Causes Of American Revolution Flashcards
What was the stamp act 1765
Stamps for formal writing and printing
Duties were lower than in England and would raise £60,000 a first year and spent on colonial defence
Provoked intense reaction in America has it affected everyone and antagonise lawyers newspaper owners and printers
First direct tax by parliament seen as dangerous and unjustified action
No taxation without representation
Stamp Act Virginia resolves
Seven resolutions introduced the Virginia assembly attacking act-
Five adopted colonist had the rights of Englishmen
Resolutions printed in newspapers
Gave impression Virginia rejected Stamp Act
By 1766 eight other assemblies pass the resolutions
Stamp Act Congress act
June 1765 Massachusetts assembly suggested an intercolonial meeting
Stamp Act Congress met in October, 27 delegates from colonies attended they announce the Stamp Act Unclaimed only the legislation could impose taxes on them
Stamp Act ideological debates
Colonists not prepared to accept taxation without representation.
Representation three parliament impractical and could make it worse
Colonist thought the act deprive them of their liberties

Stamp Act popular protester mob action
Started in Boston led by Sam Adams. Using gangs of unskilled workers.
They hung Andrew Oliver effigies (stamp distributer) and other figures from trees
Mob tore down Olivers (chief justice) office and destroyed house 
Boston crowd did the same
Stamp act notified by Mob action the standing army was useless as it was far away
Stamp Act the sons of liberty
Crowd action organised by them that included wealthy elites and smaller merchants
Weren’t United unlimited influence in southern colonies
Appealed for a boycott of goods
The repeal of the stamp act
MPs horrified by violence against repealing it as it showed weakness
British merchants campaign for repeal alarm by boycott
General gauge said they couldn’t enforce the act so they decided to repeal the act in 1766

The declaratory act
 Parliament didn’t fully abandon Parliamentary Sophie Jennetty passed this act which declared colonies were subordinate to GB and had power to make laws
Reception of the repeal of the stamp act
Colonists were demanding independence of self rule in practice
Shift of power in America 
Stamp Act Mark turning point in relations
Townshend duties 1766
Charles Townshend was determined to make Colonist pay their expenses
Introduced new duties in class wine China lead paint paper and tea… £40,000

The New York restraining act
Military accommodation shortages occurred after the quartering act of 1765(lodging to GB soilders)
NY Refused to comply —> Towns in brought in restraining at which suspended Declan apartment until it complied
NY lacked support so gave in, towns in died suddenly in 1767
Resistance to duties grew slowly As merchants didn’t want another trade war
Economic response in colonies To the townshend duties
1768 Boston organised a boycott merchants opposed so wasn’t effective.
1769 colony except New England boycotted British goods

Committee set up to enforce nonimportation merchants he didn’t comply had goods damaged
Political response in the colonies to the Townshend duties
1768 Massachusetts assembly sent out a letter saying no taxation without representation
Sons of liberty reform to coordinate opposition
John Dickinson wrote an attack on the acts
Townshend duties protest and unrest in Boston
Board of customers and commissioners in Boston was a target for protests
1768 sons of liberty were revived and organised protests against custom officials
Bostonians harassed by British soldiers and newspapers for located stories of brutality and brawls were common
The Boston massacre
1770 March Accustoms informer killed 11-year-old boy in a riot
Battles broke out between soldiers and workers troops open fire and killed five Bostonians
Sons of liberty uses propaganda to suggest deliberate massacre
The situation in 1770
Not enough troops to impose order
Relationships are broken down
Colonists weren’t totally United and horrified by Mob action
Duties were penalising British exports and trade with USA
Lord North oversaw the repeal of duties except tea

Consequences of crisis Townshrnd duties and B massacre
NY abandon nonimportation and other colonies followed three years of trade resumed
However Colin is Work United disputes over land boundaries with New York and NH
Tensions between rich and poor
Small civil wars in southern colonies
How do the British and the colonist attempt to improve the relationship through actions of the British and actions of the colonists
To what extent was clean your distance between 1767 and 1770 similar to that in 1765
Why do tensions increase and relations between Britain and the American colonies deteriorate further between 1766 to 1770
Actions of the British
Why did tensions increase and relations between Britain and America Colonists deteriorate further between 1766 in 1770
Tea act 1773
GB introduced Tea act to save the near bankrupt east India company
Act abolished tax on the companies well still having to pay tax on imported Tea
T sold by the company was so cheap
Colonist wouldn’t buy tea until duty was removed
Colonist believed it was a destructive of independence Tea was rejected and sent back to England
The Boston tea party
November 1773 is three ships with T worth of £10,000 into Boston harbour
16th of December 60 sons of Liberty Disguises Native Americans boarded the ship and through the tea into the water
British reaction to Boston tea party
Coercive acts/intolerable acts
Even those things sympathetic to the colonies refuse to defend the tea party
The coercive acts(Intolerable acts) early 1774:
 Boston port act-Closed Boston To all trade until the destruction was paid for
Massachusetts government act-Governor could appoint/remove several officials town meetings held without permission

Impartial Administration act -Murder trials to GB courts

New quartering act -Forder authority to military commanders seeking house troops.
Québec act June 1774
Authority in region hands of governor without elected assembly
Limited trial by jury
Threat to convince liberties as a blueprint for Britain wanted to rule
Send an attempt to limit westward expansion
American reaction to coercive acts
A threat to all colonies people sent money and food help Bostonians
In 1774 New Yorkers found T on board a ship copied the Boston tea party
Economic response to the coercive acts
Boston tell meeting asked to boycott of British goods until the port act was repealed

Political response to the coercive acts
Assemblies tell meetings in newspapers denounce actions of GB
Propaganda persuaded colonists for common action
What role did political leaders playing the development of opposition to British rule: Samuel Adams
Realise colonial leaders were unable to challenge Britain without popular support
United gangs in Boston to work against Acts
Possibly played important role in planning Boston tea party in leading opposition to coercive acts
What role did American political leaders play in the development of opposition to British rule?
John Dickinson
Pennsylvania lawyer and politician who believe that parliament could regulate trade but not tax without consent
‘Letters of Pennsylvania in farmer’ which proves theoretical justification for actions taken by Sam Adams
What role did political American leaders play in the development of opposition to British rule?
Thomas Jefferson
Principal author of the Declaration of Independence
Criticise the fact that the Electrote in England could legislate for America
review of the rights of British America Influence people towards Independence
What role did American political leaders playing the development of opposition to British rule?  Thomas Paine
Arrived in America 1774
Publish commonsense selling 100,000 copies in 1776
Common sense is accessible to most Americans
Convince them of breaking ties with Britain on the way to stop the abuse of their liberties 
What role did American political leaders playing the development of opposition to British rule? John Adams
Boston lawyer and cousin of Samuel Adams
Known continental Congress representative of Massachusetts
Play the leading role in clearing on independence
Who was responsible for the breakdown in the relationship between Britain and the colonists
How important it is in bringing about the split between Britain and the colonies John Locke
An English political theorist who made contributions to develop meant of liberalism
He said the government was by the consent of the governed as a means to protect life liberty and estate. He believed in democracy
How did colonist minute play opinion
Illiteracy rate educational opportunities a number of booksellers in colonies
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet common sense which put forward independence arguments largest book sale of any book American history
Many leaders exploited political ideas even if I meant misrepresenting British policy
