Am St Ch 5

legal tender currency

British authorities also sought to restrict the power of colonial legislatures to issue legal tender currency, these notes depreciated to only a fraction of their face value in British money, British merchants who had to accept them felt cheated, Parliament responded in 1751 by forbidding further issues of legal tender money in New England

The First Continental Congress

1774 met at Carpenters Hall in philadelphia from September 5-October 26 1774, with 55 delegates present at one time or another, all were leader figures in their home colonies, but only a few knew members from elsewhere, each colony had one vote, irrespective of the size of its delegation, those who favored strong measures- Samuel Adams, John Adams, Patrick Henry, and Christopher Gadsden prevailed, they persuaded most of their colleagues to endorse the Suffolk REsolves which had been passed at a meeting held in Suffolk County (Boston), these strongly worded resolves denounced the Coercive Acts as unconstitutional advised the people to arm and called for general economic sanctions against Britain

Currency Act

1764, Parliament extended restriction to the rest of the colonies prohibiting all of them from printing their own tender paper money, because the new restrictions came when most colonies where in economic recession Americans considered this step especially burdensome attempt to curtail the assemblies power, to deprive them of their paper money seemed like robbery

Declaratory act-

1766 accompanied the repeal of the Stamp Act, intended to make Parliament retreat more acceptable to its members this act stated that Parliament had the right to legislate from the colonies in all cases whatsoever, americans assumed this act was a mere face-saving gesture, unfortunately, it was more than that

2 major indian wars

2 major indians wars- one in late 1750s during the closing years of the French and Indian war and other erupting in its aftermath in early 1760s, challenged the British policy toward Native Americans, first conflict, Cherokee war, second conflict Pontiac's Rebellion

new Quartering act

A new Quartering act declare that the troops under the governors command could be lodged in virtually any uninhabited building

Aftermath of Stamp Crisis

Aftermath of Stamp Crisi was growing strain between Parliament and the colonies most members of parliament continued to believe that they represented everyone in the empire ant that they could therefore tax people in the colonies as well as in England, Americans believed strongly that they should tax and make laws for themselves and could not allow theri Provincial legislatures to be subordinate to andy legislative power

effect of quebec act

American found the territorial, administrative, and religious provisions of the Quebec Act deeply disturbing, by giving Canada jurisdiction over lands north of the OHio River that were claimed by Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts, the Quebec Act depricec settlers of their hoped-for homesteads and speculators of their hoped for profits angering vogt, the religious provisions of the Quebec Act were ominous reminders of an attempt by Anglican clergymen during the 176ps to have a bishop appointed for America, The Quebec Act accordingly face alarm to protestants who see ministers through the continent warned their congregations that they might be bound by the Pope

start of country ideology

American views on taxation and the role of government reflected the influence of country ideology, as mentioned thesis opposition political philosophy emerged in England in late 17th and 18th centuries country ideology held that government power no matter how necessary or to whom entrusted is inherently aggressive and expansive, according to John Locke, ruler can only enforce law for the public good, when government exceeds this function, the people have the rights to change it, but only in the last resort does this right justify revolution

End of French and Indian War

At close of french indian war, britain panicked and led by George III (ascended 1760, young, naive) they tried to fix relations with Americans, did this by adopting measures that were to the disadvantage of the colonies

Smallpox blankets and Paxton boys

At one point during war, British commander used germ warfare against Indians sending them blankets infected with smallpox, settlers in Paxton township were equally unrestrained, angered by Pennsylvania Assembly's lack of aggressive action against Indians, settlers lashed out at convenient targets, massacring their peaceful neighbors the Conestogas, facing arrest and trial for this outrage, the Paxton Boys marched towards Philadelphia threatening the Pennsylvania Assembly, Benjamin Franklin convinced them to disperse, despite government's efforts, Paxton Boys never prosecuted

Britain resentment and smuggling

Britain resented americans, some assemblies failed to enlist their quota of recruits so Britain blamed local assemblies, and some Americans continued to smuggle goods to and from the enemy in French west indies during war, smuggling so common in New England that it cost Britain more to operate customs system in America than collect duties

