Road to Revolution

The Road to Revolution

➊ Proclamation Act

➋Sugar Act & Stamp Act

➌Quartering Act

➍Townshend Acts

➎ Boston Massacre

➏Tea Act

➐Intolerable Acts

The Road to Revolution

➊ Proclamation Act

➋Sugar Act & Stamp Act

➌Quartering Act

➍Townshend Acts

➎ Boston Massacre

➏Tea Act

➐Intolerable Acts

Story Mode

Welcome to

Philadelphia!

Free Play

Philadelphia, the largest city in the American colonies, is a bustling trade center with a diverse population of around 30,000 residents.It is 1763 and you work as a reporter for the most successful newspaper in colonial America, the Philadelphia Gazette.Benjamin Franklin is the owner of the paper and he is your boss. He wants to meet with you about a developing story on the American frontier.Head over to the newspaper office (Big Brown Building). He is waiting for you outside.

Thank you for getting here so quickly! I recently received word about a new British policy called the Proclamation Act and it's affecting all of the colonies. I've always said, "Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame." I certainly hope there is some sense in what the British government is trying to accomplish with this Proclamation. I need you to head out to the Pennsylvania backcountry and see what is happening to colonists who have settled the land west of the Appalachian Mountains. Be sure to take good notes about what Britain's policy is and how the American colonists are responding to it. Report back to me as soon as possible so I can get the story to the printing press.

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You arrive in the backcountry of Western Pennsylvania near Fort Duquesne. You meet some colonial families who moved to the area following the British victory over France. These families risk Native American attacks and other challenges associated with frontier living. They have invested a lot of time and work into establishing their homestead. They recently heard about the new British policy called the Proclamation Act and they are eager to talk with you.

The families share with you that following the French and Indian War, colonists hoped to move to the fertile Ohio Valley but conflict with Native Americans was a real and constant danger. The British government wanted to honor the treaty they signed with their Native American allies (honoring their ancestrial lands) and to avoid conflict.

➊ Britain's Problems

Following the French and Indian War, Britain’s King George III wanted to govern the 13 original colonies and the territories gained in the war in a uniform way. So with his support, the British Parliament in London imposed new laws and restrictions. The first of Parliament’s laws was the Proclamation of 1763. It declared that colonists could not settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. Britain wanted this land to remain in the hands of its Native American allies to prevent future conflicts. It also kept colonists on the coast—where the British could control them. To enforce the new rule, the British planned to keep 10,000 troops in America.

➊ Britain's Solution

The Proclamation angered colonists who had moved to the fertile Ohio Valley and were now being evicted from their homes. Some colonists had purchased land out west as an investment and now the proclamation devalued their land because settlers were no longer allowed to move past the Appalachian Mountains. Colonists also believed that the proclamation limited their freedom of movement. They feared that the large number of British troops might interfere with their liberties. As a result, many ignored the law and distrust began to grow between Britain and its American colonies.

➊Colonists' Responses

Eviction Notice

Return to Philadelphia

It seems the British government is intent in passing along the high costs of protecting the colonies to the colonists themselves. "But in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes." I'm certain that the British government is trying to raise revenue to pay off the large debt accumulated from fighting the French and Indian War Head up to Boston and see who is behind these new taxes I keep hearing about. Take good notes and tell me what the colonists plan to do about it.

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Free Play

The ships that dock in the Boston Harbor offload many imported goods including sugar and molasses from the West Indies. There is a lot of chatter among the dock workers about a new tax on these goods. In the past, the king had asked the colonial assemblies to pass taxes to support military actions that took place in the colonies. This time, however,Parliament voted to tax the Americans directly. An angry dock worker hands you a crumbled up flyer announcing the new tax.

In 1764, Parliament passed the Sugar Act. This law placed a tax on sugar, molasses, and other products shipped to the colonies. Britain would use this new revenue stream to pay for its war debt following the French and Indian War. It also called for strict enforcement of the act and harsh punishment of smugglers.

