Section 3 Essential QuestionHow did British tax policies move the

colonist closer to rebellion?- Understand why colonists resented the

Tea Act.- Learn how Britain responded to the

Boston tea Party.- Describe the battle that began the

Revolution.

A Dispute Over Tea

• During the early 1770s, the protest in the colonies against British Policies quieted down. Most of the Townshend duties had been repealed, but the one on tea remained.

• With every cup of tea they drank, colonist were paying a tax that Britain placed on them without their consent.

The Tea Act

• In 1773, Parliament opened an old wound by passing the Tea Act.

• It was intended to help the British East India Company.

• The Tea Act gave the British East India Company control over the American tea trade. The company had made money growing tea in India and selling it in Britain and in the colonies.

The Tea Act (cont)

• The Tea Act caused protests all over the colonies.

• In Charleston SC, colonist unloaded tea and let it rot on the docks.

• In Philadelphia, they blocked tea ships from landing.

• In Boston, the Sons of Liberty organized what is known as the Boston Tea Party.

Tea Act Tea Act (1773)(1773)8 British East India Co.:British East India Co.:

Monopoly on British tea Monopoly on British tea imports.imports.

Many members of Many members of Parl. held shares.Parl. held shares.

Permitted the Co. to Permitted the Co. to sell tea directly to sell tea directly to colonies without colonies without middlemen middlemen (cheaper tea!)(cheaper tea!)

Prime Minister North Prime Minister North

expected the colonies toexpected the colonies tochoose the cheaper tea.choose the cheaper tea.

Boston Tea Party Boston Tea Party (1773)(1773)

Boston Tea Party

• A group of colonist call the Sons of Liberty prevented the unloading of tea from the East India Company at many of the Colonial ports.

• They threatened ship captains who were bringing in the tea and merchants who said they would buy it.

Boston Tea Party (Cont)

• December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty disguised as Indians boarded three tea ships and destroyed 342 chests of tea.

• Many colonist rejoiced about the tea party, and thought it would show Britain how much they opposed taxation without representation.

• Because of the Boston Tea Party many in Britain called for the Americans to “be knocked about their ears.”

• King George III said, “We must master them or totally leave them to themselves and treat them like aliens.”

• Britain decided to “Master” the colonies and passed a series of laws to punish the colonists.

Boston Tea Party

How did Boston colonists show their opposition to the Tea Act?

By threatening ship captains and merchants involved in the legitimate tea trade and by dumping tea into Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts Intolerable Acts (1774)(1774)

Lord NorthLord North

1.1. Port Bill Port Bill

2.2. Government Government ActAct

4.4. Quebec Act Quebec Act

3.3. New Quartering New Quartering Act Act

Intolerable Acts Intolerable Acts (1774)(1774)

1.1.Port Bill: Closed the port of Boston.Port Bill: Closed the port of Boston.

2.2.Government Act: abolished the upper Government Act: abolished the upper house of the Massachusetts legislature, house of the Massachusetts legislature, and cut the powers of town meetings.and cut the powers of town meetings.

3.3.New Quartering Act: strengthened the New Quartering Act: strengthened the 1765 Act.1765 Act.

4.4.Quebec Act: set up a government for Quebec Act: set up a government for territory taken from France in 1763. Set territory taken from France in 1763. Set up new Canadian boundaries that up new Canadian boundaries that blocked colonist from moving west.blocked colonist from moving west.

Independence HallIndependence Hall

First Continental First Continental Congress Congress (1774)(1774)

55 delegates from 12 55 delegates from 12 coloniescolonies

AgendaAgenda How How to respond to to respond to the Intolerable the Intolerable Acts.Acts.

1 vote per colony 1 vote per colony represented.represented.

First Continental Congress

• In September 1774, delegates from all colonies except Georgia met in Philadelphia.

• Voted to ban all trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts ended.

• It declared that the Colonist had a right to tax and govern themselves.

First Continental Congress(cont)

• Called for each colony to begin training troops.

• This meeting planted the seed for a future independent government.

• Agreed to meet again in March 1775 if their demands weren’t met.

What did the First Continental Congress accomplish?

It called on the British to repeal the Intolerable Acts and called for a boycott of British goods and the training of colonial militias.

The Shot Heard The Shot Heard ’’Round the WorldRound the World!!

LexingtonLexington & & ConcordConcord – April – April 18,177518,1775

The Road to Lexington and Concord

• Britain rejected the demands of the First Continental Congress.

• It decided to restore it authority in the colonies by force.

• Patrick Henry believed that this would cause a war. He said “Give me Liberty or give me death.”

The Midnight Ride

• Samual Adams built a spy network to keep watch over British activities.

• Britain had their spies also. They learned that the Mass. Militia was storing arms and ammunitions in Concord, about 20 miles from Boston. He also heard that Sam Adams and John Hancock were in Lexington. Gen. Gage ordered their arrest.

The British Are The British Are Coming Coming . . .. . .

Paul ReverePaul Revere & & William DawesWilliam Dawes make make their midnight ride to warn the their midnight ride to warn the

MinutemenMinutemen of approaching British of approaching British soldiers.soldiers.

• The Sons of Liberty were prepared.

• Paul Revere and William Dawes were responsible to alert the colonist if the British were coming.

• If one lantern burned in the North Church steeple, the troops were coming by land; If two, they were coming by water.

• Revere, Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott (who joined them in Lexington) spread the news all the way to Concord.

The Midnight Ride

Lexington

• April 19, 1775, 700 troops reached Lexington. They found Captain John Parker and about 70 militiamen waiting.

• They ordered the militia to put down their guns but they refused.

• No one knows who fired first, but within a few minutes eight militiamen were dead.

On to Concord

• After the fight in Lexington, the British marched to Concord and destroyed military supplies. A battle broke out at the north bridge, forcing the British to retreat.

• Nearly 4,000 Minutemen and militiamen had arrived in the area and lined the road between Concord and Lexington.

• They peppered the Redcoats with musket fire and forced the British back to Boston

• 74 British dead, 200 wounded or missing• 49 Colonist dead, 41 wounded.

Lexington and Concord

• First battle of the War.

• Ralph Waldo Emerson later wrote that colonial troops had fired the “shot heard ‘round the world.”

• Colonist would now have to choose a side, those who supported Britain were called Loyalists, those who sided with the rebels were Patriots.

New New National National SymbolsSymbols

What led to the conflict at Lexington and Concord?

The British tried to march to Concord to seize the minutemen’s weapons and capture some important colonial leaders.

Section 3 Essential Question

How did British tax policies move the colonist closer to rebellion?

Tax policies drove more colonists to openly question British authority in North America and begin to move toward demands for greater self-government.