Road to Revolution

French and Indian War (1754 - 1763)

MURDER BOARD

The death of the relationship between the British and the Colonies

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#5

#3

#1

Sugar Act(1764)

#4

Navigation Acts (1651)

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Albany Plan (1754)

#2

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Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763)

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Boston Massacre (March 5,1770

MURDER BOARD

The death of the relationship between the British and the Colonies

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#8

#10

#6

Intolerable Acts (1774)

Stamp Act(1765)

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#9

#7

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Tea Act(1773)

Quartering Act(1765)

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Common Sense (Janurary 1776)

MURDER BOARD

The death of the relationship between the British and the Colonies

ALL LEADS POINT BACK TO THE REVOLUTION!

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#13

#11

#14

First Continental Congress (September 1774)

Second Continental Congress(1775)

#12

Declaration of Independence (July 4,1776

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Quartering Act (1765)

The Quartering Act forced colonists to house and supply British troops after the French and Indian War to save Britain's military costs. This changed the colonists’ relationship with the soldiers because they were previously able to volunteer to help soldiers. This continued to display Britain’s desire to control the colonies, and the colonists’ growing resentment towards Britain. The Patriots believed this Act violated their privacy and emphasized Britain’s control in the colonies. They thought that it was an attempt to exhaust the colonists economically and force them into submitting to the Crown.

French and Indian War

The French and Indian War was a fight between Britain and the colonists against France and the Native Americans. It was a battle for controlling territory in the North. The conflict arose in the Ohio River Valley as both powers has a desire to expand. In the end, Britain and the colonists defeated the French and gained control of Canada and French territory. However, the victory came with a cost as it left Britain in huge debt. The war was caused by competition for control of land in the Ohio River Valley with various long-term effects. The debt led Britain to place unfair taxation policies like the Stamp Act and restrictions against expansion. This angered the colonists and led to the foundation of beginning of the revolution. Native Americans allied with the French in hopes to limit British expansion. However, after the British victory, Native groups were subject to colonial expansion and loss of power, leading to revolts like Pontiac’s Rebellion.

Tea Act (1773)

The Tea Act, enacted in 1773, was an attempt by Britain to save the British East India Company economically. This reduced the price of tea sold by the British East India Company in the colonies.The Tea Act was a continuation of Britain’s attempt to raise their revenue and control the colonies. This resulted in a change in colonial resistance, though. The colonists became more destructive, shifting from boycotts and protests to property destruction during the Boston Tea Party. Patriots believed that the Tea Act was an attempt to get the colonists to accept Britain’s taxes by lowering prices on tea. The Patriots believed this harmed local economies because the Tea Act only allowed the British East India Company to sell at a reduced price. On the other hand, Loyalists believed the Tea Act was beneficial because the prices were reduced and stabilized the economy. They thought the Patriots’ responses to the Act were irrational.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was created mainly by Thomas Jefferson and the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It was a formal announcement stating that the thirteen colonies were separating from Britain. It incorporated Enlightenment ideals and declared that all men have the natural rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It also claimed that governments should provide authority by consenting with the governed and stated various grievances against the King. Ultimately, it justified rebellion by stating that Britain has violated the colonists’ rights, making the fight for independence necessary. The Declaration was similar to John Locke’s Enlightenment principles, but also different as it requested independence rather than changes in the empire. The Declaration was a bold and final statement. From the Crown’s perspective, the Declaration was seen as treason, but British leaders understood that the colonists wouldn’t shy away from this proclamation. Due to this, Britain’s only option was to their military to try and suppress the uprising.

Boston Massacre

On March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, which ended up killing 5 colonists. One of the victims was Crispus Attucks. The event was publicized as a massacre and portrayed the British as oppressors. Although the British officials claimed it was self-defense, Patriots used the event as propaganda to unite against British policies. The Boston Massacre was similar to the Gaspee Affair in 1772 because these incidents were used by the Patriots as propaganda. In contrast, it was different than resistance such as the Stamp Act because it relied on boycotts rather than violence. From the Patriots’ viewpoint, the Boston Massacre proved that Britain disregarded colonial rights. The event was exaggerated by leaders like Samual Adams and Paul Revere who showcased the colonists as innocent and defenseless. The Boston Massacre confirmed that peaceful protest wouldn't protect the colonists’ liberties in the Patriots’ eyes.

Common Sense

Thomas Paine published Common Sense in 1776. It was a pamphlet that expressed the idea that monarchy was corrupt. Paine claimed that reconciling with Britain would be impossible and that full freedom is the only logical option. Unlike older political pamphlets, Common Sense had a wider audience or farmers and ordinary people, making it a popular opinion. This represented a change from earlier petitions because it wasn’t cautious. Instead, it was direct and boldly called for independence. On the other hand, it also reflected a continuity because it incorporated Enlightenment thinking, which was constant with older arguments about self-government. From the Patriots’ point of view, Common Sense gave them a moral cause to support independence. It helped rally support for the cause, especially among colonists who were doubtful about independence.

First Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress was a reaction to the Intolerable Acts. At the Congress, delegates from twelve colonies met in September 1774 and discussed how to respond to Britain’s policies. They decided to publish the Declaration of Rights and organized the Continental Association. While the Congress didn’t declare independence, it was a turning point because it marked the first time that colonies arranged a unified response against the British. The First Continental Congress showed a change from pervious protests like the Stamp Act Congress because it displayed higher intercolonial cooperation. Loyalists viewed this Congress as unnecessary because resisting the British would provoke the Crown. Many Loyalists believed that compromising was still in sight for the colonies and didn’t want confrontation.

Navigation Acts (1651)

The Navigation Acts of 1651 were laws created by Britain in order to help the Crown economically benefit from the colonies. The Navigation Acts were a result of Britain trying to control Atlantic trade. They wanted an economic advantage against the Dutch. The Acts caused a growth in the shipbuilding industry, benefiting the colonists. However, this resulted in many colonists opposing the Navigation Acts because they wanted free-trade despite the salutary neglect the Crown practiced. Colonists started smuggling, developing tensions between the colonies and the Crown.

Stamp Act (1765)

The Stamp Act was enacted in 1765, taxing printed paper. This was an unavoidable tax because the printing press was crucial to daily life. The Stamp Act was a continuation of Britain’s desire to strengthen their economy by taxing the colonists. However, this led to a shift in how the colonists resisted British policies. Before, there were some protests and boycotts, but it changed into a more organized resistance against Britain. Colonists were outraged and rebelled against the taxes by protesting, and they created the Stamp Act Congress to address the absence of representation in parliament. The creation of the Stamp Act Congress was an organization of many colonists fighting for representation. Patriots believed the Stamp Act was unjust by Britain. There were no colonists in Parliament to oversee the policies, so they believed it was unfair for Parliament to impose taxes on the colonies. They thought it was a violation of their rights, so they united together to defend their rights.

Second Continental Congress (1775)

The Second Continental Congress was a gathering of delegates from the thirteen colonies. It created the Continental Army led by George Washington, and it was involved in managing war efforts, playing the role of a national government. After a failed attempt to reconcile with Britain, they shifted to creating an organization to fight for independence. The Second Continental Congress represented self-governance and unity, similar to the Articles of Confederation. It differed from the British Parliament because the Parliament focused on interests for an empire. The Patriots believed that the Second Continental Congress was needed to coordinate against Britain for freedom. They believed that independence was necessary to achieve their desired government.

Intolerable Acts

The Intolerable Acts in 1774 were put in place to punish the colonists in Massachusetts following the Boston Tea Party. The Act closed down the Boston Harbor, expanded the Quartering Acts and even limited autonomy for the colonists. These laws were meant to isolate Massachusetts, but ended up angering colonists across all the colonies. The acts were caused by an attempt to take back authority from the colonists after the Boston Tea Party. The British saw the Tea Party as a challenge to the Crown and the Intolerable Acts were meant to weaken defiance. However, this didn’t exactly go to plan because the acts unified the colonies further. The Patriots saw the Intolerable Acts as evidence of Britain’s intentions. Instead of seeing compromise as the best option, many colonists shifted their views toward direct action and possibly greater autonomy.

Albany Plan

In 1754, delegates from British colonies met to discuss strengthening alliances with the Iroquois Conference during the French and Indian War. Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan to order to create a more unified colonial government in order to promote defense and coordination. Ultimately, it was rejected by the British Crown because the Crown saw the council as giving the colonies too much autonomy. The Albany Plan was a result of the start of the French and Indian War and the dire need for coordinated defense in the Ohio River Valley. It’s short-term significance was very limited, but there was a greater long-term significance. The Albany Plan was the foundation for later effort for intercolonial cooperation. Britain encouraged the cooperated war effort, but from the Crown’s perspective, being unified was only useful under British supervision, not as a goal for colonial self-rule.

Sugar Act (1764)

The Sugar Act was a tax on imported sugar and wine while lowering molasses prices to increase revenue for Britain after supporting the colonists during the French and Indian War. The Sugar Act continued to show Britain’s efforts to earn revenue from the colonies. However, Britain started enforcing stricter trade policies to prevent smuggling. This led to colonists resenting Britain due to their lack of representation in Parliament. Colonists were outraged because Britain closed off their smuggling networks, so they had to trade at a higher price while being taxed by Britain. It was a threat to their livelihoods as some colonists would not be able to afford the taxes. This increased fear in the colonies because Britain could freely tax the colonies without their consent.

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)

Pontiac’s Rebellion was started by Native Americans against the British colonists. In 1763, Pontiac led his tribe, Ottawa, and other tribes against British settlers. The Natives were angry at Britain’s policies that ended the French’s good treatment towards the Natives. Pontiac’s Rebellion was a result of Britain’s harsh treatment towards the natives after the French and Indian War. They were encroaching on Native land and did not treat the Natives like the French did. The natives were outraged and resisted British expansion through the rebellion. As a result, Great Britain enforced the Proclamation of 1763 to stop colonial expansion west to Native land. The Native Americans across the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes believed the British were threatening their livelihood with the policies and encroachment. They realized that they would lose their homes if the British continued expanding under their policies, so they rebelled under Pontiac to maintain their autonomy and culture.