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End of the French and Indian War
The French and Indian War ended with the Treaty of Paris. The British had gained vast territorial land from the outcome of the war. The war had been extremely expensive, so Britain decided to impose taxes on colonists. With heavy taxes being put in place, such as, the Tea Act, Sugar Act, and Stamp Act, colonists began to resent British authority. This created a spiral effect into many other events that would eventually lead to the American Revolution. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was the first tax placed on American colonists by the British Government. This Act put a tax on all paper documents. The tax was a result of the massive debt Britain was in after The French and Indian War. The British Government used the colonies as a source of revenue. This enraged colonists as they claimed the Act to be unconstitutional and would threaten stamp collectors. The Act would later be repealed but, colonists wanted representation, which would lead to a revolution. -
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required colonists to provide living quarters for British soldiers. This was a huge imposition on the colonists since they had to give up their homes and go out of their way for soldiers to have a place to stay. Colonists felt that their ownership meant nothing to the soldiers, because British would stay at a home by their own will and without consent of the habitant. Soldiers and Patriots being mixed created stirs which led to brawls and developed into a massacre. -
Decloratory Act
The Decloratory Act was created to give Parliament the same taxing authority in America as Great Britain. The Act was passed along with the appeal of the Stamp act. The act required no taxes or anything from the colonists at all, except for the acceptance of their inferior existence to the Royal Crown. The Decloratory Act asserted Parliament's power and their law making abilities in America. This upset many colonists, because they wanted to be an equal nation instead of a subordinate. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were implemented by Charles Townshend into the English Parliament. This would place taxes on imports of glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. The new taxes would raise revenue Great Britain would earn so that they could pay Judges and Governors generously to stay loyal to Great Britain. Colonists clashed with this act which encouraged Great Britain to send troops to occupy Boston, and lead to the Boston Massacre. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred when colonists were heckling a soldier, because of all the tension created between Great Britain and America, and British troops responded with a volley of shots. They killed three people immediately and then two died later from wounds. Thomas Preston, who was the officer in charge, was arrested for manslaughter. This public event was a huge stepping stone for the Patriotic cause. Many colonists would begin to unite against British Rule, because of the massacre. -
Tea Act
This bill helped save the East India Company from going under by greatly lowering tea taxes. The Tea act was not a way to raise revenue, but to lower the taxes and price on tea. Buying cheaper tea seemed like an all around good idea, but the colonists did not like this. They saw it as an abusive use of the Parliament's taxation. The colonists by this point had become so separate from the British that they were on the verge of a revolution. The Boston Tea Party was the final tipping point. -
Boston Tea Party
All the past Acts passed, and killings pushed the colonists into a state of defiance, that they would destroy an entire tea shipment. The Boston Tea Party was mainly a protest against the Tea act. Patriots demanded merchants that the tea be sent back, but they refused. So a group led by Samuel Adams threw about 350 chests of tea overboard. This rebellion was so great it closed in the gap between the British and Colonists to start a war. -
"Intolerable Acts"
The Intolerable acts consisted of, The Boston Port Act (closed Boston port), The Massachusetts Government Act (restricted town meetings), Administration of Justice Act (British officials immune to criminal charges), The Quartering Act (Colonists had to give soldiers housing), and the Quebec Act (allowed Catholics freedom of worship). The Colonists were not very fond of catholic worship, and so these "Intolerable Acts" gave Colonists only one choice, to rebel and become their own nation. -
First Continental Congress
The Colonists sent a total 56 delegates from the colonies, except Georgia, to the Carpenter Hall in Philadelphia to discuss their independence. This meeting was in response to the Coercive Acts that drove many Colonists off the edge. Masssachusetts led the resistence against The British by building militias to resist the increasing number of British Soldiers. The Colonists were finally making a concrete stand against the British by creating arsenals such as Concord and Lexington. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
These battles were where the first shots of the Revolution were fired. The tension had finally built up between Patriots and Soldiers with all the troublesome acts that had been passed throughout the years. Troops were ordered from Boston to Concord to take control of an Arsenal, and Colonial Militias set up on the lines of Lexington ready to fight for their freedom. The Colonists in the end of the battle made the British retreat. The Patriots finally had begun to fight for their independence. -
SUMMARY
The events that transpired prior to the American Revolution are definitely a reason to start a war for independece. The colonists were no longer equal members of British society, instead they were used to house soldiers and gain revenue off of with heavy taxes. Colonial life only got worse as they had no representation as every colony should have had a right to. Their rights were being taken away and squandered, which became a valid reason to begin a war to fight for independence. -
Citations 1
French and Indian War - [https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war] Stamp Act - [http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/stamp-act] Quartering Act - [http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/parliament-passes-the-quartering-act] Declaratory Act - [http://alphahistory.com/americanrevolution/declaratory-act/] Townshend Acts - [http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/townshend-acts] -
Citations 2
Boston Massacre - [http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-massacre] Tea Act - [http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/parliament-passes-the-tea-act] "Intolerable Acts" - [http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-parliament-adopts-the-coercive-acts] First Continental Congress - [http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-continental-congress-convenes] Battles of L&C - [http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battles-of-lexington-and-concord] -
Citations 3
Boston Tea Party - [http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-tea-party]
