Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774

Explore the Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774 study material pdf and utilize it for learning all the covered concepts as it always helps in improving the conceptual knowledge.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 PDF
FIGURE 5.1
The Bostonians Paying the Excise-man, or Tarring and Feathering
(1774), attributed to Philip Dawe
(modi[ed), depicts the most publicized tarring and feathering incident of the American Revolution. The victim is
John Malcolm, a customs of[cial loyal to the British crown.
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER OUTLINE
5.1 Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
5.2 The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
5.3 The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity
/+ AG/!
Q!;E7RG_
+G%(GG_G
 LoyalistE//+G/7==9G'
/G.7=<;E2
(_G
E/

7=<9B7==:E
/L 
E/
5
Imperial Reforms and Colonial
Protests, 1763-1774

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Download
!$
2E GGE*G
 E
5.1 Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Discuss the status of Great Britain’s North American colonies in the years directly following the French and
Indian War
• Describe the size and scope of the British debt at the end of the French and Indian War
• Explain how the British Parliament responded to the debt crisis
• Outline the purpose of the Proclamation Line, the Sugar Act, and the Currency Act
FIGURE 5.2 (credit “1765”: modi[cation of work by the United Kingdom Government)
"7=<9E/!_G"
E
 EH
!+ E!(
"GM-GOG
OGGON
G!
GEG
)!GE7=<9/
+!$2Q.4L2RG
G!E/
G+L-GE
/GG"
E/E"
E+_
E G
E
112 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 PDF Download
PROBLEMS ON THE AMERICAN FRONTIER
2!$2G"G
E0/+G!)!E
!G
LE#G
G
E"
)7=<9E
GG(E/
MNQG!G.R
E/MN
!$2E1Q"2RA
7=:6E1
G
E/E/
`)G
.G.AG2GG
2E
/!"_
G`E2
!G)!
E.LG
GEG
!G!
E/_)
GE
)LQ''R)
*+E)
  E)L)
E$A+L-G+
E
+7=<7G)MS
TEN/`7=<9G+
*G+G#!EG.G.G
!+E*G1
+E+L-Q+L2R_E
!)GGG
E/)E
/.A$+Q+RG+G7=<9G
E!+G
.E/
G+)
E2"%+
'G+G+
Q!;E9RE"+
+G_E.
E!+M(
5.1 • Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War 113
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-1
G_"G'G
GNM2G"
'G%(E/EN
4GG+
E
FIGURE 5.3 This nineteenth-century lithograph depicts the massacre of Conestoga in 1763 at Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, where they had been placed in protective custody. None of the attackers, members of the Paxton
Boys, were ever identi[ed.
CLICK AND EXPLORE
1 +E QFUUEUUR !L
M!G+L($G7=<:EN
+L-+LG
E
/)LG('GFM2
PHEN+
GFM$GG
EN$MN
AG!(%GM4
$GEN
+L-7=<<G!G+
GE/GGE-
)2E
2G
E+LG+7=<9G
2 Proclamation LineG
(Q!;E:RE/+'`G
`)E
GE/
+'E
114 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-2
FIGURE 5.4 This map shows the status of the American colonies in 1763, after the end of the French and Indian
War. Although Great Britain won control of the territory east of the Mississippi, the Proclamation Line of 1763
prohibited British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. (credit: modi[cation of work by the
National Atlas of the United States)
THE BRITISH NATIONAL DEBT
"L_G
E/G]=;7=;<
]7997=<9E$G
)E/ 
E/")G
_"LG_
E
/G
E+G+G
+(%.GGE/
GGG
E""
7=<9E"G
GE
IMPERIAL REFORMS
/
A7=<6E$7=<:G+("7=<:G

