Causes of the American revolution
Anthony salvo 1763-1776
Overall summary of the revolution
The American revolution was when the 13 English colonies rebeled against England to gain their freedom as their own country. The main reason for the revolution was that England taxed the colonies to pay off war debt. It took the colonies a long time to actually rebel but the colonists had rebellious thoughts. Another main reason the colonists didn't rebel sooner is that the colonies did not want to work together because they thought they would lose their power. But England actually took all of the power that the colonists had.
The Navigation Acts
The main idea of the navigation acts was to put the theory of merchantilism in to actual use. One rule that the colonists had to follow was that all traded goods had to be going to and coming from England. The main reason the colonists disliked the sugar act because the act made it so the colonists had to purchase a higher priced sugar. This one act is one of the first things that sparked rebellious thoughts.
The Proclamation of 1763
The proclamation of 1763 was made after the long fought french and Indian war. What the proclamation did was the king said that the colonists can not settle past the Appalachian mountains to stop more conflict with the native Americans. Majority of the colonies did not like this at all and did not listen to it. This enraged the colonists because they wanted to be able to farm the land that they fought and died to get from the french. After the war was over a Indian chief named Pontiac Joined Indian tribes together to fight against the colonies to get their land back. Eventually England defeated the Indians and that was when the king decided to make the proclamation of 1763.
The stamp act
The stamp act taxed all paper goods by forcing people to get a stamp on their paper product when they buy it. This was another one of the acts created to pay off the debt from the war. Samuel Adams decided to create the sons of liberty to try and protest British rules. Nine of the 13 colonies decided to meet in new York and send a letter to the king telling him to repeal the act was called the stamp act congress. The colonists boycotted buying some of the paper goods and then the king repealed the act but took more control of the government in the colonies.
Quartering act
In response to the colonies protest of the stamp act Britain sent more soldiers to the colonies. The main idea of the quartering act was that the colonists had to house and feed the soldiers. The two things that the colonists did not like is that the soldiers could search the colonists house whenever they wanted and that the colonists had to pay to feed and house the soldiers. The writs of assistance was when the soldiers could search the colonists homes at random times.
Townshend act
The Townshend act tea, glass, and paper were some of the items that the act taxed. In response to this the daughters of liberty made their own cloth to make clothes instead of buying British cloth. Even after the Townshend act was repealed the British continued to tax tea to show they have the power of tax. The sons of liberty responded to the continued taxing by attacking the homes of the British officials and tax collectors.
Boston massacre
During the Boston massacre only five people died but was considered the a massacre by the colonists. The way it happened was a soldier and colonists were arguing then a crowd formed. Then more soldiers arrived and when the colonists tried to fight five people were killed. Samuel Adams decided that he should use this event as propaganda to turn many of the colonists against England.
Tea act and Boston Tea Party
The Tea act said that the colonies had to buy tea from a certain seller. The Tea act made the colonists buy cheaper tea but the colonists did not like having to pay the import tax on the tea. In response to this the sons of liberty dressed up as native Americans and threw 342 crates of tea into the Boston harbor.
Coercive Act
The colonists called the coercive acts the intolerable acts. The coercive acts just enforced previously made laws. The four laws that were enforced was all trade between Boston and Britain stopped, town meetings were not allowed, Britain was given control of the colony, and the quartering act was strengthened. This is one of the last things that stirred revolutionary spirit throughout the colony.