Causes of the Revolution Flashcards
British Priministers May 1762-March 1782
• Lord Bute: May 1762-April 1763
• George Grenville: April 1763-July 1765
• Lord Rockingham: July 1765- July 1766
• Lord Chatham (pitt the Elder): July 1766-october 1768
• Lord Grafton: October 1786- January 1770
• Lord North: January 1770- March 1782
• all but Grenville and North were Prime Ministers in the House of Lords
The American stamp act 1765
Stamp act 1765
• raise money for colonial defence
– this is because there was only ¼ of what was needed
– the Treasury predicted duties to rise by £60k in the first year
– it was past easily through Parliament as they believed Americans Should contribute to own Defense
• stamps were required we put on almost everything formally written or printed in The colonies
– 50 items were affected including: newspapers, legal documents, licenses and even playing cards
– American stamp duties was still a lot less than English ones
• this act affects all 13 colonies – mainly governors in terms of legal documents
– everyone in paying for cards or newspapers
– lawyers in terms of marriage license Tavern licenses etc
– anyone wanting to pay for insurance needs insurance policies which required stamps
– it reduces unemployments however as printers are required to print these stamps
American reaction to the 1765 stamp act
• The act seen as dangerous and unjustified
– raised questions if colonies could be taxed by a body they weren’t represented in
There were many more American reactions to this act including the following:
• the Virginia resolves,
• the stamp act Congress,
• an ideological debate,
• protest and mob action,
• Sons of Liberty,
• economic sanctions
American reaction to the 1765 stamp act
Virginia resolves
• the Virginia resolves
• 29 may 1765
– Patrick Henry introduces seven resolutions attacking the stamp act and threatening resistance to the Virginia house of burgesses
– by the time he’d finished saying it most people have gone home
• 30th of May 1765
– the 39 burgesses decided to adopt 5 mild /7 resolves introduced by Patrick Henry:
• colonists having equal rights as Englishmen
• colonists rights being guaranteed by royal charter
• colonists only being taxed if they have proper representation in the English parliament
• cornice having the right to give their consent to their laws
• the house of burgesses had the sole right to tax virginians
• this was printed
– meaning other colonies believing Virginia was against the stamp act and actively opposed Britain
• however most colonies had already finished their spring meetings so they had to discuss the resolves and the stamp act in autumn
• by the end of 1765 8 assemblies deny parliament’s right to tax colonies
– and draw up partitions to appeal the act
American reaction to the 1765 stamp act
Stamp act congress
The stamp act Congress took place June 1765 at the Massachusetts assembly
Suggested intercolonial meetings held to draft resolutions expressing a common colonial position on the stamp act
Met in October in New York 27 delegates from 9 colonies attended all from Upper classes
Opposed the act and decided that only their own legislators could tax their own colonies
– and deemed that state colonies should repel the act and oppose other acts
– and abolish vice Admiralty courts
American reaction to the 1765 stamp act
ideological debate
• the ideological debate in America over the stamp act was mainly due to the idea that the Americans would not accept taxes without representation and Parliament
• some believed American representation in Parliament is in practical due to the distance
• some also believed that American MPs would be worse than not having any as it may give Parliament an excuse to tax people more like an England
• colonists believe the only way to raise money in America was through the Colonial assemblies
• and believe the act was evidence of a conspiracy against American liberties
• despite this the king was still liked and the Parliament made the Colonial assemblies
• so ministers such as Grenville were blamed and seen as villains
– colonis also feared the presence of 10K British soldiers on the proclamation line was only to make colonists yield to taxes
American reaction to the 1765 stamp act
Protests ‘n’ mob action
• colonists only challenge Britain with popular support
• crowns with nothing new but militancy in 1765 towns was
• popular resistance to the actors organised in Boston by artisans and shopkeepers
• they were called the local 9 and they were Led by Samuel Adams
– he Focuses on resenting those who support the act such as the stamp distributors such as Andrew Oliver, the chief of Justice Tony hutchinson and governor Francis Bernard
• some Addams Unites north and south end gangs (who used to fight) against the act
– the gangs consisted of unskilled workers and sailors and apprentices
The protests evolved into mob action
• 19 August 1765
– effigies (Stuffed moddels of ppl like a scarcrow kinda) Andrew Oliver and bute the Prime Minister were hung under the Liberty tree in Boston
– there were men collecting mock stamp dutys there as well
• Hutchinson had demanded that they were freed but he was ignored Oliver quit his job and both had their homes attacked
• both were unpopular and deemed wealthy British minions
– wealthy people felt it was turning into a attack on property and them