How to control colonists

Britain uncertain on how to inexpensively control colonists, permitting areas to have own assemblies was inadvisable, and for quite a time they wanted to roll back the power of colonial assemblies, they needed cooperation with assemblies during wars with france, but now they felt they could crack down, but they realized with french gone americans less dependant of Britain for protection, and more inclined to rebel on unpopular restrictions

Britain north american empire

Britain's 1763 empire great=problems rulers faced large, territory in New World from Hudson's Bay in north to Caribbean Sea in the south from the Atlantic ocean west to the Mississippi River, French territory in North America just two small islands in Gulf of St.Lawrence, France eager for revenge but French inhabitants unloyal

impact of british victory on indians

British victory over french and westward expansion of the British territory undermined the Indians traditions strategies and alignments, british officials no longer found Native American neutrality or military help as important as before, superfluous as allies and unable to play the European powers off against each other, Native Americans lost much of former ability to protect themselves by any means short of military resistance, British took advantage of increasing vulnerability, traders exploited Indians and settlers encroached on their lands

repeal of townshend acts

By 1770, Britain was prepared to concede that the Townshend duties had been counterproductive because they interfere with british trade, when parliament eventually repealed most of the Townshend articles it left the duty on tea, this symbolic equivalent of the Declaratory Act served ato assert Parliament's continuing right to tax the colonies

declaration of rights and grievances first continental congress

Congress also issued a declaration of rights and grievances summarizing its position, the declaration condemned most of the steps taken by British authorities since 1763, but consented to trade regulations for the good of the whole empire, the Congress sent addresses o the people of America to the inhabitants of Great Britain and to the kind, the address to the king asked him to use his power to protect his subject in America

Country ideology appeal

Country ideology appealed to Americans, because they were drawn to it as they were other English fashions, works of Alexander Pope appeared in many colonial libraries and so did the words of two more country ideology publicists, John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon who collaborated in withing Cato's Letters (1720-1721) and the Independent Whig (1721), more important country ideologies suspicion of those in power suited AMerican politics on the local level, where rivalries and nationalism fostered distrust between those with and without power, and it emboldened the many americans who feared they had no voice in the decisions of the government in London, finally with its insistence on the important political role of the properited elite, country ideology appealed to Americans local gentry, these ideas have ahd and enduring influence on American politics, surfacing even today in suspicion of Washington and they helped inspire the American Revolution

House of Commons

Country ideology stressed that in English system of government it was the duty of Parliament, the House of Commons 9 which represented the people as a whole) to check the executive power of the Crown, the House of Commons control of taxation enabled it to curb tyrannical rulers when Crown did job properly Common appropriated the necessary funds, when rulers infringed on the liberty of the people the Commons restrained them by withholding taxes

native american problems

From native american standpoint, problems with Britain were nothing compared to own troubles in dealing with the British, Colonial settlers and livestock were displacing Indians from their ancient lands, rum and rampant cheating among traders were making the fur and sheepskin traders violent, regulation of indian traders by colonists were uncoordinated and ineffective

whigs and tories

During 1774 and early 1775, as the British American confrontation grew more heated lively debate raged in newspapers and pamphlets and the colonist became increasingly polarized in the last months before the outbreak of the American Revolution the advocate of colonial rights began to call themselves whigs and condemned their opponents as Tories, these traditional English party labels dated from the late 17th century when the Tories had supported the accession of the cAtholic King James II and the Whigs had opposed it, by calling themselves Whigs and their opponents Tories (loyalist was more accurate label) the advocates of colonial rights cst themselves as champions of liberty and their enemies as defenders of religious intolerance and royal absolutism

reason for tea act

During the Quiet Period, Americans drank smuggled (therefore untaxed) Dutch tea, Party as a result the British East India company, which had exclusive right to distribute tea in the British Empire nearly went bankrupt, Lord North the prime minister tried to rescue it with the Tea Act of 1773

