HIST 2055 Chapter : Road To The American Revolution
Road to the American Revolution
British attitudes- Americans were “ungreatful” at the privileged position they were
in and needed to pay for the privilege of being part of the British empire. They were
“children in the need of a good spanking” should be end of “salutary neglect”.
Also had situations where some of the initial voyages did not cost the British money
because colonists were dying of starvation. More concerned now that the british had
to put out more money for troops.
Prime Minister George grenville thought he had some ideas and considered the
thought that American children needed a good spanking. Thought they should be
more in line fr having the privilege of being part of the british empire.
Believed that the colonists goal was to serve the parent state. There were a number
of laws that parliament put down to bring the colonies under a little bit more
control than they had previously been under.
1. Orders in council- seizing of merchant ships in engaged in illegal trading
a. If the courts found the owners of these ships smuggling the british
ships would profit.
b. Goal was to end this illegal trading
2. Proclamation of 1763
a. Drew a line in the West-anything to the west of the line was reserved
for the native americans
b. British wanted to keep Colonists close to the colonies.
c. 10,000 British troops would remain in America to protect the british
colonies. (had to be paid for)
d. Acts were put in place to tax and stabilize the currency
3. Sugar Act- 1764- duties on foreign goods (coffee, indigo, sugar, wine)
4. Currency Act- colonial paper money could not be used as legal tender of
private debts nor could any colony issue any new paper bills
a. Some peoples salaries were paid on these curriencies
b. Wanted to go back to traditional gold and silver (hard currency)
c. Colonies were already in this post war depression so limiting the
money supply made it harder to keep businesses alive along with the
raised taxes
5. Stamp Act-1765- required Americans to pay for stamps attatched to 50
everyday items. Value of stamps depended on the value of what was
purchased.
a. This is the first time you had a direct tax that would affect a significant
number of colonists.
b. All stamps also had to be paid for in hard currency (gold and silver)
This type of tax was not unusual in Britain. Grenville thought the taxes were not a
big deal to ask for since the colonists still had the “privilege” of being British
colonists.
Wondered if some people would declare “taxation with out representation”
All members of parliament represented the colonists.
Grenville did not see the whole picture. Stimulatied the whole economy because
Americans bought manufactured goods. Colonists brought a great deal of raw
materials to great britian and Europe from the colonies. Have differences of
perception going on between the two sides. British saying colonists need to fall in
line and Americans saying that they bring too much to British colonies and they
want to be left alone.
REACTION TO THE STAMP ACT
-no taxation with out representation
resentment is being built up based on earlier “slights” from royal governer
and upper classes.
-Sam Adams and others create LOYAL NINE- secret popular rights protesters,
organized public protests against stamp act, organized “sons of liberty” of working
class citizens and hung effigies of tax collectors and distrubuters and eventually
destroyed some of the houses of the rich.
-what was just a protests against the stamp act became something a little bit
larger.
-destroyed buildings at docks in boston
-destroyed first floor of tax collectors home
-freedom, liberty, and no stamps
Some were kind of concerned that poor people would try to take over. Mild initial
reaction to stamp act that eventually heated up.
Resistance from Mass. Spread throughout the colonies so much that stamp holders
were out of business by November 1, 1765. One petition send to the kind was by a
group.
-Stamp Act Congress, October 1 1765
representative from 9 colonies total of 27 dellagates that drafted resolution saying
parliament and the king should relinquish the right of taxation over colonies
because America was not represented in Parliament.
-boycott of English goods was affective. When British government Started losing
money, they eventually repealed the stamp act but retained the right to tax the
colonies.
Importance of the Stamp Act
-Colonists reacted the way they did because the Stamp Act was the “last straw”-
series of acts that were unpopular
-Grenville couldn’t have anticipated—taxes like this were not new to the English
-Grenville angered the people who were most able and prepared to object
-Quartering act required colonists to house the british troops
-Stamps would be distributed by specially appointed stamp collectors
-would usually receive a cut from what they made
-violators would be tried in vice admiralty courts with no juries
-Lawyers, publishers, merchants, educated dealing with books and stamps
were objecting more because it affected them more.
Social Context in Colonies in-1765
-resentment between upper class society (royal Governer and followers) and
everyone else
-cultural “unrest”: New generations in leadership class in American colonies
shared the resentment because of slights between they and the English
-Americans tended to view English as to centered on Luxury, and mired in
corrupt practices
-Religious awakening brought out differences
Thomas Boone refused to administer oath of office because SC
accused royal governer
Senate said since he won the election he should be able to run
-Perceptions and understanding of “slavery” and freedom
In 1773, Parliament passed the tea act.
Townshed act- Let the colonists know that they could still tax them. Took away all
taxes except tea tax.
Colonists didn’t care because they were smuggling tea from Dutch
British tea prices are now competitive with Dutch tea
Saw the tea as a way for the government to pull the wool over the eyes of the people
because tax was technically illeagle.
Virginia tobacco prices were run down
-New generation of colonial leaders such as Thomas Jefferson
-knew about resistance to british colonists
-saw tea act as an effort to go around the colonists
-significant number of colonists refused to but british tea
-This kind of atmosphere became known as Boston Tea Party
Sam Adams sent men to guard the ships and prevent them from being unloaded
-Demanded ships to go back to English
-Got Royal vessel to block the Boston Harbor
-on Dec. 16, 1773 Adams gave Hutch. Final warning
-Hutchinson decided publically to not remove tea ships from harbor
-Adams fired up crowd at Sons of Liberty meeting
-Dressed as Mohawk Indians threw about 90k pounds of tea
-Todays value would be about 1Billion dollars
-Took the King completely by surprise
-One overreaction follows another
-Lord North and George III overreacted after
-Wanted to discipline the colonies
-With Lord North Leadership, British Parliament passed
COERCIVE ACTS (Intolerable Acts)
Boston Port Bill-closed the port of Boston until people paid for the tea
Mass. Government Act
-suspended Royal Charter
-Replaced part of the assembly with a crown of appointed royal councilers
