Overview
This lecture covers the period from the Townshend Acts through the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts, detailing escalating tensions between Britain and the American colonies leading to revolution.
British Policies After the Stamp Act
- Britain was deeply in debt after the Seven Years' War and needed revenue from the colonies.
- Officials feared that repealing the Stamp Act made Britain appear weak, risking increased colonial resistance.
- Britain tried to balance asserting authority without provoking costly unrest.
Charles Townshend and the Townshend Acts (1767)
- Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, enacted new taxes on imported paper, lead, tea, paint, and glass.
- New customs officials and stricter enforcement, including writs of assistance and vice admiralty courts, were introduced.
- Townshend reduced colonial legislatures’ power by having governors’ salaries paid from tax revenues.
- Colonists were angered by loss of control over governors and increased suspicion of British intentions.
- Colonial reaction was strong but less violent due to a greater British military presence.
Colonial Responses to British Actions
- Colonists used non-importation agreements, refusing to buy British goods, effectively damaging the British economy.
- The Townshend Acts eroded trust, linking British taxation to enslavement and tyranny in colonial rhetoric.
- The Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770) occurred when British soldiers fired on colonists after escalating tensions in Boston.
- The massacre shocked both Britain and the colonies, leading to the repeal of most Townshend duties except the tea tax.
The Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party (1773)
- The Tea Act gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies.
- Colonists were forced to buy taxed tea, threatening their “no taxation without representation” stance.
- Fearing a precedent for future taxes, colonists refused to allow tea shipments to be unloaded.
- In December 1773, colonists destroyed tea in Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party.
The Coercive (Intolerable) Acts and Colonial Unity (1774)
- Britain responded by closing Boston’s port, ending Massachusetts’ town meetings, and requiring colonists to house soldiers.
- British officials accused of crimes in the colonies would be tried in Britain.
- Colonies united in support of Massachusetts, convening the First Continental Congress.
- The Congress threatened renewed non-importation and non-exportation if the acts were not repealed.
- Tensions led to the rise of loyalist vs. patriot divisions and preparations for possible armed conflict.
Mob Actions and Public Shaming
- Practices like tarring and feathering were used to intimidate loyalists, serving as public torture and humiliation.
- The Liberty Tree in Boston became a rallying symbol for colonial resistance.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Townshend Acts — 1767 laws imposing taxes on certain imported goods and increasing British control in the colonies.
- Writs of Assistance — Search warrants that allowed customs officers to search for smuggled goods without specific cause.
- Non-importation agreements — Colonial boycotts of British goods to protest taxes.
- Boston Massacre — 1770 clash in which British soldiers killed several Boston colonists.
- Tea Act — 1773 law granting the British East India Company exclusive rights to sell tea in the colonies.
- Boston Tea Party — 1773 protest where colonists destroyed British tea to oppose the Tea Act.
- Coercive (Intolerable) Acts — Series of punitive laws passed in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party.
- First Continental Congress — 1774 meeting of colonial representatives to organize resistance to British policies.
- Tarring and Feathering — Violent public punishment used to shame and intimidate loyalists.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review assigned readings on the Townshend Acts, Tea Act, and Coercive Acts.
- Prepare notes on colonial protest methods for discussion.
- Study the impact of the Boston Massacre and Tea Party on colonial unity.