English debt and taxes

ENgland emerged from war with debt of 130 million pounds, interest accounted for half of governments annual expenditures after war, alarmed by debt Britain's thought Americans should bear more of the financial burden , colonists appeared prosperous to British soldiers, english paid on average ⅓ of their income on taxes, colonists paid no more than 5%

late 1760s and 1750s effects of tension and stamp act

Events likewise testified to continuing tensions between the two sides, when British authorities required Massachusetts to compensate those who suffered in stamp act rioting the legislature compiled but pardoned the rioters, in 1767 and irritated Parliament them passed an act suspending the New York legislature because it had not complied with the Quartering act of 1756 the New York legislature finally obeyed before the suspending act went into effect and remained in business

sugar act affect south vs north

Given the ideological background, the initial American response to Sugar act was mild, that was because not every colonist was equally affected by it, the speaker of legislature in one southern colonies commented it was much divided over the effects of the acts and would probably not petition against it iN NEw England the sugar Act threatened to cut into the profits of the smuggling trade with the French West Indies, as a result people there and other northern colonies were quicker to recognize the zts implications, the legislative body that imposed it(parliament) and whose constituents in England stood to gain from it was not accountable to the people on whom it imposed

Regulators-

Growing strain was evident on local level with emergence in 1766 of vigilante groups calling themselves regulators in response to official corruption in North CArolina dn lawlessness in South CArolina, NOrth Carolina's western farmers were oppressed by high taxes, court costs, and debt resulting from the limited supply of money in circulation after the Currency Act, in south Carolina outlaws roamed the back country stealing livestock and raiding isolated houses, in neither colonies did representation in the assemblies reflect the growing backcountry population and its pressing needs, as a result the Regulators did by extra legal action what they couldn't do through legal channels in North CArolina they closed courts and intimidated tax officials and in South Carolina they pursued outlaws and whipped people suspected of harboring them

How to deal with new territories and Proclamation

In 1763, britain took steps to deal with the new territories, protect the old ones, and maintain peace with the Indians, one was to keep a substantial body of troops stationed in AMerica even in peacetime, another accomplished in Proclamation of 1763, was to temporarily forbade white settlement west of Appalachian Mountains, the purpose of the Proclamation line was to keep white settlers and Indians apart, preventing fighting and to keep the colonists closer to coast where they were easier to control

Patrick Henry

In most famous of cases, the virginia government was defended by Patrick Henry, a previously obscure young lawyer, he gained notoriety when he declared that a king who vetoed beneficial acts became a tyrant and thereby forfeited subjects obedience, given his eloquence, jury found in favor of suing minister but awarded him only one penny in damages, this reflected the hostility many Virginians felt toward the pretensions of the Anglican clergy

choosing sides

In the wake of the first continental congress americans were forced to take sides for and against the continental association, but een such well-known radicals as Adams and Gadsden were far from advocating independence for the colonies, throughout the pre-Revolutionary period, most colonist hoped and expected that imperial authorities would change their policy toward American, English history, Americans believed was full of instance s in which the resolute opposition of a free people forced oppressive ministries and tyrannical kings to back down they were confident that it could happen again

Boston Massacre-

Ironically on the same day that the proposal to rescind most of the Townshend duties was introduced to Parliament- March 5,1770, British troops fired on AMericans civilians in Boston, this resulted from months of increasing friction between townspeople and British troop stationed in the city, the townspeople complained that the soldiers insulted them, leered at women and competed for scarce jobs, Samuel Adams recounted these misdeeds in a column called A Journal of the Times that he circulated or other American cities, the massacre occurred when angry and frightened British soldiers fired on a crowd that was pelting them with sticks and stones, 5 men died including Crispus Attucks (half Indian, half black) who is the most celebrated casualty of the incident, to preserve order the troops withdrew from the city, but damage had been done

2nd stamp act congress

Leaders in most colonies wanted to organize a coordinated response and called for another meeting like the Stamp Act Congress, the colonies accordingly agreed to send delegates to a meeting in PHiladelphia that came to be called the First Continental Congress and in the end, all the colonies except Georgia were represented

