The Stamp Act of 1765 imposed a tax on printed materials in the American colonies, leading to protests against "taxation without representation." In 1768, British troops were sent to Boston to enforce unpopular taxation acts, straining tensions. This culminated in the Boston Massacre of 1770, where British soldiers killed American colonists. In response to the Boston Tea Party in 1773, Britain passed the Intolerable Acts in 1774, punishing Massachusetts and further increasing colonial resentment of British rule.

2. 1765

3. Stamp Act 1765
• The Stamp Act of 1765 was an act of the Parliament of
Great Britain that enforces tax by the British government
on the American colonies.
• The embossed revenue stamp was used for printed
materials such as legal documents, magazines, playing
cards, newspapers and many other types of paper used
throughout the colonies
• The tax was collected at purchase and a tax stamp affixed
to the item showing that it had been paid.
The purpose of the Stamp Act was tax
the colonist so the British can raise
and support the military troops.
Great Britain faced a massive debt
because of the Seven Years War.
As the debt had grown, Britain were
taxed at a rate that created a serious
threat of revolt (Wikipedia).

4. • The Act was met with great resistance in
the colonies as many colonists
considered it a violation of their rights as
Englishmen to be taxed without their
consent (Boundless)
• No taxation without representation -
Colonial assemblies sent petitions and
protests.
• Protests than started a new secret
organization called the Sons of Liberty.

5. The Stamp Act Congress
• Letters were distributed
to other colonies to bring
a meeting together to
represent the colonies.
• Declaration of Rights and
Grievances was drafted
declaring that taxes
imposed on British
colonists without their
formal consent were
unconstitutional
(Boundless)

6. Stamp Act repealed
It did not end Parliament
conviction however Parliament
could not tax colonist.

7. British Troops Arrivs in Boston
1768

8. • The British
arrives was to
maintain order
of the
Townshend
Act
(Boundless).
• Their goal was
to protect and
support the
crown.

10. Why was the British sent to Boston?
• Revenue Act
• Indemnity Act
• Commissioner
of Custom Acts
• Vice Admiralty
Court Act
• New York
Restraining
Act

11. • British adapted to the
Bostonian society.
• The British soldiers were
consumers of both large
quantities of rum and
prostitutes (Histoy.org)
• Troops made themselves
comfortable and colonists
grew resentments.
• This resenemtment led to
the Boston Massacre

13. Boston, the capital of the Province of Massachusetts Bay and an
important shipping town, was a major center of resistance to
unpopular acts of taxation by the British Parliament in the 1760s.
In 1768, the Townshend Acts were placed upon the colonists to
tax a variety of common items that were manufactured in Britain
and exported to the colonies (Boundless)

14. British troops were stationed Boston in order to protect and support crown-appointed colonial
officials attempting to enforce unpopular Parliamentary legislation (Boundless)
Colonists objected that the Townshend Acts
Which led to violation of the natural, charter and constitutional rights of British subjects in the
colonies.
British troops were sent to Boston to enforce the Townshend Acts in May of 1768. (Boundless)
What is the Boston Massacre

15. Soldiers felt verbally threaten and thrown objects and they fired into the
crowd without orders, killing three people and wounding others. Two more
people died later of wounds sustained in the incident (Boundless).

16. The British soldiers were put on trial,
and patriots John Adams and Josiah
Quincy agreed to defend the soldiers
in a show of support of the colonial
justice system. When the trial ended
in December 1770, two British
soldiers were found guilty of
manslaughter and had their thumbs
branded with an “M” for murder as
punishment (History.org)
The Sons of Liberty, a Patriot
group formed in 1765 to
oppose the Stamp Act,
advertised the “Boston
Massacre” as a battle for
American liberty and just
cause for the removal of
British troops from Boston.
Copies of the engraving were
distributed throughout the
colonies and helped reinforce
negative American sentiments
about British rule (History)

18. The British Tea Act of 1773 was enacted by Parliament to grant a legal monopoly to the nearly bankrupt East India Company.
This allowed the East India Company to undercut American Merchants on Tea prices.
Even those suppling Tea through the use of Smugglers. With the passing of the Tea Act, the seventeen million pounds of unsold surplus tea the
British East India Company owned could be sold to markets in the American colonies.
(www.bostonteapartyship.com/the-tea-act#sthash.PXLNTKzC.dpuf.)

