Causes of the American Revolution
1763-1776
Introductory Summary (American Revoulution)
The American Revolution was the war of independence waged by the American colonies against Britain that influenced political ideas and revolutions around the world. Social causes of the American Revolution was that America was viewed as inferior and inhabitants beginning to lose the ties to their "mother country". For the most part colonist we justified in declaring independence from England, but could've been less aggressive/violent when declaring independence.
Navigation Acts
The purpose of the Navigation Acts was to put the theory of mercantilism into actual practice. Because of the Navigation Acts trade with the colonies was to be conducted only with English or colonial ships. The most significant impact of the Navigation Acts was the Vice-Admiralty courts were set up to bring criminal charges for smuggling. Defendants were assumed guilty until proven innocent.
The Proclamation of 1763
In an effort to to avoid more conflict and tension with American Indians , King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763. The Proclamation of 1763 recognized the Indians' right to the land. And it did not allow colonist to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed in 1765 which taxed anything printed on paper by requiring colonist to buy a stamp, or seal, for paper products. Many colonist boycotted the Stamp Act as a form of protest. Congress later decided that only colonial governments should tax the colonies.
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required colonist to quarter, or house and feed British soldiers. Colonist were not happy about this because they had lost their sense of rights over their property, and housing and supplying the soldiers was costly. The colonist did not like having a standing army of soldiers with blank search warrants (writs of assistance). The British response was that the colonist should pay their share of expense of providing them with the protection from Indian attacks.
Townshend Acts
Parliament passed the Townshend Acts in 1767 , which made colonist pay taxes on imported tea, glass ,paper, ect to pay for rising military costs due to the Quartering Act. Because that the Daughters of Liberty (a group of women) made their own cloth instead of buying British cloth. By 1770, the protest worked and Parliament repealed most of the taxes. But left the tax on tea because the British wanted to show that they still had the power to tax.
Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770 a crowd gathered around an angry colonist arguing with a British soldier. Colonist began to shout insults and throw snowballs at the soldier. Soon more soldiers arrived, and as the mob grew louder and angrier , shots were fired. The riot resulted in five colonist being killed.
Tea Act & Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act was a law that only allowed British East India Company to sell tea to the colonies. Colonist were unhappy with the Tea Act because they were forced to pay import taxes to Britain. The "Son of Liberty " responded to the Tea Act by disguising as American Indians and Illegally boarded the ships and dumped 342 crates of British Tea into Boston Harbor.
Coercive Act (Intolerable Acts)
The Coercive acts were an effort to make the colonist pay for the tea and to keep the colonist from planning other attacks. The colonist called it the "Intolerable Acts" because they were so harsh. The laws stopped all treadle between Boston and Britain. They even strengthened the Quartering Act.