Us History: Colonial America

Bree Fausnaught
Essay Question Exam 1

While the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain had often been rocky, the French & Indian War gave rise to new tensions between the two countries. The colonists wanted the British out of the Americas, while the British wanted their newly conquered land for money. King George III & members of Parliament believed that the colonists were ungrateful so they decided to “disciple” the colonists; they wanted the colonists to pay for the tremendous debt from the war. Along with paying the war debt, King George III wanted control over all new land settlements. George Grenville (Brother in law of William Pitt) wrote The Royal Proclamation of 1763 which forbid colonial settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains; also ordering any settlers already there to return east. This proclamation was seen by the colonists as yet another way for the British to restrict their freedom. Many believed the westward expansion to be universally considered as a path of “Growth & Prosperity.” The Sugar Act of 1764 was one of the first signs of Great Britain’s attempt to gain a stricter hold on the colonists. They learned that the colonists had been illegally trading sugar with the French in the West Indies, cutting Great Britain out of tons of tax revenue. The Sugar Act created more provisions for shippers & made smuggling much harder. Smugglers that were caught were tried without a jury in England creating an unjust feeling amongst the colonists. Great Britain amped up its naval presence along the coasts not only to catch smugglers, but also to show force. The same year, Parliament ordered the colonies to stop printing their own paper money. This was known as the currency act, which hit the average community, the most. In order for the British to have a stronger hold on the colonies they maintained military troops in the colonies. Great Britain certainly did not want to have to foot the bill for these soldiers so Parliament passed the Quartering/Mutiny Act of 1765 requiring colonists to feed, sully, house, & clothe any British soldier without any reimbursement. This only helped to further the colonist’s suspicions of the British’s desire to further control the somewhat independent Americas. With 1765 also came the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act of 1765 was the most offensive act up until then. It imposed a tax on every printed document. This was seen as nothing more than a direct attempt to raise money without consent. Great Britain’s deliberate attempt of acquiring money without approval angers the colonists & universally unites them. While they are don’t feel that the economic burden is that heavy, the Political burden carries a much bigger weight. Many colonists thought that colonial assemblies should control their own economic systems& they felt that the British Government was challenging the very basis of colonial political power. In response to the Stamp Act, the colonists began to cry, “No taxation without representation!” While Americans were calling for “Actual Representation”, British Parliament & Grenville believed in a “Virtual Representation.” Grenville believed that no matter where the member was originally elected, he still represented virtually all British citizens. Many colonists began to come forward and protest against the new acts and the idea of virtual representation. In May 1765, Patrick Henry introduced a set of resolutions declaring that Americans possessed the same rights as any other Englishman & that Virginians should pay no taxes except those voted on by their own colonial assembly. He also stated, “Anyone advocating otherwise should be viewed as an enemy.” The colonists were unwilling to accept the idea of a virtual representation in the Parliament. In 1965 delegates from 9 colonies met for The Stamp Act Congress in New York. They signed a petition to King George III & Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act& that the colonies should only be taxed by their own assemblies. Other colonist’s reacted in different ways; the Sons of Liberty, headed by Samuel Adams, attacked homes/office dos colonial officials and tormented them. In 1767 with a new Prime Minister, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, but in turn passed the far worse Declatory Act. The Declatory Act gave Britain the right to govern the colonies whenever they saw fit. 1767 also brought Charles Townsend. Under the authority of Townsend, the New York Assembly was disables as an example to colonies about disobeying the British Parliament. Townsend’s second act of business was the Townsend Act. The new taxes & the suspension of the New York Assembly made the colonies angry and many rallied. The Massachusetts Assembly sent out a letter to all colonial governments urging them to refuse every tax imposed by parliament. When parliament heard of this rebellion they warned any assembly endorsing the Massachusetts petition would be dissolved. This angered the colonists even more, causing more revolt. By 1768 colonists had established the Non-Importation Agreement. In response to the British establishment of a Board of Custom Commissioners in America, colonists stopped buying any English product that was subject to the Townsend Tax. After feeling the pressure for two years, in 1770 England repealed all Townsend duties, excluding the Tea Tax. Just as the Townsend Acts were repealed, an event happened that would change the British/American relationship forever. March 5, 1770 colonists & British soldiers were involved in an altercation on the Boston Ports. 5 Bostonians were killed by the British Soldiers in what became known as “The Boston Massacre.” The victims were seen as marders/saviors & the situation was transformed into a graphic & powerful symbol of British oppression & brutality. America was nearing a revolution & Samuel Adams was one of the most effective radicals in the colonies. He established the committee of correspondence in Boston in 1772. They argued that Great Britain had become a morass of sin & corruption. He wanted to keep the spirit of the dissent alive! In response to the still existing Tea Taxes, a group of colonists dumped $70,000 worth of tea into the Boston Harbor. This even became known as “The Boston Tea Party.” Britain’s response to the tea party were the 4 Coercive Acts of 1773. The 4 acts closed Boston Harbor from trade until all money was paid for lost tea, made formally elected positions now crown appointed positions, restricted town meetings, & declared that any royal officer charged with murder be tried in Great Britain. The acts increased military presence in the colonies making colonists very uneasy & fearful. The Intolerable Acts encourage the colonies to form the 1st Continental Congress in September 1774. The committee of correspondence sent delegates from every colony (except Georgia) to the continental congress. The colonies agreed to disobey the Coercive Acts & they voted for a boycott of British Imports. They sent a petition to King George III stating that while Parliament did have the right to regulate commerce, they had no right to arbitrary taxation. American’s prepared for British aggression & urged colonies to train local militias. The first battles of the revolution came in April 1775. The battles were in Lexington & Concord; they caused violence all over New England & created a split among the new Congress. While New England delegates stressed Independence from Great Britain, other delegates called for a more moderate plan. In an attempt to reconcile with Great Britain, the Olive Branch Petition was penned, calling for a cease fire and negotiations between the countries. However, the King George III refused the petition and New England was declared to be in a state of rebellion in August of 1775. Now more than ever Americans wanted their independence from The King and Great Britain. On July 4, 1776, Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence was approved. This declaration was a complete, irreversible break from The King and Great Britain. It claimed that Parliament had voided their agreement with the colonies. The Declaration was the unifying staple the American colonies needed.