Chapter 5 A B C D E F Choosing Loyalties 1763 1776 Demanding More from the Colonies 1 After the war with France the British government became critical of the colonists a The government argued that the war had been fought primarily on behalf of the colonies b The Americans had engaged widely in smuggling to avoid import duties on foreign goods 2 In 1764 George Grenville introduced new measures to assert greater control over the Americans a Writs of Assistance permitted easier searches for smuggled merchandise b The Sugar Act authorized trials of suspected smugglers without juries The Colonial Response 1 Many objected to greater British control coming as it did during a postwar economic depression 2 Others welcomed hard times arguing that a moral reawakening was necessary 3 Debate about how to respond to the Sugar Act occasioned the first widespread discussion of rights liberty and the powers of government among the Americans The Stamp Act 1 To help pay for the costs of the British Empire the Grenville government enacted the Stamp Act of 1765 a This was the first time the British government sought to impose a DIRECT tax as distinct from an EXTERNAL tax an import duty on the colonists 2 Opposition to the Stamp Act cut across all lines in colonial society The Popular Response 1 In Boston the Sons of Liberty embarked on a campaign of demonstration and riot that prompted the Stamp Act agent to resign a Similar demonstrations in the other colonies led stamp agents almost everywhere to resign Political Debate 1 The Stamp Act raised the issue of taxation without representation but the colonists did not threaten rebellion 2 At the Stamp Act Congress they agreed that Parliament had the right to rule the colonies but not to tax them without representation Repeal of the Stamp Act 1 To protest the Stamp Act many colonists subscribed to nonimportation agreements in which they pledged to boycott British goods 2 II The economic effects of non importation led the British government to repeal the Stamp Act a Along with repeal the English passed the Declaratory Act in which they asserted their right to impose taxes on the colonies Asserting American Rights A The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 1 The Townshend Acts of 1767 imposed customs duties on English paint lead glass and paper as well as on tea a Parliament chose this course of action because Benjamin Franklin assured them that the colonists opposed only direct taxes not customs duties b Townshend s program also required the colonists to help pay for troops stationed in their cities 2 The colonists rejected the Townshend duties a They argued that ACTUAL representation as opposed to VIRTUAL representation was required for any revenue measures whose purpose was to raise money instead of to regulate trade b They renewed the boycott of British goods B The British Humiliated 1 Protest against the Townshend Acts mushroomed in Massachusetts a Strong arm methods in the streets enforced the boycott of British goods b Smuggling was protected by the Sons of Liberty the attempt to seize the smuggling ship Liberty led to violence against British officials 2 Tensions also escalated because of the British troops stationed in Boston a The tension reached its peak in the Boston Massacre when British soldiers fired on a crowd of colonists killing five First casualty was a freed slave Crispus Attackus 3 The British government sought to quell the conflict with the colonies by repealing the Townshend Acts a It retained the tax on tea alone C Success Weakens Colonial Unity 1 Repeal of the Townshend Acts brought tensions between groups in the colonies into the open a Artisans and laborers hoped to continue the boycott of British goods but merchants would not agree b The wide discussion of rights liberties and representation prompted artisans and laborers to demand greater political participation for people like themselves 2 III IV The Crisis Renewed A Disturbing the Peace of the Early 1770s 1 Britain continued to try to eliminate smuggling of foreign goods by the Americans a In Rhode Island colonists destroyed the Gaspee and would not help the British identify the perpetrators b Fearing British intentions after the Gasee incident five colonies organized Committees of Correspondence B The Tea Act and the Tea Party 1 To save the East India Company from bankruptcy the British government passed the Tea Act authorizing the Company to sell tea directly to the colonies a The colonists viewed the Tea Act as a trick to get them to buy tea and thereby pay the Townshend tax on tea 2 Colonists in many cities prevented the tea from being landed a In Boston a band of men disguised as Native Americans dumped the tea into the harbor C The Intolerable Acts 1 Because of the Boston Tea Party the British government enacted four pieces of legislation to punish Boston 2 Colonists everywhere responded with anger toward Britain and with sympathy and aid for Boston D Creating a National Forum The First Continental Congress 1 Delegates from all colonies except Georgia met in Philadelphia in September 1774 to determine what to do about the Intolerable Acts a The delegates included some of the country s most important future leaders 2 The Continental Congress considered several plans of action a It approved the Continental Association another boycott of British goods b It defeated Joseph Galloway s Plan of Union but approved John Adams s Declaration of Rights and Grievances which set forth the colonial position on customs duties and taxation The Decision for Independence A Taking Charge and Enforcing Policies 1 Throughout the colonies those in opposition to the British government began to seize control B The Shot Heard Round the World The War begins 1 In April 1775 General Gage moved to seize colonial weapons in Lexington and Concord a Armed conflict broke out between patriot forces and the British army columns C The Second Continental Congress 3 1 D E F The Continental Congress reconvened in May 1775 and took steps to prepare for war a It approved the creation of an army with George Washington as commander in chief The Impact of Common Sense 1 Tom Paine s pamphlet convinced many that the time had come for America to become independent Declaring Independence 1 In June 1776 the Continental Congress considered a resolution declaring independence a It did not approve it until July following completion of a declaration of independence written by Thomas Jefferson Declaring Loyalties 1 Many