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Thesis Statement
My thesis is that economics was the contributing factor in the road to the revolution. The colonists felt that Britian was using them to acquire money to pay off their war debts from the French and Indian War. After the French fell, the colonists no longer needed Britian for protection, so they began to grew weary of Britian's unfair taxes and laws placed upon them. This is what lead to the Revolution. -
French and Indian War
French and Indian WarJul 3, 1754 -Feb 10, 1763
The French and Indian War was a series of wars fought between England and France. The cause of the war was a dispute over land in the Ohio Valley Both the English and French wanted the precious Ohio land, which was deeply involved with fur trade, a viable source of income at the time. It began when George Washington and a group of Virginia militiamen attempted to drive the French out of Ohio. The British were initially defeated by the French and their Indian allies. -
French and Indian War (Cont.)
French and Indian WaHowever, the English defeated the French under the leadership of William Pitt. Montreal and Quebec fell in 1760, with the English driving the French out of North America The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763, signifying the end of the war. Despite their victory, the British were left with considerable debt following the war, at the colonists' expense. -
Albany plan of Union
Albany Plan of UnionJuly 10th, 1754. The Albany Plan of Union was put in place to stablize colonial-Indian relations. Representatives from colonial governments were to meet and create a treaty with the Iroqois Indians. They also were to discuss intercolonial cooperation on various issues. However, the Albany Plan of Union never came to be, because most colonial governments rejected the plan. Despite this, it helped to serve as a model for future plans of union, such as the Constitution. -
Battle of Quebec
Battle of QuebecThe Battle of Quebec took place on September 13th, 1759. The British army, led by General James Wolfe, sought to attack and conquer Quebec. He led his army to the shores of Quebec, by way of the St. Lawrence river. The French, led by Marquis de Montcalm, were unprepared for battle. Montcalm struggled to unite his troops in time for battle, but he decided to attack regardless, a fatal mistake. The battle on the Plains of Abraham lasted just 30 minutes, with the French being defeated. -
Battle of Quebec (Cont.)
Battle of QuebecBoth generals died from injuries suffered during battle. The French defeat signaled the end of New France, as the British took control of Canada. However, such battles only put the British further into debt, and relations with the colonists weakened as a result. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris, 1763The Treaty of Paris signaled the end of the French and Indian War between England and France. The British were eager to end the war, due to the immense amounts of debt and their inability to pay it off (they later used the colonists' taxes to help pay off their war debts). After the treaty was signed, colonists no longer felt threatened by the French, so they no longer relied on Britian for protection.The Treaty of Paris gave the colonists a desire for freedom, signaling upcoming conflict. -
Proclamation of 1763
Proclamation of 1763Following the French and Indian war, the colonists looked foward to settling the land in the western frontier, that the English had gained from the French. However, the Proclamation of 1763 did not allow the colonists to settle that land. The Proclamation stated that all lands to the west of the Appalachian mountains were off limits to the colonists. It also created a border in Florida. In order to protect these lines, the British would have to build and maintain posts, which were very costly. -
Proclamation of 1763 (Cont.)
Proclamation of 1763The colonists, however, would have to pay for them through taxes. The Proclamation of 1763 angered colonists greatly. They felt that land had been taken from them, and they had to pay for this sacrifice as well. The Proclamation was one of the events that established the road to the revolution. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act of 1764The British faced huge debts following the French and Indian War. One way to accumulate money was to tax the colonists. The Sugar Act not only taxed sugar, but other items such as coffee, cloth, wine, and American exports such as iron and lumber. These taxes hurt the economy in America, as colonists feared spending money, and importation boycotts ensued. The Sugar Act led to protests where colonists demanded representation in Parliament, thus leading closer to the American Revolution. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1765Mar 22, 1765 - Mar 18, 1766. The Stamp Act was the first direct tax to the colonies from England. It was instituted to help cover the cost of keeping troops stationed in the colonies. Americans opposed the tax greatly, becuase they could not afford to pay it, and they felt it was unfair that they were not represented in Parliament. In response, colonists boycotted British goods, and refused to use stamps or stamped paper. Therefor, the Stamp Act was seen as unenforceable. -
The Stamp Act (Cont.)
The Stamp Act of 1765While the Stamp Act was a failure, it still showed how Britian needed money from the colonists, and resorted to taxing them in order to get it. It also showed how Britian still held authority over the colonists, despite their dissatisfaction for British rule. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act, 1765Mar 24, 1765 - Mar 24, 1767. In an effort to cut costs for keeping soldiers stationed in the colonies, Britian instituted the Quartering Act in 1765. It stated that soldiers would be allowed to stay in public inns, taverns, and private homes. Colonial opposition was fierce. Maintaining such an army was very costly, and useless, especially becuase the colonists no longer feared the French. Also, the soldiers present were used to help enforce the British taxation laws. -
The Quartering Act (Cont.)
