One of the most significant events in American History was the Revolution. Prior to
1763, which was the beginning to the road to the Revolution, America and Britain were on good
terms. The British helped America to try and defeat the Indians for the Ohio Valley. One year
after the British's "efforts" to help America get the Ohio Valley, something happens...
The Prime Minister George Grenville, creates the Sugar Act of 1764. This act, in short,
taxed sugar. American colonists still had power because of the royal veto. The colonists were
outraged, Grenville was taxing the prime ingredient in bread and alcohol, two of America's
favorites. Also the colonists may have seen that this tax was paying for the British's problems.
The protests from the colonists worked somewhat, however the Quartering Act of 1765 required
certain colonies to provide food and living quarters for British troops. The same year, 1765,
George Grenville crosses the line again but this time even further, he creates a Stamp Act. This
was also to have American colonists "support" the British military force. This Act was horrible,
a stamp had to be placed on nearly fifty different items, from playing cards to one's own
marriage certificate, as proof to certify the payment of tax. George Grenville's defense was that
the colonies are only paying this for their defense, and that Britain has endured this same tax
style far longer and more heavier. Grenville was definitely the man who sparked fire in
American's eyes brought on the road to the Revolution. The angry American colonists wanted to
stop the Stamp Act, and so they came up with "No taxation without representation." The
Americans stated that no Americans were seated in the Parliament, so no taxes should be
imposed upon Americans. Only colonial legislatures could legally tax the Americans was
another point in the argument Grenville saw this and stated that Americans were represented in
the Parliament, his rebuttal was "virtual representation" even if America never voted for a
member of Parliament, all had to represent the British soldiers. This fighting continued and
America was told to think about getting their own political independence, this eventually led to
revolutionary consequences. The hated Stamp Act led to the Stamp Act Congress of 1765, which
brought twenty-seven distinguished delegates from nine colonies to New York City. The Stamp
Act Congress did not do much in America however it was a significant step toward intercolonial
unity. Nonimportation was more effective than the congress, it basically boycotted British
goods. Nonimportation quickly united Americans for the first time in common action. This
defiance helped spread revolutionary passion throughout American colonies. The Sons of
Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty were the violent peoples of the colonial protests. They
enforced nonimportation by destroying unpopular officials houses, taking their money and
hanging effigies of stamp agents on liberty poles. Although Parliament did not repeal the Stamp
Act until 1766, by 1765 Americans had forced stamp agents to resign. However to continue this
ongoing confrontation in 1766 Parliament passed the Declaratory Act which gave Parliament the
right to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever. "Champagne Charley" Townshend persuaded
the Parliament in 1767 to pass the Townshend Acts. The importance of these new regulations
was a light import duty on glass, white lead, paper, paint and tea. This tax was an indirect tax,
meaning the tax was not so noticeable unless told, and was payable at American ports. These
taxes were said to pay salaries of the royal governors and judges in America. Americans saw the
Townshend tax as another attempt to enchain them. Nonimportation agreements occurred
because of the Townshend Acts, and America began to buy smuggled tea from the Massachusetts are for a cheaper price. Americans attacked British troops on the night of March 5, 1770, and in
defense the troops fired away. Eleven were shot and one of the first to die was Crispus Attucks,
who was a leader of the mob. Two British soldiers were accused of manslaughter and got off
with a brand to the hand. That night was the Boston Massacre. The Townshend Act failed to
make any profit and was repealed. The tea tax remained and resistance from America for the
Navigation Laws was further kindled by Samuel Adams of Boston. Samuel Adams lived and
breathed only for politics, he was super sensitive to infraction of colonial rights. In 1772 his big
contribution to Boston was the local committees of correspondence. The main idea in this step
toward the Revolution was to spread resistance and keep opposing the British policy. By 1773
every colony had a central committee so they could exchange ideas and information with the
other American colonies. Both sides always thinking of how to stab each other in the back
created an inevitable rebellion. Also in 1773 the British East India Company was going bankrupt
with millions of pounds of unsold tea. Then London said to sell it to America, but Americans
refused to buy any tea and sent the British away. However Thomas Hutchinson, a governor in
Massachusetts told British not to leave until they unloaded their tea. Boston colonists disguised
as Indians dumped tea into the harbor after climbing onto the ship. This was the Boston Tea
Party. Parliament responded quickly to the Boston Tea Party with measures that brewed a
revolution. The passed the Boston Port Act which closed the tea-stained harbor until damages
were paid for and order was ensured. One response to the Intolerable Acts was the Continental
Congress of 1774. This was more of a convention than a congress, all 13 colonies except
Georgia met in Philadelphia to think of ways of redressing colonial grievances. John Adams
swayed the other fifty-four men to a revolutionary course of action. The most significant action
of the first Continental Congress was the creation of the Association which called for a complete boycott of British goods, nonimportation, nonexportation, and nonconsumption. Parliament
rejected the Congress's petitions. In April 1775 the British commander sent troops to Lexington
to take away gunpowder and kill the leaders of the rebellion, John Hancock and Samuel Adams.
The Lexington Massacre was eight men were killed because of refusing to leave fast enough.
The British redcoats moved on to Concord where the Americans, ready to fight, made them
retreat. Britain now had a war on its hands.
The people and events just talked about were the steps to the Revolution from 1763 -
1775 which America later wins.
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