The Road to Revolution

1. Please pick up Focus 9(Part I), the class notes chart, the Exhibit Guide, and the rubric from the table. Remember to sit with your new team. If you have Focus 7 maps completed, please turn them in to the in box (maps only with your name on them) Begin working on Focus 9 on your own. You have 12 minutes. We will: *introduce the quarter exhibit *investigate events that contributed to rising tensions between American colonists and the British empire from 1763 to 1775 The Road to Revolution

2. James Otis Attacks the Writs of Assistance British Motives and Policy: *British sought to crack down on colonial smuggling *Represented the end of salutary neglect *Writs of assistance allowed the British crown to search any ship or building suspected of being associated with smuggling *often allowed search of private homes Colonial Response and Results: *James Otis, Jr. (Boston lawyer) challenged the writs in court, calling them “unconstitutional” and a violation of English civil liberties *Otis lost the case but writs were rarely issued afterwards *writs angered New England merchants and encouraged more smuggling “A man’s house is his castle; and whilst he is quiet, he is as well guarded as a prince in his castle. This writ, if it should be declared legal, would totally annihilate this privilege.”

3. The Proclamation of 1763 British Motives and Policy: *Pontiac’s Rebellion of 1763 raised concerns that English settlement west of the Appalachian Range would spark further conflict with Native Americans *British government banned all English settlement west of the line in order to keep peace and maintain the fur trade Colonial Response and Results: *angered colonists who sought more land for farming and real estate speculation (example: George Washington) *colonists continued to move west in violation of the ban

4. The Road to Revolution (Part II) • Now that we’ve established some of the early reasons for rising tensions between the British government and the colonists, each table team will be asked to investigate a significant event that contributed to the start of the American Revolution by 1775 • Each team will receive a folder with sources and Focus 9, Part II – use the sources and your textbook to help answer the questions and prepare a poster (like the one you’ve seen for the Proclamation of 1763) to present in our next class • Complete the focus questions and the poster by the end of class today – split up the work amongst your team members

5. Before you leave… • Remember to turn in Focus 7 (regional maps) if you have them done • Complete Homework 4 for the start of our next class • Be prepared to have two of your team members present on your topic in our next class – leave posters on the back table • Leave sources in the folder but take your individual Focus 9 sheets with you – you’ll turn those in at the end of our next class

6. The Road to Revolution Please take out Focus 9 and your class notes on the Road to Revolution. If you have Homework 4 completed, please turn it in to the box. Take 10minutes with your team to finish up your poster and prepare for your presentation – the Sugar Act will go first. We will: *present and discuss events that contributed to rising tensions between American colonists and the British empire from 1763 to 1775

7. The Sugar Act of 1764 British Motives and Policy: *aimed at raising revenue to pay for Britain’s war debt *external, indirect tax charged at port of entry *lowered tax on foreign molasses to discourage smuggling *placed duties on certain imports *gave authority to vice-admiralty courts to try smugglers “Now can there be any liberty where property is taken away without consent?” --James Otis in “The Rights of the British Colonies” (1764) Colonial Response and Results: *angered New England merchants, who saw it as a way to raise revenue for the British government at their expense *encouraged more smuggling *did not effectively raise much revenue

8. The Stamp Act of 1765 British Motives and Policy: *Parliament sought to raise revenue with an internal, direct tax on all documents and paper products (e.g., newspapers, deeds, licenses, etc.) *violators were to be tried in the vice-admiralty courts, not in colonial courts Colonial Response and Results: *Sam Adams organized the Sons of Liberty to protest *campaign of harassment against stamp agents *colonial legislatures resolved that there would be “no taxation without representation” *Stamp Act Congress issued Declaration of Rights and Grievances (organized colonial resistance) *repealed by parliament in the Declaratory Act of 1766

9. The Townshend Acts of 1767 British Motives and Policy: *British government returned to external, indirect taxes on imports to raise revenue to pay off debt (included taxes on tea, glass, lead, paint, etc.) “Those who are taxed without their consent … are slaves. We are therefore – SLAVES.” -- John Dickinson, “Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer” (1767) Colonial Response and Results: *Samuel Adams wrote his “circular letter” in protest *colonial leaders organized a boycott of British imports *colonial women protested by making their own clothing in “spinning bees” (homespun clothing) *seizure of John Hancock’s ship Liberty resulted in riots by Boston residents in 1768 British sent 2,000 troops *repealed all of the duties, except the one on tea in 1770

10. The Boston Massacre British Motives and Policy: *British troops occupied Boston to keep the peace after the 1768 riot *dockworkers confronted British soldiers over jobs in Boston *Crispus Attucks and four other colonists were killed when gunfire broke out *John Adams defended two British soldiers accused of murder and they were acquitted Colonial Response and Results: *Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty used the incident to highlight British tyranny *tensions relaxed for two years until colonists in Rhode Island attacked a British vessel that had run aground *committees of correspondence arose in the colonies to coordinate efforts to resist unfair trials

11. The Tea Act of 1773 “Parliament an act has made that will distress and ruin trade. To raise a tax as we are told that will enslave both young and old. Look our poor Boston, make a stand, don’t suffer any Tea to land; for if it once gets footing here, then farewell Liberty most dear.” -- “A Zealous Daughter of Liberty” British Motives and Policy: *Lord North (British PM) designed the Act to give the British East India Companya monopoly on the tea trade *actually lowered the price of tea for colonists Colonial Response and Results: *Sons of Liberty organized the Boston Tea Party and dumped 18,000 pounds of British East India Company tea into Boston Harbor *sparked a boycott of tea throughout the colonies

12. The Intolerable Acts of 1774 British Motives and Policy: *King George III and parliament sought to punish the Massachusetts colony for the Tea Party *Coercive Acts: 1. shut down Boston harbor to trade 2. authorized British troops to house in private homes and other private property (Quartering Act) 3. placed Massachusetts under martial law 4. revoked the Massachusetts charter *Quebec Act limited westward settlement Colonial Response and Results: *First Continental Congress met in Sept. 1774 to devise a coordinated response – sent grievances to King George III and pledged to reconvene in May 1775 if demands were not adequately addressed *Massachusetts Patriots formed their own government (led by Sam Adams and John Hancock) and stockpiled arms in the countryside

13. The Revolution Begins: Lexington & Concord • British General Gage, military commander of Boston, sent 700 British troops into the Massachusetts countryside in April 1775 to seize militia weapons and capture the leaders of the Massachusetts colonial government – Samuel Adams and John Hancock • The British were met by colonial Minutemen who resisted the British advance at Lexington and Concord, firing the first shots of the Revolutionary War • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiIFRCk1hxY

14. What happens now? As war broke out in spring 1775, colonial leaders now faced a choice: 1. to remain within the Empire and try to negotiate a settlement OR 2. declare independence from Britain What are the major arguments for both choices?

15. Before you leave… • Remember to turn in Homework 4 • Be prepared for our first Primary Source Investigation in our next class – it’s worth a quiz grade • It’s a good idea to start reading on your exhibit topic prior to our first library visit next week