E/
G LE/
E
GG_E)
GE
"+.7=<:G
GE"
!2$E/
G) G
E
5.1 • Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War 115
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-3
/7=<:.G_E+7=<:G
)G
E#G. vice-admiralty courtsE
/AGGE.
7=<:E/
 E/GG
AE$G
E
GG
E/
&G#'G#E 
E$&G
E$'GE$
GE/
GG indirect tax .
LE!G
"E/.G
EE/.
+E
5.2 The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Explain the purpose of the 1765 Stamp Act
• Describe the colonial responses to the Stamp Act
$7=<;G+
.E direct tax G.
GG
GE2.
 G_
MEN/.
+E
THE STAMP ACT AND THE QUARTERING ACT
+("G.7=<:G . 7=<;E
0GQ!
;E;RE$G7=<;G+,G
)E/+.,
E
116 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-4
FIGURE 5.5 Under the Stamp Act, anyone who used or purchased anything printed on paper had to buy a revenue
stamp for it. Image (a) shows a partial proof sheet of one-penny stamps. Image (b) provides a close-up of a one-
penny stamp. (credit a: modi[cation of work by the United Kingdom Government; credit b: modi[cation of work by
the United Kingdom Government)
/.!$2E.G
G
LE/A
E/.)7G7=<;G
]<6G666C7=C
)Q!;E<RE.G_
E
5.2 • The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 117
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-5
FIGURE 5.6 The announcement of the Stamp Act, seen in this newspaper publication (a), raised numerous
concerns among colonists in America. Protests against British imperial policy took many forms, such as this mock
stamp (b) whose text reads “An Emblem of the Effects of the STAMP. O! the Fatal STAMP.”
+7=<; ,E/,7=<;
E$
GG
E$GL
E.%$$G7<>;7<>>G
GL
E2
G)4GE2_
)47=<<G)4,E
COLONIAL PROTEST: GENTRY, MERCHANTS, AND THE STAMP ACT CONGRESS
!G.EG
GG
_G
EG
E+GG
MNQRE+
.G 
E#G
G
E2#GG
E
/.LG
+ GE
#G.
118 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-6
E$(GG%*G
GM/EN$
1#G_+#1.
-G.
1Q!;E=RE#1
CCE$G no taxation without
representationE
FIGURE 5.7
Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House of Burgesses
(1851), painted by Peter F. Rothermel, offers a
romanticized depiction of Henry’s speech denouncing the Stamp Act of 1765. Supporters and opponents alike
debated the stark language of the speech, which quickly became legendary.
/_G"+
E#G7=<;E$.G(
GGGE
(.
E-)47=<;E
+P/_G
.GE/E)
G
E/.G
E/G-"G
E(G
E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
 (#. QFUUEUU7R 
_E
MOBILIZATION: POPULAR PROTEST AGAINST THE STAMP ACT
/.G2
E2
.G
E/G Sons of Liberty  Daughters
of LibertyG.E
5.2 • The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 119

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-7
G%$$E
!7=<;G.'GGA
EG.
'E*7:G*G
(.E*_CG_
*CG__
E._G
E*EG
'"/#G+LG
 E/.'#
.HGE
!G.QM/.NM/A.N
#R
Q!;E>RE
FIGURE 5.8 With this broadside of December 17, 1765, the Sons of Liberty call for the resignation of Andrew Oliver,
the Massachusetts Distributor of Stamps.
.7=<<G'.
E/G
E/CC
E2AMGN
_E
/
=G7=<<G(78G+G
-$GM7>'GG
GEEEE/_G
G
ENGMGE
GG.
GG
G
GEN
/L non-importation movement .G
E2
GGE
GE
!G.'
E/'.
GE$
120 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-8
.GG_%
.'G.LE/G
GGG.LE$
G
.E/_
HGL
EGG
QR
Q!;E?RE
FIGURE 5.9 This 1766 illustration shows a funeral procession for the Stamp Act. Reverend William Scott leads the
procession of politicians who had supported the act, while a dog urinates on his leg. George Grenville, pictured
fourth in line, carries a small cof[n. What point do you think this cartoon is trying to make?
THE DECLARATORY ACT
"GLE
"L
&"$$$E2+G
E/L
HGA)
E(L
.E*
E
$(7=<<GG'-G+.E
HG%#
E#GG
G-E
/+L
E
5.2 • The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 121

