The Road to the American Revolution

Question 1

Why was Taxation a reason for the American Revolution?

Answer 1

• The Thirteen Colonies were extremely important to Great Britain economically
  South: Tobacco & Cotton
  North: Fish & Timber
  Middle: Potatoes, Rye, Oats & Barley
• The colonists were angry because King George III established heavy taxes against the colonists through a number of acts.
  This led to the saying “no taxation without representation” for the colonists
• They felt that if they were going to help fund the crown, they should have some say in the functioning of their government.
• The Navigation Acts (1681, 1660 & 1663)
  Regulated trade and allowed Britain to collect duties (taxes) in the colonies.
• The Plantation Duty Act (1673)
  Made the colonies trade exclusively with England
  Penny tax on each pound of tobacco
  Five-shilling tax on every hundred weight of sugar
  Appointed tax collectors in the colonies
• The Sugar Act (1764)
  Taxed sugar and molasses imported into the colonies
  Impacted the manufacture of rum in New England
• The Stamp Act (1765)
  Placed a stamp tax on all legal papers, pamphlets, and newspapers.
• The Townshend Act (1767)
  Series of laws placing taxes on imported items including: glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea.
  Purpose: provide salaries for colonial officials
  Great Britain felt the colonies should be paying for the colonial administration.
• The Tea Act (1773)
  Allowed the British East India Company to sell its low-cost tea directly to the colonies.
  Only benefitted Britain

Question 2

Why was The Boston Massacre (March 1770) a reason for the American Revolution?

Answer 2

• The killing of five colonists by British soldiers
• Tensions had been growing
  Troops were stationed to enforce the heavy tax burden imposed by the Townshend Acts.
• The Commander-in-Chief of North America was to use “such Force as You shall think necessary” to subdue protests in Boston against the Acts
• Late in the afternoon, on March 5, a crowd of Bostonians slinging snowballs gathered around a group of British soldiers
• One soldier was hit and fired into the crowd, killing 3 and injuring 8
• Weakened British nationalism and strengthened the idea of America

Question 3

Why was The Gaspee Incident (1772) a reason for the American Revolution? And what was the Boston Tea Party (1773)?

Answer 3

• HMS Gaspée, a British revenue schooner that enforced trade regulations and taxes
• The ship was attacked, boarded, stripped of valuables and torched by American patriots led by the Sons of Liberty
• Lt. Dudingston, the captain of the Gaspee, had earned an awful reputation
  He boarded and detained vessels, confiscating cargoes, often without charge
• Previous attacks by the colonials on British naval vessels had gone unpunished
• The attackers were to be tried for treason – punishable by death
• Courts in Rhode Island colony refused to convict the perpetrators
  Lt. Dudingston was actually charged with illegally seizing goods—people back in England were outraged.
• Drew a further line between the British and the colonists.

Boston Tea Party:
- Protest by the American colonists against the Tea Act
Hurt many colonial smugglers
Resented the monopoly the British East India Company (BEIC) had on the sale of tea in the colonies
- “Sons of Liberty” disguised themselves as Mohawk First Nations
- Overnight, they opened crates of tea on BEIC boats and dumped it overboard
- By dawn, over 45 tons of tea (worth approximately 2 million dollars) was dumped into the harbour
- British government responded by closing the port of Boston
- Put the Intolerable Acts in place in response
Boston Port Act
Massachusetts Government Act
The Quartering Act
Administration of Justice Act

Question 4

Why were The Intolerable Acts a reason for the American Revolution?

Answer 4

Boston Port Act:
- Closed the port of Boston until the BEIC was repaid for the destroyed tea
- This port was very important to Bostonians because all their goods were imported through this port

Massachusetts Government Act:
- Brought the government of Massachusetts under control of the British government
Almost all positions were to be appointed by either the governor or Quartering Act
- Allowed a governor to house soldiers in other buildings than barracks if suitable quarters were not provided
Applied to all colonies
the king
Severely limited the activities of town meetings in Massachusetts

Administration of Justice Act:
- Allowed the governor to move trials of accused royal officials to another colony or even Britain
George Washington called this the “Murder Act”
Believed it allowed British officials to harass Americans and then escape justice

The Committee of Correspondence:
- Purpose: to warn neighbouring colonies about incidents with Britain
- Spread the resistance movement by contacting foreign governments
- “Informal political body” between the colonies

Question 5

Why was The Quebec Act (1774) a reason for the American Revolution?

Answer 5

• Quebec had already been conquered by the British
• Gave the Catholic Church rights to collect tithes (taxes)
• Expanded the French region
• Feared French Canadians were helping the British oppress the colonists