➌Britain's Solution

You meet a colonists name James Otis. He, like many other colonists are angered by the Sugar Act. They believed this law violated their rights.Colonial leaders claimed that Parliament had no right to tax the colonies, since the colonists were not represented in Parliament. “Taxation without representation is tyranny (abuse of power)!” became a rallying cry against British policies. The British authorities back in England disagreed. They believed that the colonists were subjects of Britain andenjoyed the protection of its laws. For that reason, they were subject to taxation.

Return to Philadelphia

➌Colonists' Responses

Great work up in Boston reporting on the Sugar Act! Unfortunetly, Parliament and the King are not content with taxes on just sugar and molasses. "Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it...the more a man has, the more he wants." This seems to be true when it comes to King George. He is now looking to raise revenue with a new law called the Stamp Act. This one hits home for me!

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Free Play

The Sugar Act was just the first in a series of laws that increased tension between the mother country and the colonies. In 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act. This law taxed almost all printed materials. It required all legal and commercial documents to carry an official stamp showing that a tax had been paid. All diplomas, contracts, and wills had to carry a stamp. Even published materials such as newspapers had to be written on special stamped paper.

➌Britain's Solution

Colonial leaders vigorously protested. For them, the issue was clear. They were being taxed without their consent by a Parliament in which they had no voice. They argued that only their own assemblies could tax them. Meanwhile, some colonists formed secret societies to oppose British policies. The most famous of these groups was the Sons of Liberty. Many of the Sons of Liberty were lawyers, merchants, and craftspeople—the colonists most affected by the Stamp Act. In Boston, Samuel Adams helped start the Sons of Liberty. Its members took to the streetsto protest the Stamp Act.

➌Colonists' Responses

Take this letter I received from Samuel Adams. He sent it to me so that I could help spread the word about how the Sons of Liberty plan on protesting the Stamp Act. The only problem we have is that its written in code to hide the message from British officials. Use a cipher to crack the code and add to your notes on how the colonists' responded to the Stamp Act. Good luck!

➌Colonists' Responses

The Sons of Liberty forms of Protests planned for the Stamp Act:

Urge colonial merchants to refuse purchasing British goods in protest. The more merchants that refuse to buy throughout the colonies, the bigger the impact it will have! Cipher Shift: 1-Right

CPZDPUU

➌Colonists' Responses

The Sons of Liberty forms of Protests planned for the Stamp Act:

Not all of the protests are peaceful. We encourage members of the Song of Liberty to destroy the stamped paper in this manner whenever they can find it! Cipher Shift: 5-Left

WPMI

➌Colonists' Responses

The Sons of Liberty forms of Protests planned for the Stamp Act:

Attack custom officials (tax collectors) by covering them with this and parade them down the streets in public! Cipher Shift: 8-Right

BIZ & NMIBPMZ

Report back toBenjamin Franklin

King George III decided to keep 10,000 British soldiers in the colonies to help enforce the Proclamation Act and suppress the protests against the Sugar and Stamp Acts. This only added to Great Britain's mounting costs to protect its 13 Colonies. I always say, "Even peace might be purchased at too high a price" I've learned King George has put these troops under the command of General Thomas Gage and most of the men are stationed in New York City. Head up to New York and try to find out how the British plan to pay for such a large force. Take good notes and report back to me how the colonists respond to the new British policies.

Story Mode

Free Play

You arrive on the busy streets and docks of New York City. You quickly notice the presence of British troops. They are easy to spot throughout the city because of their bright red coats. You strike up a conversation with one officer in an attempt to get the British perspective on the situation that's brewing throughout the colonies.

King George III, the British monarch, wanted to enforce the proclamation and also establish a presence with its unruly colonial subjects. To do this, he decided to keep 10,000 soldiersin the colonies. Britain owed a large debt from the French and Indian War. Keeping troops in the colonies would raise that debt even higher. So in 1765, Parliament passed the Quartering Act. This was a cost-saving measure that required the colonies to quarter, or house, British soldiers in American barracks and public houses and provide them with supplies. If the soldiers outnumbered colonial housing, they would be quartered in inns,alehouses, barns, and other buildings.

➋Britain's Solution

Colonists wondered why British troops remained in North America after the French had been defeated. Most wondered if the Quartering Act was even legal because it seemed to violate the English Bill of Rights of 1689, which forbid the raising or keeping a standing army without the consent of Parliament. In 1766, 1,500 British troops arrived in New York City and the colonial assembly refused to comply with the Quartering Actby not providing lodging for the troops. The British troops were forced to remain on their ships. Nearly all other colonies joinedNew York and refused to comply with the Quartering Act.

