...Samuel Adams: Samuel Adams was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 27, 1722. Later in life he graduated Harvard College. Samuel was a second cousin of John Adams Samuel Adams, our second U.S president. In 1749 he married Elizabeth Checkley but when she died in 1757, he married Elizabeth Wells in 1764. He was an American Statesman, Political philosopher, a failed businessman and one of the Founding Fathers. He held many titles such as Governor of Massachusetts (1793 - 1797) and one of the Massachusetts Delegates to the Continental Congress. He is also considered to be the leader of the Boston Tea Party. Samuel Adams was a strong supporter of the Townshend Acts boycott and he also was against the Stamp Act. Samuel Adams was a large contributor to the unpopularity of Britain in the years leading up to the American Revolution. He publicized the Boston Massacre extensively. He died of old age on October 2, 1803 in his hometown at the age of 81. First Continental Congress: The First Continental Congress met on September 5th, 1774, at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
Words: 761 - Pages: 4
... Grievances leading the colonists to declare independence were the Stamp Act, the Townshend Act, and the Sugar Act. The British government put a tax on playing cards and newspapers, which lead the colonists to rebel. Stamps were used let officials know that you did indeed pay taxes on which you had bought. Playing cards were just one small item that the British government taxed, but there were loads more things taxed. Newspapers were another taxed item that fell under the Stamp Act. Newspapers were the main source of information for the colonists, and having it taxed affected them. The colonists boycotted the Stamp Act by burning the stamps in the road. Kidspast says, “Colonists were outraged and responded by boycotting all British goods. They also attacked officials… burned the stamps.” The Stamp Act were taxes on any printed document leading the colonists to rebel....
Words: 503 - Pages: 3
...The Growing Tension between Great Britain and the Colonies HIS/110 2/7/2014 Charles Salter The Growing Tension between Great Britain and the Colonies The onset of the American Revolution was something did not occur overnight. There were many significant events that lead to the American Revolution over several decades. More than a few decades of being taxed, but receiving no representation in the British Parliament began to irritate citizens of the newly founded America. Some of the most prominent events were the French and Indian War, Tea Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Act and Coercive Acts. These events eventually sparked the American Revolution when the Colonial people decided they wanted to be free of British ruling (Brinkley, 2007). French and Indian War What motivated the British the most in the French and Indian war was the acquisition of land and generating revenue. The British parliament had depleted a large portion of its funds over several decades of war with other countries. They had knew they had to protect the newly acquired land in present day America because of the wealthy export business potential. The British had more to offer the Indian tribes than their French competitors, which made them a threat to the French. The British had a bad reputation with most Indian tribes because of their unwillingness to cooperate. The Indian tribes viewed the British as arrogant people because they imposed their ways on the Indians rather than accepting...
Words: 1080 - Pages: 5
...During the late 1700’s The British government did many things that were unfair towards the colonists. The government forced costly taxes on them and passed many unrightful acts that angered colonists. In response to the taxes and acts, the colonies did lots of things to protest against them. The British went through with various acts to gain more profit from the colonists. Some of these taxes and acts were the stamp act, the Quartering act and the Townshend Acts. The British also made it so that the colonies couldn't trade or invest in anything from anyone but England. The colonies could not make industries that would compete with the British. The colonists were fed up with the British and wanted to be free from them. In 1767 when the...
Words: 257 - Pages: 2
...the motivation of the colonists, one would have to backtrack to the multiple acts passed by parliament against the colonists. Acts such as the Stamp Act, Quartering Act, and Townshend Act caused preexisting tension between the colonist and British soldiers. The Stamp Act, “initiated by the British prime minister George Grenville and adopted by the British Parliament,” required American residents to purchase a stamp to place on legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, posters, and even playing cards. It was very controversial because unlike acts passed before it, this act was considered an internal tax rather than a trade tax, and because it affected the more influential people in the society. “The British were not able to enforce the act as resistance by colonists was fierce.” “The Quartering Act of 1765 was passed on May 3rd, 1765 and required colonial assemblies to provide housing, food and drink to British troops stationed in their towns.” The colonial response to this act was not as severe, and only one known violent conflict, the Battle of Golden Hill, was the result of it. However, many colonists were not in favor of forcibly having to house and feed unwanted British Soldiers. Also, “soldiers were permitted to take on part time jobs in their off-duty hours” and this caused conflict between the soldiers and unskilled local citizens who would have taken the jobs. “After the failure of the Stamp Act the British had to show the colonies that Britain had the right to tax the colonies...
