Roots of Revolution

• (*paradox)– End of Salutary Neglect

• English mad at colonists• Passage of laws…

• – Representative government

Mercantilism and Colonial Grievances

• – Ex. The Navigation Laws of 1651

• Stated that all goods flowing to and from the colonies could only be transported in BR vessels, BR sailors, etc…

• • •

– Doubly abused w/ mercantilist policies– NO (Direct) REPRESENTATION

The Stamp Tax Uproar• Due to the F&I War, Britain had a very large debt

• In 1763, PM George Grenville ordered the British navy to begin strictly enforcing the Navigation Laws

• – Designed to raise tax revenue in the colonies for England– Navy ordered to step up enforcement

– Violators will be tried in

– Maritime tribunal lead by British-appointed judge (no trial by jury)

– Guilty until proven innocent

Those courts (v-a) “degrade every American…below the rank of an Englishman”

-J. Adams

The Stamp Tax Uproar cont.•

– Required colonies to provide food and housing for Br troops = !

• – Mandated the use of stamped paper or the affixing of stamps, certifying payment of tax

to raise revenue for defense– Colonies were given the option of paying for their own defense or the possibility of a

stamp tax– Benjamin Franklin proposed colonial representation in Parliament

• Rejected as too radical

• “No taxation without representation!”– Legislation by Parliament o.k.– Taxation by Parliament unjust

British imperial system being imposed did not regard the colonial assemblies

Questions to Consider

• What do you think were the goals of the British imperial reformers?

• Briefly outline why the colonists objected to new taxes in 1764-1765. Were their objections justified?

Parliament Forced to Repeal the Stamp Act

• of 1765– 27 delegates from colonies in NYC

• Created statement of rights and grievances• Requested the King and Parliament repeal• Began erosion of sectional suspicions

– Early step towards intercolonial unity

• – Agreements made to not import British goods effective and united

colonists

• The and – Enforcing the nonimportation agreements

• The Stamp Act was repealed by Parliament in 1766– Parliament passed the

• Reaffirmed its right “to bind” the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”

Stamp ActExample:

For every skin or piece of vellum or parchment, or sheet or piece of paper, on which shall be engrossed, written, or printed, any declaration, plea, replication, rejoinder, demurrer or other pleading, or any copy thereof; in any court of law within the British colonies and plantations in America, a stamp duty of three pence.

March 22, 1765

Colonial Response

Colonial protest:

A dummy dressed like the Stamp

Collector is attacked

Crowd Protest

Crowd Protest

The Bostonians Paying the Excise-man, or Tarring and Feathering

?

??

?

?

“What can a Governor do without the assistance of the Governed?”

-Phila. customs collector ?

Ideological Roots of Resistance*

• – Seaports at center

• Biggest direct impact– Urban distillers– Newspapers/printers– Lawyers– artisans

• – Liberties and privileges

in charters being denied

• – “natural rights”– Reason to criticize

traditional political practices

• – Colonists praised their

efforts during the Commonwealth Era t limit royal power

*Lawyers took the lead and organized resistance

Taxes

Tax • Tax levied on goods coming into the colonies

– Sugar, molasses, foreign goods• Colonists had no say in how these taxes were spent, but

generally felt Parliament had the right to levy the tax – (This position changed so that any tax for revenue purposes was

considered unconstitutional )

Tax• Tax levied on goods produced within the colonies to raise money

– Newspapers, official documents, goods, and services • Colonists had no say in how this money was spent,• No representation in Parliament, so they thought the right to levy

internal taxes should belong to the colonists only…. !

The Townshend Acts

• In 1767, Parliament passed the – Light import tax on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea– raised

• American military expenses• Colonial civil list

– Instead of colonial assemblies– More power

• Asserted power of Parliament to tax the colonies

• Colonies again lead a successful of Br goods– Most colonies supported colonial unity growing

• British officials, faced with a breakdown of law and order landed 4,000 troops in the colonies in 1768

Lord North Capitulates

• Repeal of Townshend duties under Lord North– Tax on tea retained

• (1773 Tea Act)

John Dickinson