Coming of the Revolution

• after 7 Yrs. War, debt

• rising expectations, young pop.

Proclamation Line of 1763

• Dan'l. Boone

• new lands

Proclamation Line violations

• Media motivated the masses

• indiv./mass military commitment

"Sugar Act" (April 1764)

• tariff on goods imported to America

• sugar, coffee, wine

• by George Grenville, Prime Min.

Grenville Policy

• to raise a revenue

• extended enumerated list

• began to enforce all trade

• tried by Br. Admiralty Courts for violations

No violent Reaction:

• colonists disorganized for resistance

• Philosophical argument:

• actual (district) vs virtual

• James Otis, Rts of Br. Colonists

• Dan’l Dulany, Taxes in Br. Cols.

Stamp Act (1765)

• tax on printed matter

• (newspapers, legal docs, licenses)

• "direct tax" never issued stamps

• never collected tax

Virginia Resolves

• Patrick Henry (May, 1765)

• said tax only by Assy.

3. Stamp Act Congress

• (N.Y., Oct., 1765)

• produced leaders & protest

• 9 colonies represented

• colonists resolutions vs tax

• petition, request repeal tax

4. Sons of Liberty

• organized resistance

• extra-legal, riots, effigy

Revolutionary actions

• started with Sons and Congress

• mob vs stamp masters

• tar & feathering

Boycott, individual and mass action

• "Sons" organized effective vs Br. goods

• cloth, metal goods, ceramics (women involved)

• Parliament repealed Stamp Act, 1766

Declaratory Act

• passed on same day as repeal

• Parl. ruled colonies

• "subordinate"

• right to tax

CONFLICT:

• U.S. constitution (written charters) vs Br. unwritten constitution

• Traditional Parliament pre-empted by col. legislatures

• alienated Americans

• British agents perceived as foreign

5. Townsend Duties

• (June, 1767) assize

• tax on lead, paint, paper, tea imported to col.

• by Charles Townshend

• to force a tax

• new boycott on Br. goods

Quartering Act

• 1765 Act enforced

• col. legislatures house & feed "standing army"

6. Br. estab. new vice-admiralty courts

• vs smuggling

• in colonies (Boston, Charleston)

• stiff fine 1/3 cargo value

7. "circular letter"

• Nine colonies circulated

• opposed Parl. taxation

British Response

• dissolve Mass. legislature

• transferred troops into Boston

• intercolonial communication

• reaffirmed conviction

Boston Massacre

• (Mar. 1770)

• Sam Adams riot vs Br. troops

• 5 colonists killed

• infuriated colonists, created martyrs

• repealed all except tea tax

9. Gaspee burned

• Br. patrol boat (1772)

• aground on coast

• gang of colonists

• gov's salary to be paid by King not legislature

Tea Act (1773)

• gave Br. E. India Co.

• monopoly on tea sale

• tax to U.S. i.e. "deceptive"

• Sam Adams Committees of Correspondence

Boston Tea Party"

• (Dec., 1773)

• by Sam Adams

• dumped tea

• British stiffened reaction

Coercive Acts "Intolerable Acts"

• (1774) to punish Boston

• 1. Boston Port Act

– close Boston Harbor

• 2. Admin. of Justice

– cases tried out of Boston

• 3. Mass. Govt. Act

– restructure govt.

– strong gov. and weak legis.

Significance of Coercive Acts

• punish not tax

• single out Mass.

• unified colonists

First Continental Congress

• ( Sept. 1774)

• Philadelphia, all but GA.

• John Adams and reasonable leaders

• Edward Countryman, The American Revolution

Declarations

• grievances vs virtual representation

• authorize take up arms

• endorsed Suffolk Resolves

– that declared Intolerable Acts null and void

• "continental association"

– to enforce boycott of Br. goods

1st. Continental Congress
Significance:

• changes must be made

• Parliament & King determined to confront

"Shot heard round the world"

• Mass. (April 19, 1775)

Br. Gen. Thomas Gage

• sent 700 Redcoats

• Boston, Lexington to Concord

• (20 mi. from Boston)

Paul Revere, et al.

• warned of arrests

"Minute Men" fighting

• nationwide militia organization

• killed 273 (incl. Hessians)

• in daylong sniper fire

• (100 Minutemen KIA)

Mass military commitment

• Ticonderoga

• Bunker Hill

• enlistment forced tories to commit

Second Continental Congress

• (May 10, 1775)

• in Philadelphia

Virginia Delegates

• Thos. Jefferson

– Gov. of VA

– "Notes on State of VA"

• Geo. Washington

– Patrick Henry

– Richard Henry Lee

The Delegates

Delegates:

• Boston: John Hancock

• Others: Benj. Franklin (PA)

• John & Sam Adams

Continental Army

• under George Washington

"Olive Branch Petition"

• last plea

• "Declaration of the Causes & Necessity of Taking Up Arms"

Declaration of Independence

Virginia Resolution

• (June 7)

• "free and independent"

• after Hessians

• Thomas Paine "Common Sense"

– focus on King; independence from England

• pressure to declare

Committee

• Thomas Jefferson

• Benjamin Franklin

• John Adams

• Roger Sherman, Conn. lawyer

• Robert Livingston, NY landowner

Two Parts:

• 1. Social Contract

• 2. Grievances "injuries"

• vs George III as person

• (not vs Parliament)

• tax, civil rights, trade, representation, etc.

France

• Saratoga (1777) Burgoyn surrenders

• treaty of amity and alliance

• no truce without joint consent

• Edward Countryman, The American Revolution

• paradigm

Yorktown

• 1781 vs Gen. Lord Cornwallis

• Washington and Rochambeau

• Adm. DeGrasse stops Br. Navy

Yorktown

Negotiations

• Franklin, Jefferson, John Jay, John Adams

• supposed to consult w/ French Comte de Vergennes

• Private negotiation w/British

• "drove a hard bargain"

Diplomacy

• Engl. gave in order to keep Fr. & Spain out of U.S.

• U.S. diplomats played England vs Spain & France

Peace of Paris (1783):

• Engl. recognizes U.S. indep.

• Florida to Spain

• U.S. Boundaries

– Great Lakes to 31¡ N.

– Atlantic to Mississippi

• fishing rights off Grand Banks off Newfoundland

• Br. troops withdraw from Ohio Territory