Governing the Empire

John Peter ZengerA Cause of Liberty

Zenger – printer of the New York Weekly• prints story critical of royal governor• Arrested, 10 months in prison, before and during his trial, defended by a former indentured servant, Andrew Hamilton, freedom of press was vital to the freedom of man• Colonial jury finds him not guilty• Verdict will encourage papers to print political viewpoints•Account of Zenger Trial

Mercantilism

• Economic theory

•Nations should become wealthy by acquiring gold and silver•Colonial possessions needed to supply raw materials•Colonies also provide a market for exported goods

Governing the Empire

Navigation Acts

• Parliamentary Acts that placed restrictions on colonial trade

• Goods must be shipped in English vessels

• Goods destined for Europe must go to England first for tax purposes

• Enumerated goods can only be shipped to England

• Colonial manufacturing restricted• Imports exceed exports

Movie Up!!!!!!!!

Think About It!!!!!

• “A wise owner doesn't disembowel the goose that lays the golden egg”

• Relate this statement to British colonial policy

Writs of Assistance 1761

General search warrant for smuggled goodsNo court orders neededColonial leader James Otis, questions British authority in courtCoins the phrase “No taxation without representation”

Otis argues

• “If heaven I cannot bend, then hell I’ll stir” Virgil

•British attempt to enforce tax laws•Homes and warehouses could be searched•Merchants challenge legality of writs•“A man’s house is his castle”•Which is more important, protecting the liberty of an individual or collecting the taxes efficiently?”

The Verdict

• Otis lost the case

• the writs of assistance were renewed

• few officials in the future were willing to employing the orders

George Grenville

• Prime Minister of England

• 140 million pound debt – half from the French & Indian War

• Orders enforcement of Navigation Acts

Sugar Act - 1764• First revenue tax on Colonials

• Enforced and raised the duties on sugar, molasses, and other products to pay for garrison of British troops

• Hurt triangular trade

• Protests take place

• England lowers tax

Quartering Act 1765

• Colonists required to provide food and lodging

• Colonists don’t comply

• Expired in 1770

Stamp Act - 1765

• Direct Tax on documents at time of sale:

• newspapers, licenses, playing cards, marriage licenses, bills of lading, diplomas

American Reactions

• What was the British army for?

• Legislation & Taxation are different things

• Stamp Act Congress, NYC 1766

• One more step to unity

• Non-importation agreements

• Sons/Daughters of Liberty protest

Non Importation Agreement

•Boycott of British goods•Colonial strategy is to hit British in the pocketbook nerve•Stamp agents resign•English reaction – merchants lose money•Parliament repeals Stamp Act in 1766•Passes Declaratory Act – have the right to make laws for the colonies•Colonists gaining momentum

Champagne Charles Townshend

British minister of the Exchequer

“pluck the feathers from the colonial goose”

The Townshend Acts

• Import duty on articles of everyday use: glass, paint, lead, paper, tea

• Tax collected at port of entry – Indirect tax• Tax would pay salaries of Royal governors &

judges• Colonists return to non-importation agreements• More smuggling• British send troops to Boston

The Boston Massacre

• March 5, 1770

• Colonial Mob in confrontation w/ British sentry at the Customs House

• 11 killed and woundedCrispus Attucks among the deadIncident used for propaganda John Adams will defend British soldiers Involved in shootingTwo will be branded as punishment

Eyewitness Account

The Committees of Correspondence 1772

• Formed by Sam Adams & James Otis

• Share information between colonies

• Keep the fire of liberty burning

• Forerunner to 1st American Congress

Sam Adams

The Tea Act

• British attempt to save British East India Company

• Parliament lowers price on BEIC tea, with tax their tea is the cheapest

• Colonists refuse to buy tea due to tax

The Boston Tea Party 1773

• December 16, 1773• Violent protest over

the Tea Tax• Sons of Liberty

disguised as Mohawks destroy 342 chests of British Tea

• Boston Harbor is closed with the Intolerable Acts

Boston Tea Party

Cohansey Tea Party

Intolerable Acts - 1774

• British reaction to Boston Tea Party

• Closed port of Boston• Revoked Massachusetts

charter• Colonial trials to be held

in London• New Quartering Act

• Continental Congress – Philadelphia 1774

• Need to help Massachusetts

• The Association –Complete Boycott

Quebec Act - 1774

• To maintain allegiance of former French colonists

• Allowed French to practice Catholicism

• Border to be the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers

• Keep old customs and Institutions

• No elected assemblies or trial by jury

• Colonists outraged• Set precedents against

freedoms – jury trial and elected assemblies

• Loss of land west of the Appalachians

• Aroused anti-Catholic sentiment

First Continental Congress

• 56 men w/ various viewpoints meet in Philadelphia

• Protesting Intolerable Acts

• Express loyalty to England

• Wont follow all English laws

Congress con’t.

• Colonial boycott will continue• Call for armed militias/minutemen• Issue the Declaration of Resolves• Agree to meet again• King George III – “colonies are in a state

of rebellion”• The Avalon Project : Declaration and Reso

lves of the First Continental Congress

Patrick Henry

Richard Henry Lee

John Adams

George Washington

John Hancock

PATRICK HENRY

• STATESMAN FROM VIRGINIA

• March 23,1775

The Shot Heard Around the World

• Lexington and Concord

• Paul Revere, William Dawes & Samuel Prescott make a “Midnight Ride”

• British are coming• Minutemen make

ready

Blood is Spilled, April 19, 1775

• British will attempt to seize colonial war materials & arrest Sam Adams & John Hancock

• On Lexington Green 70 minutemen meet 700 British regulars

• Colonists are ordered from the “King’s Green”

• Gun fire erupts

The March to Concord

Eight colonist die at LexingtonBritish move on to ConcordDestroy colonial supplies4,000 minutemen materializeBritish return to BostonColonists use guerilla warfare to kill and

wound over 300 British soldiers

The Retreat