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Causes of the American Revolution
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End of the French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a war that started in 1753 over a large piece of land in the Mississippi River Valley. At the time, the land was owned by the French. The British wanted to expand their land, so in 1753, they attacked the French. 10 years later, in 1763, they signed the “Treaty of Paris”, an agreement that the French would give almost all of their land in North America to the Britsh. The war was a major factor contributing the American Revolution from all of the taxes it caused. -
The Proclamtion of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was a law passed by King George III. The colonists were excited about the opportunity of being able to move west onto the new land gained from the French. As they did this, Indians attacked them. King George III then said that they could not move west of the Appalachian Mountains. He did not want to keep having to send soldiers from Britain over to protect the colonists from the Indians. Some of the colonists ignored this and moved there anyway. -
Sugar Act
The act was a law passed in 1764 that said that colonists had to pay taxes on sugar and molasses. The French and Indian war put Britain into debt, and they found a way to get out of it by taxing the colonists. The colonists responded by saying “No taxation without representation.” They boycotted taxed sugar and even smuggled sugar illegally from the West Indies. This was one of the many taxes that got the colonists angry and contributed to the Revolution. -
Stamp Act
The stamp act was an act passed in 1765 that said that a tax was required for objects such as stamps, legal documents, newspapers, dice, card, and more. It was yet another way to get out of debt from the French and Indian War. The colonists continued to boycott taxed goods, and they started sending petitions to King George III. Sadly, some violence started to take place. This was another one of the taxes that contributed to the Revolution. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Acts were a series of acts passed by the British Parliament that said that colonists had to house British soldiers if needed. The colonists were outraged at this, and some refused to house the soldiers. This act just added to the anger of the colonists that contributed to the Revolutionary War. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend acts were a series of acts that declared that taxes were to be put on imported items such as glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. They also allowed officers to use Writs of Assistance to search colonial ships for smuggled goods. The colonists were again angry and boycotted taxed goods. Merchants also signed the Non- Importation Agreement, and agreement that they would not use any taxed goods. These angers added to the fuel of the Revolutionary War. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an event that happened in Boston. Colonists were taunting and making fun of British soldiers. They were also throwing sticks and rocks. The soldiers ended up shooting at the colonists, and eight of the colonists were killed. This was a very big event, and it got the colonists and the British angry at each other, which was another cause of the Revolutionary War. -
Tea Act
The Tea act was an act that said that tea was taxed. Tea is a very large part of English culture, and this got the colonists very angry. The colonists got very angry and illegally smuggled tea in from the West Indies. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an act of rebellion caused by colonists dress as Mohawk Indians. The "party" was a response to the tea act (see before). The colonists snuck onto British ships and dumped all of their tea into the Boston Harbor. This got the British very angry with the colonists, and they passed the Intolerable Acts as a punishment (see after). The anger caused over the Boston Tea Party was a leading cause in the Revolutionary War. -
Link for the Boston Tea Party
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Coercive\ Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were a series of acs passed as a punishment due to the Boston Tea Party. Some of the punishments include no town meetings for Boston, and the Boston Harbor being closed until all of the dumped tea was paid for. Instead of isolating Boston and MA, the rest of the colonies pulled together and helped while the harbor was closed. The Intolerable Acts, thus the nickname the colonists give them, got the colonists very angry. This was a cause in the Rev. War. -
the First Continental Congress
Click here for more info!The First Continental Congress lasted from September 5th to October 26th. It was a meeting about the Intolerable Acts and what they should do about them. Every colony sent a respresentative exept for Georgia. This was a big step in a war, as this meant that the colonists were starting to rebel even more. -
Link for Paul Revere's Ride
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Paul Revere's Ride
There was a deal made on the night of Paul Revere's ride: 1 lantern lit if the British are coming by land and 2 lanterns if they are coming by sea. Paul saw two lit, so he went around the state of MA, shouting that "the British are coming!" The British were going to Concord MA, for two reasons: to destroy the stock of weapons there, and to capture Sam Adams and John Hancock for their role in the Boston Tea Party. This was a major sign of a rebellious war in the near future. -
Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord were the first two battles of the Revolutionary War. Both of the battles were in MA, and both were somewhat near Boston. No one is sure who fired the first shot of the war. There were not many casualties in these wars. Colonists were probably scared and excited at the same time at the thought of rebellion.
