I. INTRODUCTION: A growing rift developed between the
colonies and _ENGLAND
in respect to 1) regulation of colonial trade;
2)
repayment of French and
Indian War debts; 3) British expectations that
the colonies contribute to
support British forces in the colonies; 4) theories
of representation;
5) the scope of government power, in particular
the powers of Parliament
to regulate colonial affairs; 6) ____________________
II. TRADE REGULATIONS: England had regulated colonial
trade in the
middle of the 17th. century. (See Handout) But these laws
were not
strictly enforced before 1763 for three reasons.
A. England was involved in almost continuous European ______________.
B. England was expanding her ______________ in other parts of the world.
C. There were domestic problems in England that demanded attention.
III. DEBT AND THE SEVEN YEARS WAR: One of the major problems
created
for Great Britain by the Seven Years' War was an immense
war debt (140
million pounds). This problem would be dealt with by King
_____________
and his prime minister, ______________________.
A. George III succeeded to the throne
in 1760. George III was ill-
equipped to meet the demands of
the crucial time period from 1763-
1770, a time when the rift between
Great Britain and the American
colonies was widening. He was
a firm upholder of the status quo.
B. George Grenville believed that the
colonies should be administered
more strictly. He also needed
to find a solution for Britain's
growing ____________. The English
people were already heavily taxed.
Grenville believed that the colonists,
who had benefited from the
Seven Years' War, should help
to pay for the running of the empire.
He and George III determined to
enforce the existing trade laws and
to introduce new ones.
IV. THEORIES OF REPRESENTATION: The colonists and Parliament
differed
over the definition of representation.
A. VIRTUAL REPRESENTATION (_____________________________):
Grenville
and most Englishmen believed that
the king and Parliament represented
all Englishmen whether or not
they could _______________.
B. ACTUAL REPRESENTATION (___________________________):
The colonists
had come to believe that representation
meant being represented by
men they had actually voted for.
V. SCOPE OF GOVERNMENT POWER: Another difference of opinion!
A. The colonists wanted a government with _______________________
which
would affect their daily lives
very little.
B. Real Whigs: This concept agreed
with the "REAL WHIGS", English
writers who stressed the
dangers
in a powerful government, especially
one headed by a monarch. As time
went on, more colonists believed
the Real Whigs' ideas applied
to their situation. They believed
excessive and unjust taxation
could destroy their freedoms.
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C. JAMES OTIS JR: Wrote The Rights of the
British Colonies Asserted
and Proved asking how colonists
could oppose certain Parliamentary
acts without questioning Parliament's
_____________ over the colonies
VI.
THE
STAMP ACT (1765): One had existed in England for about 40 years
A. PROVISIONS
1. Taxes had to be paid on
newspapers, pamphlets, wills, playing
cards,
dice, land transfers, liquor licenses, bills of lading,
government
appointments, marriage licenses, diplomas etc.
2. The tax had to be paid
in hard cash, which was scarce.
Violators
were tried in the vice-admiralty court which had
judges
but no _____________.
3. Those like merchants who
used printed materials most often
were the
most seriously affected by the Stamp Act.
B. VIRGINIA STAMP ACT RESOLVES (1765):
_________________ a member of
the Virginia House of Burgesses,
wrote these. Henry was an inspired
speaker. In May of 1765 Henry
spoke in defense of his 7 proposals.
1. "Caesar had his Brutus;
Charles I his Cromwell; and George III
...may
profit by their example."
2. He did not say the mythical "If this be treason, make the
most of
it!"
3. Four of the seven resolutions
were eventually accepted.
a)
The colonists had the rights of British subjects and consent
to taxation
was one of these. b) Only the burgesses had the
exclusive
right to tax Virginians. (This was later rescinded)
c)
Residents of the colonies did not have to obey tax laws
passed
by other legislative bodies. d) Any opponent to these
opinions
was an enemy of his Majesty's Colony
C. INTENT: At this point the colonists
did not seek ___________________
but a measure of self-_____________________.
This
would be the theme
of the next ten years. (1765-1775)
D. FURTHER REACTION
1. THE LOYAL NINE:
On August 14, 1765 this Boston social club
convinced
Boston's opposing labor groups to join together to
protest
the Stamp Act. A demonstration occurred during which
an effigy
of the stamp distributor, ______________________, was
hanged,
paraded, beheaded, and burned. In response, Oliver
promised
not to fulfill the duties of his office. This
demonstration
had widespread support.
2. ATTACK ON HUTCHINSON
HOUSE: On August 26, 1765 a mob led
by Ebenezer
MacIntosh attacked the homes of several customs
officers.
The townhouse of LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR THOMAS
HUTCHINSON
was destroyed. This demonstration was generally
condemned
by the people of Boston.
