American Revolution; Stamp Act, etc.

The American Revolution began with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It began as a tax protest over the fact that the colonies were being taxed by the English Parliament without their consent or participation. The common phrase used to describe this conundrum was:

“Taxation without representation”

The Boston Tea Party in Dec. 16, 1773 was the most famous example of this protest and it eventually gave birth to this country. In the 1760s, Britain was deep in debt, so British Parliament imposed a series of taxes on American colonists to help pay those debts.

Overall Chronology

  1. First Continental Congress Convened: September 5, 1774
  2. Second Continental Congress Convened: May 10, 1775
  3. Declaration of Independence (DOI): July 4, 1776
  4. Draft Articles of Confederation (AoC): July 12, 1776
  5. Articles of Confederation (AoC) actually ratified: Feb 2, 1781
  6. Articles of Confederation (AoC) effective: Mar 1, 1781
  7. Congress of the Confederation operated from 1781 to 1789
  8. Revolutionary War Ended: Sep 3, 1783
  9. Constitutional Convention held May 25 to September 17, 1787
  10. Federalist Papers published in national newspapers between October 1787 and May 1788
  11. USA Constitution ratified: Jun 21, 1788

One could argue the states were fully independent (in retrospect) from July 4, 1776 until the AoC was effective on March 1, 1781–almost 5 years of technical independence.

Stamp Act of 1765

The Stamp Act of 1765 taxed colonists on virtually every piece of printed paper they used, from playing cards and business licenses to newspapers and legal documents. The Townshend Acts of 1767 went a step further, taxing essentials such as paint, paper, glass, lead and tea.

The British government felt the taxes were fair since much of its debt was earned fighting wars on the colonists’ behalf. The colonists, however, disagreed. They were furious at being taxed without having any representation in Parliament, and felt it was wrong for Britain to impose taxes on them to gain revenue.

Boston Massacre

On March 5, 1770, a street brawl happened in Boston between American colonists and British soldiers.

Later known as the Boston Massacre, the fight began after an unruly group of colonists—frustrated with the presence of British soldiers in their streets—flung snowballs, ice and oyster shells at a British sentinel guarding the Boston Customs House.

Reinforcements arrived and opened fire on the mob, killing five colonists and wounding six. The Boston Massacre and its fallout further incited the colonists’ rage towards Britain.

Declaration of Independence

Coercive Acts

But despite the lack of violence, the Boston Tea Party didn’t go unanswered by King George III and British Parliament.

In retribution, they passed the Coercive Acts (later known as the Intolerable Acts) which:

  • Closed Boston Harbor until the tea lost in the Boston Tea Party was paid for
  • Ended the Massachusetts Constitution and ended free elections of town officials
  • Moved judicial authority to Britain and British judges, basically creating martial law in Massachusetts
  • Required colonists to quarter British troops on demand
  • Extended freedom of worship to French-Canadian Catholics under British rule, which angered the mostly Protestant colonists

Britain hoped the Coercive Acts would squelch rebellion in New England and keep the remaining colonies from uniting, but the opposite happened: All the colonies viewed the punitive laws as further evidence of Britain’s tyranny and rallied to Massachusetts’ aid, sending supplies and plotting further resistance.

First Continental Congress Is Convened

Many colonists felt Britain’s Coercive Acts went too far. On September 5, 1774, elected delegates from all 13 American colonies except Georgia met in Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress to figure out how to resist British oppression.

The delegates were divided on how to move forward but the Boston Tea Party had united them in their fervor to gain independence. By the time they adjourned in October 1774, they’d written The Declaration and Resolves which:

  • Censured Britain for passing the Coercive Acts and called for their repeal
  • Established a boycott of British goods
  • Declared the colonies had the right to govern independently
  • Rallied colonists to form and train a colonial militia

Britain didn’t capitulate and within months, the “shot heard round the world,” rang out in Concord, Massachusetts, sparking the start of the American Revolutionary War.