Hist200 Week 4 Origins of the American Revolution 2 19 14 Key Terms French and Indian War Stamp Act Virtual Representation Continental Congress Common sense I Political and Economic Causes of the American Revolution A The French and Indian War In 1753 a i Competing French and British claims west of Appalachian mountains escalated into war b 1763 i Treaty of Paris ceded large amounts of land to British B Significance of French and Indian War a Led to Proclamation of 1763 b Fostered a sense of colonial identity i Colonists increasingly saw difference b w themselves British c Linked the colonies together i War linked colonies together more then existed before ii First time they left their home colony 1 Ex People from NY leave NY d Heightened feelings of colonial independence e Left Britain deeply in debt i Paying interest on war debts alone constituted 60 of budget ii Many British resented fact they had spent so much money paying for a war that had been fought on the colonists behalf II Increasing British involvement A Revenue Act 1762 B Sugar Act 1764 a Lowers the duty on French molasses b Strengthened enforcement in terms of cracking down on smugglers c Viewed as a tax on American Liberties i Not tried on a jury in front of their peers ii Taxation without liberation C Stamp Act 1765 crucial turning point a Demanded colonists pay tax i Legal documents etc b Widespread boycott of British goods c Mob action mass protests Sons of liberty i 3000 people marched through streets crying liberty ii Boston sons of liberty 1 Attacked house of tax collector 2 Attack on Thomas Hutchinson home d Stamp Act Congress NYC Oct 1765 i Representatives from 9 colonies 1 Passed resolution against stamp act 2 Called for trial by jury only e Stamp Act repealed 1766 f Declaratory Act 1766 i Affirmed Parliament s full authority over colonies STAMP ACT MOST IMPORTANT B C SIGNIFICANT VALUE ON THE NEW LAWS a Mandated colonists house British troops in their homes D Quartering Act 1765 i Paid to do so E What is representation a Big issue here was representation b Stamp Act was something new i A direct tax rather than trade regulation c Colonists saw it as taxation w o representation and rejected entirely d Britain responded colonists enjoyed virtual representation III British representation involvement A Townshend Duties 1757 a Imposed duties on imported goods i Lead glass tea paint ii To raise money for royal officials b Troops sent to Boston c Non importation homespun i Wearing clothes using textiles that were produced at home 1 Rather than buying from England ii New political role for women 1 Women were given a crucial political role 2 In what colonists saw as unwanted political intrusion d Repealed 1770 i Except tax on tea B Boston Massacre 1770 a Unemployed residents British troops competing for jobs i Not well pay C The Tea Controversy a Tea Act 1773 ii Many found necessary to find other jobs to make up for little pay b In March i Group of British soldiers fired into rowdy crowd of demonstrators 1 Killing 5 c Patriots deemed it a massacre d Filled press w accusations British had planned killing i Gave loan to failing East India Co ii Canceled import duty on tea going to colonies iii Tea went straight from company to merchant to consumers 1 Cutting out consumers b Made British tea cheaper then Dutch tea i Saw cheaper tea as a bribe to accept incursions on their liberty c Cut out colonial wholesalers undercut smugglers d Colonists saw it as a bribe e That December i Boston residents dumped 45 tons of tea in the harbor 1 Worth 900 000 in todays money a Closed Boston harbor b Revoked Massachusetts charter c New quartering act authorized housing troops in private homes d Those facing trial for capital crimes could be transferred to D Coercive acts 1774 other colonies for trial E First Continental Congress 1776 a Representatives from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia i Demandes repeal of Coercive Acts ii Reupdiated Declartoy act iii Non importation and non exportation a stop importing Britishj goods In response Parliament imposed naval blockades and ordered general Thomas gage to suppress dissent F Lexington and Concord a The Fighting Begins i Gage ordered raids on colonial amories ii Colonial militias movilized in preparation A 20 000 coloniss joined B designed to protext colonial amories ii Paul rever and others notified them of upcoming raid iii Militias met Gages tropps in Lexington and Concord iv A skimish followed and British troops treated to Boston b Firghting has begun c Independence still not given G Claiming Independence a 2nd continental congress May 1775 b Thomas Pain published Common sense January 1776 i One of the more important calls to independence ii Thomas pain was a very recent immigrant to colonies iii Common sense had gone through 25 editions and read by thousands c Declaration of Independence July 1776 d All fighting intensified and began to spread so did calls for independence H Ideological Causes of the American Revolution a Colonists drew on three intellectual traditions i English common law especially Magna Carta a All the individuals had natural rights seperation of power ii The Enlightenment John Locke and natural rights If we study it we can figure out how the b natural laws work c Thought that economy was based off of natural laws i Whig Republicanism too powerful governments and self interest were dangerous a stood in opposition of the crown b believed in enlightenment wanted revolution c Standing armies were dangerous Boston Masacare d Participation in gov was needed to keep power in e Only people of civic virtue could participate in check government a Victory in French and Indian War b Growth of print culture and public sphere c Great Awakening tied various evangelicals together i many different religions throughout the colonies ii gave a shared language shared Angelical nature d Consumerism increased feelings of independence belief that individual actions mattered i created a shared national identity ii political choice e People believed that public debate constituted public spiritedness i people could debate government I A growing Nation Identity J Alavwey bore white colonists and helps to share a colony based off of race