EQ: How did the French and Indian War lead to the American Revolution?

PT:What is a natural law?

What is a representative government?

What event put Great Britain in Debt and made them tax the

colonies?

The American RevolutionThe American Revolution After the French and Indian After the French and Indian

War,War, American colonies American colonies prospered, but prospered, but tension grew tension grew under British ruleunder British rule

Mercantile system allowed Mercantile system allowed trade only with Great Britain, trade only with Great Britain, Americans wanted to Americans wanted to grow/sell what they wishedgrow/sell what they wished

Many ignored laws and Many ignored laws and smuggledsmuggled (illegal trade) (illegal trade) with French, Dutch and with French, Dutch and Spanish merchants.Spanish merchants.

• Taxes created conflict between Britain and American colonists- Parliament passed series of tax laws to pay off debt from French and Indian War

• Sugar Act,1764 Townsend Act, 1767 placed duties (taxes on imports) on products coming into the colonies

• Goods included sugar, coffee, tea, wine, paper, glass and paint

• Stamp Act (1765) required all printed paper used in colonies bear a tax stamp purchased from government

• Colonists strongly protested to Parliament/ began to show discontent

• Sons of Liberty formed: boycotted (refused to buy) taxed goods/ smuggled non-British goods to colonies

• Parliament finally repealed unpopular taxes/ anti-British attitude had already formed

British and American Ideas ClashBritish and American Ideas Clash Many ideas of Americans were brought from Many ideas of Americans were brought from

BritainBritain Concept ofConcept of consent of the governedconsent of the governed - -

government should rule as long as citizens government should rule as long as citizens consent (agree) to being governedconsent (agree) to being governed

If people unhappy, or government can no If people unhappy, or government can no longer protect them, government looses right longer protect them, government looses right to govern. If it does not step down, people to govern. If it does not step down, people have right to rebelhave right to rebel

Related is Related is representative government-representative government- people have right to elect persons to people have right to elect persons to represent them and make political decisionsrepresent them and make political decisions affect lives. They must assemble in affect lives. They must assemble in legislative bodies to make laws and set taxes.legislative bodies to make laws and set taxes.

Third idea is concept of limited government- Third idea is concept of limited government- power of government is limited by “natural power of government is limited by “natural law”. law”. Natural LawNatural Law says people have says people have natural rightsnatural rights-from God or nature- that -from God or nature- that government can’t take awaygovernment can’t take away. The most . The most basic are basic are life, liberty, and property.life, liberty, and property.

American colonists had developed own American colonists had developed own ideas about self-government. Meetings for ideas about self-government. Meetings for local problems (building roads)-colonial local problems (building roads)-colonial legislature to make laws on taxes and legislature to make laws on taxes and maintaining a maintaining a militiamilitia (unit of citizen (unit of citizen soldiers)soldiers)

Americans came to believe that their own Americans came to believe that their own elected representatives should pass laws elected representatives should pass laws and set taxes in the coloniesand set taxes in the colonies

Resentment and ConflictResentment and Conflict Americans opposed new Americans opposed new

laws and taxes on the laws and taxes on the coloniescolonies

First, taxes violated First, taxes violated colonists rights to be taxed colonists rights to be taxed by own representativesby own representatives

Second, Americans lived as Second, Americans lived as British citizens, but often British citizens, but often their rights as British their rights as British citizens were ignored-citizens were ignored-

Public protests and violence Public protests and violence grewgrew/ Britain sent troops to / Britain sent troops to enforce unpopular lawsenforce unpopular laws

Anger was greatest in Anger was greatest in Northern coloniesNorthern colonies

British soldier British soldier attacked by a attacked by a crowd, as his troops crowd, as his troops saved him, many of saved him, many of the soldiers the soldiers panicked and panicked and opened fire on the opened fire on the crowd killing five crowd killing five people. This added people. This added to the anger of the to the anger of the colonists and colonists and became known as became known as the “Boston the “Boston Massacre”Massacre”

The Final Straw• Tea Act (1773)- gave one

British company a monopoly (exclusive right) to sell tea to America

• Tea popular drink-priced cheaply, but colonists refused to buy it. Colonists illegally importing Dutch tea felt it would threaten their business

• Night of December 16, 1773- members of the Sons of Liberty dumped several shiploads of tea into the Boston harbor/other ports tea was also dumped

• Parliament punished the colonies and Massachusetts by implementing harsh laws that included: closing the port of Boston harbor until the tea was paid for/ not allowing people of Massachusetts to elect their own officials or hold town meetings/ required the people in all the colonies to feed and house British soldiers

• Colonists called these “Intolerable Acts”

• Continental Congress with delegates from all colonies but Georgia meet and agree to boycott all British goods

American Colonists

Revolt

• British goods were burned, government officials attacked or ran out of town, persons loyal to Britain were openly tarred and feathered

• Britain sent troops to control the mayhem

• April 19, 1775 Massachusetts “minutemen” and British troops battled at Lexington and Concord. It was “the shot heard around the world”.

• New spread throughout the colonies-assemblies met and voted to raise militias to defend themselves against the British.

• The war for American independence had begun