Causes of the American Revolution
1763-1776
The Navagation Acts
The Navagation Acts were acts to put merchantilism into effect. The parliament acted to fight the threat of the fast-growing Dutch carrying trade. Trade with the colonies could only be carried out with English or colonial ships, and certain items could only be shipped within the Empire. The most significant result of the Navagation Acts was the restraint of colonial manufacturing and the growing hate for the mother country.
The Proclamation Acts of 1763
The proclamation of 1763 was made after the French and Indian War in an attemp to avoid more fighting. The proclamation line told colonists that the couldn't settle West of the Appalachian mountains. King George III created this proclamation line to recognize that the Indians had a right to land. This made a lot of colonists very angry because they wanted to settle in the land West of the Appalachian mountains. Many colonists chose to ignore the proclamation.
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Acts were the taxes put on anything printed on paper. This was done by forcing colonists to buy a stamp or seal for paper products. This law was made because the Parliament wanted to raise funds to keep the colonies safe and pay off the debt of the French and Indian war. There were boycotts, protests, and violent acts committed over the injustice of the stamp act.
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was made in 1765. This law required colonists to house and feed British soldiers. Many colonists didn't like this because housing and supplying was expensive and the colonists didn't want to have search warrants ( Writs of Assistance).
The Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were the taxes placed on everyday goods such as tea, glass, paper and other items. These taxes were used to pay off military costs due to the Quartering Act. Many people boycotted against these acts. The Townshend Acts ended up getting repealed but the government continued to tax tea to show that they still had the power to place taxes. The Sons of Liberty were so angry at the British government for this that they attacked the homes of British officials and colonial tax collectors.
Boston Massacure
This event began with a crowd gathering around a colonist and a soldier who were arguing. Colonists began shouting, and soon more soldiers arrived. Shots were fired and five people died. Samuel Adams used this fight to leverage the public's standpoint and share his one-sided story with multiple colonies.
Tea Act and Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act was passed by Parliament in 1773. This made the British East India Company the only company that the colonies could buy tea from. Even though the price of tea was much lower, the colonies were still unhappy that they had to pay import taxes to Britain. The Daughters of Liberty began to make their own tea as a form of boycotting and some merchants refused to unload tea from the British ships. On December 16, 1773, there was a huge protest called the Boston Tea Party. This involved The Sons Of Liberty dressing up as American Indians, illegally boarding the ships, and dumping 342 crates of British tea into the Boston Harbor.
Coercive Act (Intolerable Acts)
Colonists called the Coercive Act the Intolerable Acts because the laws were so harsh. The laws included ending the trade between Boston and Britain, eliminating town meetings, giving Britain full control of the colonies, and strengthening the Quartering Act. This act inspired the desire of revolution.
The American Revolution
The French and Indian War cost a lot of money and Britain wanted the American Colonies to help pay for it. The British passed many laws that made colonists pay taxes on things. This caused much complaint from the colonists. They wanted Britain to treat them more fairly so the colonists organized their own army and began the Revolutionary War. As the war began many people took sides. People who wanted Independence were called patriots and people who wanted to stay loyal to Britain were called loyalists.