• governor Bernard easily raised a Militia to keep order
• new spreads and stamp distributors flee throughout the colonies
– if nobody wanted to be distributors than the stamp duties can’t be paid and Britain would have to enforce it themselves
– but the 10K troops were mainly in Nova Scotia and the Western Front and only a few of them were in towns
– so the governor would have to call the military commander to ask them which none of them did
American reaction to the 1765 stamp act
Sons of Liberty
In autumn 1765 the secret society called The sons of Liberty were the ones directing the crowd action
• members were elites, new men, merchants, artisans and dissident intellectuals
• for example Samuel Adams
• however the organizations influence is largely exaggerated
as they weren’t United
and had it limited influence on southern colonies
and they may have orchestrated urban movement but towns were only less than 5% of the population of America and therefore their influence was extremely Limited
However one thing I did do was organise the boycott of British imports
American reaction to the 1765 stamp act
Economic sanctions
The crisis continued against the stamp act as these Sons of Liberty as the public to not buy British goods in an economic Boycott of British imports
• October 1765 New York merchants sign and agreement to not import goods from Britain till the stamp act was repealed
– this Boycott soon spread throughout merchants from across the colonies
– merchants formed many non-importation associations
– lots of colonists themselves simply didn’t buy British goods either
1765 stamp act British response to the reaction
• July 1765 Grenville replaced by Rockingham wants taxes upheld but not as boldly is Grenville did it
– did this by not exercising some rights and doing others discreetly
• Brits opinion divided MPs not like mobs but don’t want to appeal the act as it shows weakness
– they also think the argument that they do it due to lack of representation in Parliament is silly as British towns aren’t represented in parliament’s Either
– the British Commons believe that they represent Britain as a whole not just certain Communities including America
• British merchants and factories dislike the boycott so they want the act repelled
• general Tom gage commandering chief of colonial forces said it needed a lot more troops to enforce the act so Rockingham wants to repeal it
– Commons debated January 1766
– Grenville says it’s sovereign right to tax
– pitt said no it isn’t and praise American resistance
– some MPs wonder if ever pay tax again if it was repealed
• Benjamin Franklin said that they only didn’t like the internal taxes and would be happy to pay for external duties on trade in return for Navy protection
(lies)
Resulted in the declaratory act 1766
1766 declaratory act in America + repeal the stamp act
• March 1776 the stamp act was repealed 275:167 votes
• many MPs didn’t vote for the appeal believing it was the right thing to do
– they also feared colonists would damage the British economy
– and they didn’t want a Rebellion
• at the same time as the stamp act was repealed the declaratory act was passed
• the declaratory act 1766 asserted that colonies was subordinate to:
“crown and parliament of Great Britain”
– and the Parliament had full authority to make laws to:
“ bind the colonies and people of America in all cases whatsoever”
1766-7 Quartering Act
+ NY affair
• New York (1766-7): Crisis over Quartering act
– Colonist houses House Soldiers
– Gages army = growing + colonists × happy pay bills for maintenance of army in peacetime
• quartering troops & army intended to protect all colonies but only NY paid.
• NY assembly refused to pay for it
– = violence colonists vs soldiers
• response = UK threat suspend power of NY assembly if not pay
– June 1767, NY submitted & paid.
Townshend Dutys 1767
Main Townshend act
Townshend Act (1767):
• B need ▲ money from Am.
– Townshend want Loads of tax = say = external taxes (Cuz Tom Jeff said External = ok)
• New tax on paint, paper, glass, lead & tea.
– All enumerated items & had to be imported from UK. (navigations act)
– only make £40K/yr.
• pay salaries of governors, judges and other colonial officials.
– so ctrl all gov officials in America, so ≠ bribed.
• Commissioners of custom act
– collection of American customs = corrupt
– many officers = bribed due to low wages.
– to ▲ money = ▲ ctrl of System.
• Boards of commissioners set up in Boston
= supervised collection of customs.
Townshend Dutys 1767
New York Restraining act 1767
New York Restraining act (1767):
• prevented NY legislative assembly action until complied with quartering act.
– By suspending the assembly, parl posed issue of constitutional colony standing.
– Most colonies hated that UK could change/ suspend them at will.
– NY lacked colonial support so agreed to quartering act.
Townshend Dutys 1767:
Secretary of State for America 1768
Hillsborough, Troops, NA, Col Libertys at stake
Secretary of State for America (68):
• All responsibility of governing America = managed.
• Lord Hillsborough, want colonial obedience, but lacked pol wisdom.
– he × troops protec colonies from NA = western forts abandoned.
• Troops quartered in coastal towns
– If troops ≠ protect against NA = think there to destroy colonist liberties.
