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Sugar Act
First law ever passed for raising tax revenue in the colonies for the crown. Increased the duty on foreign sugar imported from the West Indies. Colonist were becoming bitter, but England soon repealed the Act. -
Stamp Act
Raise revenues to support the new military force. Mandated the used of stamped paper or the affixing of stamps, certifying payment of tax. Required on bills, legal and commercial documents, playing cards, pamphlets, newspapers, diplomas, bills of lading, and marriage licenses. -
Quartering Act
Required certain colonist to provide food and shelter for British troops. -
Stamp Act Congress
Held in New York City. 9 colonies came. Asked the crown and Parliament to repeal the Act, but they declined. Colonies decided to repeal the repugnant legislation. -
Declaratory Act
Reaffirming Parliament's right "to bind" the colonies "in all cases whatsoever". After this Act both the British and Colonists drew their line. -
Townshed Acts
Taxed on glasses, white lead, paper, paint, and tea -
Nonimportation agreements
Not to buy British goods but make their own. United the American people together -
Boston Massacre
Crowd of 60 towns-people began taunting and throwing snowballs at a squad of 10 redcoats. Bostonians were still angry over the death of an 11 year old boy, shot 10 days earlier during a protest against a merchant who defied the colonial boycott of British goods. British troops opened fire on the towns-people and killed or wounded 11 citizens. -
Boston Tea Party
100 Bostonians, disguised as Indians, boarded the docked ships, smashed open 342 chests of tea, and dumped it into the Atlantic. People had mixed reactions of this action, which were praise or trespassing of private property. Governor Hutchinson left Boston and never returned. -
Intolerable Acts
Series of Acts designed to chastise Boston in particular, and Massachusetts in general. Many of the chartered rights of colonial Massachusetts were swept away.
Boston Port Act: closed until damages were paid and order could be ensured.
Quebec Act: French were guaranteed Catholic religion. Were allowed to keep old customs and institutions, did not include representative assembly or trial by jury in civil cases. Old boundaries of Quebec were extended southwards to the Ohio River. -
First Continental Congress
12/13 colonies; Georgia missing. Consultative, not legislative and Inter-colonial frictions further melted. John Adams was on a revolutionary course, helped defeat proposal for home rule under British direction. Declaration of Rights, appeal to king/people and other British American colonies. The Association. Complete boycott. No call for independence, sought to repeal offensive legislation and return to pre-Parliamentary taxation. If grievances accepted, good. If not, meet again in May 1775. -
Lexington and Concord
British commander in Boston sent a detachment of troops. They were to seize stores of colonial gunpowder and to get Samuel and John Adams.
Lexington: Colonial "Minute Men" refused to disperse and shots were fired, that killed 8 Americans. "Lexington Massacre"
Concord: Forced to retreat. But 70 people were killed b/c the Americans hid and started fighting the British. War had begun.