Return to Philadelphia

➋Colonists' Responses

You are proving to be a valued member of our team here at The Pennsylvania Gazettte. I need a personal favor from you. My friend Thomas Denham is a prominent merchant here in Philadelphia. British officials just passed the Townshend Acts and they are cracking down on merchants who are selling smuggled goods. They brought Mr. Denham down to question his business dealings. Read up on the Townshend Acts and then sneak into his shop while everyone is away and hide any of the items that fall under the new taxes set by the Townshend Acts. Be careful! If you get caught, you will be arrested.

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Free Play

Townshend Acts

➍Britain's Solution

After the uproar over the Stamp Act, Britain hoped to avoid further conflict. Even so, it still needed to raise money to pay for troops and other expenses in America. The Quartering Act was not working. Most of the British army was in New York, and New York saw that as an unfair burden. Its assembly refused to pay to house the troops. The king’s finance minister, Charles Townshend, told Parliament that he had a way to raise revenue in the colonies. So in 1767, Parliament passed his plan known as the Townshend Acts. The first of the Townshend Acts suspended New York’s assembly until New Yorkers agreed to provide housing for the troops. The other acts placed duties , or import taxes, on various goods brought into the colonies, such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea. The Stamp Act taught the British that the colonists would resist internal taxes—those paid inside the colonies. Townshend thought that duties, which were collected before thegoods entered the colonies, would anger the colonists less than the direct taxes of the Stamp Act. To enforce the Townshend Acts, British officers would use writs of assistance, or search warrants, to enter homes or businesses to search for smuggled goods.

Continue

Protests immediately broke out at the news of the Townshend Acts. New Yorkers were angry that their elected assembly had been suspended. People throughout the colonies were upset that Britain was placing new taxes on them. The colonists were also angry about the writs of assistance. Many believed that the writs went against their natural rights. These rights had been described by English philosopher John Locke during the Enlightenment. The law of nature, said Locke, teachesthat “no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.” The colonists felt that the Townshend Acts were a serious threat to their rights and freedoms.

➍Colonists' Responses

To protest the Townshend Acts, colonists in Boston announced another boycott of Britishgoods in October 1767. The driving force behind this protest was Samuel Adams, a leader of the Boston Sons of Liberty. Adams urged colonists to continue to resist British controls. The boycott spread throughout the colonies. The Sons of Liberty pressured shopkeepers not to sell imported goods. In towns throughout the colonies, women formed the Daughters of Liberty and urged colonists to weave their own cloth and wear homemade fabrics rather than buying fabric made in Britain. As a result, trade with Britainfell sharply.

➍Colonists' Responses

Enter

Sneak into Thomas Denham's warehouse and find the five items the British might be looking for.

00:30

Hide the items under the red canvas and get out!

Good work! But you must be on your way once again. There is growing resentment toward the King and distrust of Parliament throughout the colonies. The heightened tensions are very concerning especially in Boston were Bristish officials, fearing a loss of control, have called for more British troops. A defiant Samuel Adams has said, "We will destroy every soldier that dares put his foot on shore....I look upon them as foreign enemies." Head back up to Boston and see what you can find out about the current situation.

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In the fall of 1768, 1,000 British soldiers (known as redcoats for their bright red jackets) arrived in Boston under the command of General Thomas Gage. With their arrival, tension filled the streets of Boston.

On March 5, 1770, tensions finally exploded into violence. You witness a group of youths and dockworkers (among them Crispus Attucks) starting to trade insults with British soldiers in front of the Custom House.Explore the scene by hovering your mouse over the soldiers and the mob of colonists to get an idea of the exchange.

"Fire your weapon you dirty lobsterback!"

"Lobsters for sale!"

"Help me throw some snowballs at these redcoats!"

"Disband and go home. There is no fight here that ends well for you!"

"Back off you damn Yankees!"

"Come on you rascals, fire if you dare!"

"Disband and go home. There is no fight here that ends well for you!"