19. The resentment of the Rebels was made worse by the fact that the tea business was funneled through selected
Loyalist merchants including the sons of the Governor of Massachusetts Thomas Hutchinson.

20. In September and October of 1773 seven ships left England for the colonies. Each ship contained 2,000 chests of tea from East India Company.
One ship each was bound for New York, Philadelphia and Charleston. Four ships were bound for Boston. One ship was destroyed by a storm but
three ships arrived in Boston harbor in November 1773. “In every colony except Massachusetts, protesters were able to force the tea consignees to
resign or to return the tea to England.” (Larabee 96-100) “In Boston, however, Governor Hutchinson was determined to hold his ground. He
convinced the tea consignees, two of whom were his sons, not to back down.” (Larabee 104-105)

21. The Sons of Liberty vowed that the tea would not be unloaded. “On the night of December 16, 1773, about a 150 men from all layers of
Boston’s economy, masters and apprentices side by side, blackened their faces with burnt cork, dressed as Mohawk Indians, and boarded the
three ships.” (Davis 48) With hatchets they destroyed the tea chests and dumped 600,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor. In Britain, this
act united all parties there against the colonies. Even those politicians considered friends of the colonies were appalled. The Prime Minister,
Lord North said, "Whatever may be the consequence, we must risk something; if we do not, all is over". The British government felt this
action could not remain unpunished, and responded by closing the port of Boston and putting in place other laws known as the "Coercive
Acts". The tax on tea was repealed with the Taxation of Colonies Act of 1778, part of another Parliamentary attempt at conciliation that
failed.” (Boundless. “The Boston Tea Party.” US History to 1877. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 14 Nov. 2015)

22. “In post-Tea Party fervor, Parliament passed a series of bills, called the Coercive Acts, the first of which was the Port Bill, aimed at closing
down Boston until the dumped tea was paid for.” ( Davis 49) Better known as the Boston Port Act, closed the port of Boston on June 1, 1774
until reimbursement for all the tea that had been thrown in the harbor had been paid to the East India Company and also until King George III
Believed that order in Boston had been restored. The colonist objected feeling that Boston as a whole was being punished not just the
individuals responsible for the act. They objected to being punished without being given the opportunity to testify in their own defense.

23. “From the moment the tea was dumped, the road to revolution was a short one. “The die is now cast,” King George III told his Prime Minister
Lord North. “The colonies must either submit or triumph.” (Davis 48-49) “On April 22, 1774, Prime Minister Lord North defended the
programme [sic] in the House of Commons, saying: The Americans have tarred and feathered your subjects, plundered your merchants, burnt
your ships, denied all obedience to your laws and authority; yet so clement and so long forbearing has our conduct been that it is incumbent on
us now to take a different course. Whatever may be the consequences, we must risk something; if we do not, all is over.” (Reid 13))

24. “The Massachusetts Government Act provoked even more outrage than the Port Act because it unilaterally altered the government of
Massachusetts to bring it under control of the British government. Under the terms of the Government Act, almost all positions in the colonial
government were to be appointed by the governor, Parliament, or king. The act also severely limited the activities of town meetings in
Massachusetts to one meeting a year, unless the Governor called for one. Colonists outside Massachusetts feared that their governments could
now also be changed by the legislative fiat of Parliament.” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intolerable_Acts)

25. The Administration of Justice Act allowed the Royal governor to order that trials of accused royal officials take place in Great Britain or
elsewhere within the Empire if he decided that the defendant could not get a fair trial in Massachusetts. Although the act stipulated for
witnesses to be reimbursed after having travelled at their own expense across the Atlantic, it was not stipulated that this would include
reimbursement for lost earnings during the period for which they would be unable to work, leaving few with the ability to testify. George
Washington called this the "Murder Act" because he believed that it allowed British officials to harass Americans and then escape justice. Many
colonists believed the act was unnecessary because British soldiers had been given a fair trial following the Boston Massacre in 1770.
(Ammerman 9)

