Events Leading Up To The American Revolution

For over hundred years Britain ruled its colony in America without issue. As Britain became more involved with the colonist’s everyday lives, the colonists reacted angrily. With the Proclamation of 1763 colonists were no longer allowed to move west past the Appalachian Mountains because it was considered the Native American’s land. This was the firs real involvement Great Britain had with America, and from there Britain asserted itself more into the lives of the colonists creating much unrest in America.

Britain’s large debt left them with no choice to increase and create new taxes. One law was created called the Sugar Act which did three things: halved the duty on foreign-made molasses, placed duties on certain imports, and strengthened the enforcement of the law allowing prosecutors to try smuggling cases in a vice-admiralty court rather than in a more sympathetic colonial court. Colonists were also forced to allow British soldiers into their vacant private homes under the Quartering Act. With the passing of the Stamp Act in March 1765, colonists had to purchase special stamped paper for every legal document, license, newspaper, pamphlet, and almanac. The strong negative response from the colonists by boycotting, harassing stamp agents, and congress meetings led to the repeal of the stamp act. To show that they were still powerful and had control over their colony, Britain passed the Declaratory Act which stated parliaments’ full right to make laws. A new method for gaining revenue was thought of by Charles Townshend, this method imposed a tax on glass, lead, paint, and paper. This led to more boycotting by the colonists. On Marc 5, 1770 a fight broke out between the colonists and British soldiers in front of the Customs house. Shots were fired and four colonists along with Crispus Attucks, a freed African American, were killed. The Sons of Liberty named this event the Boston Massacre. Britain’s plan to take Americans over to Britain for trial upset many colonists. They gathered in Massachusetts and Virginia and this Committee of Correspondence was created to set up a form of communication with the other colonies about this and other threats to American liberties. The Tea Act was then passed which allowed the BEIC to sell tea free of taxes, which colonial sellers still had to pay. On December 16, 1773 in response to the Tea Act, colonists disguised as Indians boarded a