"You bloody backs, should go back across the pond. Nobody wants you here!"

"You lobster scoundrels doing the King's dirty work...go ahead and fire those weapons!"

"Hold your fire men but stand your ground. We will not let a mob of rebels press us."

A fight broke out, and the soldiers began firing. Five colonists were killed, including Crispus Attucks.

A few weeks later you meet with Paul Revere, a local silversmith and member of the Boston Sons of Liberty. He refers to the shooting you witnessed as the "Boston Massacre." He says that Attucks and the four others had given their lives for freedom. He gives you a copy of his engraving of the incident and asks you to have it printed in the Philadelphia Gazette and any other means to help spread the news of British tyranny. The incident became a tool for anti-British propaganda.

Return to Philadelphia

One month after the Boston Massacre, Parliament repealed all of the Townshend Act taxes except for the tax on tea. The colonial boycott had been effective and the British trade had been hurt. But Parliament kept the tea tax to show that it still had the authority to tax the colonists. I suspect Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and the rest of the Sons of Liberty are cooking up new ways to ramp up the protests against British policies. Go to Boston and rub elbows with them. Do whatever it takes to earn their trust. This relationship will open up new sources of information for the newspaper.

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In 1773, Parliament opened up old wounds when it passed the Tea Act. Tea was very popular in the colonies, but much of it was smuggled in from Holland. The Tea Act gave the British East India Company control over the American tea trade. The tea would arrive in the colonies only in the trading company’s ships and be sold there by itsmerchants. Colonists who had not been paying any tax on smuggled tea would now haveto pay a tax on this regulated tea. This enraged colonial shippers and merchants. The colonists wondered what Parliament would do next.

➏Britain's Solution

Protests against the Tea Act took place all over the colonies. In Charleston, South Carolina, colonists unloaded tea and let it rot on the docks. In New York City and Philadelphia, colonists blocked tea ships from landing and forced them to turn back. In 1773, three ships loaded with tea arrived in Boston Harbor. The Sons of Liberty acted swiftly and organized what came to be known as the Boston Tea Party. On the evening of December 16, 1773, a group of men disguised as Native Americans boarded three ships docked in Boston Harbor. That night, members of the Boston Sons of Liberty destroyed 342 chests of tea by throwing them overboard. Many colonists rejoiced at the news. They believed that Britain would now see how strongly colonists opposed taxation without representation.

➏Colonists' Responses

Free Play

Help destroy the Tea!In order to earn the trust and respect of the Sons of Liberty, you must use the key pad below to enter the amount of tea chests that were destroyed in the event known as the Boston Tea Party.

Free Play

Congratulations! Your participation in the Boston Tea Party has earned you the trust and respect of the Boston Sons of Liberty! You'll now get the lastest developments straight from the source. Benjamin Franklin will be very happy to hear this!

Return to Philadelphia

The Boston Tea Party has aroused fury in Britain. One British official said that the people of Boston “ought to be knocked about their ears.” King George III declared, “We must masterthem or totally leave them to themselves.” I believe Britain will choose to “master” the colonies and punish the Massachusetts colony for the Boston Tea Party and serve as a warning to all of the other colonies. Read up on what the British government plans to do!

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Intolerable Acts

➐Britain's Solution

In 1774, Parliament passed a series of laws to punish the Massachusetts colony and to serve as a warning to other colonies. The British called these laws the Coercive Acts, butthey were so harsh that the colonists called them the Intolerable Acts. One of the acts would close the port of Boston until colonists paid for the destroyed tea. Others allowed Britain to house troops wherever necessary, and let British officials accused of crimes in the colonies stand trial in Britain. To enforce the acts, Parliament appointed General Thomas Gage governor of Massachusetts.

Home

Other colonies immediately offered Massachusetts their support. They sent food and money to Boston. Colonial leaders called for a meeting of colonial delegates to discuss what to do next. This meeting will be held right here in Philadelphia. This will be a momentous occassion as it will be the first time the 13 colonies will be making decisions as one collective group. This meeting will be called the First Continental Congress. I'm going to dust off my old political cartoon and use it to convince colonial leaders that we must come together and support one another.

➐Colonists' Responses

Road to Revolution

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