If This Be Treason

Chapter 7

Married Martha Dandridge CustisShe was a widow with 2 childrenVery wealthyShe and Washington did not have children of

their ownWashington oversaw the Custis White House

PlantationNear Williamsburg

Capital of colonial VirginiaLife of a farmerOwned slaves

Reports say he treated them well

Washington

Lawmaking body of the Colony of VirginiaMet at Williamsburg

Washington electedPatrick Henry

“Caesar had his Brutus. Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third… may profit by their example.”

“If this be treason, make the most of it!”

House of Burgesses

Stamp Act (1765): Required colonists to pay tax on all official documentsTax came in form of a stamp/seal Needed for all legal documents, diplomas, licenses,

newspapers, etc.Parliament and King George III created the

Stamp Act to pay for French and Indian WarParliament figured the war was for America, so

Americans should pay for itParliament could search colonial storehouses in

New England for smuggled goodsTrials held at “admiralty courts” by the British navy

Not at courts with colonial juries

Stamp Act

Colonists upsetSaw themselves as EnglishmenDid not feel like they were being treated

equallyBelieved only their local assemblies could tax

themParliament had never directly taxed them beforeSince they were not represented in Parliament,

they believed Parliament shouldn’t tax them

Sons of LibertyLed by Samuel AdamsMore radical protest styleColonial revolutionaries

Sons of Liberty

Stamp Act Congress (1765)Representatives from 9 colonies met in NYCDeclared that Parliament could not tax themAlso declared trial by jury was a right for all

Englishmen, and the King and Parliament couldn’t take it away

England repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766

Stamp Act Congress

Most colonists thought life would go back to normal after repeal of the Stamp Act

Declaratory ActParliament had direct control over when and

how it taxed the coloniesDidn’t upset most Americans

Radicals were upset, however

Declaratory Act

Charles Townshend became Chancellor of the Exchequer for EnglandGiven the power to taxWanted to punish colonists for rebellion against

Stamp ActTownshend Acts

New taxes on English made items sent to coloniesTax on tea imported by the British East India Co.

Massachusetts Assembly wrote a letter in protestLetter angered British Secretary for the Colonies Demanded they take it back or he would disband

themThey didn’t, he took away their authority and ability to

meet

Townshend Acts

Mob in Boston attacked a British customs officerBritish troops sent to BostonUpset radicals more

Sam Adams called for revolution

Massachusetts decided action would be foolish because British army was too powerful

New Prime Minister in EnglandRepealed Townshend Taxes

Except the taxation of tea

Reaching a Boiling Point

Bostonian mob threw rocks and icy snowballs at British guard outside the customs house

20 British soldiers called in for reinforcementDid not attack

One soldier hit with clubFiredRest ordered not to fire

Did anyway3 colonists dead, 2 mortally wounded

Sons of Liberty termed it a “massacre”Spread pamphlets and an engraving to fire

people up

Boston Massacre

British soldiers put on trialJohn Adams to defend the British

Only lawyer willing to do soCousin of Sam Adams

Adams argued they were provoked by the mob, and the British government was more to blameBritish were acquitted (found not guilty)

At Trial

Tea expensiveEast India Co. could only sell tea to British

merchantsThese merchants then sold it to colonists

Townshend ActsSmuggled tea cost less

Sons of Liberty had ties to these smugglersNew law in 1773 allowed East India Co. to sell

directly to colonistsCheaper now than smuggled teaOnly could sell to merchants with no ties to

smugglersRadicals protested

Said England was playing favorites

Tea Time

NY and Philly stopped East India Co.’s ships from entering harbor

Boston allowed ships in stillEven though it was a more radical city

Dec 16, 1773 Sons of Liberty sent a message to Mass. Gov. Hutchinson demanding he force the ships to leave Governor refused

150 colonials dressed like Mohawk IndiansRowed to tea shipsEmptied 343 large boxes of tea into the harbor

Boston Tea Party

Part II

Passed in response to the Boston Tea Party1st one: Boston Port Act

Ordered harbor closed until all spilled tea was paid for

British navy blockaded, Redcoats occupied cityPrivate citizens had to “quarter” RedcoatsMassachusetts Government Act

Certain gov. offices now chosen by the royal governorInstead of being elected, as they had beenLower judges, justices of the peace, and sheriffs

Turned many people against the British

Coercive Acts

Citizens met at Faneuil HallDrew up the Solemn League and Covenant

Not to export/import to/from with Great BritainSent this to the other colonies as well

House of Burgesses (VA) decided to stand with BostonWashington wanted them to join so that the British

could be stopped from taking their liberties as wellRoyal Gov. of VA dissolved the House of

BurgessesThey met at Raleigh Tavern insteadDecided that they should definitely join the Solemn

League and Covenant

Faneuil Hall

Meeting of Colonies at PhiladelphiaAll thought Britain had been acting unjustly

Disagreement as to what they should do about itLoyalists = torriesRadicalsMost people were in the middle

Wrote “Declarations and Resolves”Declared colonists had certain rights as citizens,

through their charters, and from natureNo king could take away these natural rights

Challenged Parliament to repeal Coercive ActsOr the colonies would block all British

imports/exports

First Continental Congress

Many British commoners’ were upset at treatment of colonistsSome talk of Parliament giving into colonist’s

demandsKing and most in Parliament wanted to get

tougherHarsh laws against New England Harsh trade laws

NE could only trade w/ England and Ireland

Upset colonists moreNot enough to make most of them want to

rebel

England's Response

Loyalists impatient that British army had done little about radicals

General Gage felt pressure to do somethingKnew the rebels were storing arms at Worcester

and ConcordWanted to capture patriots there too

Patriots found out about the plan through their spiesUsed couriers to warn colonists about British

comingLanterns in tower of Boston’s Old North ChurchOne if by land, two if by sea

Paul Revere was one of the couriersRode, warning people “the British are coming”

Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

MinutemenPatriots who were ready to assemble to fight at a

minute’s noticeMinutemen gathered at Lexington

APR 19, 1775Warned not to fire unless fired upon

Major John Pitcairn led the British into LexingtonOrdered minutemen to lay down their arms

Rebels began to retreat behind a stone wallPitcairn sent soldiers to stop themShots rang out

Redcoats then fired volley against Pitcairn’s orders 10 Patriots killed, 9 wounded

Slaughter at Lexington

News spread quickly, upset colonists against British

Redcoats marched to Concord4 miles from Lexington

2 battalions of minutemen already therePatriots retreated over bridge, settled on a

ridgeBritish lined up under the ridge, but over the

bridgeDangerous position

2 hours of tension

Gathering at Concord

British realized they were in a bad positionPatriots advanced, Brits retreatedPatriot militia opened fire

Killed 7, wounded 5

British retreated all the way to LexingtonPatriots ambushed them w/ guerilla warfare

the whole wayFrustrated British

Met up with more British troops at Lexington, fled to BostonBritish: 73 killed, 200 woundedPatriots: 49 killed, 41 wounded

Clash at Concord

News spread to other coloniesPeople came from other colonies to join the

Massachusetts's militiaBritish army besieged Boston

Aftermath