Road to Revolution

Sugar Acts

1764

• Indirect tax (Out of sight = out of mind.)
• Duties on molasses and sugar
• The Parliament made taxes lower so they would smuggle less
• The colonists felt unsafe in their own homes

Stamp Act

1765

• Tax on all paper products
• Official stamp/seal on all paper items, things like Legal documents, Licenses, Newspapers, Pamphlets, Playing cards
• The Sons of Liberty took action in the streets to protest the Stamps Act

Declaration Act

1766

-Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”
-Parliament passes this to save face
- The Declaratory act was passed due to all the money that was lost

Townshed Act

1767

• Taxes on glass, Lead, Paints, Paper, and Tea
• Searched for smuggled goods
• Sons of Liberty start to do violent acts - British Soldiers arrive to protect tax collectors

Tea act

1773

• Passed in 1773 and allowed British East India Company to sell tea directly to colonists
  • Lower Prices than colonists merchant prices
  • Tax Tea cheaper than smuggled tea
  • Less Smuggling = More tax money

Boston Tea party

Dec 16, 1773

• Members of the Sons of Liberty dump over 340 chests of tea into the Boston harbor
• "Boston harbor is a teapot tonight!"
• Caused problems for loyalists/Tories - loyalists/Tories = a person in the Colony who remains "loyal" to the King and Britain

Intolerable Acts

1774

• Passed to punish Boston for Tea party
  • Boston Harbor closed until tea paid for
  • Massachusetts Charter cancelled
  • Quartering Act required colonists house soldiers
  • General Thomas Gage became new governor of MA

Continental Congress Meets

Sep 5, 1774

• All colonies but Georgia have representatives
• Voted to send a "statement of grievances"
• Voted to Boycott all British Trade
• Patrick Henry - VA rep. urged colonists to unite against Britain