The French and Indian War England and France both had extensive land claims in North America. Both countries claimed the Ohio Valley territory as their own. In the 1750’s, the French sent troops to occupy the Ohio Valley. They built several forts west of the Appalachians to show that they planned to remain in the Ohio Valley to protect their land. One of the most famous forts was called Fort Duquesne. A young George Washington, a Colonel in the British Army, led 150 British militiamen to capture Fort Duquesne. Washington and his men were outnumbered and soon defeated by the French. The French sent Washington and his men back to British commanders with a message that the Ohio Valley belonged to the French. The British didn’t give up easily. They returned to Fort Duquesne with more troops. The British, as was their custom, marched in straight lines with much noise and fanfare. The French and their Indian allies hid behind rocks and trees. They fired on the British troops from their hiding places. The British were again defeated. The British did have some assistance from Native American groups. However, this assistance was not enough to help them defeat the French right away. The British continued to fight the French but mostly to the north, in Canada. The French were finally defeated and signed the Treaty of Paris in 1763. In this treaty, the French surrendered all of their land claims in North America. Ohio Valley Made with Love by: Jenifer Bazzit The Proclamation of 1763 A Proclamation is defined as “an official statement or announcement made by a person in power.” As a result of the French and Indian War, the British drove the French out of North America. The British knew that the help they had received from Native Americans had helped them win the war. Native Americans made it clear that they were worried about the constant stream of new settlers into the west, past the Appalachian Mountains. To calm the fears of the Native Americans, King George III of England issued a royal proclamation. This proclamation was known as The Proclamation of 1763. It forbid colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. King George III and Parliament were hoping that this proclamation would satisfy the Native Americans and reduce future Indian attacks. The Proclamation of 1763 angered the colonists. They argued that this new law showed that King George III of England was on the side of the Indians. Many colonists had already moved past the Proclamation Line and were not willing to give up their land and the settlements they had already created. The Proclamation of 1763 ultimately failed because of these reasons. = Proclamation Line of 1763 Made with Love by: Jenifer Bazzit The Sugar Act In 1764, the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act. This was a British law meant to raise money in the American Colonies. When this law began, England started to tax the colonists three pence per pound of sugar. Three pence was not much money at all, however, this new tax greatly angered colonists. The Sugar Act was the first direct tax that Parliament imposed on the American Colonies. England’s debt had grown considerably after the French and Indian War. Many in England argued that it was only fair that the colonists help pay for the French and Indian War because it was fought to protect colonial borders. While colonists were not particularly happy about paying the extra three pence per pound tax, they were more upset about a larger issue. There was no representation for the colonies in the British Parliament. The colonists argued that Parliament passed laws to tax them without giving them a voice or vote in Parliament. “No Taxation without Representation” was a new phrase heard throughout the colonies. Made with Love by: Jenifer Bazzit The Stamp Act After the French and Indian War, England sent troops to remain in the colonies to defend against Indian attacks and to prevent the French from trying to reclaim the land they had lost. Many people in England believed that the colonies should pay to help support these troops. After all, they were there to help the colonists. To support these troops, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765. The Stamp Act required that a stamp purchased from the British government be placed on all important documents, such as court papers, almanacs, pamphlets, newspapers, and even playing cards. This special stamp showed that the tax had been paid on the paper item. The Stamp Act caused anger and resentment among the colonists. First, colonists were outraged that the British troops were stationed in the colonies at all AND that they had to pay for their upkeep. Second, colonists believed it was unfair to tax them when they had no representation in Parliament. Representatives from nine colonies met in New York City in 1765 in a meeting called the Stamp Act Congress. They declared that the colonies should not be taxed by Parliament. The only taxation they would accept would have to come from the assemblies elected by colonists themselves. Ships arriving from England carrying the stamps were met by mobs who destroyed the stamps. Some ship captains were forced to return to England with the stamps. The resistance of the colonists to use the stamps caused many businesses to be unable to operate. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766. One penny stamp used under the Stamp Act of 1765 Made with Love by: Jenifer Bazzit Committees of Correspondence In the 1760’s and 1770’s, communication between towns and colonies took weeks. Sometimes people in other colonies never heard news at all. Samuel Adams, leader of the patriot rebel group, the Sons of Liberty, founded the first Committee of Correspondence. Many more committees were quickly formed throughout the colonies. The aim of these committees was to share information about each new issue faced in the developing crisis with England. The Committees of Correspondence were the first attempt of the American Colonies to maintain communication with one another. This communication helped to form bonds among the thirteen colonies that would help them later cooperate in the American Revolution. The relationship between the colonies and England was falling apart quickly. Eventually, each of the thirteen colonies formed a Committee of Correspondence to send out information and news about what their colony was doing to resist the British and end their unfair policies. Made with Love by: Jenifer Bazzit The Townshend Acts In 1767, the British Parliament passed several laws called the Townshend Acts. These laws were designed to help England raise money to cover the costs of the French and Indian War. The Townshend Acts were also a way to show that England had power over the colonies. They needed to reinforce their authority because their earlier attempt at taxing the colonists, the Stamp Act, had failed. The Townshend Acts placed taxes on items imported to the colonies from England, such as paper, glass, paint, and tea. The colonial assemblies could do very little to protest the new taxes and they had no representation in Parliament. Colonists did protest the Townshend Acts by holding public demonstrations to complain about the taxes. Colonists boycotted imports from England. This cost merchants in England a lot of money. Parliament decided to repeal, or cancel, the Townshend Acts in 1770 due to pressure from the colonies and from the British merchants who were losing money daily. All of the taxes were cancelled except for the tax on tea. Made with Love by: Jenifer Bazzit The Boston Massacre Tensions between England and the American Colonies were very high. Tensions in the city of Boston, Massachusetts were especially high. British soldiers had been occupying the city against the colonists’ wishes. There had been several small clashes between British soldiers and angry colonists in the months preceding the Boston Massacre. On March 5, 1770, a crowd of colonists confronted eight British soldiers on the streets of Boston. The colonists insulted and threatened the soldiers. Some of the colonists provoked the soldiers by throwing snowballs, sticks and stones, and calling them “lobster scoundrels.” When one soldier was hit by a flying object, he fired his musket, purposely or accidentally, we will never know. Although the British soldiers’ captain continued to yell, “Hold your fire,” several muskets were fired into the crowd. When the smoke cleared, five colonists lay dead and many more were seriously injured. John Adams, an outspoken patriot, defended the soldiers in court. He argued that the soldiers were provoked into firing into the group of colonists. Six of the soldiers were found not guilty. Two of the soldiers were allowed to go free after being branded on the thumbs for the crime of manslaughter. The Boston Massacre was certainly not a “massacre.” A true massacre is defined as “the violent killing of many people.” Colonial patriots used this event as propaganda to get more colonists on their side. When people in faraway colonies began to hear of the “out of control” British soldiers, support for the patriot cause and resistance of the British skyrocketed. Made with Love by: Jenifer Bazzit The Tea Act/Boston Tea Party The Tea Act was passed by Parliament in 1773. This new tax law was not designed to raise taxes in the colonies. The Tea Act was created to help the East India Company. The company was having great financial difficulty and had 18 million pounds of unsold tea. England allowed the East India Company to ship this tea to the colonies for sale.