Steps to the Revolution Starting at 1763 -1775

Steps To The Revolution Starting At 1763 -1775

One of the most significant events in American History was the Revolution. Prior to

1763, which was the beginning to the road to the Revolution, America and Britain were on good

terms. The British helped America to try and defeat the Indians for the Ohio Valley. One year

after the British's "efforts" to help America get the Ohio Valley, something happens...

The Prime Minister George Grenville, creates the Sugar Act of 1764. This act, in short,

taxed sugar. American colonists still had power because of the royal veto. The colonists were

outraged, Grenville was taxing the prime ingredient in bread and alcohol, two of America's

favorites. Also the colonists may have seen that this tax was paying for the British's problems.

The protests from the colonists worked somewhat, however the Quartering Act of 1765 required

certain colonies to provide food and living quarters for British troops. The same year, 1765,

George Grenville crosses the line again but this time even further, he creates a Stamp Act. This

was also to have American colonists "support" the British military force. This Act was horrible,

a stamp had to be placed on nearly fifty different items, from playing cards to one's own

marriage certificate, as proof to certify the payment of tax. George Grenville's defense was that

the colonies are only paying this for their defense, and that Britain has endured this same tax

style far longer and more heavier. Grenville was definitely the man who sparked fire in

American's eyes brought on the road to the Revolution. The angry American colonists wanted to

stop the Stamp Act, and so they came up with "No taxation without representation." The

Americans stated that no Americans were seated in the Parliament, so no taxes should be

imposed upon Americans. Only colonial legislatures could legally tax the Americans was

another point in the argument Grenville saw this and stated that Americans were represented in

the Parliament, his rebuttal was "virtual representation" even if America never voted for a

member of Parliament, all had to represent the British soldiers. This fighting continued and

America was told to think about getting their own political independence, this eventually led to

revolutionary consequences. The hated Stamp Act led to the Stamp Act Congress of 1765, which

brought twenty-seven distinguished delegates from nine colonies to New York City. The Stamp

Act Congress did not do much in America however it was a significant step toward intercolonial

unity. Nonimportation was more effective than the congress, it basically boycotted British

goods. Nonimportation quickly united Americans for the first time in common action. This

defiance helped spread revolutionary passion throughout American colonies. The Sons of

Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty were the violent peoples of the colonial protests. They

enforced nonimportation by destroying unpopular officials houses, taking their money and

hanging effigies of stamp agents on liberty poles. Although Parliament did not repeal the Stamp

Act until 1766, by 1765 Americans had forced stamp agents to resign. However to continue this

ongoing confrontation in 1766 Parliament passed the Declaratory Act which gave Parliament the

right to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever. "Champagne Charley" Townshend persuaded

the Parliament in 1767 to pass the Townshend Acts. The importance of these new regulations

was a light import duty on glass, white lead, paper, paint and tea. This tax was an indirect tax,

meaning the tax was not so noticeable unless told, and was payable at American ports. These

taxes were said to pay salaries of the royal governors and judges in America. Americans saw the

Townshend tax as another attempt to enchain them. Nonimportation agreements occurred

because of the Townshend Acts, and America began to buy smuggled tea from the Massachusetts are for a cheaper price. Americans attacked British troops on the night of March 5, 1770, and in

defense the troops fired away. Eleven were shot and one of the first to die was Crispus Attucks,

who was a leader of the mob. Two British soldiers were accused of manslaughter and got off

with a brand to the hand. That night was the Boston Massacre. The Townshend Act failed to

make any profit and was repealed. The tea tax remained and resistance from America for the

Navigation Laws was further kindled by Samuel Adams of Boston. Samuel Adams lived and

breathed only for politics, he was super sensitive to infraction of colonial rights. In 1772 his big

contribution to Boston was the local committees of correspondence. The main idea in this step

toward the Revolution was to spread resistance and keep opposing the British policy. By 1773

every colony had a central committee so they could exchange ideas and information with the

other American colonies. Both sides always thinking of how to stab each other in the back

created an inevitable rebellion. Also in 1773 the British East India Company was going bankrupt

with millions of pounds of unsold tea. Then London said to sell it to America, but Americans

refused to buy any tea and sent the British away. However Thomas Hutchinson, a governor in

Massachusetts told British not to leave until they unloaded their tea. Boston colonists disguised

as Indians dumped tea into the harbor after climbing onto the ship. This was the Boston Tea

Party. Parliament responded quickly to the Boston Tea Party with measures that brewed a

revolution. The passed the Boston Port Act which closed the tea-stained harbor until damages

were paid for and order was ensured. One response to the Intolerable Acts was the Continental

Congress of 1774. This was more of a convention than a congress, all 13 colonies except

Georgia met in Philadelphia to think of ways of redressing colonial grievances. John Adams

swayed the other fifty-four men to a revolutionary course of action. The most significant action

of the first Continental Congress was the creation of the Association which called for a complete boycott of British goods, nonimportation, nonexportation, and nonconsumption. Parliament

rejected the Congress's petitions. In April 1775 the British commander sent troops to Lexington

to take away gunpowder and kill the leaders of the rebellion, John Hancock and Samuel Adams.

The Lexington Massacre was eight men were killed because of refusing to leave fast enough.

The British redcoats moved on to Concord where the Americans, ready to fight, made them

retreat. Britain now had a war on its hands.

The people and events just talked about were the steps to the Revolution from 1763 -

1775 which America later wins.