Turmoil Over Taxation

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Turmoil Over Taxation
George Grenville Prime Minister colonists
should help pay debt created from French and
Indian War. Later on became member of Parliament
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Sugar Act of 1764

• Sugar Act of 1764 put a tax on molasses which was
  a valuable item in the triangular trade.

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Sugar Act of 1764

• Replaced a previous tax that had led to colonial
  traders bribing tax officials to look the other
  way.
• Law made it easier to put smugglers on trial

4
STAMP ACT OF 1765

• Taxed wills, diplomas, marriage papers,
  newspapers, almanacs, playing cards, and dice.

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REACTION TO STAMP ACT

• Colonists protested angrily
• No Taxation Without Representation
• Colonists united. Delegates met - Stamp Act
  Congress in NYC.

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REACTION TO STAMP ACT

• Congress drew up a petition, a formal written
  request to someone in authority, signed by a
  group of people.
• Boycotted or refused to buy British goods.

7
British merchants in financial trouble because
were not selling goods

• Parliament repealed, or cancelled, the Stamp Act
  in 1766.

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Townshend Acts-1767

• Taxed goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead,
  and tea.
• Named after British Treasury official Charles
  Townshend

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Townshend Acts of 1767

• Set up new ways to collect taxes, writs of
  assistance, legal documents allowed officers to
  inspect a persons property without giving a
  reason.

10
Custom officials sent to colonies stop smuggling.
Writs of Assistance violated rights as British
citizens property could not be searched without a
good reason if person suspected of committing a
crime.
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Reaction to Townshend Acts

• Colonial merchants (North) and planters (South)
  signed agreements to stop importing taxed goods.

12
Sons of Liberty

• Formed by angry colonists to protest British
  policies
• They staged mock hangings of cloth or straw
  effigies dressed as British officials (tax
  collectors)
• What would you think if you were a British
  official?

13
Sons Daughters of Liberty

• Women paraded, signed petitions, organized a
  boycott of British cloth, they made their own
  cloth
• Threatened people who did not boycott.

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RESULT

• Coincidently, taxes repealed the same day as
  Boston Massacre with the exception of the tax on
  tea.

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New Colonial Leaders emerge in the colonies as
the struggle over taxes continues
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Samuel Adams

• A talented organizer from Massachusetts.
• He arranged protests and stirred public support.

17
John Adams

• Massachusetts lawyer who had a knowledge of
  British law that earned him respect.
• Sams Cousin

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Mercy Otis Warren - MA

• Wrote plays that made fun of British officials.
• Using her pen, she also called for greater rights
  for women

19
Abigail Adams Mass.

• Abigail Adams wrote to spur colonists to action.
• Friends with Mercy Otis Warren
• Wanted greater rights for women

20
George Washington

• Member of Virginia house of Burgesses. Protested
  the Townshend Acts.

21
Patrick Henry

• Lawyer, member Virginia House of Burgesses
• He gave speeches that stirred others to action.

22
Patrick Henry

• Treason
• If this be treason, make the most of it

Openly criticized British taxes and Acts
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Thomas Jefferson

• Also from Virginia
• was a 22 year old rising law student.

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Boston Massacre

• Britain sent soldiers to Boston to protect
  customs officials.
• Bostonians saw the British as bullies trying to
  collect taxes insulted or even assaulted
  British soldiers.

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Boston Massacre

• On March 5, 1770, Bostonians gathered outside the
  Boston customs house, shouting insults and
  throwing things at the British guards.

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Boston Massacre

• Suddenly, panicked soldiers fired into the crowd,
  killing some colonists. (Crispus Attucks)
• Colonists protested the incident, calling it the
  Boston Massacre.

28
Paul Revere Boston silversmith made engraving
of Boston Massacre showing British soldiers
firing on unarmed colonists.
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Boston Massacre

• The soldiers were tried, but John Adams defended
  them and was able to win light sentences for
  them.
• Show that colonists give them fair trial.

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Committee of Correspondence

• Samuel Adams formed a committee of
  correspondence, a group that regularly wrote
  letters and pamphlets reporting to other colonies
  on events in Massachusetts.

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Results

• By coincidence, on day of Boston
  MassacreTownshend acts repealed British
  merchants loosing money.
• Most taxes were repealed with the exception of

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The Tax on TEA.

• Parliament kept tax on tea demonstrating its
  power and right to tax colonies

33
Tea Tax Explodes in Mass.

• By 1770, at least one million Americans brewed
  tea twice a day.
• People would rather go without their dinners
  than without a dish of tea, according to a
  visitor to the colonies

34
Tea Act of 1773 (leading up to)

• The British East India Company sold tea to
  colonial tea merchants. The tea merchants sold
  the tea to the colonists for a higher price.

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Tea Act of 1773

• When the British East India Company had money
  troubles, Parliament passed the Tea Act.
• The act said British East India Company could
  sell directly to colonists.

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Tea Act of 1773

• Colonial merchants protested being cut out of the
  tea trade. Other colonists said it was a trick to
  force colonists to pay the tax on tea.
• Colonists boycotted tea.

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Boston Tea Party

• Boston Sons of Liberty showed their displeasure
  by staging the Boston Tea Party. Disguised as
  Mohawk Indians, they raided 3 ships dumped
  their cargo of tea into harbor.

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Intolerable Acts - 1774

• Passed to punish Boston
• The port of Boston was closed. No ships allowed
  to enter or leave harbor. Remained closed until
  colonists paid for tea and damage to property

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Intolerable Acts

• Massachusetts colonists could not hold town
  meetings more than once a year without the
  governors permission.

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Intolerable Acts

• Customs officers other officials could be tried
  in Britain or Canada instead of in Massachusetts.
• New Quartering Act- colonists must house British
  soldiers in their homes.

41
Quebec Act

• Sets Up Government for Canada
• Religious freedom to French Catholics
• Extended borders to include land between Ohio
  Missouri Rivers some of the Colonists claimed

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Committees of Correspondence related news about
Intolerable Acts to other colonies. Since Boston
Harbor was closed Boston needed food and other
colonies helped out.
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First Continental Congress

• Delegates from 12 colonies gathered in
  Philadelphia.
• All Colonies represented except Georgia

44
First Continental Congress

• Agreed to boycott all British goods and to stop
  exporting goods to Britain until Intolerable Acts
  were repealed.

45
First Continental Congress

• Urged each colony to set up a militia, which is
  an army of citizens who serve as soldiers in an
  emergency.
• Agreed to meet again the next year.

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Colonial Resistance Mass. Minutemen
volunteers trained to fight could be ready at a
minutes notice. They collected weapons and
gunpowder. British General Gage planned to
surprise colonists at Concord and take their
weapons.
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• Lexington and Concord
• British troops on way to Concord April 18, 1775
• Signal 2 lanterns from Old North Church in Boston
  British are coming warn colonists (Sons of
  Liberty)

48

• Lexington and Concord
• Paul Reveres midnight ride rode toward Concord
  to warn colonists The British are Coming
• April 19, 1775 British reached Lexington first
  and minutemen waiting. Colonists outnumbered
  began to leave

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• Shot rang out no one knows who fired Shot
  heard around the world
• Fighting broke out briefly 8 colonists killed
  Colonists outnumbered by British
• British continued onto Concord

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• British did not find any weapons and turned to go
  back to Boston.
• Bridge by Concord minutemen ready and waiting
  for British. British forced to retreat. Many
  British soldiers killed or wounded.
• News of battles spread to colonies only war and
  no chance for peace