties, and the
Navigation Laws in general, set up a new Board of
Customs Commissioners (also hoped to eliminate the
rampant corruption among officials)
 The new Board was effective in significantly reducing
smuggling in Boston, though not in the other colonies.
 The Boston merchants were furious: they organized a
renewed – the most effective to date - boycott of all
British goods (received a lot of support from VA,
unlike the earlier boycotts)
 Late in 1767, Townshend died: Lord North becomes
new PM
 Wanted to ease the situation and appease British
merchants who complained about the boycotts:
repealed the Townshend Duties in 1770
 But kept the duty on Tea, to keep alive the principle
that the British Govt. still insisted on its right to tax
the Colonies
Boston Massacre, 1770
 As Townshend Duties were being repealed this event
occurred - somewhat negated calming effect of the
repeal
 Heavy presence of British soldiers in Boston to
protect Customs Officials, under command of Capt.
Thomas Preston
 Bostonians resented presence of Redcoats; arrogant,
badly behaved, there to control them, and…..took
their jobs (moonlighting)
 March 5, 1770: angry exchange between soldiers and
workers seeking work on the docks
 Workers later began throwing rocks at soldiers on guard
duty outside Customs House: soldiers fired, killing 5
(inc. mulatto, Crispus Attucks).
 The incident was exaggerated by local leaders:
presented as a calculated assault on a peaceful
crowd…..this propaganda created intense outrage.
 soldiers involved (defended by future Pres. John Adams)
were tried and found guilty of only manslaughter and
given a token punishment (branded on the hand) /
discharged.. increased outrage
The Boston Massacre
 The leading figure in fomenting public outrage (spreading
propaganda) about the Boston Massacre was Sam Adams
(also organizer of the Sons of Liberty).
 An inflammatory journalist and orator: often spoke in
public (town meetings), denouncing British legislation
since 1763: a persistent voice of outrage at British
oppression. England, he argued, had become a morass of
sin and corruption; only in America did public virtue
survive.
 Was one of the first to advocate independence at this early
stage…1765 – not just complain, but break away
 In 1772, he formed the Committees of Correspondence in
Massachusetts – letter writing Committees, communities /
towns shared their views / complaints about British policy
 Soon Mass had up to 80 Committees
 Other Colonies followed this lead, inc. VA
 Inter-Colonial and Intra Colonial communication
 Helped spread the spirit of dissent and resistance and
helped create inter-colonial co-operation and
unity…… wrote for the Boston Gazette….helped
generate nationalism
 Sam Adams became known as the "penman of the
revolution“: considered a “rabble rouser” – the most
effective propagandist of these years
 1770 - 1773
 No legislation – but not a quiet period
 But political issues / previous legislation were much
debated: in increasing number of newspapers, pamphlets,
in the Taverns, in the Town Committees and Colonial
Legislatures, and among the Committees of
Correspondence….and newspapers (40 weekly
newspapers…as well as pamphlets, leaflets, journals)
 Legislation / British Policies had aroused people to take an
interest in political ideas…politically, a very conscious
society (and very literate)
 the crises of the 1760's had aroused an ideological
excitement; no where in the world was the general
public so interested and concerned with politics.
 Enlightenment Ideas - John Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau,
Montesquieu - were much discussed: Locke’s ideas on
natural rights, social contract, government by consent,
right to rebellion against tyrannical kings….were all
familiar to colonists
 There was discussion about altering the relationship
with Britain – maybe a Home Rule type arrangement
within the empire would be better (up to now, just
complained)
9. Tea Act, 1773
 Destroyed the three years of relative calm
 For the British, the costs of defense were increasing,
but the Colonies were still contributing very little
 Tea Act, allowed British East India Company to import
Tea into Colonies without paying the 3 pence tax (wellconnected Company)
 Company was near bankrupt; it’s demise would have
severely hurt the British economy
 Colonies were expected to be satisfied – would mean
less expensive Tea
 But the Colonial Merchants objected to a possible
monopoly of the Tea trade by a British company; the
public also sprung to the defense of the Colonial
Merchants who had stood by them after the Sugar Act
 To the Colonists it was still wrong for the British Govt.
to make a decision about their taxes, even if reducing or
elimination them, without their consent
 The Colonies answered with a widespread boycott of
tea imported by the British East India Company
 Boston Tea Party: Dec 16, 1773, a mob, orchestrated
by Sam Adams, led by men dressed as Mohawks,
boarded 3 ships owned by the Company, broke open
342 tea chests and heaved them into the sea.
