The document summarizes several key events leading up to the American Revolution from 1754 to 1774. It discusses the French and Indian War and how colonial soldiers gained military experience. It then outlines several Acts passed by the British Parliament that angered the colonists, including the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Acts, which imposed new taxes on the colonies without representation. This led the colonists to organize groups like the Sons of Liberty and hold the Stamp Act Congress and First Continental Congress to debate rights and grievances with the British government.

1. .
8 DEGREES OF SEPARATION
Turning Points contributing to the American Revolution
1754 1764 1765 1765 1767 1770 1773 1774
Wentworth Institute of
Technology
Team Paine
David Tassinari
David Ludwig
Graden Foley
HIST 1101-62
Prof. Jared Haas
7-24-16

2. The French & Indian War
(1754-1763)
• French expansion into the Ohio River
Valley created conflicts with British
colonials, especially Virginia.
• British laid claim to the area for
settlement by Virginians and
Pennsylvanians.
• The territorial claims of Britain were
based upon the explorations of John
Cabot in the 15th Century.
• France’s claim to the Ohio river valley
was based on its claim to the
Mississippi valley, which includes the
Ohio.

3. The French & Indian War
(1754-1763)
• War was formally declared in 1756,
and British forces were facing difficulty,
due to lack of support from home.
• During the early period, there were
also rivalries among American
colonies.
• William Pitt, the new British leader
turned the tides in 1757, seeing the
colonies as the key to building a
significant British Empire.
• Borrowing money heavily to fund the
War in Europe, and reimbursing
colonial troops, Pitt managed to seize
control of Canada.
William Pitt

4. The French & Indian War (1754-1763)
• 1758 – The British win their first significant victory at Louisbourg.
• The British then focused on Quebec.
• In 1760, the Spanish joined the French and the war continued until 1763,
when France ceded Canada to the British, and Spain ceded Florida, leaving
Louisiana in Spanish control (History.com Staff).

5. The French & Indian War
(1754-1763)
• The British victory strengthened
the American colonies by removing
rivals to the north and south, and
opening the Mississippi valley to
westward expansion (History.com
staff).
Key Facts:
• The French & Indian War was
actually part of the first “World
War”. In Europe, the war is
referred to as the Seven
Years War, even though the
war lasted 9 years.

6. The French & Indian War
(1754-1763)
Contributions to the Revolution
• Colonial soldiers fought alongside the
British, including Revolutionary
commanders.
• Insight was gained into British military
tactics and strategy.
• The war was waged and won by
borrowing funds. This will later
contribute to an increase in economic
restrictions on colonies in America.

7. The Sugar Act (1764)
• British Law, passed by the
Parliament of Great Britain on
April 5, 1764, that was designed
to raise revenue from the
American colonists in the 13
Colonies.
• Decreased the tax on Molasses
from 6 pence to 3 pence per
gallon, but ensured the tax could
be collected by leftover British
military forces stationed in the
colonies following the French &
Indian War.

8. The Sugar Act (1764)
• What it taxed:
• Wines
• Coffee
• Cambric
• Printed calico
• Timber
• Iron
• Molasses

9. The Sugar Act (1764)
• Why it was enforced:
• Designed to stop the
trade between the New
England and Middle
colonies and the French,
Dutch and Spanish in the
West Indies (Land of the
Brave).
• Other Purposes
• Establish British
Admiralty courts
• Reduce smuggling and
bribery

10. The Sugar Act (1764)
Key facts:
1. The Sugar Act was really about
the manufacture of rum.
Molasses is a key ingredient in
rum (Land of the Brave).
2. The Molasses Act, or
Navigation Act was never
enforced due to the British
Policy of Salutary Neglect.
3. The sudden increase in
enforcement caused significant
economic and constitutional
issues for the colonies.

11. The Sugar Act (1764)
Contributions to the Revolution
• Colonies were forced to comply
with the tax where previously,
they could circumvent the ill-
regulated Molasses Act.
• British military forces remained
in the colonies following the war,
which created tension between
the colonies and the British.
• Constitutional Issues regarding
taxation without representation
became more pronounced.

12. The Stamp Act (1765)
• The apparent purpose was to raise £60,000 yearly in the
colonies in order to help support the cost of maintaining
British troops there, a cost totaling £350,000 annually.

13. The Stamp Act (1765)
• The first direct tax on American colonies
• Every legal document had to be written on special
stamped paper, showing proof of payment (ushistory.org).

14. The Stamp Act (1765)
• What it taxed:
• Deeds
• Wills
• Marriage Licenses
• Documents were not recognized as
legal unless they were printed on
this paper.

