This document summarizes the political tensions between the British colonies in America and the British Parliament in the period leading up to the American Revolution. It describes how the British imposed various taxes on the colonies through acts like the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts to help pay off war debts, but did so without representation of colonial interests in Parliament. This angered colonists and led to protests, boycotts of British goods, and eventually violent clashes like the Boston Massacre as colonial resentment grew toward British rule.
2. Look at this cartoon. Does this person look
happy about having to pay taxes?
Taxes are a touchy subject now, and they were a touchy
subject when this nation was just forming. Let’s look at
some reasons that taxes are such a hard issue
3. Broken Promises
• • As we learned in
section one, the British did not
keep their promises to the
Native Americans. Soon after
the war was over, more and
more English moved across the
Appalachian Mountains. This
pushed the natives off more
land.
• An Indian chief named Pontiac
led a rebellion against the
English settlements. This
rebellion was known as
Pontiac’s war. It was short-
lived and did little to stop
settlers from moving in. Chief Pontiac
4. Proclamation of 1763
• • England was tired of
hearing news about colonists
fighting with the Indians. To keep
peace and order, the king issued the
Proclamation of 1763.
• • It said that no one was
allowed to move West of the
Appalachians. If you had already
moved, the proclamation stated that
you were to remove yourself
immediately.
• England then sent over 10,000
troops to enforce the law. People
were ticked! Many moved
westward anyway.
5. England Goes Into Debt
• • The French and Indian War put
Britain into debt. Parliament (Britain's
Legislature or law making body)
decided that a small tax increase for the
colonists would help them get some
much needed money.
• • Parliament passed the sugar act,
which put a small tax on sugar and
Molasses.
• • They also passed the Stamp Act
which put a tax on legal documents
(diplomas, marriage papers) and other
random items like newspapers and
playing cards. When you bought these
items, they had to be stamped to say
that you paid the tax.
• • The 13 colonies had no elected
representatives in Parliament. The
colonists were happy to pay any taxes
in which colonial representatives had
some say.
6.
7. The Colonists Revolt
This isn’t a • • Colonists got together,
money issue,
wrote a petition, and sent it to
this is a Parliament. England paid little
representation attention.
issue! The • • Colonists boycotted British
colonies goods, which means they refused
should have to buy them. Parliament repealed
representatives the stamp act
in Parliament • • Did parliament learn its
lesson…oh no. A few months later
they passed the Townshend Acts.
This taxed things like glass, paper,
paint, lead, and TEA!!
• • The colonists were mad for
the same reason: no taxation
without representation
• • Colonists continued to
protest being taxed with no
representatives from the colonies
allowed in parliament.
9. The colonists fight back
•
• Merchants, or store
owners, were urged not to
purchase English goods.
• New Colonial leaders like
Samuel Adams, John Adams,
George Washington, and
Thomas Jefferson led the
campaign against unfair taxes.
• As soldiers walked through
big cities like Boston and New
York, they faced insults and
sometimes even beatings!
• England sent troops into
Boston to protect tax collectors.
10. The Boston Massacre
• • Late one night, a group of colonists
gathered outside the customs house to protest.
They threw snowballs, ice, and rocks. One
of the English soldiers fired into the crowd
which caused a domino effect of other
soldiers firing. This is known as the Boston
Massacre.
• • When the smoke cleared, five colonists
lay dead.
• • Of course, colonists were outraged.
They demanded justice!
• • The soldiers went to trial, but no one
received any real punishment.
• • Entire newspapers were written strictly
to fan the flames of protest in the colonies
• • Parliament repealed (canceled) the
Townshend Acts, and only left the tax on tea.
This brought peace for a little while, but not
for long.
