Causes of the American Revolution

Problems in Europe

• “Salutary Neglect” - A beneficial policy where England did not strictly enforce mercantilist trade regulations and the colonies prospered.

• Salutary neglect was largely unintentional

• England had been going through a Civil War and Glorious Revolution and had bigger things on their minds than enforcing rules.

Mercantilism

• “A policy where countries set up colonies to create a favorable balance of trade.”

Navigation Acts

• Regulations established by England to control American colonial trade and production.

• All trade has to be done on English ships

• All ship’s crews have to be ¾ English.

• Certain products, like tobacco and sugar, could only be shipped to England.

• All other trade has to take place by way of England.

• These laws were ignored for the most part.

• Some merchants, especially in New England, traded with whoever they wanted

Problems in Virginia

Bacon’s Rebellion

• Nathaniel Bacon was a Virginia pioneer of moderate status. He was upset about the following things…

Bacon’s Rebellion

• 1 - The differences between frontier and tidewater farmers.

– Tidewater farmers have the best land and more power.

Bacon’s Rebellion

• 2 - Taxes paid mostly by the poor

• 3 - The rich have most political power

Bacon’s Rebellion

• 4 - The governor had been treating Native Americans with respect (What nerve!)

• The governor viewed them as citizens

Bacon’s Rebellion• Hundreds of indentured servants rise

up in 1676, burn Jamestown and nearly take over the colony.

Bacon’s Rebellion

• Rebellion is put down when Bacon dies of a fever.

Bacon’s Rebellion

• Wealthy planters stay in control but learn a lesson.

• 1. Indentured Servants are given more freedom and planters rely more on African slaves.

• 2. Becomes a foundation of the American Revolution.

• England wins huge territory from the French.

French and Indian War

• Proclamation of 1763 established a boundary over which colonists were not supposed to cross.

– this line angers many colonists

French and Indian War

• Colonists fight side by side with English troops

– Colonists get experience and prove to be good soldiers

French and Indian War• War costs a lot of money and England is now

concerned about holding on to the colonies, after one hundred years of salutary neglect.

The Acts

• England spends a lot of money fighting a war against France.

Who pays for the war?• England thinks that the colonists

should pay because English troops won the war for them and the colonists are English citizens.

• Colonists think new taxes without representation in parliament are an abuse of power.

The Sugar Act (1764)• Enforces the Navigation Act• Cracks down on smuggling of sugar• Colonial merchants have to pay import

duties or go to court in England.

The Quartering Act (1765)

• Large numbers or British troops in America cost a lot of money to feed and house.

• Law requires colonists had to feed and house them in exchange for a small fee.

The Stamp Act (1765)

• An official stamp had to be purchased for all legal documents, newspapers, etc.

– No stamps were ever bought.

The Acts

• The acts only cause a major dent to colonial wallets.

• But they do cause a major dent to colonists’ egos.

Colonists begin to organize

“No taxation without representation”

• Patrick Henry demands that only Virginians could tax Virginians.

• Becomes a rallying cry for colonists throughout America

Stamp Act Congress

• Colonists from nine colonies meet in New York City to oppose the Stamp Act.

– They draw up a resolution that calls for the king to revoke the Stamp and Sugar Acts.

Stamp Act Congress

• The first time that the colonies meet to fight against English laws.

• The Stamp Act is later repealed

England tries again

• They pass the Townshend Acts

• Taxes on specific goods like lead, glass, tea, paint, etc.

• American colonists, led by the Sons of Liberty boycott English goods and harass merchants who comply.

• Boycott – refuse to purchase a certain good as a form of political protest.

The Boston Massacre

• England sends troops to Boston, where most of the Sons of Liberty action had occurred.

The Boston Massacre• Troops begin to compete with

Americans for odd jobs and live in colonist’s houses.

• A crowd of colonists protests and is fired on by British troops.

– Five colonists killed

Open Rebellion

Boston Tea Party

• On a night in 1773, members of the Sons of Liberty board a British merchant ship and pour over seven tons of tea into Boston Harbor.

The Intolerable Acts

• Passed by Parliament in response to the Tea Party.

The Intolerable Acts

• Boston Harbor closed

• British troops quartered in private residences

• Massachusetts charter abolished (again).

• Boston placed under martial law.

First Continental Congress (1774)

• All colonies except Georgia meet in Philadelphia.

• They demand the abolition of the Intolerable Acts and begin a boycott on English goods.

War Begins

• British troops in Boston hear about a rumor of guns stored in the neighboring towns.

• Paul Revere, and two others, ride into the towns to warn the minutemen that “the regulars are coming”.

• Minuteman – colonial militia

• "Stand your ground; don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here,"

• - Captain Parker, Colonial Militia Commander

Lexington and Concord

• British troops meet seventy minutemen at Lexington.

• Someone fires a shot. Eight militia men die.

Lexington and Concord

• “The Shot heard round the world”

Lexington and Concord

• British troops push on to Concord where guns were supposed to be stored, but find several hundred minutemen.

• British flee back to Boston.

• American colonists use guerilla tactics.

• British lose 300 men killed and wounded.

WAR!(Finally)