February Tuesday 9, 2010 Origins of the American Revolution
To study do outline for essays and review readings. We know that the crown is doing little to help the conflicts in the colonies. Why do Americans take up arms? Only about 1/3 of white Americans supported the war, the rest were uninterested or loyal to the crown Poverty worsens; it increases significantly in 1760 and 1770. The British crown improaches on traditional liberties and rights
The seven year war starts it. In 1752 the land is mostly controlled by French, which passes to British hands by 1763. Originally Spain had the most land and control. After the treaty of Paris in 1763, the French essentially leave the area giving the land to the British. One consequence is that the war leads to increasing poverty. The New England colonist contributes most of the colonial troops. o 30% of all men between 15 to 30 in Massachusetts had been in service and died or returned injured. o When the war ended in 1763, it leads to a severe recession, because the British spend a lot of money supporting the war. o It leads to an influx of soldiers or a large amount of discharged soldiers who were not searching for employment before now needed jobs. o Immigration in high in early 1750 and is nonexistent during the war when It increases again in the 1760. The soldiers have to compete with immigrants for survival. o This war costs a lot of money to Britain to fight, and England's national depts. It doubled over the course of this war. o The British believe that the advantages of the war went to the colonist themselves, and that they should pay some of the dept. o The annual interest and the dept kept growing, it was enormous.
England has to try to get revenue from the colonies. o First thing they do is the molasses act of 1733 places a high tax on molasses from the French Caribbean. They wanted the colonists to buy their supplies from the British. o The colonists just end up smuggling in sugar and molasses. o It was called the sugar act or revenue act of 1764, they decided to cut the tax in half and strictly enforce it. They put out 40 ships off the coast tried to intercept smuggles. o But the revenue from the tax was less than the amount required for the ships The stamp act of 1765 says that various official colonial documents need to have a stamp on it, or a tax. o It includes anything legal or printed, pamphlets, and licenses, newspapers. etc o The problem is that the taxes are supposed to be given freely by the people to the crown; the King had no right to tax people. However, he could impose taxes on imports and exports. They are supposed to try to protect the interest of England, shape trade to benefit the crown. o The stamp act is passed by parliament in Britain but the colonists who are paying it have no representation in Parliament. o Colonist had always paid taxes but to local government, this is the first time parliament gas levied a tax on the colonist. o Crown is overturning British traditions. Parliaments claim that the colonists are virtually represented. The stamp act draw protests at first. There is a stamp act congress that sends a petition to the king in the fall of 1765 confirms colonist subordination to the king and set a appeal for tax. o Colonists drew a line between internal and external taxes. Internal should be self-imposed, but external which is the import and export tax should be monitored by the crown. o The 1765 Boston Massachusetts stamp act protest, the angered Bostonian created a riot. Shop keepers and lawyers gathered together and organized against the stamp act. They call for a street protest to force the stamp act salesmen to leave town. They hung an effigy of Oliver, one of the salesmen, causing him to resign. o The next protest is not organized; the crowd goes to the home of detested important individuals. One of which was Hutchinson who had the finest house, they protested at his house because he was involved in a political conflict
to limit the lost of Bostonians right to vote for the crown. He was related by marriage to Oliver. The crowd destroys his house only the walls are left standing they when were done. o Not everyone approves of the second protest because it got out of hand, they have different goals in mind. There is a belief that in retrospect, we are republicans, by educating people you must be on the alert all the time to protect and defend your liberty, that power by nature corrupts. o Every little infraction can lead to enslavement.
o This comes from the study of classical literature, the study of the Roman Empire. o not happy with the protest. o the streets to protest. These people have a lot invested in the status quote, The inequality and poverty causes people to take to
o Their world is built on hierarchy that you show respect to those above you in status. For example, Hewey meeting Hancock in the shoemaker. o an obligation to you. You show respect to social superiors and they have
o They have a belief that things are suppose to be fair a moral economy. Everything has a justifiable price. The belief is widespread and helps to understand the action of laborer and such. o Form their perspective the code of the moral economy has been violated, they are not able to survive. The commodity prices are increases but the average wages of the laborers are decreases and remain lower that n commodity prices. In 1765, wages and commodity prices are falling and wages fall as commodity prices rise. o This is a violation of the moral economy where everyone looks out for any other's interests. o reasons. o People are protesting for different See course packet pg 16
o One example is the "Sons of popularity"He warns his fellow Whigs to beware of what they are doing because they don't have control of the crowd. People are not on the same page. o The stamp act protests gets out of hand and in 1766, the crown repeals the stamp act but passes the declaratory act. That says parliament has the right to legislate for the colonies: in all cases. So, then Britain passes the revenue act or Townshend duties of 1767, which is duties on tea glass lead paper and painter' colors. These are external taxes, not internal taxes, repealed in 1770. o People are suspicious at this time aware that the crown is trying to raise money at their expense. Simultaneously the economy continues to decline. 1768 there are memorial protest remembering the stamp act, Hutchinson calls out British soldiers to Boson. At the Boston Massacre of 1770, the crowd throws stones at British soldiers, a serious confrontation in Boston. In 1772 a British ship is charged with capturing smuggles. The Gaspee, was bordered by colonists who burned it down and shot the captain. In 1773 the Boston tea party occurs. o The East Indian Company a British monopoly who imported tea from Indian for the colonies was in bad financial state. o The tea act cuts the tax on tea but gives the company privileges, to encourage colonist to drink their tea instead of smuggles. o It causes protest and the Boston tea party where pounds of tea are dumped in to the water. The troops it took to police the colonies cost more than the revenue the crown was collecting form the colonies. Does parliament have authority over colonist? Leads to the coercive (intolerable acts) of 1774 Boston port act closed the port of Boston till all tea was paid for
Massachusetts Government Act made the government council appointed directly by the crown instead of election, there was to be no town meetings in Boston without the governor The impartial administration of justice act says the loyal officers accused of crime in colonies will be tried in England.
Quartering act said the troops traveling the colonies had to housed in private households. 1774 Quebec Act extended the Quebec boundaries down into the Ohio valley. It allows the British to impose their will and take away the central of the continent from the colonies. Acts lead to the first continental congress, how do you respond? o They request politely that there be a restoration of traditional English ideals. o 1774 to 1775, they tried to repeal the coercive acts, but to no avail. o Paul Revere's satire of the satire 1774 addresses the people's fury of the Coercive Acts.