 As the electrifying news of the "tea party" spread, other
seaports followed the example and staged similar acts
of resistance of their own.
10. Coercive or Intolerable
Acts, 1774
 Govt. demanded compensation: Mass / Boston refused:
 King and PM then decided on a policy of coercion
against Boston and Mass – no more appeasement as in
the past when the Stamp and Sugar Acts had been
repealed
 In four acts - The Coercive or Intolerable Acts of 1774,
Parliament
 closed the port of Boston (Boston Port Act) until compensation
was paid
 drastically reduced the powers of the Mass Legislature
 permitted royal officers to be tried in other Colonies or in Eng for
their protection, if accused of crimes
 chartered rights of colonists as Englishmen were removed
 restrictions were placed on the town meetings,.
 These Acts were branded as the "massacre of American
liberty” by the colonists.
Tension mounted and a showdown loomed
11. Quebec Act, 1774
 These acts were followed by the Quebec Act, which was
separate from them in origin and quite different in
purpose (not one of the Intolerable Acts).
 Its purpose was to provide regional govt. / political rights
and religious freedom / toleration for the 60,000 Fr
Catholics in Canada and Illinois areas.
 Was a liberal law – would have been welcomed by
British Colonists under normal circumstances: but the
timing was disastrous
 Because of the atmosphere of the time, to the British
Colonists it seemed that the Fr Catholics were being
treated well while they were being persecuted
 In addition, rumor had it that the Church of Eng was
scheming to app a bishop for Am who would impose
Anglican authority on all the various sects
 And since the line between the Ch of Eng and the
Catholic Church had always seemed to Am’s
dangerously thin, the passage of the Quebec Act
convinced many that a plot was afoot in London to
subject Am’s to the tyranny of the pope. Felt their
Religious Freedom was now also being threatened (this
was an unfounded fear, produced by the strained
relationship / fear / tension of the period)
First Continental
Congress, 1774

Coercive Acts did not scare the other Colonies: rather
they saw Massachusetts as a martyr for the cause of
America’s rights, a martyr that must be supported

Virginia was one of the most outspoken Colonies
supporting Mass.

Because of its harsh criticism of Govt. policy, the Br
Gov. dissolved the VA Legislature in 1774; delegates
then met in a nearby Raleigh Tavern at Williamsburg,
where they issued a call for an Continental Congress
 delegates from 12 Colonies (except Georgia - the most
loyal of the colonies) were present in Sept - Oct., 1774
when the 1st Cont Cong convened in Phil's Carpenters
Hall: met for seven weeks
 Decisions
 sent a statement of grievances, written in a very respectful manner
to our "most gracious sovereign", appealing for a repeal of all
oppressive legislation passed since 1763, and emphasizing their
rights
 approved a resolution rejecting the Intolerable Acts and
recommending that military preparations be made to defend
Boston from Br army (almost a Dec of War)
 agreed to end all trade with Britain (non-importation / nonexportation / non-consumption). Declared an Economic War with Br.
Drew up a document, called The Association, calling for united
action on this matter
 they agreed to meet again next spring: very important – saw the need
to continue organizing, for continued unity….important step in
formation of nation
 At this time there was no call for Independence – what
they wanted was a repeal of the repressive legislation.
 The British responded with the Conciliatory Proposition –
proposed that the Colonies, instead of being taxed directly
by Parliament, would tax themselves at Parliament’s
demand - but this was too little and too late. It did not
reach Am until after the first shots of war had been fired.
Lexington and Concord
 Massachusetts militia prepared to defend Boston if
necessary.
 Gen Thos. Gage, Commander of British forces in Boston
decided to seize weapons and gunpowder
 Sam Adams and John Hitchcock - minutemen watching
movements – reported to Dawes and Revere who went to
warn that the British were coming……..
 shots fired in Lexington and then in Concord, and on
return journey….first shots, heard round the
world…blamed each other for starting it
 Whatever the truth, the Colonists succeeded in
circulating their account well ahead of the British
version, adorning it with horrible tales of British
atrocities (rights denied – right to bear arms, protection
of property).
