Prelude to Revolution: P1

What problems existed between England and the colonists shortly after the Proclamation Line of 1763 was established?

• debt from Mexican American War, Spanish infringements into Florida

• Native Americans' quickly increasing populations threatening colonists' ability to settle west of the Proclamation Line, booming fur trade business

• economic debt from Seven Years' War, colonists' entitlement to land west of Proclamation Line

• resentment from England's victory in Seven Years' War, Spanish settlers settling west of Proclamation Line

Why did the British impose/raise taxes on the American colonists?

• The colonist were being punished

• The British were mean people

• The colonists owed money to Britain

• Britain was in debt after 7 years war

Why were colonists NOT angry about the new taxes when taxes on colonial trade had existed before?

• they were able to easily smuggle goods before

• most colonists couldn't afford the new taxes

• colonists had no parliamentary representation in governments that set up the new taxes

• previous taxes were for mercantilist reasons

What was the first "purportedly oppressive tax" and what did it do?

• The Stamp Act which increased the tax on a variety of paper and stationary items and imprisoned tax evadors

• The Sugar Act which decreased the tax on Caribbean imported sugar but set up measures to counteract smuggling

• The Intolerable Acts which set up taxes on goods including sugar, stamps, and tea, and were strictly enforced

Who was most affected by the Stamp Act and what special influence did these people have?

• Newspaper printers and lawyers 

• Ordinary people who sent letters and used paper 

• Merchants

Why did the merchants in Philadelphia and New York dislike the British goods boycott?

John Adams will later become...

• the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

• the 2nd president of the United States

• the author of the Declaration of Independence