2f - the road to revolution, 1763-75
Anti-smuggling legislation, 1763
Sugar Act, 1764
Currency Act, 1764
Stamp Act Crisis, 1765-6
Declaratory Act, 1766
Quartering Act 1765
Seen as being used to raise revenue without consent
By 1765 nine colonial assemblies had accused Britain of abusing its power
James Otis argued against 'taxation without representation'
Represented a fundamental shift in outlook - fear that Britain believed it could tax at will
Raised wider political concerns about arbitrary government, extension of powers and denial of liberty
Evidence of further centralisation and inference from London at the expense of colonial assemblies
Led to deflation and caused bankruptcy
Led to Virginia Resolves, refuting Britain's right to tax without consent
Led to the Stamp Act Congress of Oct 1765
Foundation of the Loyal Nine, later the Sons of Liberty
Widespread rioting and mob violence
Seen as a direct internal tax, affecting every colonist
To many colonists it had constitutional implications - accepting the tax would be accepting Parliament's absolute legislative authority
Attacks on British officials, effigies hanged from the Liberty Tree in Boston and Lieutenant-Governor Hutchison's house
Seen as part of a grand strategy to erode colonial liberties
New York refused to accept the act
Seen as another example of the tyranny of Parliament reducing the rights of colonial assemblies
Townshend Duties, 1766
New York Restraining Act, 1767
Reinforced the view that a standing army was tyrannical and oppressive
Passed on the same day as the repeal of the Stamp Act - which many colonists celebrated
Made it clear Parliament maintained its right to legislate and tax the colonies, that the colonies were subordinate and Parliament had full authority
Showed the colonists how fragile their rights were
Seen as undermining the rights of colonial assemblies
No taxation without representation
Showed that the policy of Salutary Neglect had clearly ended
Although external many colonists now refused to accept any form of taxation
Many saw this as a deliberate conspiracy to deny the colonists of their liberties
John Dickinson wrote Letters of a Pennsylvania Farmer in 1768
In Feb 1768 the Massachusetts assembly sent out a circular letter (written by Samuel Adams and James Otis) attacking the duties
The city of Boston organised a boycott of British goods, which soon spread
In Oct 1765 organised a boycott of British goods
The impact of taxation and other legislation, 1763-8
Revival of the Sons of Liberty
Increase in mob violence as radicals enforced this
The American Board of Customs Commissioners, 1767
The Boston Massacre, 1770
The removal of officials from local control and created further fear of despotism
Many saw this and the closure of the assembly as a deliberate conspiracy to deny the colonists of their liberties
Lack of resources led the board to ask the Royal Navy for support
The seizure of the Liberty led to a violent response - crown officials were mobbed and the Sons of Liberty virtually controlled Boston
The new governor, the Earl of Hillsborough, decided Boston be punished and ordered the assembly to the rescind the circular letter of Feb 1768
Their refusal led to the closure of the assembly - Boston became ungovernable and British troops arrived in Oct 1768 to enforce order
British troops enflamed the situation - they were quartered on local people and competed for jobs with local workers
Their presence was seen as a sign of British interference and reinforced the end of Salutary Neglect
Boston newspapers made up stories of brutality and equated them with tyranny and despotism
Colonial newspapers painted the incident as a 'massacre' - in newspapers, pamphlets and engravings
Suggested that the British were prepared to used a standing army to gun down innocent civilians who were determined to uphold their rights and freedoms - and created five martyrs
Led to a new government under Lord North that tried to improve relations with the colonists
The Earl of Hillsborough was replaced by the more conciliatory Earl of Dartmouth
The Townshend Duties were repealed - apart from tea, which was kept tp show the supremacy of parliament
North won over conservative merchants and the boycotts were dropped
Radicals were not appeased and the creation of 'committees of correspondence' in most states encouraged the circulation of grievances and kept radical activity alive
The Tea Act, 1773
By giving the East India Company a monopoly it threatened to bankrupt colonial tea merchants
The act was attacked in colonial newspapers and led to violence against officials
Colonists were convinced this was another attempt at Parliamentary taxation and a denial of colonial rights and liberties
The Boston Tea Party, 1773
Seen as an act of defiance that could not be ignored
Led to a British response as North was convinced the actions were a threat to British authority, prosperity and security
The 60 Sons of Liberty who took part became radical heroes making a stand against British tyranny and despotism, and standing up to taxation that did not have the consent of the colonists
The event was widely celebrated in colonial newspapers and images.
The Coercive (Intolerable) Acts, 1774-7
North made General Gage, commander of British forces in Boston, the new governor of Massachusetts
It appeared that Britain was determined to put the whole of America under colonial rule and subdue the colonies
North determined that Boston, and Massachusetts, were at the centre of the trouble and decided they should be punished as an example to other colonies.
Rather than isolating Massachusetts the other colonies united behind them and rallied to their defence, believing that Britain could take similar action against any colony
The Quebec Act (1774) was of particular concern to colonists, who saw it as a threat to their liberty rather than a liberal act designed to protect French Canadians
They saw the right of the crown to rule without an assembly as a threat to colonial liberties and rights
The extension of the Quebec boundary was seen as a denial of colonial rights, damaging to their economic growth and a threat to self-determination
Suspended the New York colonial assembly until it backed down and accepted the Quartering Act
Many colonists were angered that Parliament would suspend a colonial assembly
Indicated that policy of Statutory Neglect was coming to an end
Led to the First Continental Congress of Oct 1774.