The Road to the American Revolution

The Road to the American Revolution

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Mercantilism was an economic system used by England in the 1600s and 1700s to grow wealthy and powerful. The idea was that colonies existed mainly to benefit the mother country. Colonists were expected to provide raw materials like lumber, tobacco, and cotton to England, and then buy finished goods back from English merchants. This system limited colonial trade with other nations and made colonists feel restricted. Over time, many colonists began to resent mercantilism because it kept them from freely trading and making their own profits.

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After the French and Indian War, King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763. This law said colonists could not settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. The British government wanted to avoid conflicts with Native Americans and keep control over colonial expansion. However, many colonists were angry because they had fought in the war and believed they had earned the right to move west. The Proclamation added to tensions between Britain and the colonies by limiting freedom and opportunity.

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The Quartering Act of 1765 required colonists to house and provide supplies for British soldiers stationed in the colonies. Britain argued that soldiers were needed to protect the colonists, but many colonists believed the troops were there to control them. Providing food, housing, and resources for soldiers was costly and invasive. Colonists saw this law as another example of Britain abusing its power and violating their rights. The Stamp Act of 1765 required colonists to pay a tax on all printed materials, such as newspapers, legal documents, and even playing cards. Each item had to carry a stamp to show the tax was paid. Colonists were outraged because they believed only their colonial assemblies should have the power to tax them. This led to protests, boycotts of British goods, and the formation of groups like the Sons of Liberty. The strong resistance forced Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act in 1766. The Sugar Act of 1764 was a tax passed by Parliament to raise money for Britain after the French and Indian War. It placed duties, or taxes, on sugar, molasses, and other goods imported into the colonies. The British wanted colonists to help pay for the costs of defending and running the colonies. Many colonists saw this as unfair since they had no representatives in Parliament to vote on the tax. This idea became known as "taxation without representation." In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, which placed taxes on goods like glass, paint, paper, and tea imported into the colonies. The money collected was used to pay British officials in the colonies, making them less dependent on colonial assemblies. Colonists responded with boycotts of British goods and increased protests. Tensions grew as British soldiers were sent to enforce the laws, deepening colonial anger against British control.

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On March 5, 1770, tension between colonists and British soldiers in Boston erupted into violence. A crowd of colonists began shouting and throwing snowballs and rocks at soldiers guarding the Customs House. The soldiers panicked and fired into the crowd, killing five colonists, including Crispus Attucks. Colonial leaders called it the "Boston Massacre" and used it as propaganda to show British cruelty. The event shocked the colonies and increased anger toward Britain.

The British Side

The Colonial Side

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The Tea Act of 1773 gave the struggling British East India Company the right to sell tea directly to the colonies at a lower price. While this made tea cheaper, it still included a tax, and colonists saw it as a trick to make them accept British taxes. Many merchants were also upset because they lost profits from tea sales. The Tea Act renewed colonial protests and set the stage for one of the most famous acts of resistance—the Boston Tea Party. On December 16, 1773, a group of colonists in Boston, disguised as Native Americans, boarded three ships carrying British tea. They dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act. This event, known as the Boston Tea Party, was a bold act of defiance against British authority. It showed that colonists were willing to take dramatic steps to protect their rights and resist unfair taxes. Britain was outraged and soon passed harsh new laws to punish Massachusetts.

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In 1774, Parliament responded to the Boston Tea Party with the Coercive Acts, known in the colonies as the Intolerable Acts. These laws closed Boston Harbor, limited town meetings, and allowed British soldiers to be housed in private homes. They were designed to punish Massachusetts and scare other colonies into obeying Britain. Instead, the Intolerable Acts united the colonies against Britain, as many saw the laws as a direct attack on their freedoms.

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In 1774, colonial leaders from 12 of the 13 colonies (except Georgia) met in Philadelphia at the First Continental Congress. They gathered to discuss how to respond to the Intolerable Acts. The Congress decided to support Massachusetts, organize boycotts of British goods, and send a petition to King George III demanding their rights be restored. While they did not yet call for independence, the First Continental Congress marked an important step in colonial unity and resistance.

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All Upper Case Letters

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All Upper Case Letters

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The 1st Letter is L

The 2nd Letter is I

The 3rd Letter is B

The 4th Letter is E

The 5th Letter is R

The 6th Letter is T

The 7th Letter is Y

From the colonists’ point of view, the Boston Massacre was proof of British cruelty and abuse of power. They believed the soldiers were stationed in Boston not to protect them, but to control them and force obedience to unfair taxes. On that night, when the soldiers opened fire, five colonists were killed, including Crispus Attucks. Colonial leaders quickly spread news of the event through newspapers and pamphlets, calling it a “massacre.” To the colonists, it showed that British troops were willing to kill innocent people, and it became a powerful symbol of why they needed to resist British rule.

From the British point of view, the Boston Massacre was a tragic accident caused by an unruly crowd. British soldiers had been sent to Boston to enforce laws and maintain order after years of colonial protests and smuggling. On March 5, 1770, a mob of angry colonists gathered near the Customs House, shouting insults and throwing snow, ice, and rocks at the soldiers. Surrounded and under attack, the soldiers panicked and fired into the crowd. To the British, the troops were simply defending themselves from violence, and the colonists were responsible for escalating the situation.