Words: 845 - Pages: 4
...The Townshend Acts and the Intolerable Acts pushed the colonists to resist British laws and demand independence from England. After the French and Indian War, the colonies were completely broke. In order to pay back their debts, Britain had no other choice but to tax the colonists. However, the colonists had no representation in Parliament, and this angered them. Colonists rebelled and boycotted several items to show England how upset they were. Colonial leaders sent the Olive Branch Petition shortly after the Intolerable Acts were passed attempting to compromise with the King of Britain. He did not even read the letter. Britain passed the Stamp Act in 1765, a tax on all legal documents. The taxes were placed on warrants, pleadings, newspapers,...
Words: 582 - Pages: 3
...Stamp Act was imposed by George Greenville, but was later repealed by Parliament in 1766. This act required that all paper material bear a paid stamp on it which effected and outraged almost every colonist (Murphy 19). The Stamp Act led to many groups like the Sons of Liberty, establishing a unified America in opposition of “taxation without representation” (Murphy 21). In 1767, Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, imposed a new set of taxes on America that became known as the Townshend Duties. The Townshend Duties increased taxes on American imports including tea, glass, paint, and paper. In addition to raising taxes, the number of customs commissioners were increased to collect the taxes and deter smuggling, along with the allowance of British officials to search properties without permission from the local courts. Townshend was led to believe that the colonists distinguished a difference between internal and external taxes by colonists, including Benjamin Franklin, that suggested the regulation of trade would not have much opposition. The revenue provided from the increase in taxes were used to pay the British officials in America. However, the Townshend Duties were seen by American colonists as a direct assault on their liberties (Murphy 23). After the repealing of the Stamp Act, colonists believed the taxation issue had been resolved so when these new taxes were introduced, they believed their rights had been violated and became enraged again. In response to the...
Words: 1623 - Pages: 7
...From Empire to Independence Colonies became more important for the British mainland economy Colonies experienced agricultural and commercial growth but remained diverse in composition and outlook o Generally adverse to cooperative efforts The Heritage of War Most Americans submitted willingly to the English government due to their alliance in French and Indian War o However, American nationalism was building Brutalities of English soldiers heightened sense of separate identity English soldiers were inept at frontier fighting; initial respect for them was lost English disrupted the colonies’ illegal but necessary molasses trade with the French West Indies Writs of assistance (unspecific search warrants) and naval patrols Boston merchants hired James Otis to fight writs of assistance; he lost but revealed that writs of assistance were like slavery Why was revenue needed? o Management and defense of new global possessions o Payment of war debt o Expansion of colonial administration and defense British Politics Nearly every politician was a Whig: a name given to those who had opposed James II, led the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and secured Protestant succession o Champions of individual liberty and parliamentary supremacy o Whiggism drifted into complacency: dominant group of landowners became concerned with personal wealth George III wanted to limit Whigs so ousted William Pitt as prime minister and established “king’s friends” o Government became...
Words: 2982 - Pages: 12
...Essay #1 History The War of Independence was precipitated by various economic, political and social trends. The political trends emerged during the first half of the eighteenth century. The economic trends became readily apparent a decade before the American colonies rebelled against Britain. The social trends were best exemplified by implementation of the Quebec Act in 1774. A combination of all of these trends led to increasingly widespread resistance among the American colonies, which gave rise to rebellion followed ultimately by revolution. During the first half of the eighteenth century the political trends emerged. The Americans’ experience with government by actual representation caused extreme scepticism of British Parliamentary government claims to virtual representation. However, the most direct political confrontations during this period of time focused on the role of the governors. The governors were appointed by the king or the proprietor, and therefore the governors’ interests were directed towards their British patrons and not the American colonies which they represented. Governors exercised great power over the colonial assemblies. These contradictory political ties with the British empire did not prevent rapid expansion of British settlement by the middle of the eighteenth century. At the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, which culminated in British victory, a great patriotic devotion to the British empire spread among the...
Words: 1305 - Pages: 6
...leading up to the tragedy, next summarize the incident from both British and American sides, and finally discuss the aftermath and impact made toward fueling the Revolutionary War. In 1768, British troops poured into Boston following hostilities with customs officials. The troops were sent to protect the Commissioners of Customs and enforce the recent Townshend Acts implemented by the British. According to History.com (1991), the Townshend acts were a series of...
Words: 901 - Pages: 4
...A commonly asked question when talking U.S. history and the American Revolution is what exactly caused it? There have been many events between the times that America was founded to the time of the actual revolution. Some of these included the Townshend Acts, the Boston Massacre, and the Intolerable Acts. In addition to these events, there were groups of people who helped drive the start the Revolution. Two of these groups included the Patriots and the Loyalists. All these pieces of the puzzle contributed in different ways and should all be touched upon when discussing the famous American Revolution. The Townshend Acts, occurring on Nov. 20 1767, put taxes on things such as glass, paper, and even tea. After these developed, the colonists became really angered. This increased activity to try and avoid the tax. Some citizens even took to tar-and-feathering tax collectors.(TimeToast) The Townshend Acts happened in 1767, which were a few years apart from other major events such as the Stamp Act Congress and the Boston Massacre....
