Causes of the American Revolution !

1. Causes of the American Revolution! The Quartering Act 1765 The Sugar Act 1764 Intolerable Acts 1774 TownshendActs1767 Proclamation of 1763 Tea Act1773 Boston Tea Party1773 The French and Indian War 1754-1763 Declaratory Act of1766 Stamp Act1765 Boston Massacre1770

2. French and Indian War • The North American chapter of the “Seven Years War.” The name refers to the two main enemies of the British: the royal French forces and the various Indian forces allied with them • Cause: The colonists kept pushing the Indians west. • Effect: The British made the Proclamation of 1763.

3. Stamp Act 1765 • The Stamp Act was a tax on every sheet of every legal document. • Cause: Britain needed money because they were in debt from the war so they taxed the colonists. • Effect: The colonists boycotted British goods. They also organized the Sons of Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty.

4. Boston Massacre 1770 • The Boston Massacre was a clash between British troops and a group of colonists in which five colonists were killed. • Cause: After lots of ridicule, the tension finally broke. Some colonists started throwing snowball in front of the Boston Customhouse. The soldiers became nervous and started shooting. • Effect: Six of the soldiers were acquitted, and two of them had their thumbs branded for shooting.

5. Tea Act 1773 • The Tea Act was a tax on all imported tea from Britain. • Cause: The colonists boycott against British goods had hurt their trade, so the British repealed the Townshend Acts after the Boston Massacre. Parliament only kept the tea tax. • Effect: The Sons of Liberty organized a protest against the Tea Act known as the Boston Tea Party.

6. Boston Tea Party 1773 • The Boston Tea Party was a protest organized by the colonists against the British. All the colonists dressed up as Indians and snuck on-board the British ships in the harbor. Then they threw all the tea on the ships into Boston Harbor. • Cause: The colonists were upset by the Tea Act. • Effect: The Intolerable Acts were passed to keep the colonists under control.

7. British Closes Boston Harbor • To punish Boston, the harbor was closed • Many colonists lost their jobs due to no work • Many Americans decided to act

8. Second Continental Congress • In early 1776, the 2nd Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia • Issues discussed: Battles of Lexington and Concord, how to deal with England’s new laws

9. The Committee of Five • John Hancock, the congress’ president, called for 5 people to draft a declaration of independence • Thomas Jefferson • Benjamin Franklin • John Adams • Robert Livingston • Roger Sherman

10. Jefferson’s Inspiration • Jefferson was charged with writing the document, and he drew many ideas from John Locke. • Locke was an Enlightenment thinker who denounced kings and promoted democracy “…for all the power the government has, being only for the good of the society… that both the people may know their duty, and be safe and secure within the limits of the law; and the rulers too kept within their bounds, and not be tempted, by the power they have in their hands, to employ it to such purposes, and by such measures, as they would not have known, and own not willingly.” John Locke

11. The Declaration of Independence • Released on July 4, 1776, Jefferson’s declaration formally stated the colonists’ desire to break from Britain • He stated people were granted “…unalienable rights…” that could never be taken away • Life • Liberty • Pursuit of Happiness

12. References:http//:www.ushistory.org