1750-1754

Ohio valley- claimed by virginia, pennnsylvania, France and the six nations
Iroquois and native americans
French built forts in 1753, native americans were worried that virginia had
maps on their lands and so joined the French
1754- Albany congress convened
Fort Duquesne- headquarters of ohio river- Britain sent troops led by general
Edward braddock to capture but lost against the French, native americans and
Canadians.
Anglo a.mericans were disorganized and so the French, native americanns and
now the six nations Iroquois captured fort Oswego and fort William and
threatened central new York and new England
Two major developments led to britains victory against the French
1) The six nations Iroquois and the ohio native americans in 1758 treaty in
Pennsylvania decided to abandon their ties with the French as they did
not like their high handed treatment and withdrew from the fort
Duquesne which aloowed the british to capture it and other French forts
and many Indians joined the british
2) William pitt took control over the military affairs in Britain. He
reivigorated the british patriotism in the empire. He promised if the
colonies that the parliament would take on the war costs if the colonies
produced the men for fighting the wars
The seven years war ended in 1763 with the signing of the treaty of paris .
underf this treaty France gave up all its territories east of Mississippi to Britain.
For cuba , spain gave florida to Britain. France gave up louisiana to spain in the
treaty of Ildefonso in 1762
During the seven years war the british troops constantly complained about the
colonial troops who would return home after the completion of their term or if
they were not paid on time and were unable to fight.
Colonial trrops complained about the ways they were treated by the british
troops who acc to them treated them a little better than the slaves.
Colonial civilians also complained abut the british troops arrogant behaviours
and the british troop s complained about their unwillingness to provide food
and shelter
Pitts promis angered many in Britain as the national debt rose to increasing
heights. Colonists had escaped the financial debt and also profited due to the
military spending by the british troops brought in an influx of british currency.

Writs of assistance 1760-61

British always wanted to stop the American merchants from trading with the
French in the west indies.
In 1760 the royal governor of massachusetts allowed the revenue officials to
employ a search warrant called the writs of assistance to seize illegally
imported goods. This writs of assistance allowed the officials to enter any
ship,building even any merchants residence where the illegally imported goods
might be hidden. It required no evidence of suspicion and so was considered
unconstitutional. Writs proved successful against the smuggling.
The sugar act of 1764
The parliament passes the sugar act in the year of 1764 to raise the revenues
to payfor defending, protecting and securing north America. It amended the
mollasses act of 1733 which taxed foreign French molasses and rum at 6 ence
per gallon. However imports and smuggling continued after 1733 with the help
of bribery. To end the bribery the parliament reduced the tax from six to 3
pence per gallon
The sugar act made many things more complicated. Merchants and ship caps
had to fill out a series of confusing documents to certify their commerce was
legal and the merchants had to post huge bonds to promise their compliance.
It also made sure all the smuggling cases to be heard in vice admiralty courts . a
british appointed judge would listen to the case and the juries would decide
the relative outcome. A vice admiralty court was set up in Halifax nova scotia.
The sugar act promised vice admiralty judges 5% of all the smuggled goods and
so they had a financial incentive to prove the victim guilty.
Americans continued to smuggle the molasess til 1766 and so Britain lowered
the rates to one pence .
Stamp act of 1765-66
The british prime minister George greenvile wanted to make larger
contributions to raise the revenues. The parliament passed the stamp act inn
march 1765. The colonists had to buy stamped/ watermarked paper for
newspapers, official works,etc.
The sugar act was an external tax on the imports but the stamp act was an
internal tax and was directly taxed on the property, goods, gvt services in the
colonies. External taxes were indirect and fell on the merchants and the ship
owners. Internal taxes were introduced to increase the revenues for the crown.
Acc to greenvile the colonies were virtually represented in the parliament even
though they did not directly elect the members. The also believed that even
tho the colonies elect their own aassemblies they are not exempt from british
taxation. The American assemblies were equal to the british local gvts and their
power did not nullify the authority of the parliament.
Colonists felt that stamp act showed them the indifference of the colonies
interests to the parliament and the shallowness of the virtual representation
claim.
In boston grps of middle class artisians and small business owners formed the
loyal nine to fight the stamp act. The stamp distributors were targeted as they
accepted the money for the water marked papers. Boston ports had suffered
due to the sugar act trade restrictions.
On august 14 an effigy os Andrew oliver was hanged from tree with menacing
crowds around it to force his resignation as a stamp distributor. When he did
not resign one of his buildings was demolished. Men then beheaded his effigy
and stamped on it in front of his house and ruined his house which led to him
declaring his resignation. The governor and chief justice Thomas Hutchinson s
houses were also demolished as he was seen as a symbol of royal policies
ruining bostons economy.
Grps similar to the loyal nine called sons of liberty began forming in the
colonies.
In oct 1765- represetatives of nine colonies met in nyc in a stamp act congress.
By late 1765 all the stamp distributors had resigned and without the
watermarked paper, the royal custom officers and court officers refused to
work but legislators blackmailed them using their pay as leverage.
Ney York merchants on oct 31 1765 decided to boycott all british imports and
goods. This nonimportation strategy put the English economy in danger and
would lead to bancruptcies, unemployment and political unrest.
In march 1766 the parliament repealed the stamp act and also introduced the
declaratory act which affirms the parliaments power to legislate for the coloies
Americans saw it as a way to save face, house of commons saw it as a way for
them not to be exempted from parliamentary laws.
QUARTERING ACT 1766-1767
Quartering act was enacted in 1765. The colonial legislators had to pay for the
housing and provisioning of the british troops in the colonies. It was an indirect
tax and brought resentment. It did not force the royal officials to directly collect
money from the colonists but forced the assemblies to raise the revenues.
New York resisted to the act but the parliament retaliated with the new York
suspending act of 1767 where the assemblies would be delayed till it
appropriated the funds and the assembly complied.
TOWNSHEND ACTS 1767-70
Townshend wanted to submit the colonies to the authority of the parliament.
Parliament passed the Townshend acts in 1767 which taxed glass, paint, lead,
tea thatwas imported to the colonies. The acts set moderate rates that did not
make the goods too expensive and so its purpose was to increase the revenue
fro the treasury.
Colonial opposition began in December 1767. John Dickinson published 12
essays called letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania . the letters said the
parliament could regulate the trade thru duties but no tax to increase revenue
is constitutional till it is voted in by the elected representatives.
In 1768 the Massachusetts assembly commissioned Samuel adams to draft a
circular letter and called the other assemblies to join.it condemned the
taxation without the representation. The legislatures in Massachusetts was
dismissed.
Colonial activists took to nonimportation and in august 1768 boston
implemented nonimportation.
In 1770 the new british prime minister lord north wanted to remove the
Townshend acts. But he wanted to retain the profitable tax on tea and in April
1770 the Townshend acts were repealed.
Initially royal governors depended on the colonial legislators to vote their
salaries and the assemblies used this power to influence the governors actions.
The parliament (as urged by townshend) decided to pay the salaries from the
revenues raised in America. This freed the officials from the authority and
control of the assemblies. Townshend persuaded the parliament in 1767 to
establish the American board of customs commissioners.
ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE RESISTANCE
Women purchased the household requrements . groups of female activists who
called themselves the daughters of liberty played important roles. They played
imp parts in defeating the stamp act and also attended poliical rallies and
discussuions
They played imp roles in the Townshend acts as they boycotted the british
imports and protested the teatax in 1770 in boston by refusing its
consumption. They organized spinning bees and made their own clothing.
BOSTON MASSACRE