2. Objectives
1. Describe how Britain tried to ease growing tensions on
the American frontier.
2. List the ways colonists reacted to new taxes imposed by
Parliament.
3. Identify new colonial leaders.
4. Explain the events that led to the Boston Massacre.
3. Key Terms
Pontiac's War
Proclamation of 1763
Stamp Act
Petition
Boycott
Repeal
Townshend Acts
Writ of assistance
Boston Massacre
Committee of correspondence
4. (1) New Troubles on the
Frontier
Tension between the colonists and the Native
Americans escalated in the 1760s in the Ohio
Valley.
Lord Jeffrey Amherst was sent in 1762 by the
British government to keep order between the two
groups.
The British did not treat the Native Americans as the
French had; the British were not as kind or willing to
work with the Native Americans.
5.
6. Pontiac, an Ottowa Chief, rises as a leader among
the Native Americans.
Most of the British forts in the Ohio Valley end up
being captured by Pontiac and his “army”.
Pontiac requests French aid when the British
eventually regain their forts but is denied in October
1763.
One by one the Native American nations stop fighting
the British.
This is later called Pontiac’s War.
7. (2) Proclamation of 1763
The British issued the Proclamation of 1763, which drew an
imaginary line across the crest of the Appalachian
Mountains and the colonists were expected to not cross it.
10,000 British troops sent to enforce the proclamation but
many do not leave the coast.
Many colonies claimed land west of the line and most people
ignored the proclamation.
Daniel Boone travels throughout Kentucky in 1767 and
spends two years exploring the state starting in 1769.
8.
9. (3) Britain imposes new taxes
Britain was heavily in debt after the French and Indian
War and decided that the colonies would help pay off some of
the debt.
Sugar Act
1764 – Parliament issued the Sugar Act, which taxed
molasses, a valuable item in the triangular trade.
Previously the tax on molasses was so high that many simply
smuggled the item into the colonies but now the tax
was significantly lower.
10. Stamp Act
Parliament also imposed the Stamp Act in
1765, which colonists had never paid
before.
The act required that a stamp be placed on all
legal documents, newspapers, playing cards,
and almanacs.
11. (4) Protesting the Stamp Act
The colonists were unhappy with the taxes and
Parliament was shocked by the disturbances.
“No taxation without representations!”
The colonists claimed the taxes were unjust since they
did not have representation in Parliament.
Stamp Act Congress – Oct 1765, nine colonies sent
representatives to draw up a petition that rejected the
Stamp Act and that Parliament had no right to tax.
12. Parliament ignored
the petition.
The colonists
rallied together to
boycott British
goods.
The boycott
helped to force
Parliament to
repeal the Stamp
act in 1766.
13. (5) The Townshend Act
May 1767 Parliament passed the Townshend Act, which
taxed glass, paper, paint, lead and tea.
Custom agents were sent to collect taxes and stop smuggling.
They were given writes of assistance in which the officials
were allowed to inspect a ship’s cargo without given reason.
Colonists argued that since they were British citizens the
writs of assistance were illegal in America as it was illegal in
Britain.
The Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty were
formed to protest the taxes.
14. (6) New Colonial Leaders
Samuel Adams of
Boston, worked behind
the scenes arranging
protests and stirring
public support.
15. John Adams,
lawyer, was more
cautious than his
cousin Sam, and
his knowledge of
British law earned
him much respect.
21. (7) The Boston Massacre
Disputes arose in New York City over the
Quartering Act.
The act stated colonists had to provide housing,
candles, bedding, and beverages to
soldiers stationed in the colonies.
Britain dismissed the New York Assembly in 1767
after they refused to obey the law.
Soldiers were sent to Boston to protect custom
officials but they were publicly insulted or even beaten by
colonists.
22. March 5, 1770 a crowd of colonists were fired on
by British soldiers after they were provoked; five people
were shot.
John Adams represented the soldiers later in
court.
23. During this time committees of
correspondence, people who wrote letters
and pamphlets reporting to other colonies events
taking place.
The same day as the Boston Massacre
Parliament repealed most of the Townshend
Acts, the Quartering Act, and most of the
taxes.
The only tax that remained in effect was the Tea
Act.
