Chapter 5 The Spirit of Independence

Sections 1-4

Strained Relations Section 1

The end of the War leads to the acquisition of new territories.

The English Colonies now extend to the Mississippi River

The English have all this new land, however they prohibit the colonists from using the land.

Proclamation of 1763• Colonists are prohibited (forbidden) to settle

west of the Appalachian Mountains.• Any settlers that already live west of the

mountains must return to an approved location.• Good idea horrible law.• How will England enforce this? Who would be

willing to tell someone that they have to leave their home for no other reason than England “says so.”

• How will Britain pay for the soldiers needed to enforce this proclamation?

TAXES

• 1763 New English Prime Minister George Grenville wants to enforce the Proclamation and stop smuggling.

• He knew that colonial courts often found suspected smugglers innocent no matter what.

• Grenville asks parliament to issue writs of assistance – these are legal documents that allow the custom officials to search all colonial ships and modes of transportation for smuggled goods without reasonable suspicion.

Taxes Cont…

• Sugar Act 1764• Parliament lowers the tax on molasses.• This is a good thing, right?• The act also allowed British officers the right

to seize goods from colonists without an order from a judge or a court.

Why are these acts illegal?

• 1. The writs of assistance violate the English Bill of Rights protection against unlawful search and seizure.

• 2. The Sugar Tax violates the colonist right to protection against unlawful search and seizure, as well as applying a tax on a people without their consent.

• 3. Goods are seized without a jury trial and people are imprisoned without public trial and jury of their fellow citizens.

New Taxes

• 1765 Stamp Act• Taxes on printed materials.• Newspaper, wills, and playing cards.• Fraction of a pence. Applied after purchase to

the seller.• Britain is directly taxing the colonies, and not

granting the colonies representation in parliament.

Protests

• Patrick Henry speaks passionately about the evils of England's taxation.

• House of Burgesses passes a Resolution (opinion) that the only people who can lay taxes are citizens.

• If the colonists won’t be treated like citizens, then they won’t pay taxes like citizens.

Protests

• Massachusetts• Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty• Group formed to protest taxes in New

England.• Effigies – Rag or stuffed figures dresses like

known people and burned to show displeasure.

Boycott

• Colonists in New York and Massachusetts urged boycotts ( refusing to buy certain goods)

• Non-importation Agreements – pledges by people in the colonies not to buy or use products made in England.

• 1766 Parliament repeals the act in response to protests.

Townshend Acts

• Applies small tax to glass, tea, and paper.• Literally the tax is less than a pence.• People will not accept this.• The colonists boycott the goods and form

more groups like the daughters of liberty.

Boston, MA

• Protests in the colonies had made the British nervous.

• The colonial governors asked for more troops to occupy(control) the colonial cities.

• This leads to an increased level of tension between the colonists and the British soldiers

Boston Massacre

• 5 March 1770• Colonists taunt the British soldiers at the customs

house in Boston.• The British soldiers respond to thrown ice, glass, and

verbal insults.• One soldier is knocked down and a shot is fired.• Five colonists are killed. One is Crispus Attucks a

black and native American dockworker.

Fallout

• Propaganda (information designed to influence public opinion) spreads throughout the colonies about the “massacre”

• Leads to calls for stronger boycotts• Parliament withdraws the Townshend Acts• The men who fired on the crowd were found

innocent at their trial, their lawyer was John Adams.

Fallout

• Sam Adams reestablishes the committee of correspondence (org. used to get information about protest to the rest off MA and the fellow colonies).

Tea Time

• 1773 British East India Co. is bankrupt.• Britain passes the Tea Act giving the company

a monopoly on tea in the Americas• The act allows the company to sell directly to

shop keepers. This bypasses local merchants.• Boycott started and tea is given up – like

giving up soda.

Party with Tea ?

• Three ships arrived in Griffins Wharf 1773.• 16 December 1773• After the governor insists on unloading the tea

a group of Mohawk Indians board the ship and dump it into the harbor.

• No one is ever caught for this crime.• The Son’s of Liberty are suspected.

Intolerable Acts

• George III responds with the following punishments called the Intolerable Acts.

• Coercive Act• 1. Boston Harbor closed until the tea is paid for.• 2. No town meetings in Boston.• 3. Soldiers had to be quartered in private homes.

• Quebec Act• 1.Ohio territory to the remaining French Settlers over the colonists who

lived there or the ones forced to leave in accordance with the Proclamation of 1763

One more step… Sec. 3

• September 1774 55 delegates from every colony arrive in Philadelphia.

• Henry Lee• Patrick Henry• John Adams• John Jay• George Washington• They form The Continental Congress

1st Continental Congress

• 1. Repeal 13 acts of parliament• 2. boycott all British Trade• 3. Form colonial militia ( citizen soldiers)• 4. Agree to meet again• Are they declaring war?• Are they in Rebellion?• Are they serious?

A fight, it’s a fight!!!

• Minutemen – Massachusetts militia bragged to be able to fight in a minute.

• British send troops because George III believes they are facing a rebellion.

• The British are led by Gen. Thomas Gage he is headed to Concord, MA to take all ammunition from the town.

• April 18th 1775 Dr. Warren alerts Paul Revere and William Dawes that the British are coming.

• Lexington and Concord – Minutemen attack the British on the road to Concord turning the British back to Boston, and back down the road they had just come through.

• Total killed or wounded 174 “Shot heard round the world.”

Battle of Bunker Hill

• After their success the colonial militias seek volunteers to increase their numbers.

• Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold take Ft. Ticonderoga.

• Jun3 16th 1775 Colonel William Prescott establishes his position at Bunker hill across from Breed’s hill.

• The British attempt to take the hill and Prescott wants to defend.

…The whites of their eyes

• The British are repelled three times until the colonists run out of ammo and powder.

• The British take the hill but lose over 1,000 KOW.

• Picking Sides • Loyalists – remain loyal to crown because of

fear and religion• Patriots – desire independence.

Independence?

• 10 May 1775 Second Continental Congress• John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry,

Richard Lee, George Washington, Sam Adams, Ben Franklin, John Hancock, and others attended this meeting.

• Establish Native American committees, as well as other committees to communicate with other countries.

• Also est. a Continental Army under GWASH

Declaration of Independence

• John Adams is approached but defers to Thomas Jefferson.

• The writing will take second priority to the newly approved Olive Branch Petition – formal request that the King of England protect and honor his colonists like British citizens.

• George III refuses and hires 30,000 troops

When in the course…

• January 1776• Thomas Paine published a pamphlet called

Common Sense.• Calls for a separation between the colonies

and Great Britain.• Is read a published all over the colonies.• Sets of the debate should we stay or should

we go?

It becomes necessary…

• Jefferson’s first draft of the DOI was edited and revised with the help of John Adams and B. Franklin.

• On July 2nd 1776 Richard Lee proposed independence and the colonies approved it 12-0 with New York not voting, but later supporting.

• Now Jefferson’s document is taken up and voted on. It is approved on 4 July 1776

We hold these truths…

• Preamble – explains to King George III why we are doing this.

• Declaration of Natural Rights – lists the rights that we believe all citizens should have. Rights protect people from their government not the other way around.

• Grievances - This is what the King of England has done, and we blame him.

•

We hold these truths…

• Preamble – explains to King George III why we are doing this.• Declaration of Natural Rights – lists the rights that we believe

all citizens should have. Rights protect people from their government not the other way around.

• Grievances - This is what the King of England has done, and we blame him.

• Resolution of Independence – Declares us to be free and independent states and we may deal with all countries as independent people.