Sons of Liberty members

Members of Sons of Liberty included people from all ranks, the leader among them Christopher Gadsden came from middle and upper classes, often pushed by more radical common people, some of them doubtless joined in the hope of protecting their own positions and interests, in charleston slaves alarmed their master and other white people when they paraded through the streets

beginning of stamp act congress

Movement leaders were also concerned that disorderly behavior could discredit the American cause, in Samuel Adams agreed, Partly as result of growing unrest, leader through colonies determined to meet and agree on a unified response to Britain, nine colonies eventually sent delegates to the Stamp act congress

superintendents for indians

Pontiac's Rebellion and the Cherokee war were costly for both sides, claiming lives of hundreds of Indians and white settlers, hoping to prevent such outbreaks British officials began experimenting with centralized control of Indian affairs during the 1760s, following the recommendations of the Albany Congress in 1754, they already created two districts northern and southern for the administration of Indian affairs, each with own superintendent, the Proclamation of 1763 and line it established restricting further white settlement gave these superintendents increased responsibility for protecting the Indians against the encroachments of settlers, but hey faced daunting obstacles in their efforts to mediate between Indians and colonists and in 1768 Britain returned supervision of the Indian traders to the individual colonies

resentment from proclamation and quartering act

Proclamation Line provoked resentment because it threatened to deprive settlers and speculatiors in rapidly developing colonies of the land they covented and it was often ignored, as for troops, British government further provoked American resentment with passage of Quartering Acts, the presence of troops in peacetime alarmed Americans, they wondered if the soldiers were there to coerce rather than to protect them, given that americans would have objected to troops and taxes necessary to support them even if troops had done exemplary job to protecting the frontiers, conflicts with Indians cast doubt on their ability to do even that

Spain in North America

Spain less power in military than France, but more land in North America, in settlement at end of French Indian war lost east and west florida to britain, but got back possessions in Cuba and Philippines, and acquired Louisiana, Spanish stepped up defences for islands, they appointed new officials (Spaniards rather than colonists) to ensure better tax collection, also expelled Jesuit order from its dominions because JEsuits too independent of royal control, Spain also strengthened military forces in empire and settled in California and Louisiana

representative standard

Such important responsibilities required that the people's representatives be men of sufficient property and judgment to make independent decisions, a representative should be public spirited and avoid political partisanship, a representative of the appropriate social status who exhibited the proper behavior many assumed was more qualified to understand and manage than his constituents and should accordingly be followed but if he didn't measure up the people should be able to vote him out

peace of north and south carolina backcountry

Thanks to help form London as well as their own mistakes a crisis confronted local authorities by 1767, in south carolina the assembly belatedly repositioned itself giving the backcountry some representation and established courts for the area, but in north carolina peace returned only after fighting between the local militia and the Regulators killed 29 men and wounded more than 150 on both sides, the rise of the Regulators demonstrated that while American leaders had to understand and respond to local conditions, British authorities remained inflexible

effect of boston part act, adminiistration of justice act, massachusetts government act

The Boston Port act arbitrarily punished innocent and guilty Bostonians alike, The Administration of Justice Act- which some with dubbed the Murder aCt- seemed to declare an open season on colonists allowing crown officials to kill them without fear of punishment, the Massachusetts Government Act raised the more realistic fear that no colonial charter was safe, A parliament that stripped the Massachusetts legislature of an important power might equally decide to abolish the lower houses of all the colonies

Boston tea party

When Sons of Liberty realized they could not force the ships to leave they decided on dramatic action, on december 16, 1773 Samuel Adams told large gathering at Old South Meeting House that it could do nothing more to preserve liberties of AMerica, this remak was a prearranged signal for what was the Boston Tea Party, War whoops immediately answered him from the street outside and a well-organized band of men disguised as Indians reached aboard the tea ship Dartmouth broke open 342 chests of tea and heaved the contents in the harbor

Continental association

The Congress created the Continental Association to organize and enforce sanctions against the british, as a first step the association pledged americans ot cut off imports from Britain after December 1, 1774, if the dispute with Britain was not resolved by SEptember 1775, the Association called for barring most exports to Britain and the West Indies, all who violated the terms of the association were to be considered enemies of American liberty and ostracized

Stamp Act Congress-

met in New York in October 1765, nine colonies eventually sent delegates, the gathering produced a unpalatable combination, as what all of them made did not really go well together