Page 3
E. DIVERGENT INTERESTS: There was not
unanimity in the colonies
regarding political goals or the
methods to achieve those goals.
1. The educated ____________
demonstrated for political issues.
________________were
more concerned with economic concerns.
2. The elite somewhat feared
the mob activity since it could
threaten
their own dominance.
3. Whatever the viewpoint,
few did not get caught up in the
discussion
and controversy surrounding the Stamp Act.
Demonstrations
throughout the colonies were so effective that
no
stamp distributor was willing to do his job.
F. RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS IN THE FALL AND WINTER OF 1765-66
1. STAMP ACT CONGRESS:
met in New York in October, 1765 with
27 delegates
from 9 colonies. They drafted a unified but
conservative
statement
of rights and grievances and asked for
a _____________
of the Stamp Act. At the same time the Sons of
Liberty
held mass meetings to win public support.
2. SONS OF LIBERTY: The first group was established in November,
1765
in New York by ___________________. Branch groups quickly
formed
and linked protest leaders throughout the colonies.
3. NONIMPORTATION ASSOCIATIONS:
These were the most effective
of the
resistance movements. American merchants organized
these
to put economic pressure on British exporters. English
workers
lost jobs and demanded that Parliament repeal the Act.
VII. REPEAL OF THE STAMP ACT: By Parliament in March, 1766.
A. WHY?: Although protest and economic
boycotts had helped, repeal
also occurred because Grenville
was replaced as prime minister by
_____________________________
in the summer of 1765. Rockingham had
opposed the Stamp Act as unwise
and divisive.
B. DECLARATORY ACT: Repeal was linked
to this act which asserted
Parliament's ability to tax
and legislate for Britain's American
possessions "in all cases whatsoever."
C. After organizing celebrations the Sons of Liberty
dissolved. The
implications of the Declaratory
Act were not recognized.
VIII. THE TOWNSHEND ACTS (1767): In the summer of 1766
_CHARLES TOWNSHEND
became the chancellor of the exchequer under
the ailing William Pitt,
prime minister. Townshend was a follower of
Grenville. Since Pitt was
ill Townshend became the dominant force and
was able to renew attempts
to gain additional revenues from the colonies.
SEE
HANDOUT
IX. RESISTANCE TO THE TOWNSHEND ACTS: Opposition to the
Townshend Acts
was immediate.
A. JOHN DICKINSON wrote Letters
From a Farmer in Pennsylvania
a series of essays which
said Parliament could regulate colonial
trade but not for the purpose
of raising _____________________.
Page 4
B. CIRCULAR LETTER: The MASSACHUSETTS
ASSEMBLY drafted a circular
letter to the other colonial legislatures
calling for unity and a
joint petition of _____________________.
1. Lord Hillsborough,
the first secretary of state for America,
ordered
Governor Francis Bernard of Massachusetts to recall
the circular.
2. This order unified the
colonial assemblies. The Massachusetts
assembly
refused
recall and was dissolved by the governor as
were other
colonial assemblies when they debated the circular.
C. RITUALS OF RESISTANCE: These rituals
were a way of acquainting
the ________________ with the
problem and the reasons for resistance.
1. 92 VOTES
had been cast against recall in Massachusetts.
This number
became a significant "RITUAL OF RESISTANCE".
2. 45 was also
important because John Wilkes, an English
supporter
of colonial rights had written The North Briton
No.
45. Social gatherings often focused on these numbers in
decorations,
etc.
3. The Sons of Libertywere resurrected.
4. Songs were composed and sung supporting the cause.
5. Daughters of Liberty:
Women formed these groups. They met
to spin
thread in public to encourage other women to make
__________________
to end dependence on English cloth. The use
of only
American produced foods was encouraged. Women also
promoted
NONCONSUMPTION
OF _____________.
X. OPPOSITION TO RESISTANCE: Merchants were reluctant
to support
_______________ in a period of a booming economy
which existed in 1768-69.
Furthermore, the Townshend duties were "indirect" taxes
so most people
did not feel them too much.
XI. TACTICS used by the resistance movement included picketing,
publicizing
offenders' names, and destruction of property.
As a result
colonial
imports from England fell in 1769.
But, new opposition to the resistance
developed among those who feared the use of violence
and the threat to
property. In addition, mob action threatened the
power of the ruling
elite.
XII. BOSTON MASSACRE
A. There had been repeated clashes between ___________
officers and the
people of Massachusetts. The American
Board of Customs Commissioners
(established by the Townshend
Acts) was unfortunately located in
______________. From the time
the Commissioners arrived in November,
1767 they were targets
of mob action.
1. In June, 1768 the
Commissioners seized John Hancock's sloop
the ________________
on suspicion of smuggling. A riot ensued.
Customs
officers' property was destroyed.
