Events Leading up to the Revolutionary War

1. Significant Events
Leading to the
Revolutionary War

2. The French and Indian War
British troops and colonists
defeat the French troops and Indians
The French and Indian
War was very costly to
the British
King George III and his
government looked to
taxing the American Colonists
to help pay for the war

3. Great Britain Raises Taxes
King George III wanted control
of the colonies
Many felt Great Britain had no
right to tax colonists without
their consent
“No Taxation without Representation”
King George III

4. Sugar Act
1764
British wanted colonists to
purchase higher prices sugar
Placed taxes on
• molasses
• sugar
• textiles
• dyes
• coffee

5. Stamp Act
1765
Required colonists to pay
for an “Official Stamp”
Stamps had to be purchased when
buying paper products
• legal documents
• licenses
• newspapers
• pamphlets
• playing cards

6. Colonists Protest
Sons of Liberty
• Secret society
• Samuel Adams leader
• Boycott taxes
• Violence toward tax collectors
Massachusetts Legislature
• declares Stamp Act violation of rights
and liberty
• Pressure on Parliament to repeal
Stamp Act
Colonists attack, tar and feather a tax collector

7. Townshend Acts
1767
Parliament passed new taxes on
• Glass
• Lead
• Paint
• Paper
• Tea

8. Colonists Protest Again
Colonists boycott British tea
Samuel Adams wrote letter
arguing laws violated legal
rights of colonists

9. Boston Massacre
March 5, 1770
• Colonists throw snowballs
at British soldiers
• British soldiers fire on crowd
• 3 colonists dead

10. Intolerable Acts
1774
Punishment for Boston Tea Party
also called the Coercive Acts
• Boston Harbor closed
• Royal Officials accused of
crime sent to Britain for trial
• General Thomas Gage new
Governor of Massachusetts
• Quartering Act requires colonists
to house British soldiers

11. Tea Issues
• Parliament reduce
tensions by repealing
most taxes
• Tea in high demand
for colonists
• British East India Tea
Company controlled tea
trade

12. Boston Tea Party
1775
• Samuel Adams and other
colonists
• Dress up as Indians
• Board tea ships
• Dump 340 chests of tea
into Boston Harbor
• Anger King and Parliament

13. Revolutionary War Begins
Instead of bringing order
increased anger of colonists
Colonists gain confidence in
fighting during French and
Indian War
Revolutionary War began
with the battles of Lexington
and Concord on 19 April 1775

14. Quiz
1. The ____________ Act, which was passed by Parliament in 1764, set duties on
molasses and sugar imported by the colonists.
2. A popular method of protesting British laws and taxes was the _______________ ,
in which people refused to buy British products.
3. The ______________ Act was the first attempt by Parliament to raise money via
direct taxation of the colonists.
4. In response to the Tea Act, colonists dumped 340 tea chests into Boston Harbor;
this incident came to be known as the ________________________________.
5. England responded to the Boston Tea Party by passing the Coercive Acts, which the
colonists called the ________________ Acts.
not sure click here for glossary slide
check next slide for correct answers

15. Answers to Quiz
1. Sugar
2. boycott
3. Stamp
4. Boston Tea Party
5. Intolerable

16. Glossary Links
click icon for selection
Sugar Act 1764
Intolerable Acts 1774
Stamp Act 1765
Boston Tea Party 1775
Townshend Acts 1767
Boston Tea Party Activities
Boston Massacre 1770
Quiz

17. Resources
• http://images.google.com
• http://my.hrw.com/apps/alchemy/editors/display.jsp?cid=6B07B4B728AE
20CCC5D19EF9F3ABAA81&display_mode=preview
• http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar279900
• http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/wwww/us/intolerableactsdef.htm
• http://www.masshist.org/database/images/sugar_01_ref.jpg
• http://ourgeorgiahistory.com/wars/Revolution/revolution02.html
• http://www.u-http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1211.htmls-
history.com/pages/h1211.html