29. Definition of the
Intolerable Acts:
The Intolerable Acts, also
called the Restraining Acts
and the Coercive Acts,
were a series of British
Laws, passed by the
Parliament of Great Britain
1774.
The Intolerable Act
targeted at punishing the
Massachusetts colonists
for the actions taken in
the incident known as the
Boston Tea Party
(Boundless)

30. Even some British sympathized with the American cause. Here, a British cartoonist pictures
America as an Indian woman having the Intolerable Acts forced down her throat. The caption
reads, "The able Doctor, or, America swallowing the Bitter Draught (Wikipedia)

31. Intolerable Act is what led to the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party
The Boston Massacre, called the
Incident on King Street by the British,
was an incident on March 5, 1770, in
which British Army soldiers killed five
civilian men and injured six others
(Boundless)
The Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773)
was a protest by colonists in Boston against
the Tea Tax. Boston patriots, led by the Sons
of Liberty dressed as Mohawk Indians,
raided three British ships in the Boston
Harbor dumping 342 containers of tea into
the water.
Tea Pa.

32. • Intolerable Acts only made matters worse
• The colonies reunited together to join the First
Continental Congress protest on September
1774.
• The colonists had sworn and promised to
support Massachusetts of any attack. Shortly
after became the first Revolution battle of
Lexington and Concord.

35. “The Congress was attended by 55 delegates appointed by the legislatures of twelve of the thirteen colonies. Georgia declined to
send delegates because they were hoping for British assistance with Native American problems on their frontier and did not want
to upset the British.” (Ferling 112)

36. • “The necessity of a Continental Congress
was not convincing until the British placed
a blockade at the Port of Boston in
response to the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
• The colonies were united in their effort to
demonstrate their authority to Great
Britain by virtue of their common causes
and through their unity.
• The delegates organized an economic
boycott of Great Britain in protest against
the Coercive Acts passed by the British
Parliament in 1774 and petitioned the
King for a redress of grievances.
Nevertheless, their ultimate objectives
were not consistent. Pennsylvania and
New York had sent delegates with firm
instructions to pursue a resolution with
Great Britain.
• While the other colonies all held the idea
of colonial rights as paramount, they were
split between those who sought legislative
equality with Britain and those who
instead favored independence and a break
from the Crown and its excesses. On
October 26, 1774, the First Continental
Congress adjourned. They agreed to
reconvene in May 1775 if Parliament still
did not address their grievances
• .”(Boundless.“ The First Continental
Congress.” US History to 1877. Boundless,
21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 15 Nov. 2015)​

37. “In London, Parliament debated the merits of meeting the demands made by the colonies. However, it took no official notice of Congress'
petitions and addresses. On November 30, 1774, King George III opened Parliament with a speech condemning Massachusetts and the Suffolk
Resolves. At that point it became clear that the Continental Congress would have to convene once again.”(Boundless.“The First Continental
Congress.” US History to 1877. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 15 Nov. 2015)

45. On April 18th 1775,Massachusetts Governor and British Military Commander in Chief General Thomas Gage gave secret orders to Lieutenant
Colonel Francis Smith to take 700 British soldiers and ride to Concord to seize and destroy munitions that the Colonial militia had stored there.
Their orders also included the capture of John Hancock and Samuel Adams who had left Boston to hide with Hancock's relatives in Lexington.
But the Rebels had received information from sources in London of the Mission and distributed the stored munitions throughout the towns in the
area. The Boston Patriots had been preparing for such a British military action, upon learning of the British plan, Paul Revere and William Dawes
set off across the Massachusetts countryside. They took separate routes in case one of them was captured: Dawes left the city via the Boston Neck
peninsula and Revere crossed the Charles River to Charlestown by boat. As the two couriers made their way, Patriots in Charlestown waited for a
signal from Boston informing them of the British troop movement. As previously agreed, one lantern would be hung in the steeple of Boston’s
Old North Church, the highest point in the city, if the British were marching out of the city by Boston Neck, and two lanterns would be hung if
they were crossing the Charles River to Cambridge. Two lanterns were hung, and Revere and Dawes set out for Lexington and Concord .Along
the way, Revere and Dawes roused hundreds of Minutemen, who armed themselves and set out to oppose the British.

