A Crisis Over Taxes

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A Crisis Over Taxes

• British Taxation of Their American Colonies, 1763
  to 1770

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You Americans should appreciate what we have
done for you, and you should be willing to pay a
small portion of the cost of the French and
Indian War. English people have been paying
taxes for a long time what is your problem???
King George III
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You Americans are a bunch of insolent, spoiled
brats!!!! Britain sacrificed so much to rid
North America of the French, and now the Ohio
Valley is free from them.
Lord North British Prime Minister
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Our Mother Country is an abusive parent for
denying us our rights!!! We have no say in
the British government. Englands parliament
is taxing us without respecting our rights as
Englishmen.
Paul Revere
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Britain will not give us representatives in
parliament. We Americans declare, NO TAXATION
WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
Samuel Adams
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Great Britain triumphs in the French and Indian
War and sweeps France from North America. With
the Fall of Quebec in 1759, the great French
empire collapses, and the Indians lose their best
allies.
Battle of Quebec, 1759
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North America 1750
North America 1763
Britain was deeply in debt due to this expensive
war. Since the war benefited the colonists by
opening the Ohio Valley, Americans should be
willing to help pay for it.
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Chief Pontiacs warriors killed Mrs. McCrea in
the Ohio Valley. The Native Americans hated
American intruders taking their land along the
Ohio River.
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Chief Pontiac - A French Ally
Pontiacs War
Pontiacs warriors had long been allies of the
French, but after Frances loss of North
America, the Indians lost their greatest
protectors. The Indians were doomed as American
settlers poured into the Ohio River Valley
looking for new homes.
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The Proclamation of 1763
To stop the killing of Americans in the Ohio
Valley, England drew a line along the Appalachian
Mtns. and told Americans they could no longer
settle in the west.
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Proclamation of 1763
Britain decided to send 10,000 of their Redcoat
soldiers to defend the Proclamation line and
prevent Americans from going west. Americans
were not afraid of the Indians in the Ohio Valley
and thought the whole point of the French
Indian War was to open up the Ohio Valley to
settlers. Americans did not need 10,000 British
soldiers to protect them from Pontiacs warriors,
and they certainly would not pay taxes to support
these soldiers.
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Sugar Act - 1764
Here ye, Here ye!! Parliament hereby passes a
new tax on molasses. The tax will be lower than
before, but now we intend to strictly enforce
it! American smugglers will not be tolerated!!!
They will no longer be able to
sneak past our customs agents or bribe
them to look the other way!
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But . . . some Americans like to smuggle! It is
cheaper than paying the Sugar Act. Lets burn
the British patrol ship, the Gaspee, which is
trying to enforce the Sugar Act!
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Stamp Act - 1765
Lord Grenville Lets pass a new tax requiring
Americans to buy STAMPS showing that they have
paid our taxes on wills, diplomas, deed,
newspapers, marriage papers and other documents.
American Colonist Oh yea, well well just have
to tar and feather your tax collectors!!!
Read my lips, NO TAXATION WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION!!!
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Stamp Act
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Protesting the Stamp Act - Petitions
In October 1765, nine colonies sent delegates to
what became known as the Stamp Act Congress.
They drew up a petition, or formal written
request signed by a group of people, demanding
that parliament withdraw the Stamp Act. The
petition said that England had no right to tax
the colonies. England backed down and repealed
the Stamp Act.
Funeral march of the Stamp Act
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Protesting the Stamp Act - Boycotts
Sam Adams Lets boycott all those British trade
goods. We dont need them anyway. We will
refuse to buy tea and other British goods!!! If
you drink tea you are a traitor to America!!!
Sam Adams was a leader of the Sons of Liberty in
Boston, Massachusetts. I organize people behind
the scenes and my greatest achievement was the
Boston Tea Party in 1773.
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Writs of Assistance
To stop the smugglers who refuse to pay customs
duties (taxes), England passed the Writs of
Assistance.
I will search your ships and your warehouses.
The Writs of Assistance allow me to do so without
a search warrant. I do not tolerate you
smuggling, dirty Yankee Doodles!!!
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Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty organized protests,
petitions, and boycotts to oppose British taxes.
Some of their leaders were Samuel Adams, Joseph
Warren, and Paul Revere. To protest the tea tax,
they dressed like Indians and dumped tea in
Boston Harbor.
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Patrick Henry Firebrand of Revolution
Give me liberty or give me death.
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Patrick Henry
I am a member of the House of Burgesses in
Virginia. After my famous speech, someone called
me a traitor! I responded, If this be
treason, lets make the most of it!
Patrick Henry
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Boston Massacre - 1770
Angry American mobs harassed British soldiers who
were protecting tax collectors. Five Americans
were shot dead when the British soldiers feared
for their lives and panicked.
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Boston Massacre
Paul Reveres Propaganda Engraving
What is wrong with this picture? Why would
Revere distort the truth?
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Reveres Engraving of the Boston Massacre
Revere shows 7 Americans killed, when in
actuality it was 5 killed. Revere shows the
British officer giving the order to fire. His
face shows an angry expression. In truth, the
British soldiers fired out of fear for their
lives, and no command was given to fire on
civilians.
So, why then did Revere purposely distort the
truth?
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Propaganda
I hate the presence of British soldiers in
Boston. I wanted to enrage Americans by showing
the British as brutes and ruthless killers. A
little propaganda will excite Americans to action!
Paul Revere - silversmith
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BOSTON MASSACRE
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Soldiers were arrested for the Boston Massacre

• John Adams defended the British soldiers in court
• They deserved a fair trial
• The world saw that Americans believed in justice
• One soldier was branded on the hand

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Tea Act

• Lowered taxes for British, not Americans
• British tea companies could sell tea to
  colonists cheaper than American merchants

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Tea Act

• The British had no clue it would anger the
  colonists-
• The Tea Act led to the Boston Tea Party

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Boston Tea Party
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Boston Tea Party Angeredthe British

• British passes the Intolerable Acts in 1774

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Intolerable Acts

• Closed Boston Harbor
• No town meeting in Boston
• British officials had to be tried in England
• British troops could live in colonial homes

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First Continental Congress

• First attempt to unify the colonies
• 12 of 13 colonies sent delegates
• Debated how to protest British laws

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First Continental Congress

• George Washington, Samuel Adams, John Adams,
  Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and John Jay

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Minutemen