The Stirring of Rebellion

1
The Stirring of Rebellion

• Ch. 4

2
Stirrings of Rebellion

• Ch. 4
• Section 1

3
The Colonies organize to Resist Britain

• Britain had huge debts from its wars (French and
  Indian as well as other wars in Europe- see
  timeline pg. 94)
• PM George Grenville- Stamp Act Colonists
  required to purchase Stamps for documents,
  licenses, newspapers, playing cards, dice,
  etc(March 1765)
• Sons of Liberty organized in defiance of Stamp
  Act (May 1765) Samuel Adams became leader in
  Boston

4

• The Sons of Liberty harassed British agents and
  forced many to resign.
• No stamps were sold due to protests and
  resistance.
• Colonial assemblies (led by Virginia- Patrick
  Henry) passed resolutions that only the elected
  Colonial Assemblies could tax the Colonists
• Stamp Act Congress- 9 Colonies sent delegates who
  passed the Declaration of the Rights and
  Grievance- said Parliament could not tax Colonies
  because the Colonists were not represented
• Merchants boycotted British goods

5

• Stamp Act was repealed in March 1766, but
  Parliament issued Declaratory Act stating that
  they did have right to tax colonists
• Townshend Acts (1767) indirect taxes on
  (duties) on imported goods including tea
• Adams led well organized resistance and continued
  boycotts
• Daughters of Liberty stopped by British luxury
  items and held spinning bees to replace British
  fabric
• June 1768- British agents siezed Liberty a ship
  owned by John Hancock for smuggling- riots ensued
  and 2,000 Redcoats were sent to Boston

6
Tensions Mount in Massachusetts

• British soldiers were poorly paid and thus looked
  for extra work (Boston- shipyards)
• Animosity due to competition for jobs heightened
  the tension between soldiers and colonists
• A conflict between dockhands and a few soldiers
  led to several colonist, led by Crispus Attucks,
  taunting soldiers on guard duty
• 5 colonists were killed when British soldiers
  fired without orders to do so
• Adams and colonial leaders labeled the event The
  Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770)

7

• 1772- A British customs ship that patrolled for
  smugglers was attacked and burned in Rhode Island
  when it ran aground
• King George wanted those responsible sent to
  England for Trial this prompted Committees of
  Correspondence to be formed Colonies could
  communicate with one another regarding threats to
  their liberty

8
Boston Tea Party

• Tea Act- British PM Lord North allowed The
  British East India Company to sell tea to
  colonists tax free (designed to save the company
  from financial problems due to boycotts)
• Lowered price of tea to colonists, but cut
  colonial merchants out of tea trade
• Dec. 16, 1773- colonists disguised as Native
  Americans dumped 18,000 pounds of tea from 3
  British ships into Boston Harbor

9
The Intolerable Acts

• King George III was furious and pushed Parliament
  to act
• The responded with a series of laws, called
  Intolerable Acts by the colonists
• -shut down Boston Harbor
• -Quartering Act
• -Gen. Thomas Gage made Gov. of Mass.
• -Gage declared martial law

10
First Continental Congress

• Spurred by committees of correspondence, 56
  delegates met in Philadelphia to draw up a
  declaration of colonial rights (Sept. 1774)
• Defended colonies rights to run their own
  affairs, supported protests in Massachusetts, and
  said if the British used force against the
  colonies they should fight back
• Agreed to re-convene in 1775 if needed