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-9
CLICK AND EXPLORE
1 E QFUUEEUUDER 
G+E
5.3 The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Describe the purpose of the 1767 Townshend Acts
• Explain why many colonists protested the 1767 Townshend Acts and the consequences of their actions
L.E
/7=<<"LG
+E$7=<=G/G
)G
E
THE TOWNSHEND ACTS
'-LQ7=<;B7=<<RE-
G+G_
E"$$$-E2+G
GE#G+E#G
/ Q!;E76RG L_GE+
E
FIGURE 5.10 Charles Townshend, chancellor of the exchequer, shown here in a 1765 painting by Joshua Reynolds,
instituted the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767 in order to raise money to support the British military presence in
the colonies.
/L_)4G
122 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-10
,E$G/
-7=<=G)4L
GE
//-7=<=GGGG
E/G
E/
G.E$7=<<G+.
G!GM$
HG
EN
/$7=<= $
"E2AGG
-E.+
_G
E/+LE
$G
E$GG_
E//-7=<=GG
_E/
G
E/-
G_
E
/-E$M
NCGC
G
E!GG/
7=<=GE
"G_GE
/
E
/1AGA
GG+GGE
GAA#G).GG
_E.
GEG/
E!!$2G 

E
REACTIONS: THE NON-IMPORTATION MOVEMENT
'.G/E!
G
E//
G
LE/-G
)4GG
5.3 • The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 123
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-11
+E
//GM'+!N
%E$`GG
 +G
GGGE
“Address to the Ladies” Verse from
The Boston Post-Boy and Advertiser
This verse, which ran in a Boston newspaper in November 1767, highlights how women were encouraged to take
political action by boycotting British goods. Notice that the writer especially encourages women to avoid British
tea (Bohea and Green Hyson) and linen, and to manufacture their own homespun cloth. Building on the protest of
the 1765 Stamp Act by the Daughters of Liberty, the non-importation movement of 1767–1768 mobilized
women as political actors.
“Young ladies in town, and those that live round,
Let a friend at this season advise you:
Since money’s so scarce, and times growing worse
Strange things may soon hap and surprize you:
First then, throw aside your high top knots of pride
Wear none but your own country linnen;
of economy boast, let your pride be the most
What, if homespun they say is not quite so gay
As brocades, yet be not in a passion,
For when once it is known this is much wore in town,
One and all will cry out, ’tis the fashion!
And as one, all agree that you’ll not married be
To such as will wear London Fact’ry:
But at [rst sight refuse, tell’em such you do chuse
As encourage our own Manufact’ry.
No more Ribbons wear, nor in rich dress appear,
Love your country much better than [ne things,
Begin without passion, ’twill soon be the fashion
To grace your smooth locks with a twine string.
Throw aside your Bohea, and your Green Hyson Tea,
And all things with a new fashion duty;
Procure a good store of the choice Labradore,
For there’ll soon be enough here to suit ye;
These do without fear and to all you’ll appear
Fair, charming, true, lovely, and cleaver;
Tho’ the times remain darkish, young men may be sparkish.
And love you much stronger than ever. !O!”
$(7=<>G. Massachusetts CircularE
.(#-G

EGM$GGS(#-T
G+G
GG
AMERICANA
124 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-12
GHG
+G(LGGEN
)G(L
E G
MEN
"LE/L
(E#G"G
C'#C(G
E/
(LE +G
GE
/'E2
E(
AG'
E/.'
HE!G
7=<?B7==6F
M2$''$(%&.*)G
$(+*-/ -H
-5 )# G
)./*2)A#*0. G
*/A+GST
AG*./*)
$.*).
0"#/ -.'$ -/4G