15. The Stamp Act (1765)
• James Otis of Massachusetts was one of the outspoken
colonials opposing the Act.
That the colonists, black and white, born here are freeborn British subjects,
and entitled to all the essential civil rights of such is a truth not only manifest
from the provincial charters, from the principles of the common law, and acts
of Parliament, but from the British constitution, which was re-established at
the Revolution with a professed design to secure the liberties of all the
subjects to all generations.
– James Otis, The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved, 1764
(ushistory.org)

16. The Stamp Act (1765)
Contributions to the Revolution
• This was the last straw for the
colonies, and boycotts and protests
began.
• Radical groups emerged, such as the
Sons and Daughters of Liberty who
harassed those who did not comply
with the boycott.
• The colonists established the Stamp
Act Congress.
• The Stamp Act and its subsequent
protest caused enough of a problem
for British merchants, that parliament
repealed the Act in 1766. Setting a
precedent that British laws could be
protested and changed with success.

17. The Stamp Act Congress (1765)

18. The Townshend Acts
(1767)
• 29 June 1767 Parliament
passes the Townshend Acts
• Introduced by Chancellor
Of the Exchequer Charles Townshend
in 1767.
• The hope was to defray
imperial expenses in the colonies.
• Imposed taxes on glass, lead paints, paper and tea that were imported into
the colonies.

19. The Townshend Acts
(1767) - Continued
• Many Americans considered taxation
as an abuse of power.
• This lead to agreements to limit imports
from Britain.
• Parliament repealed all of the
Townshend taxes, except tea, in
1770.
• A temporary truce between the two
sides entailed.
"Merchants ... agreed to the Resolutions of the City of New York--not
to write for any Goods after the First of June, nor Import any after the
first Day of October, until the Act Imposing Duties on Glass, Paper, etc
be repealed-- “ (Rowe, 1768)

20. The Townshend Acts
(1767) - Continued
• Americans like Benjamin Franklin argued against
Parliament’s power to impose the Stamp Act.
• The said this was a direct tax on the colonies and shouldn’t
be allowed.
• Parliament repealed all of the Townshend taxes, except tea,
in 1770.
• A temporary truce between the two sides entailed.

21. The Townshend Acts
(1767) - Continued
• Main reason they kept the
tea tax was to assert their
right to tax the colonies.
• Truce ended in 1772 with
the burning of the British
patrol boat Gaspee.
• Resistance to the tea tax became a symbol of American
Patriotism.

22. The Townshend Acts
(1767) - Continued
“As Samuel Adams, speaking for the Massachusetts legislature, put it: ‘In all
free states, the constitution is fixed; it is from thence, that the legislature derives
its authority; therefore it cannot change the constitution without destroying its
own foundation.’” (Foner and Garraty, 1991)
• Francis Bernard, Governor of Massachusetts, dissolved legislature when it
issued a Circular letter.
• This letter described measures taken against the Townshend Acts.
• Lead to series of Non-Importation Agreements.
• Reduced colonial imports from Britain in half between 1768 to 1769.

23. The Boston Massacre (1770)

24. The Boston Tea Party (1773)

25. The First Continental Congress
(Philadelphia 1774)
• Created in response the
British government taxing
the colonies.
• Fifty-Six delegates from all
of the colonies, except
Georgia, met at Carpenter’s
Hall in Philadelphia.
• Served as the government of the 13 American colonies.
• Elected Virginian Peyton Randolph as the first president of Congress.

26. The First Continental Congress
(Philadelphia 1774)
• Structured to allow equality
of participants.
• Allowed and promoted free
debate
• Drafted a declaration of
rights and grievances.
• Affirmed loyalty to the British
Crown.
• Disputed British
Parliament’s right to tax the
colonies.

27. The First Continental Congress
(Philadelphia 1774)
• Passed the Articles of Association
• Called on colonies to stop importing British goods starting on December 1,
1774.
• If Britain failed to redress the colonists’ grievances then they would reconvene
on May 10, 1775.
• And as of September 10 1775 the colonies would refuse to export goods to
England.

28. The First Continental Congress
(Philadelphia 1774)
KEY FACTS:
• Georgia did not take place due to
warring with Native Indians and
needing support of the British
Government.
• John Adams, George Washington and
John Jay, (future U.S. Supreme Court
Chief justice) all attended The First
Continental Congress.

29. The First Continental Congress
(Philadelphia 1774)
• The First Continental Congress disbanded on October 26, 1774.
• Britain ignored these requests.
• 1775. Due to Britain ignoring the First Continental Congress, the
Second Continental Congress began.
• Declared independence from Britain.

30. Works Cited
History.com Staff. "French and Indian War." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009.
Web. 20 July 2016.
"Sugar Act." Land of the Brave. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2016.
"The Stamp Act Controversy." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 20
July 2016.
The Reader’s Companion to American History. Eric Foner and John A. Garraty, Editors.
Copyright © 1991 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Found on History.com.
John Rowe diary 5, 2 May 1768, page 751. Retrieved from
www.masshist.org/revolution/Townshend.php
The Continental Congress. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/american-
revolution/the-continental-congress
1774 First Continental Congress convenes. Retrieved from
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-continental-congress-convenes