No Taxation without Representation!

Relations with Britain

• Britain tries to protect us– sends 10,000 troops and the Proclamation of 1763

• Britain has run up big debt from F&I War

• Begins to tax colonies to gain revenue

Britain’s Trade Laws

• British finance minister– George Greenville

• Tries to stop pirates/smuggling– writs of assistance- search w/o warrants

• Sugar Act– actually lowers tax on molasses to stop smuggling because pirates are cheaper

• it also creates courts w/o juries though- not fair

Stamp Act• Placed a tax on all

printed stuff (cards, legal docs, newspapers)

• Patrick Henry (VA) helps pass resolution about taxation

• Samuel Adams starts the Sons of Liberty to protest– boycotts, burn effigies, tar and feather tax collectors, non-importation agreements

•Eventually Britain repeals the Act– cancels, removes

•Creates the Declaratory Act however– Britain can tax whenever on whatever

The Townshend Acts

• New finance minister– Charles Townsend creates new taxes

• Townshend Acts– only on imported stuff (glass, tea, paper)

• Colonists get more angry, more boycotts

• Daughters of Liberty– encourage American-Made products (coffee, clothes)

Trouble in Boston• Britain sends two regiments

of redcoat soldiers• Redcoats treat colonists

badly—stole, beat up citizens• Fights break out, colonists

form a mob• 7 redcoats confront the

crowd—colonist yelling, throwing trash, snowballs

• Redcoats start firing—5 colonists killed (Crispus Attucks- black rev. leader)

• Sam Adams and Paul Revere use propaganda to stir up colonists against British

• Call for stronger boycotts• British Parliament gives in

and repeals all of the Townshend Acts, except on tea

• Committee of Correspondence is formed, communication between colonies

Crisis Over Tea

• British East India Company gets more tea than they can sell

• Tea Act– the Co. can sell tea in colonies w/o paying tax

• Colonists don’t allow tea to be unloaded from ships in port

• 3 tea ships docked in Boston Harbor• Colonists dress up as Mohawk Indians, sneak on

ships and dump 342 chests of tea• Becomes known as the Boston Tea Party

The Intolerable Acts• King George III wants to

punish Boston• Pass the Intolerable Acts –did

3 things• 1. Boston Harbor closed

until tea paid for

• 2. No town meetings or gatherings allowed

• 3. Colonists forced to house redcoats

• Meant to be example for other colonies, reverse effect– other colonies unite to help people in Boston