 Sam Adams was again the principal propagandist
 The effect was to rally to the rebel cause people, North
and South, who previously had had little enthusiasm for
it, now that the English had opened fire on them – but
for now “the War” was confined to Boston and
involved a minority
Second Continental
Congress, 1775
 Philadelphia, 3 weeks after Lexington and Concord:
May10, 1775: all 13 Colonies were represented on this
occasion (Georgia showed up)
 the delegates agreed to support the war but could not
come to an agreement about the purpose and aims of the
war.
 One group favored independence (John and Sam Adams cousins)
 Most still hoped for an early reconciliation with Br /
redress of grievances.
 The delegates
 dismissed Lord North's Conciliatory Proposition
 voted for one last appeal to the King - the so-called Olive Branch
Petition
 then, because of the possibility that this might be rejected, they
adopted a Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up
Arms. It proclaimed that the Br Govt. had left the Am people with
only two alternatives, "unconditional submission to the tyranny of
irritated ministers or resistance by force“
 decided to raise and army and navy
 App. Washington as Comm. in Chief of the
American forces: Why Washington?
 Personal Qualities - patient, courageous, disciplined, well liked,
trusted, respected, charismatic.
 Military Experience: Colonel in VA militia / Fr and Indian War
 “Largely Political” choice - Aristocrat, plantation owner (not a
fortune seeker), from largest colony, oldest / first colony,
southern colony – VA: people might be suspicious of a New
England dominated army operating in the Boston region wouldd help with colonial unity, bring in Southern support –
give the revolution credibility and respectability – would be
seen as a revolution of all regions and all classes.
 For 14 mths. the war was still about getting their
complaints / grievances addressed: still wanted to
remain part of the Br Empire (April 1775 to July 1776)
and still claimed to be loyal to the King
 Then opinions began to change: why?
 1. First, the costs of the war - human and financial - were so
high that the original war aims began to seem too modest to
justify them
 2. Second - what lingering affection they retained for the mother
country greatly diminished when the British began trying to
recruit Indians, slaves and foreign mercenaries (the hated
Hessians) against them. Brought in outsiders in what was a
domestic quarrel
 3. Third, outrage when the Br govt. rejected the Olive Branch
Petition and instead enacted the Prohibitory Act, which closed
the Colonies to all overseas trade, imposed a naval blockade to
enforce it, and declared all the Colonies to be a state of
Rebellion
 4. The publication in Jan 1776 of an impassioned pamphlet
crystallizing their position: Common Sense - Thos Paine had emigrated from Eng to Am 2 yrs before (suggestion of
Franklin) - failed businessman - but successful as a
revolutionary propagandist. Reprinted the pamphlet month
after month, eventually sold over 120,000, passed from hand
to hand, debated and discussed: helped change outlook toward
the war.
Common Sense
Thomas Paine
 His purpose was
 to explain the folly of continuing to believe reconciliation with
Britain was possible.
 turn the anger of Americans away from the specific
Parliamentary measures they were resisting and towards what
he considered the root of the problem - the English
constitution itself. It was not enough, he argued, for Americans
to continue blaming their problem on specific Kings and Prime
Minister, or even on Parliament – it was the system that was to
blame.
 Thus it was simple common sense for Am’s to break
completely
 Britain, a small island, was not fit to rule the much bigger
American continent
 America had a special, sacred mission to the world to create a
model independent, democratic, republic
 Paine reinforced Locke's main message: . Don't just be
content with Resistance ….. think in terms of Independence:
you have the right to rebel against an unjust government.
 Common Sense had an enormous influence on American
thinking. Written in ordinary language, it gave meaning
and sense to what people felt deep down: gave them a
rationale, a coherent theory for their ideas and fears.
 Contained both political theory and propaganda.
Convinced many who were wavering that independence
was the right course.
 It also suggested that if they broke with England they
could hope to get help from France
 Thomas Paine
Common Sense
 The Second Cont. Cong meanwhile, was also slowly
but surely moving towards proposing a complete break
with Eng.
 Over the next few months. It:
 Declared American ports open to the ships of all nations except
Britain.
 Sent delegates to communicate with foreign powers
 Recommended to the Colonies that they eliminate reference to
authority of the empire, king, governor …and from now on call
themselves states, not colonies.
 Finally Richard Henry Lee of Va. Proposed on June
6th, that “these United Colonies are, and of right out to
be, free and independent states.." Motion was passed
This was really the Dec of Indep: then decided to have a
Committee of 5, inc. Ben Franklin, write an explanation
of the Declaration, and a more eloquent declaration, to
get foreign support and create internal unity