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French and Indian War
-French and natives in a war against Britain over who has control of key access points in North America
-aka 7 years war
-Britain spent $8 million on the war in the colonies, so makes the colonists pay it back through taxes
-After the war, Britain leaves troops in the colonies -
Sugar Act
-Indirect tax on sugar
-To get money to pay off war debt
-Colonists were really good at smuggling and did not allow officers to search their ships, even though the officers had a Writ of Assistance, allowing them to search property without a warrant
-Colonists -
Stamp Act
-No way to tell if the tax was paid on sugar, so Stamp Act was created
-tax on all printed goods
-goods were stamped when tax was paid
-Direct tax
-Stamp Act Congress decides to have colonists boycott
-Non-importation agreement convinces sellers not to sell taxed products
-Sons and Daughters of Liberty is created
-Colonists continue protesting and even tar and feather tax collectors
-Colonists refuse to pay taxes -
Townshend Acts
-Stamp Act is replaced with Townshend Acts
-Taxes glass, paint, tea, etc.
-Britain hoped it would not cause protesting from colonists because the objects being taxed were not used as often, with the exception of tea
-The money from this goes towards keeping troops in the colonies
-Colonists do not like the tax on the tea and they do not see a reason to have troops in the colonies, so protest -
Quartering Act
Since Britain is keeping troops in the colonies, they passed the Quartering Act, which forces colonists to house and feed British soldiers. Colonists have no privacy and have to spend more money on food. Supplies, like alcohol, become more expensive because troops decide to stay in inns and taverns, so the prices of the rooms and alcohol go up for the colonists. -
Declaratory Acts
- All laws passed by the British were superior to those passed by the colonists and that any law passed by the colonists had to be run by the British Parliament -Colonists felt that Britain had taken away their right to self govern, which they had been practicing for 130 years -Colonists started taunting British soldiers and being aggressive towards them
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Tea Act
-Tax on tea
-Tea is popular, and England needs the money
-British East India Co. in danger of going bankrupt
-Britain allows British East India Co. to have a monopoly selling tea in the colonies to make sure they collect taxes
-Sons of Liberty get together to react -
Boston Tea Party
-Sons of Liberty protesting the Tea Act
-Colonists refuse the tea to be unloaded off the ships
-This means that taxes are not being paid
-Sons of Liberty dump the tea from the ships into the harbor, resulting in $1-3 million in damage
-King George III gets very angry and decides to use force on the colonies -
Intolerable Acts
-Boston Port Act
-Massachusetts Government Act
-Justice Act
-2nd Quartering Act
-Quebec Act
-These Acts were geared towards Boston to punish them for Boston Tea Party
-The other colonies did the opposite of what Britain wanted them to do by supporting Boston
-These Acts led to the colonists getting together for the Continental Congress -
Continental Congress
-In response to Intolerable Acts
-Massachusetts and Virginia get other colonies to go to the meeting
-They discuss what to do about Britain and the Intolerable Acts
-They meet about the 3 natural rights being violated
-They agree to continue boycotting and non-importation
-Committees of Correspondence are made to make sure colonies are continuing to protest