Words: 675 - Pages: 3
...colonies, that would ultimately lead to the Revolutionary War. Understanding the importance of the Boston Tea Party cannot be obtained without an understanding of the issues and events that preceded it. The Party, which occurred in 1773, had its origins several years earlier, in the wake of the French and Indian War, which ended in 1763. In 1766, Parliament passed the Quartering Act, which provided for "billeting, provisioning and discipline of British forces, requiring colonial assemblies to provide barracks and supplies such as candles, fuel, vinegar, beer and salt for the regulars, costs of the Army in America at the 'dictate' of Parliament" (Tuchman 167). Further to this point, the Seven Years' War was over; why the need for such a large standing army in America? This first Quartering Act was, however, obeyed in general terms, and even partly rescinded as to enforcement (182), until other Parliamentary measures pointed up colonists' feeling of oppression. By 1767, the Stamp Act had been passed, and then revoked in the face of an American boycott of covered goods. In 1767, the Townshend Acts legalized import duties on "glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea." The stated resolution of these duties was that of "defraying the charge of the administration of justice, and the support of civil government" in America (Morris 90). In other words, the American colonies would be required to pay for British administration of the territory. Tuchman says that this phrase in the bill...
Words: 2662 - Pages: 11
...allied with them. this war broke out over dispute |both France and Britain both suffered financially, so if this had not happened the | | |over the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. |revolutionary war may have had a different outcome. | | |The sugar act was a revenue raising act passed by the parliament of great |This tax on molasses increased the colonists concerns about the intent of the british | |Sugar Act |Britain, to tax molasses hoping that the tax would actually be collected so the |parliament which helped the movement that became the American revolution. | | |kingdoms revenue would grow. | | | |This was a tax that was made specifically for the colonies of British America, |This was met with resistance in the colonies, the colonies sent no representatives to | |Stamp Act |which made it so that printed material be produced on stamped paper carrying a |parliament, and so they had no influence...
Words: 712 - Pages: 3
...mistaken. In 1764 England passed the Sugar Act which was a lesser tariff on sugar than the colonists had previously paid, but it was enforced much more strictly and offenders would be tried in admiralty courts which were much harsher than colonial courts. Also passed in 1764 was the Currency Act. This act prevented colonists from using their paper money as legal tender because it was often worth less than its face value. The Quarting Act, passed in 1765, forced Americans to provide shelter to redcoats. This act was one of the most disliked acts of time period because of the blatant oppression it allowed. Another act passed by the British Parliament was the Stamp Act which required most paper goods to have a stamp on it which had to be paid for. This affected most of the colonists due to its broad application. These acts enraged colonists and began the acts of resistance towards the British government that would later spark a revolution. Although colonists were upset in 1765 due to the large amount of new taxation, they were not close to a revolution just yet. Many colonists organized as groups to express the discontent with the new acts. Through these groups the House of Burgesses and Sons of Liberty were both born. While the House of Burgesses used legislation to express their unhappiness, the Sons of Liberty resorted to riots and harassment to get what they wanted. Tax collectors were harassed so much that by the time the Stamp Act went into place, there were not enough collectors...
Words: 1874 - Pages: 8
...to cross it Huge war debt after the French and Indian War Resurgence of Imperialism 1. The Sugar Act (1764) stipulated that if Americans purchased non-English sugar (especially Dutch), you would have to pay an extra tax (resemblance to the Navigation Acts) 2. The Stamp Act (1765) an act that required you to place a stamp on any type you purchased paper, or fill out a form, marriage license, etc. you would have to purchase stamps psychological- visible reminder that they were colonists George Grenville- pushed for the Stamp Act Three Types of Responses to the Stamp Act 1. Emotional a. Sons of Liberty 2. Political (Constitutional) a. Stamp Act Congress (first unified Congress among colonists) 9 of 13 colonies meet in New York b. Virtual Representation c. Declaration of Rights and Grievances “virtual representation we do not accept” 3. Economic a. Non-importation movement (stop buying British goods) b. Daughters of Liberty (filling the gap of things that do not come in) Stamp Act Repealed (1766) Declaratory Act (1766) (passed on the same day as the Stamp Act Repeal) (Parliament has the right to “bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever”) Quartering Act (1765) required Americans to accommodate British troops, not necessarily in your home, but on your property and you must provide them with food if need be Townshend Acts (1767) Charles Townshend- head on the x-checker, pushed through Parliament Placed a built-in tax on basic goods, Benjamin Franklin...
Words: 643 - Pages: 3