America's response to tea act

The colonists response surprised British, what outraged Americans was the attempt to trick them into paying tax on tea, Thousands decided not to touch the stuff, newspaper discussed its dangers to the body as well as to the body of politic and offered recipes for substitutes, many women rejected the tea and put pressure on others to do likewise while schoolboys collected and burned tea leaves

tensions with taxation

The constitutional issue that strained the bond between the colonies and empire was taxation, British measures on other issues annoyed and disturbed Americans but it was outrage over taxation that would be the midwife of American independence, because parliament had customarily refrained from taxing them, Americans assumed that it couldn't, to deprive them of the right to be taxed only by their elected representatives was to deny them one of most basic rights

effect of boston tea party

The destruction of property in the Boston Tea Party shocked many AMericans, the response in Parliament was to pass a series of repressive measures known as the Coercive Acts, the first effective June 1, 1774 was the Boston Port Act

Alexander Pope,

the most widely read English poet of 18th century and a proponent of country ideology

Massachusetts Government Act-

the third measure, drastically modified the at colony's charter of 1691, providing that the Crown would appoint members to the governor's council and limiting the number of town meeting that could be held without the governor's prior approval

townshend unity

The nonimportation movement forged a sense of common purpose amoun all who participated in it, men and women, southern planters and northern artisans, giving them the sense of belonging to a larger community of fellow Americans, although it was at this point more an imagined community than a political community it was real enough and large enough to reduce imports from Britain's by 40 percent after only a year

delegates of First continental congress

The proceedings of the First Continental Congress revealed division as well as agreement among its delegates, all of the delegates believed that the coercive acts were unconstitutional but they differed over how to resist them, only a minority was prepared to take up arms against Britain, most representatives tried to protect the interests of their own colonies some south carolina delegates in an early example of the sectional stubbornness that would culminate nearly a century later in the US Civil war threatened to walk out ot the meeting unless the non importation agreement omitted rice, most of which went to northern Europe b the way of Britain, to placate the Carolinians northerners agreed to the exemption, but Gadsden was disgusted feeling that these actions betrayed the sprity of united purpose that Patrick Henry had spoken earlier in Congress

reaction of all in sugar act

The size of the burden was less important than the principle involved to Americans steeped in country ideology, direct taxation by London threaten to undervolt the elected representatives power of the price and thereby remove the traditional first line of defense against a tyrannical executive, eventually all the assemblies passed resolutions flatly maintaining t that nae parliamentary tax on jAmerican, including the Sugar Act was unconstitutional,

rebellion against townshend act

There was no equivalent to the Stamp act Congress In response to the Townshend Act because British officials barred the assemblies from sending delegates to such a meeting, even so Americans gradually organized an effective non importation movement, many americans signed a subscription lists binding them, with the other signers to buy gonly goods made in the colonies and nothing made in Great Britain, Handbills, brought pressure to bear on uncooperative importers, to avoid imported english textiles, American women spun more thread and wove more cloth a t home, wearing homespun became a moral virtue an sign of selfreliance, personal independence and the rejection of english luxuries

Cherokee War

took place in southern Appalachian highlands and resulted in a treaty in 1761 in which Cherokees agreed to surrender land in the Carolinas and Virginia to the colonists

shift and james wilson

What Americans were divided over was the extent of Parliament's authority over them and the degree to which they could legitimately challenge its power, as British officials failed with the passing of time, to accommodate Americans views of their rights, Americans began in increasing numbers to challenge London's control over them, the experience of James Wilson, a Pennsylvania lawyer illustrates this shift, in Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament (published in 1774), Wilson writes that he set onto find a reasonable dividing line between those areas in which Parliament ahd legitimate authority over the colonies and those in which it did not, but the more hie thought the more he became convinced a line does not exist and that there can be no medium between acknowledging and denying that power in all cases, Wilson therefore conclude that Parliament had no authority at all over the colonies

regulator conflict with elites

They activities of REgulators brought them into conflict with the local elites in North and South cArolina which were slow in redressing regulator grievances, British officials made matters worse by doing the opposite of what was required, instead of encouraging the assemblies to increase their western representation, they tried to limit their power by forbidding them to increase their size, as for the shortage of currency they callously dismissed any possible local inconvenience that might result

