the shift from protest to separation

The Shift From Protest to Separation

Level 1

Essential QuestionsHow did colonial protests against Britain

escalate?What specific British policies galvanized

public opinion in the colonies?

Vocabulary Zenger Case: Court case that promoted the freedom of the press Proclamation of 1763: forbade the settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains Sugar Act: tax on sugar Currency Reform: didn’t allow colonist to use paper money and had to pay taxes in

hard currency Stamp Act: tax on paper Declaratory Act: declared Parliament in control of colonies and could tax them Townshend Acts: import tax on glass, lead, paint, paper and tea and gave the ability

to search property Boston Massacre: British soldiers killed five people that were part of the hostile

crowd around them. Tea Act: tax on tea Intolerable Acts: closed the port of Boston, one town meeting a year, British officials

charged with a crime would be tried in Britain, British officials could quarter troops wherever they chose in a town, allowed Catholicism and French civil law in Canada

Sons of Liberty: organization of rebels set on rebelling against British laws Rebels: (Patriots) wanted to rebel against Britain and start their own country Loyalists: loyal to the King and wanted to stay with Britain Common Sense: pamphlet by Thomas Paine that called for the creation of an American

independent republic

New British Attitude Toward Colonies Following Victory Over

FranceThe British thought that the:

colonies could not protect themselvescolonies were not paying a fair amount toward

their support

New British Policies Antagonized Many Americans

Zenger Case 1735Editor of the New York

Weekly JournalHe was put on trial for

printing false and rebellious statements about colonial officials.

His defense was that his statements were not wrong because they were true.

Zenger was found innocent. Importance of the Case:

Idea that freedom of the press was a right.


Proclamation of 1763: forbade the settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains

Why did the British make the Proclamation of 1763? Britain could not defend the frontier

because there were more attacks by Native Americans on settlements and forts.

Why did the Proclamation of 1763 anger colonists? They saw the French and Indian War

as a way to settle the land past the Appalachian Mountains.


Introducing the Tax Acts


The Sugar Act: (1764) lowered taxes on molasses and placed a tax on sugar, indigo, coffee, wines and linens. Purpose: help pay for the protection of the

coloniesImportance: raised the question of taxation

without representationEffect: colonists were upset about the tax since

the money collected from it was revenue to pay for colonial expenses, instead of a tax to regulate trade


Currency Reform (1764): made colonists use coins made of gold or silver instead of paper money; there was not a lot of this in the colonies.Purpose: silver and gold are more reliable than

paper money.


The Stamp Act: (1765) documents had to be written or printed on paper carrying a stamp from the British treasury officePurpose: raise money to protect the colonies What and who did this affect?

colonial industry and trade; lawyers, merchants and editors. Effects:

Virginia made the Virginia Resolves that said Parliament had no right to tax the colonies without representation and that only the Virginia legislature could tax Virginians

Stamp Act Congress: said only colonial legislatures could tax the colonists. They agreed to not purchase British goods showing the colonies could work together.

The Sons of Liberty coordinated the colonies resistance to British policy. Made the issues between Britain and the colonies known:

Status of colonists in the British Empire Taxation powers of Parliament over the colonies

Parliament repealed, took away, the Stamp Act in 1766.


Declaratory Act: (1766) stated Parliament had power over the colonies in “all cases whatsoever.” This meant it had the right to tax the colonies.


Townshend Acts: (1767-1770) import tax on glass, lead,

paint, paper and tea. Made a Board of

Commissioners in the colonies to enforce the Navigation Acts and tax collection.

Writs of Assistance: search warrants by British custom officials allowed them to search businesses, homes and ships for smuggled goods.


The Townshend Acts (1767-1770) (Continued)

What was the purpose of the Townshend Acts? Raise money to defend the colonies

Why were the colonists against them? They were taxes to raise revenue and not a trade

regulation.Taxation without representationSearching and seizing without probable cause was

wrong.How did the colonists resist the Townshend Acts?

Tarred and feathered custom agentsHarassed troops that had tried to keep peace and order.


The Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770): British soldiers killed five

people that were part of the angry crowd around them.

Effects:published in newspapers as a

massacre against unarmed colonists with engravings by Paul Revere and pamphlets by Samuel Adams

anti-British feeling increasedFollowing the link below to vie

w a short Video http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us/videos/boston-massacre

http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us/videos/boston-massacre






The Tea Act (1773): Britain allowed the East India Company to bring tea right to the colonies instead of having to go to Britain first. This made British tea cost ½ of what smuggled tea cost.

Why were the colonists against it? Taxation without representation

Effect: The Boston Tea PartyMen dressed as Mohawk Indians went on 3 ships in

Boston Harbor and threw tea into the Boston harbor.Following the link below to view a short Video http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history/videos/the-sons-of-liberty-and-the-boston-tea-party

http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history/videos/the-sons-of-liberty-and-the-boston-tea-party






Intolerable Acts: (1774) was a response to the Boston Tea Party and consisted of 5 acts. 1. Boston Port Act: closed the port of Boston until the colonist paid for tea2. Massachusetts Government Act: allowed one town meeting a year;

colonists couldn’t elect representatives to the upper house of their legislature; they were appointed by the Crown.

3. Administration of Justice Act: if officials of the Crown committed a crime while enforcing British laws, the trial could be moved to Great Britain.

4. The Quartering Act (1774): British officials could quarter troops wherever they chose in a town.

5. The Quebec Act: to keep the loyalty of the French; allowed Catholicism and French civil law in Canada and created the boundaries of Quebec as the Ohio River on the south, the Mississippi River on the west, and the Proclamation Line of 1763 on the east. The colonists had two problems with this act:

1. Protestants hated the Catholics2. Changed colonial charters claims to lands west of the Appalachian Mountains

Public Opinion was Shaped in Different Forums

Political bodiesSons of Liberty: was formed

by a group of artisans and shop keepers in response to the Stamp Act

Loyalists: colonists who stayed loyal to the Crown throughout and after the American Revolution

Rebels (Patriots): colonists that resisted British policies and eventually wanted independence which many of them fought for


Public display and demonstrationBoston Tea PartyHarassment of the

soldiers before the Boston Massacre

Tar and feathering of custom agents


Print media “Common Sense”: pamphlet by

Thomas Paine that called for the creation of an American independent republic Wanted to end of the Crown and

nobility Wanted a republic to get its

power from the people it governed

Influenced the writers of the US Constitution and they prohibited grants of titles and nobility

Paul Revere: Engraving of the Boston Massacre

Thomas Paine

Wide Variety of Viewpoints Evolved

Complete separationMore autonomy for the coloniesNo change in status quo: the Loyalist position

Essential QuestionsHow did colonial protests against Britain

escalate?What specific British policies galvanized

public opinion in the colonies?

the shift from protest to separation

Documents