Causes of The American War of Independence

Causes of The American War of Independence

1. Seven Years' War 1763

   • Proclamation Act
     • Irritation of Colonialists as they are not allowed to expand west
   • Huge Debt for the British
     • British want Colonialists to help pay it off
       • Irritation of Colonialists because they don't want to pay

2. Grenville's Acts

   • Stamp Act
     • All printed documents had a stamp
       • Stamped documents more expensive
         • Colonialists angry
           • Stamp distributors attacked
             • They Stepped Down
           • Boycott of British Goods
             • Money lost in Britain
               • Declaratory Act/Stamp Act Repeal
           • Stamp Act Congress
             • Petition saying in a nutshell: No Taxation without Representation
   • Sugar Act
     • More Resentment
     • More Smuggling
   • Quartering Act
     • More Resentment

3. Townshend Duties

   • Resentment
   • All 13 Colonies protest
     • Boycott of British Goods
     • London dissolved colonial assemblies
       • Mobs
     • Press Campains
     • Troops Sent to Boston
       • The Boston Massacre
         • Funeral of Dead boy turned into political demonstration
           • British Soldiers attacked at night
             • "The shot heard around the world"
               • 5 people dead
                 • Much Propganda
                   • The Repeal of the Townshend Duties
                     • The Tea Act
                       • Boycott of Tea
                       • The Boston Tea Party
                         • 3 ships full of tea trapped in the harbour
                         • 60 Sons of Liberty emptied 342 chest of tea into harbour worth £10000
                 • Very angry americans
                 • 6 soldiers acquitted

4. Coercive Acts

   • Stronger resistance
   • More British Soldiers
   • Pressure in colonies
     • The First Continental Congress
       • First United Boycott of Goods
       • George III Refuses to repeal Coercive Acts
       • Gage Demands 17000 extra troops
       • Colonies continued to raise arms and militia