Thomas Hutchinson

Thomas Hutchinson who had been lieutenant governor of Massachusetts during Stamp act riots was now the colony's royal governor, in most other cities threats from Sons of Liberty had convinced the captains of the tea ships to return to England without landing hier cargo, Hutchinson was determined to have the tea landed in Boston and barred the tea ships from leaving as result, violence once again erupted in the city

British Constitution

To americans it was evident that British measures were unfair, it was difficult to contend thought that the British authorities had no right to impose them, British Constitution- not a single written document, it constituted father of the accumulated body of english law and custom, including acts of Parliament, how could the colonist claim that parliament was unconstitutional?

reaction to stamp act

Unlike sugar act, the stamp act had an equal impact throughout the colonies and the response was swift, newspapers and pamphlets were filled with denunciations of the unconstitutional measure and in taverns patterns condemned it, Parliament americans were convinced did not represent them, the colonial legislatures were quick to condemn the new measure, Virginia's lower house was the first to act, approving Patrick Henry's strong resolutions against the Stamp act

Sons of Liberty-

a collection of loosely organized protest groups, put pressure on stamp distributors and British authorities, in 1765 Boston crowd led by shoemaker Ebenezer mcIntosh demolished property belonging to a revenue agent and another mob sacked Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson's house, later demonstration organized by the Sons of Liberty in other cities were kept more peaceful with tighter discipline

Townshend Duty act-

based on Townshend's mistaken assumption that the colonist were willing to accept new duties or external taxes but no direct or internal taxes like the Stamp Tax, the duties covered a number of items the colonist regularly imported- tea, paper, paint, lead and glass, to make sure that the duties were collected, British authorities added a new board of customs commissioners for America and located its headquarters in Boston, the home of many smugglers, to the alarm of the americans the

To enforce sugar act legislation

british government used Royal Navy to seize smugglers ships and a practice that began during the FRench and indian war, it also ordered colonial customs collectors to discharge their duties personally, rather than through the use of easily bribed deputies, responsibility for trying violation would (3 years later) rest in vice admiralty courts in Boston, Philadelphia and Charleston which normally operated without a jury and were more likely to enforce trade restrictions

nonimportation movement-

by end of 1764, NEw York merchants had joined the artisans and merchants of Boston in the organized boycott of British manufactured goods

Boston Port act-

closed the port of Boston to all incoming and outgoing traffic until the East India Company and the crow received payment for the dumped tea and its duties

Writs of assistance

constitution conflict surfaced over this issue, these general search warrants, that gave customs officials in America the power to inspect virtually any building suspected of holding smuggled goods, had to be formally renewed at the accession of a new monarch, when george III became king in 1760, massachusetts merchants, perhaps out of a fondness for smuggling and for liberty sought to block the issuance of the wirt's, their attorney, James Otis Jr, arguing before the Massachusetts superior court called them instruments of slavery, Parliament he said lacked the authority t empower colonial courts to issue them, Otis lost but a "child of independence was born"

The administration of Justice act-

followed Boston Port Act, declared that an official who killed a colonist while performing his duties could be tried in England (where he would almost certainly receive sympathetic treatment) rather than in Massachusetts

Parson's Cause

illustrates how British authorities took advantage of opportunities to curb the American legislatures as early as 1750s, Anglican ministers in Virginia drew tax-supported salaries computed in pounds of tobacco, as a result when drought in mid-1750s caused sharp rise in tobacco prices, they expected a windfall, the Virginia House of Burgesses restricted their payment to 2 pennies a pound below the market value of tobacco that backed their salaries, lobbying by the clergymen convinced the king to disallow the Two Penny Act and some Virginia clergymen sued for the unpaid portion of their salaries

Sugar Act

in 1704, Parliament under Prime Minister George Grenville passed American Revenue Act, the purpose was for improving Britain's wealth, to generate funds this act and its accompanying legislation combined new and revised duties on colonial imports with strict provisions for collecting them, to prevent trade with other countries, the sugar act legislation lengthened the list of enumerated products and required that ships carry elaborate new documents certifying the legality of their cargoes, ships entire cargo could be seized if documents out of order

