Section+3+The+Evidence+PDJ

Analyzing the Evidence:

Were the Americans' claims true? What were the impacts?

It's about time that we get all fired up with anger, but we first need to make sure that the British actually did all the nefarious things mentioned. Let's see how much the British acts influenced the colonists' lives.

1. Navigation Acts (1660)
Geroge: "Hey Dave, I think I see some great potential in our new wheat business!" Dave: "Sadly, not anymore." Geroge: "Huh? What's going on here?" Dave: "The British pretty much limited the kinds of products we can sell them. " George: "Well we'll just smuggle it out, then." Dave: "Yeah, we can for now - but it won't last long..."

In order to eliminate the Dutch from their trade competition and maintain a balance or trade (mercantilism), the English prohibited Americans from trading with any other country but England. England provided great detail in their act, such as: 1. No ship may trade in the colonies unless it had been constructed in either America or England, and the commerce items must be at least 75% English. 2. Only certain enumerated goods may be sold to or brought from, England. These products included: tobacco, sugar, cotton, indigo, dyewoods, ginger and much more.



However, the American colonists found ways to evade these laws, and eventually smuggled goods in and out of the colonies. Thus in efforts to strengthen the Navigation Acts, the British set up vice-admiralty courts, in which defendants were not entitled to a jury. Also, the British set up Boards of Trade to better regulate colonial commerce. http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/images/Victorian%20Resources/Politics%20and%20Government/Mu25-c28l.jpg

2. Proclamation of 1763
You: "Hey, my family is kind of running out of land here, and I'd to settle further west..." British: "Sorry, can't do that." You: "Huh? Why not.." British: "Because my friend, that's the order. You are like our lab rats. Keep you all in one place." You: "Umm... Why did you make us settle here in the first place? Do you want to starve my whole family to death?" British: "Sure, why not?"



The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited the colonists from making settlements in regions west of the Appalachian Mountains. (http://ns1763.ca/remem/map-british-north-america1775.jpg)

3. Sugar Act (1733)
George III: "Oy Grenville! How are you planning to pay up England's debts from the war?" Grenville: "Oh, that will not be a problem, sir. Remember? we've got the Americans to deal with that." George III: "That's so GENIUS!" Grenville: "I propose to you, the Revenue Act of 1764... which will also be known as the Sugar Act!" George III: "It is just and necessary that a revenue be raised. And this will teach those deceiving little American smugglers not to mess with me!"

The Sugar Act forced Americans to trade only with the British. Although one of the primary reasons for this act was raising revenue from American colonies, Britain also wanted to prevent smuggling, bribing and other illegalities, thus strengthening the effect of the Navigation Acts.

The Parliament reduced the duty on molasses from 6 to 3 pence per gallon. Through this discount, Grenville thought that the merchants wouldn't have the incentive to bribe trade officials anymore. This act did not cause any violence. (http://www.theworldsgreatbooks.com/Acts%20of%20Parliament/parliament%20sugar%20act.jpg)

4. Stamp Act (1765)
You: "Uhh... I'd like to buy a pack of cards?" Shop Onwer: "That would be $5 with $20 tax, sir." You: "Holy cow, did you mean it the other way around? Even that'd be a preposterous price!" Shop Onwer: "I'm being quite serious here, sir. Please pay up."' You: "Just for a pack of playing cards, it isn't worth it."

With the initiation of the Stamp Act in 1765, colonists were taxed on almost any printed matter. Newspapers, marriage licenses, trade documents, wills, deeds, playing cards, and even dice. Planning to squeeze out over 60,000 British pounds, the House of Commons assumed that the Parliament had the rights to tax Americans. (http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/24800/24821/stamp_act_24821_lg.gif)

5. Quartering Act (1765)
British: "Hello Mr. Mouse, starting from tomorrow you will house two British soldiers in your very own house." Mickey: "Okay, but I don't don't want to do it!" British: "Actually, you will and there is nothing you can do about it."



The Parliament ordered the governor of New York to veto all bills passed by that colony until it provided British troops with housing, barracks, vacant buildings and taverns to live in. The colonies were required to provide the army with firewood, candles, beer and other daily living items. The Americans considered the action as "Taxation without representation," in which New York colonists refused to pay for those fees. http://picture-book.com/files/userimages/256u/intolerableacts2.jpg

6. Townshend Acts (1767)
Peter: "I feel money slipping out of my clothes every time I walk out the house door." Sarah: "Why?" Peter: "Because the damn British declared another tax pay through their Townshend Act."

Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend introduced his Townshend Revenue Acts in order to gain revenue from the Americans. Townshend devised a plan that put taxes on imports such as: paper, paint, glass, and tea. He did this in order to pay enough salaries for the royal governors and other imperial officers, so that they would not rely on the colonial assemblies for power.

Arghh... let these tax collectors die in the name of justice! http://www.teachnet.ie/jheffernan/2005/images/1774_lynching.jpg

7. Tea Act (1773)
Bob: "George, look at today's newspaper. The British did it again." George: "What?! They reformed their tax law again!? What is my tea business gonna do now?" Bob: "Not only that, the act it self is unfair. How come we are getting taxed when Britain's not?"

http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/temple/images/tea_party.jpg

In May 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act to save one of Britain's largest business, the East India Company from bankruptcy. The British planned to fail their tea competitors by having them undersell their products. The British simply eliminated their duties on tea in England, but not in America. This angered the Americans as they saw it as "taxation without representation." Also, the Tea Act failed businesses that some of the American colonists were doing with the Dutch. In reaction to the act, a group of men disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded a British ship and dumped 10,000 British pounds worth of tea overboard.

8. Coercive Acts (1774)
British Parliament: "You guys made us lose over 10,000 British pounds, and you will pay for their actions." Americans: "What more can you guys do to us now?" British Parliament: "Simple. We will close down your Boston ports, and we will assign assembly representatives ourselves from now on. And you guys can't do anything about it!"

In response to the Americans' action in the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed a series of laws called Coercive Acts. The legislation 1. Closed Bostonian ports until the damages were compensated 2. Restructured the Massachusetts government by only allowing appointed bodies and reducing the number of legal tow meetings to once a year. http://www.patriotresource.com/amerrev/pics/events/intolerable.jpg

9. Prohibitory Act (1775)
British Parliament: "How dare those Americans rebel against their mother country! We will stop all trade with them until they kneel down to their knees begging for mercy,"

The British continued to anger the Americans by passing the Prohibitory Act, which severed all American British trade relations until the colonists begged for pardon. Britain seized American ships and blockaded their ports. http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1862/april/blockade-runner-2.jpg

10. Boston Massacre (1770)
Group of boys: "Ha ha! These rocks are gonna do the job." British soldiers: "Hey! You little kids! That can kill someone." Group of boys: "Well your country is killing us right now.. so... we might as well do the same thing back to you guys." British soldiers: "There are too many of them! Ahh! Shoot!"
 * Throws a bunch of rocks at a troop of British soldiers.*
 * Mob builds up*

American citizens could not tolerate the invasion of their daily lives by the Townshend Act. Soon violence erupted in Boston on March 5, 1770, during the dusk of that afternoon, where young boys and street beggars threw rocks and snowballs at British soldiers who were patrolling outside the hated customs commissioner's office in King Street. Soon a mob formed, frightening the soldiers; in response the troop fired, killing five Americans.

http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/t/d/tds12/massacre2.jpg