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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 ends after years of bloodshed. It put the British in debt, so they taxed the colonies. The British gained all the land owned by the French, so as a result there was no French land left after the war. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 banned all colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, even though the colonists believed they had a right to live where they pleased. The colonists widely ignored this because it was impossible for the British to enforce. -
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act put a tax on sugar, molasses and other things. This act also included harsh punishments for smugglers. Colonists then began to boycott the British goods; they also sent a petition to England. -
The Quartering Act
Colonists had to house and feed the British soldiers. Their rights as English citizens have been violated. Some even refused to let them stay in their homes. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act said that you had to buy additional stamps , and you also had to put stamps on wills, diplomas, contracts, news papers, and even playing cards! This was an unfair tax that the colonists had no input in. As a reaction to this act the colonists burned stamps, and held the stamp act congress in New York City. -
Townshend Acts
Britain won't tax goods in the colonies, but they tax imports like lead, glass, tea, etc. They came up with "The Writs of Assistance" so they could search ships for smuggled goods. The colonists believed that it is still a tax and their rights are being violated. After this the colonists started smuggling goods into the colonies and reduced imports. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a very horrid event that changed the colonial era forever. On March 5th 1770 a British soldier looks for a job and a colonist tells him to get a job cleaning toilets. The British soldier is offended and begins an argument with the colonist. Eventually a mob forms with clubs, stick, and snowballs taunting the soldiers by saying things like “fire if you dare.” Eventually the British soldiers fire and 5 people lose their lives, 7 are wounded. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act of 1773 was very unfair to the colonists. It made it so the tea could only be imported from British East India Company. Tea is taxed at three pence. The company chooses who can and can not sell tea; it puts colonial tea merchants out of business. It gives the British a tea monopoly. -
The Boston Tea Party
116 people participated in the destruction of Boston Harbor. 90,000 pounds of tea were thrown over board. The amount of tea that was thrown over was worth 10,000 pounds or 1 million dollars today! -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts closed the port of Boston until the tea was paid for. Court trials were moved to England, town meetings were banned and the Quartering Act was strengthened. -
The First Continental Congress
In Philadelphia of 1774 electives from all of the colonies, except Georgia, appeared to share their thoughts on what to do in response to the British taxes. What they decided was to demand repeal of the Intolerable Acts, train militias and gather weapons, organize boycotts, and meet again in May of 1775. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord was the start of the Revolutionary War. The British troops had come to America to seize munitions. 77 minuit-men waited to fire at the British troops. When the shots were fired 8 farmers died and war had begun. It is nicknamed "the shot heard 'round the world" because it was going to have a huge impact on the rest of the world.