Stamp Act-

in spring of 1765 Parliament enacted another tax on Americans, it required that all valid legal documents as well as newspapers, playing cards and various other papers bear a government-issued stamp for which there was a charge, the sugar act though intended to raise revenue appeared to fall within accepted authority to regulate commerce, the Stamp act wa the first internal tax (as opposed to external trade-only duty) that Parliament had passed on the colonies, it raised the question by grenville that if Parliament had the power to give direct taxes if americans had no representation in parliament, following the principle of virtual representation that members of Parliament served the interests of the nation as a whole not just the locality form which they came, Grenville maintained that it did, Americans disagreed, they had some support of Parliament

Charles Townshend-

leading figure in Britain's government in 1767, created Townshend acts

Isaac Barre-

member who had served in the colonies, spoke out against the Stamp Act he referred to Americans as Sons of Liberty

Seizing of the Liberty

new customs official were more diligent than their predecessors going after wealthy Boston merchants like John Hancock, perhaps because he was openly contemptuous of them, the officials seized Hancock's appropriately named vessel Liberty and accused him of smuggling Hancock may have violated the acts of trade at times, but in this case the accusation were apparently false, the incident sparked a riot in Boston during which a crowd on the waterfront roughed up members of the customs service, British authorities responded in 178 by sending troops to Boston and maintaining them there for the next year and a half

Tea Act-

of 1773, permitted the company to ship tea from its warehouses in britain without paying duty normally collected there, the idea was to make its tea more competitive in price with the dutch product and thereby induce American to buy it and simultaneously play the old Townshend duty

Legal tender currency definition

paper notes that could be used to settle debts

Quebec Act-

passed the same day as the other intolerable acts, it enlarged the boundaries of Quebec south to the Ohio River, provided for trial of civil cases without a jury and recognized the Catholic Church giving it the privileges it had enjoyed under the French, colonist labeled both together the intolerable acts

Pontiac's Rebellion

represented united effort to resist British and revitalize Indian cultures, spiritual catalyst for this movement was a Delaware leader named Netures, the spiritual catalyst for this movement was a delaware Prophet who began urging Native Americans to reject European goods and ways, Pontiac Rebellion was named for an Ottawa chief who was one of its principal leaders, began when at least 8 major groups joined in attacking British forces and American settlers from the Great Lakes to Virginia in 1763, Pontiac's Rebellion raged until 1766, the British eventually forced the Indians to give up portions of their territory in return for compensation and guarantees that traditional hunting grounds in the Ohio Valley would remain thiers

Quartering Acts

required colonial assemblies to provide barracks and certain supplies for troops

The Quiet Period-

that followed the massacre, no general grievance united all American, but in almost every colony issues still continued, local circumstances produced confrontation in Rhode Island, the crew of a British revenue schooner, the Gaspee, had been patrolling he Narragansett BAy, seizing smugglers and stealing livestock and cutting down farmers fruit trees for firewood, thus when it ran aground while chasing American ships Rhode Islanders got even, led by John Brown, a merchant, they boarded the vessel shot it's captain in the buttocks, putt him and and crew ashore and burned the ship, the British government offered a reward for information about the incident but learned nothing, the British attempt to stamp out smuggling in the colonies was so heavy-handed that it offended the innocent more than it frightened the guilty Such incidents, and in particular the British threat to send Americans to England for trial led American leader to resolve to keep one another informed about British actions, 12 colonies establish committees of correspondence for this purpose and boston soon become the scene of a showdown between imperial authority and colonial resistance

The Declaration of Rights and Grievances-

the congress adopted this, which denied Parliament's right to tax the colonies and petitioned unsuccessfully both the king and Parliament to repeal the Stamp and sugar acts, as protests spread the stamp distributors resigned, in some areas American weren't about business as usual without using stamped paper, in other places, they avoided activities that required taxed items, they stepped up the boycott of British goods that had began in response to the sugar Act, British merchants hurt by the economic pressure petitioned Parliament for repeal of the Stamp Act, and a new ministry obliged them by reciting it in March 1766