An act which drew an imaginary line down spine of the Appalachian Mountains and closed lands west of the line off for colonial settlement.

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1 NC Text p Topic: The Road to Revolution Key Vocabulary & People: Pontiac Well respected Ottowa Indian leader (chief) who would organize Native American troops to fight against the British in Pontiac s Rebellion Proclamation of 1763 An act which drew an imaginary line down spine of the Appalachian Mountains and closed lands west of the line off for colonial settlement. Sugar Act Quartering Act British law that raised duties (taxes) on luxury items such as wine & silk as well as molasses British law that required colonies to feed and shelter British troops stationed in the Americas Stamp Act A British law that required colonists to pay a tax on virtually every printed paper including legal documents, bills of sale, contracts, wills, advertising, pamphlets, almanacs, playing cards and dice. treason Crime of betraying one s own country 1/9

2 Townshend Acts boycott Key Ideas: I. A New Proclamation British law that imposed taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper and tea that were imported into the colonies. To withdraw from commercial or social associations with a country as a form of protest or punishment Native American groups organized under leadership of Chief Pontiac and attacked British settlements Proclamation of act proclaimed by King George III of Britain that drew imaginary line down spine of Appalachian Mountains and temporarily closed all lands west of the line to settlement by English colonists. It was an attempt to avoid war with Native Americans. Protesting colonists were burned out by British troops. II. Britain s New Colonial Policy Due to colonial unrest, Britain decided to keep troops in North America;; colonists feared England intended to use army to enforce unpopular laws After the French and Indian War, 2/9

3 Britain enacted a new colonial tax policy to offset expenses during the war. Since the war was fought partly for the benefit of the colonies, Britain felt justified in taxing colonists to pay for it. III. The Sugar Act and the Quartering Act Britain passed the Sugar Act;; Earlier, colonists had avoided paying duties imposed on molasses by smuggling it into the colonies. The Sugar Act gave Royal tax collectors the right to search warehouses for smuggled goods Parliament enacts the Quartering Act;; most soldiers found lodging in port cities IV. The Effect on North Carolina New England merchants complained loudly over duties (import taxes) New england colonists protested over British troops stationed in port cities Rural North Carolina escaped most of the unrest 3/9

4 V. The Stamp Act American colonists were outraged over the Stamp Act. They argued Parliament had no right to tax them because they had not been allowed to vote for the members of Parliament. VI. The Effect of the Stamp Act Despite arguments, the Stamp Act went into effect November 1, 1765 Opponents of the Stamp Act became very vocal in the Virginia Assembly;; Patrick Henry argued the Stamp Act threatened colonial liberty. He almost charged King George III with being a tyrant. The speaker of the Virginia Assembly warned Henry that he was close to committing treason. June In Boston, Massachusetts a mob called The Sons of Liberty looted homes of the royal governor and colonial stamp agent. They also stated that anyone who told colonists to obey Stamp Act was an enemy of Liberty. British officials viewed the protesting colonists as lawless rabble-rousers. 4/9

5 VII. VIII. Protest in North Carolina New Taxes October Stamp Congress meets;; Governor Tryon did not send a NC delegate. The people of NC supported actions taken by Stamp Act Congress. The Stamp Act Congress accepted Britain s right to make laws for the colonies, but rejected Parliament s right to tax the colonies because the colonies weren t allowed to vote for elected representatives When Britain put the Stamp Act into effect North Carolinians didn t accept it quietly;; the Cape Fear region began their own group of the Sons of Liberty and included some of the colonies most distinguished citizens and the group continued to disobey what they felt were an unfair law March Stamp Act was repealed Townshend Acts were introduced to help pay for salaries of the royal officials in the colonies and raise revenues. Items such as tea, glass, paint, and lead were taxed. Colonists were outraged;; in a circular letter, the Massachusetts Assembly called on all colonies to boycott and refuse to buy 5/9

6 taxed items. IX. The North Carolina Reaction John Harvey, head of the NC Assembly, presented the Massachusetts Assembly letter to the NC Assembly who refused to take any action. The NC Assembly wrote a letter to King George III asking for repeal of the Townshend Act and stated that there should be no taxation without representation Harvey sent a letter to the Massachusetts Assembly pledging NC support in protesting unjust laws X. North Carolina and the Non-Importation Association Virginia and Massachusetts drew up plans for a Non-Importation Association in which colonists refused to buy British goods November 2, Speaker J. Harvey presents plan for creation of Non-Importation Association to the NC Assembly;; Governor Tryon dissolved the assembly as a result. Harvey calls upon members to take measure to ensure the interests of the colonists. Two days later members approved the Non-Importation Association. 6/9

7 This was the first action taken by a colonial legislature independent of a governor. XI. The Boston Massacre Parliament succumbs to pressure from British merchants to repeal the taxation laws March 5, Boston, Massachusetts - there was an altercation between colonists and British soldiers posted at a local tax office. Shots were fired and five colonists were killed Patriots [supporters of colonial liberty] led by Samuel Adams ignited colonists passions by circulating letters describing what had happened at the Boston Massacre. XII. Tea Parties, North and South For next few years colonists traded with Britain for most goods except tea Parliament passess the Tea Act which cut prices of tea sharply but also taxed it December 16, the Patriots of Boston - led small band of men disguised as Native Americans and in less than one hour boarded tea ships in Boston Harbor and dumped more than 300 chests of tea into 7/9

8 the water NC protest, led by Mrs. Penelope Barker, involved 51 patriotic ladies who refused to wear English dresses or drink tea. This was important because it was the first organized protest by women patriots, and attracted widespread attention. The London press called it the Edenton Tea Party XIII. The Intolerable Acts Parliament sealed off Boston Harbor until colonists paid for the damage. King George III appoints a new royal governor and placed colony under military control. Colonists, finding life unbearable called this the Intolerable Acts September 5, colonists organized the Continental Congress and held their first meeting Josiah Martin, NC Governor, tried to prevent NC from joining the Continental Congress. In response, on July 21, 1774 NC Assembly members held a meeting without Martin s approval - this act put NC on the road to revolution and set the stage for removal of NC s last royal governor. 8/9

9 XIV. The Cause of Conflict Causes : -Stamp Act -Townshend Act -tea tax -British taxation without making provisions for colonial representation British POV - members of Parliament were elected officials, and as such they represented ALL of the people of Britain. These members had the right to vote on pass tax laws in the colonies as they saw fit. Colonists POV - Colonists wanted direct representation in Parliament - they wanted the right to vote on the officials who would make laws governing the colonies. They felt that ONLY their own assemblies could should make the decision to tax the colonists. 9/9