The Quartering Act, 1765.This shows that economics was a major factor in the road to the Revolution, because most of the unpopular British acts, including the Quartering Act, were put in place in order to raise money to pay off debts from the French and Indian War. -
Stamp Act congress
Stamp Act congressAs opposed to violance as a form of opposition to the Stamp Act, James Otis came up with the Stamp Act congress. Nine colonies met together to discuss ways of resisting the tax. They also created a 14-point Declaration of Rights and Grievances. It argued that taxation should only occur through colonial assemblies, not through Parliament and Britian. The Stamp Act congress showed how the colonies could work together to solve issues, thus going a step further than the failed Albany Congress. -
Repeal of the Stamp Act
Repeal of the Stamp ActIn March of 1766, the British were forced to repeal the unpopular Stamp Act. The colonists had boycotted British goods and refused to use stamps. William Pitt, who eventually became the Prime Minister of England, made a speech on behalf of the Americans, proposing the act be repealed. The boycott was hurting British manufacturers, so they had no choice but to repeal the act. In conclusion, the economic battle between the colonies and England helped to fuel the fire for the American Revolution. -
Declaratory Act
Declaratory ActThe Declaratory Act, passed the same day as the repeal of the Stamp Act, stated that Parliament have "full power and authority to make laws and statutes of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of America, subjects of the Crown of Great Britain, in all cases whatsoever.” It was passed, ironically, by William Pitt, the same man who helped remove the Stamp Act. The Declaratory Act showed Britian's authority over the colonies, and showed that they could tax them at any time. -
Townshend Act
Townshend ActJun 29 1767 - Mar 5, 1770. The British believed that America should have to pay for the maintaining of the British army in the colonies. In order to do this, they had to propose new taxes. The Townshend Act, created by Charles Townshend, placed taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. The Americans heavily protested these taxes, and begaon to once again boycott British goods. By 1770, all were repealed, except for the tea tax. This showed that Parliament still had the right to tax colonists. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston MassacreThe Boston Massacre occured on March 5th, 1770, when a mob of colonists began taunting British soldiers. Shots were fired into the crowd, and 5 colonists were killed. However, the event was much exaggerated by the colonists, the most famous being Paul Revere's engraving of the event. The pictures are made to appear as if the British are killers, and that the colonists were undeserving of the attack. The colonists, however, had been provoking the soldiers that were stationed in Boston. -
Boston Massacre (Cont.)
The Boston MassacreThe colonists were unhappy about the various acts that had been placed upon them. They felt it was unfair to have to pay taxes for the British army being stationed in the colonies. That was the realism behind the massacre, but it was an important historical event, because it showed the colonists' dissatisfaction with the taxes that Britian was placing on them, which helped lead to the Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea PartyIn May of 1773, the British came up with a plan to tax the colonists. They sold their tea to the East India Tea Company, at a very low price, to entice the colonists to buy it. However, they realized that this was just an attempt to get the colonists to pay taxes to Britian, so they refused. Ships came to Boston harbor filled with tea, but when the colonists refused to buy it, the collectors said the ships were not allowed to leave until taxes were paid. This caused an uproar. -
Boston Tea Party (Cont.)
Boston Tea PartyAbout 200 colonists boarded the ships, tossing the tea into the harbor waters. Parliament's response was the Intolerable Acts. However, this showed the colonists' unity as they continued to rebel against Britian's attempts at taxing them. -
Intolerable Acts
Intolerable ActsThe Intolerable Acts were a series of laws put forth by Britian in response to the Boston Tea Party. These acts included the Boston Port Bill, which closed Boston harbor until the price of the dumped tea was paid, the Massachusetts Bay Regulating Act, which banned unauthorized town meetings, and the Impartial Administration of Justice Act, which permitted the governor to move trials to England if he deemed they were to be judged unfairly by a jury. However, instead of hurting the colonists, the -
Intolerable Acts (Cont.)
Intolerable ActsThe Intolerable acts merely united the colonists further. They stood together and protested the acts. King George III believed that action needed to be taken against the colonists. This was the culminating factor in the road to the Revolution. -
Quebec Act
Quebec ActThe Quebec Act was posted on the heels of the Intolerable Acts. It was designed to give the French inhabitants of Canada greater rights then those of the colonists. Recognition was given to the Catholic Church in Quebec, and the French Civil Code was recognized. It also extended the bouncaries of Quebec. Americans now feared a resurgance in the French empire as well as the Catholic Church. -
First Continental Congress
First Continental CongressSep 5th 1774 - Oct 26th 1774. The First Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philidelphia. It did not advocate independance, however it wanted a voice in Parliament. The Galloway Plan of Union urged Americans to make their own version of Parliament. Topics such as this were discussed at the First Continental Congress. It is significant, because it showed the Americans' willingness to unite against the British rule. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and ConcordThe Battle of Lexington and Concord began when British troops went to Lexington in search of John Hancock and Samuel Adams. The militiamen were waiting to attack, and a battle ensued. After this, the British marched toward Concord, again in search of Hancock and Adams. Another battle ensued, this time however, the militiamen forced the British to retreat, killing 273 soldiers in the process. This was the start of the Revolutionary War.
