The Loss of the American Colonies - Topic 3.1

Question 1

What was the Sugar Act?

And how did it create tension between America and the UK?

1764

Answer 1

• It reduced the duty on molasses and sugar per gallon from sixpence to threepence, but enforced the tax more rigorously. Approx. increase in tax was 2d (pence) and would get the British government £78,000 per annum.
• The tax was relatively successful and was only really resented by merchants. Nine colonial assemblies sent messages to London arguing that London was abusing its power by raising the tax as they saw it as a money-grab.

Question 2

What was the Stamp Act?

And how did it create tension between America and the UK?

1765

Answer 2

• The act required stamps to be fixed on almost all formal documents and was a ubiquitous tax.
• It was vigorously opposed by colonial assemblies and had a year in advance to build their fury. The first intercolonial congress with deputies of nine colonies convened collectively condemning the Act.
• The Sons of Liberty organised mob activity in Boston as well as formal and informal boycotting of British goods.
• The tax was repealed a year later but its reapeal was also accompanied by the Declaratory Act. The Declaratory Act stated that “the colonies were subordinate to the Crown and parliament of Great Britain.”

Question 3

What were the Townshend Duties?

And how did it create tension between America and the UK?

1767

Answer 3

• The collective name for a series of Acts passed in 1767 relating to the collection of customs duties from the colonies. The acts were introduced by Chancellor Townshend. The taxes were imposed on: glass, lead, painter’s colours, paper, oil and tea.
• The duties were denounced by the Massachusetts Assembly due to the idea of ‘no taxation without representation’. The people collecting the duties were often persecuted, which prompted the British to raise their naval and military presence in Boston to collect the duties.

Question 4

What was the Boston Massacre?

And why did the event make more tension?

1770

Answer 4

• The British had stationed 600 soldiers in Boston to preserve peace as there was rioting in the city. On 5th March, a small detachment of troops guarding the Customs House fired into protesting Bostonians after they had suffered assaults from the crowd. 5 Bostonians died, including Crispus Attucks.
• Paul Revere “produced” an engraving showing the massacre, which was one of the most effective uses of propaganda, to create rage and fury. The leader of the protest (Crispus Attucks) even got race-swapped to garner more sympathy because of the ubiquitous racism in the American colonies.

Question 5

What was the Tea Act?

And how did it create tension between America and the UK?

1773

Answer 5

• It attempted to shore up the East India Company to save them from bankruptcy. The EIC was allowed to trade directly with the American Colonies, drastically improving profits. Tea in America was now cheaper than the tea that was smuggled into the colonies.
• The cheaper tea would now compete with the smuggled tea which most Bostonians enjoyed. As well as this, the tea was not free from American duties, which led to the usual boycotts, denunciation based upon the principle of ‘no taxation without representation’ and the rejection of some of the tea.

Question 6

What was the Boston Tea Party?

And why did the event make more tension?

1773

Answer 6

• Tea equating to £1.88 million was thrown overboard by American colonists (all Sons of Liberty members) dressed up as Native Americans. 342 chests of tea were thrown.
• The British attempted to lock down and isolate Massachusetts under martial law. The British intended to punish the colony for their actions and replaced the Massachusetts governor (Hutchinson) with a loyalist; General Gage. However, by this point, the patriot intercolonial links were already strong and these hardline policies and actions strained relations with all of the colonies.

Question 7

What were the Coercive Acts?

And how did it create tension between America and the UK?

1774

Answer 7

• The acts intended to isolate Boston and to force the patriots into submission and try and control them martially. The acts resulted in: the port of Boston being closed, the governor could now appoint and dismiss most officials (General Gage was now governor), Boston murder trials would now happen in England if deemed so and, more powers to military commanders to quarter their troops.
• The acts were seen as the British government trying to eradicate the liberties and freedoms of the patriots in the colonies and establish authoritarian rule in America. These acts were the final straw for the patriot-British relations.

Question 8

What was the Continental Congress?

And why did the convention make more tension?

1774

Answer 8

• It was a convention of delegates from all of the colonial assemblies and established the de facto government of the United States. It is convention that drafted the Declaration of Independence and it also financed the patriot army. The de facto government set up committees to run the day-to-day business of America and it proclaimed that each colony had its own right to have troops.
• Britain declared Massachusetts in ‘a state of rebellion’ and Britain began preparing for war as the final attempt to reconcile failed.