The Road to Revolution

1. The Road to Revolution 1763 - 1775

2. The Deep Roots of Revolution • Insurrection of thought usually precedes insurrection of deed. • America was a revolutionary force from the day of its discovery. • Distance weakens authority; great distance weakens authority greatly

4. Mercantilism • Basic Belief: • Wealth is power • Country’s economic wealth (& military /political) can be measured by the amount of gold & silver in its treasury

5. Mercantile Theory • Colonies: • Regarded as existing first & foremost to help the mother country • Expected to furnish products needed in England & buy English goods • Discouraged from buying goods from other countries • Colonies were suppose to complement & not compete with English industry

6. Navigation Laws • 1st laws passed in 1650 • Restricted commerce to & from the colonies • Goal: • Keep money within the empire • bolstered British & colonial-merchant marine (helped Royal Navy)

7. Goods sent directly to England where custom duties were collected middlemen would get cut of profit Some products like tobacco, were shipped to England & not to foreign markets Trading Goods

8. Problems for the Colonies • No banks in colonies/ limited currency • Bartering • Colonies started printing money & money depreciated • Parliament restrained colonies from printing money & passing lax bankruptcy laws

9. Ensured British naval supremacy Provided profitable markets for English goods Kept gold/silver within the empire Goal: keep colonies economically dependent on England Colonial legislation could be vetoed by the Privy Council via the “Royal Veto” Mercantilism

10. Laws laxly enforced Colonies paid bounties (price supports) Guaranteed markets Free military protection Economic initiative stifled Exploited by British merchants Debasing to the Americans Generous share of profits Merits v. Menace of Mercantilism

11. Quote • “A wise owner does not disembowel or starve the goose that lays the golden eggs.”

12. Laws – 1763 & 1764 • 1763 – Prime Minister Grenville • enforced the Navigation Laws • taxed the colonies to help defray 1/3 of the cost of protecting the colonies • 1764 – Sugar Act: tariff on imported sugar (indirect tax)

13. Laws - 1765 • Quartering Act • provide food & quarters for troops • Stamp Act: (direct tax) – stamped paper or affixed stamp certifying payment • colonial cry, “no taxation without representation” • Virtual v. direct representation

14. Stamp Act

15. Stamp Act Congress 1765significance • 27 delegates from 9 colonies • Asked the king & parliament to repeal the act (ignored in England) • Brought together leaders from different colonies • Adopted a non-importation agreement against British goods (consumer boycott) • Led to violence by the Sons & Daughters of Liberty

16. Sons & Daughters of Liberty • Tarred & feathered violators of nonimportation agreements • Burned effigies, ransacked houses, etc. • Officials stopped collecting the tax

17. Why Repeal? • Law was openly defied • British merchants demanded that parliament repeal it • Merchants, manufacturers, & shippers were losing money & jobs • Stamp Act repealed 1766

18. Problems Began • 1766 – Declaratory Act • Proclaimed that Parliament had the right to “bind” colonies in all cases whatsoever • 1767 – Townsend Act: light import tax on glass, paper, & tea (indirect tax- paid at ports) • used to pay salaries of Royal Governors • Colonial smuggling increased • 1768 – British troops sent to Boston (taunted by the colonials)

19. Boston MassacreMarch 5, 1770 • British troops kill 11 colonists • Flames of discontent & resistance fanned by Samuel Adams • Organized local Committees of Correspondence • Chief function was to spread propaganda • Creation of similar committees in all the colonies

20. Boston Massacre

21. British East India Company • 1773 – given a monopoly on the American tea business • Cheaper tea but still with a tax (a British trick?) • Boston Tea Party resulted

22. Repressive Acts/Intolerable Acts • 1774 – parliament passed a series of Repressive Acts – (Intolerable Acts) • Boston harbor was closed until damages were paid & order restored • Restrictions placed on town meetings

23. Quebec Act • Accompanied Intolerable Acts • French were guaranteed their Catholic religion • No representative assembly or trial by jury • Southern boundary extended to the Ohio River

24. Response: 1st Continental Congress Philadelphia • Intercolonial frictions reduced • Declaration of Rights issued • Appealed to the king & the British people • Called for a complete boycott of all British goods: non-importation, non-exportation, & non-consumption • Still no genuine drive for independence

25. The granting of some kind of home rule to the Americans might have prevented rebellion

26. Troops Sent • 1775 – British commander sent troops to Lexington & Concord • Goal: seize stores of colonial gunpowder & get Samuel Adams & John Hancock • 8 Americans (minutemen) were killed at Lexington • 70 British soldiers were killed at Concord • “The shot heard round the world” – Emerson – WAR!

27. Larger population Greater monetary wealth Stronger naval power 4. Professional army 5. Hessians 6. American loyalists 7. Indian support British Strengths

28. Irish & French threat Government confused/ inept Whigs supported colonies 4.Military difficulties 5. Britain had to win 6. Problems of distance 7. American geographical expanse British Weaknesses

29. Outstanding leadership French aid European officers Fighting defensively 5. Agricultural self-sustaining 6. Superior marksmen 7. Moral advantage American Strengths

30. Badly organized Sectional jealousy Economic difficulties Inflation Desertions 6. Scant military supplies 7. Lack of manufactured goods 8. Unreliable militiamen 9. American profiteers American Weaknesses