46. “Revere arrived in Lexington shortly before Dawes, but together they warned Adams and Hancock and then set out for Concord. Along the
way, they were joined by Samuel Prescott, a young Patriot who had been riding home after visiting a lady friend. Early on the morning of
April 19, a British patrol captured Revere, and Dawes lost his horse, forcing him to walk back to Lexington on foot. However, Prescott
escaped and rode on to Concord to warn the Patriots there. After being roughly questioned for an hour or two, Revere was released when
the patrol heard Minutemen alarm guns being fired on their approach to Lexington.” (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/revere-
and-dawes-warn-of-british-attack. Retrieved 2015-11-15)

47. Word had been spread from towns in the area and at sunrise about 70 Colonial Militia, also known as Minutemen, assembled at Lexington
Green to the advanced guard of 240 British soldiers under the command of British Marine Major John Pitcairn. The Minutemen had been
ordered to disperse by their commander Captain John Parker, and the British troops attempted to just ride on, but suddenly a shot was fired. It
is not known which side fired the first shot that later became known as the “Shot heard round the World.” (Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1837).
Emerson's Concord Hymn National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-11-15) Eight Minutemen were killed and another ten were wounded but
only one British soldier was wounded. After the battle the colonists dispersed, and the British continued on the road to Concord. Though not
the official start to the Revolutionary war it is considered by most the beginning the Revolution.

48. “Revere, Dawes, and Prescott were detained by a British Army patrol in Lincoln at a roadblock on the way to Concord.” (Boatner 622) “Prescott
jumped his horse over a wall and escaped into the woods; he eventually reached Concord. Dawes also escaped, though he fell off his horse not
long after and did not complete the ride.” (Fischer 131-132,144) “Revere was captured and questioned by the British soldiers at gunpoint. He told
them of the army's movement from Boston, and that British army troops would be in some danger if they approached Lexington, because of the
large number of hostile militia gathered there. He and other captives taken by the patrol were still escorted east toward Lexington, until about a
half mile from Lexington they heard a gunshot. The British major demanded Revere explain the gunfire, and Revere replied it was a signal to
"alarm the country". As the group drew closer to Lexington, the town bell began to clang rapidly, upon which one of the captives proclaimed to
the British soldiers "The bell's a'ringing! The town's alarmed, and you're all dead men!“(Fischer 136) “The British soldiers gathered and decided
not to press further towards Lexington but instead to free the prisoners and head back to warn their commanders.” (Fischer 133-136, 142-148)
“The British confiscated Revere's horse and rode off to warn the approaching army column. Revere walked to Rev. Jonas Clarke's house, where
Hancock and Adams were staying. As the battle on Lexington Green unfolded, Revere assisted Hancock and his family in their escape from
Lexington, helping to carry a trunk of Hancock's papers.” (Miller 198-200)

49. The over confident British troops marched on to Concord where they split into three groups. Some headed to the South Bridge while 100 other
men went to defend the North bridge. Captain Parsons took more troops and headed another two miles up the road beyond the North bridge to
search Barrett's farm for munitions. Noticing that the British had made a tactical error Cornel Barrett orders his troops to attack. The British
being caught off guard and unaccustomed to the Patriots style of fighting from behind trees and stonewalls were forced to retreat and lost most
of their men until they meet up with Lieutenant Cornel Percy’s reinforcements at Munroe Tavern. To quote British Lieutenant Cornel Hugh
Percy, "During the whole affair the Rebels attacked us in a very scattered, irregular manner, but with perseverance & resolution, nor did they
ever dare to form into any regular body. Indeed, they knew too well what was proper, to do so. Whoever looks upon them as an irregular mob,
will find himself much mistaken. They have men amongst them who know very well what they are about, having been employed as Rangers
against the Indians & Canadians, & this country being much covered with wood, and hilly, is very advantageous for their method of fighting.“
(Bolton 52) The British returned to Boston with the knowledge that the Patriots were a formidable force.

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