Page 5
2. This confrontation
convinced the London ministry that _________
were needed
to maintain order in ___________. Two regiments of
regulars
were dispatched. The presence of troops in Boston
was resented
by the citizens, particularly laborers whose jobs
were threatened
by off-duty soldiers seeking employment.
There
were several brawls between the two groups.
B. On March 5, 1770 a crowd began throwing
______________ at sentries
guarding the Customs House. The
sentries _____________ on the crowd
against orders. Five died. The
events became a great propaganda
opportunity for the opposition
movement.
C. The soldiers were put on trial. They were
defended by John Adams
& Josiah Quincy Jr.
who did not approve use of violence by the mob.
All but two were acquitted and
those two were released after being
branded on the thumb. London took
no further action against Boston.
XIII. REPEAL OF THE TOWNSHEND DUTIES (1770): In April
1770 a new prime
minister, _________________________ persuaded
Parliament to repeal the
Townshend duties except for the tax on _________.
The other Townshend
Acts (payment of royal officials, Vice-Admiralty
Courts) remained in
force. Nonimportation tactics came to an end
XIV. THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM: A relative calm existed
between 1770 and
1772. Local events sometimes disrupted
relations between Great
Britain and an individual colony like the
burning
of the customs
vessel ____________ in 1772 by Rhode
Islanders. The resistance movement
continued to gain momentum during this time,
fueled by newspaper
articles, and patriot writers.
They did not during this time recommend
independence. They envisioned a system that
would enable them to be
ruled by their own elected legislatures
while remaining loyal to the
king. This was alien to British political
thought which did not
differentiate between king and Parliament
relative to sovereignty.
XV. END OF THE LULL: In the fall of 1772 Lord North began
implementing
the part of the Townshend Acts that related
to governors and judges
being paid with customs ___________________.
A. In November of 1772 voters at a Boston
town meeting set up a
COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE
to publicize this decision by
exchanging letters with other
Massachusetts towns. _________________
headed this committee. Adams had
stressed the power of collective
action. His goal was to create
__________________. As time went on
Committees of Correspondence were
created throughout the colonies.
B.
THE
BOSTON TEA PARTY (12/16/1773): In May 1773 Parliament passed
an act whose purpose was to save
the ________________________________
from bankruptcy and in effect,
giving them a ________________ of the
American tea trade. The company
could
undersell their competitors,
including smugglers. Tea would
be cheaper for American consumers.
Many Americans saw this as a device
to make America admit the right
of Parliament to tax them.
1. The first four cities
scheduled to receive the new tea
shipments
were New York City (The tea ships failed to arrive on
schedule),
Philadelphia
(the captain was convinced to sail back
to England),
Charleston
(the
tea was unloaded, stored, & later
destroyed.),
and Boston (The only confrontation.)
Page 6
2. On Nov. 28, 1773
the first of 3 tea ships, the _______________,
entered
Boston Harbor. The cargo had to be landed and duty
paid within
20 days.
3. After a series of mass
meetings it was decided to prevent the
__________
from being unloaded and to post guards on the wharf.
4. Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson
would not permit the vessels to
leave
the harbor.
5. On December 16, 1773,
after a mass meeting which failed to
convince
Hutchinson to allow the ships to sail back to England
about
60 men dressed as Mohawk ______________ boarded the ships
and dumped
342
chests of tea into the harbor.
C. ENGLISH REACTION TO THE BOSTON TEA PARTY: The Intolerable Acts.
D. COLONIAL REACTION TO THE INTOLERABLE ACTS:
These acts proved to
the colonists that G.Britain had
a deliberate plan to oppress them.
1. The Boston Committee
of Correspondence urged all colonies to
__________________
British goods. Other colonies suggested an
intercolonial
congress.
2. It was agreed to send delegates to Philadelphia Sept., 1774.
3. The colonists had not
yet crossed the line to independence.
Most still
hoped for reconciliation even though committed to
resisting
the authority of Parliament.
XVI. FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
A. On September 5, 1774 55 delegates convened
at ______________________
in _________________________ at
the First Continental Congress. The
delegations included Samuel Adams
and John Adams from Massachusetts,
John Jay from New York, Joseph
Galloway and John Dickinson from
Pennsylvania, Richard Henry Lee,
Patrick Henry, and George Washington
from Virginia.
B. There were three things that the Congress needed to accomplish.
1. Define American grievances.
A DECLARATION OF RIGHTS AND
GRIEVANCES
was written.
2. Develop a plan of resistance.
An ECONOMIC BOYCOTT was called
for while
petitioning the king for relief. The Continental
Association
called for nonimportation of British goods,
nonconsumption
of British products and nonexportation of
American
goods to Britain.
3. Outline a theory of their
constitutional relationship with
England.
To accomplish this, the Congress provided for the
convening
of another Congress in 1775.