The American Revolution

The Crisis Begins

The French & Indian War

• 1754-1763

• Ohio Valley

• French drive out Eng. Fur traders.

• 1754 Fr. Est. Ft. Duquesne.

• Threat to PA & VA.

• G. Washington wont get Ft. D until 1758.

Treaty of Paris 1763

• End the Seven Years’ War (French & Indian War)

• GB gets land in Canada.

• All land east of MS River.

• FL from Spain.

• Spain – LA terr. From France.

Map 1763

Preview

• 1760 no one expects GB to lose America.

• GB huge debt from Seven Year’s War.

• Colonies must help pay.

• Colonial leaders believe new laws a threat to their liberty.

Pre-1763 Consolidation of Power

• Can’t issue money.

• Can’t make things that compete w/ GB.

• Tax on molasses

• Tobacco can only be shipped to GB.

• Colonies ignored them.

Proclamation of 1763

• Response to Pontiac’s War. (wants settlers out of the west.)

• King says colonists can’t cross the Appalachian Mts. (wants friendship)

• Colonists protest. They want new land.

Map 1763

Initial Skirmishes

• After Seven Years’ War GB saw importance of America to their power.

• Sugar Act – Lowered tax, but increased investigation of

smuggling– Admiralty courts (no jury)

Stamp Act Crisis

• Provisions & Indignation– 1st time direct tax on colony used.– All printed material– Finance empire & pay for troops stationed– All offended– Local govt had no say. (loss of liberty)

Liberty

• Freedom from captivity, imprisonment, or slavery

• Independence

Post-War Split

• Brit. perspective– Colonies lucky to be part of empire.– Colonies should share cost of empire (debt

10’s of trillions of dollars today)– “Virtual representation”

• American perspective– Colonies equal to mother country– No taxation w/o representation

Who Has The Right To Tax?

• Patrick Henry VA House of Burgesses– Colonists enjoyed

same “liberties, privileges, franchise, and immunities” as mother country.

– “British freedom” the right to consent to taxation. (No Taxation w/o representation)

American Resistance

• Committees of Correspondence (Boston)

• John Adams MA• 1765 Stamp Act

Congress– Drew up protest &

organized boycotts

Sam Adams MA

• Sons of Liberty– Regular people

demonstrating

• Disobedience, protest, colonial cooperation, boycotts, violence

• Repealed in 1766• England can still tax