G
G
+GG( )EN
/7=<>B7=<?E$
E$G
_E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
!G )#
 QFUUEUUR E
TROUBLE IN BOSTON
/(+LG7=<>G'#
E/
G
EGG
ELGA
GE(G.'G
E/.'
HLE
5.3 • The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 125

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-13
%#LE2
_.'GG
E#
GE$7=<>G_
'
G
GE'.'G_G
_G2G
EGG_
E
`(;G7==6G Boston MassacreE
*GGG
E$`GG
MNQG
EEGRG_G_
EG_CGG__
C2E/
LG
G
+LE
/.'G
E+-G.'G
_G`E
GMN_
EG
E
$'E%GL
+GE
LLGG
E#G
E*G
GE
FM!HGG
GFH
GGH
GGG
AGAGGGHG
GGG
E/$EN
Propaganda and the Sons of Liberty
Long after the British soldiers had been tried and punished, the Sons of Liberty maintained a relentless
propaganda campaign against British oppression. Many of them were printers or engravers, and they were able
to use public media to sway others to their cause. Shortly after the incident outside the customs house, Paul
Revere created “The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the
29th Regt.” (Figure 5.11), based on an image by engraver Henry Pelham. The picture—which represents only the
protesters’ point of view—shows the ruthlessness of the British soldiers and the helplessness of the crowd of
AMERICANA
126 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-14
civilians. Notice the subtle details Revere uses to help convince the viewer of the civilians’ innocence and the
soldiers’ cruelty. Although eyewitnesses said the crowd started the [ght by throwing snowballs and rocks, in the
engraving they are innocently standing by. Revere also depicts the crowd as well dressed and well-to-do, when in
fact they were laborers and probably looked quite a bit rougher.
FIGURE 5.11 The Sons of Liberty circulated this sensationalized version of the events of March 5, 1770, in order
to promote the rightness of their cause. The verses below the image begin as follows: “Unhappy Boston! see thy
Sons deplore, Thy hallowed Walks besmeared with guiltless Gore.”
Newspaper articles and pamphlets that the Sons of Liberty circulated implied that the “massacre” was a planned
murder. In the
Boston Gazette
on March 12, 1770, an article describes the soldiers as striking [rst. It goes on to
discuss this version of the events: “On hearing the noise, one Samuel Atwood came up to see what was the
matter; and entering the alley from dock square, heard the latter part of the combat; and when the boys had
dispersed he met the ten or twelve soldiers aforesaid rushing down the alley towards the square and asked them
if they intended to murder people? They answered Yes, by God, root and branch! With that one of them struck Mr.
Atwood with a club which was repeated by another; and being unarmed, he turned to go off and received a
wound on the left shoulder which reached the bone and gave him much pain.”
What do you think most people in the United States think of when they consider the Boston Massacre? How does
the propaganda of the Sons of Liberty still affect the way we think of this event?
PARTIAL REPEAL
G(+/E
7=<6GE*G
+
AE/7=<=
')GE)
+/E/
/C
ACE
//G
E!GE/
E/
GL E
5.3 • The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 127
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-15
5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Describe the socio-political environment in the colonies in the early 1770s
• Explain the purpose of the Tea Act of 1773 and discuss colonial reactions to it
• Identify and describe the Coercive Acts
//7==9_7=<;.
7=<=/E
7==9E/+
G/
E/
 $LH
+E
SMOLDERING RESENTMENT
/GG+L
E/)4G
E$GE
+%'L
//"
GG`
GGE/.'
+E
1G7==8G-$

"d
)Q!;E78RE
G"dG-
$E/GG"
E.
E
FIGURE 5.12 This 1883 engraving, which appeared in
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine
, depicts the burning of the
Gaspée
. This attack provoked the British government to convene a Royal Commission of Inquiry; some regarded the
128 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-16
Commission as an example of excessive British power and control over the colonies.
.G%2%*GA Committee of
CorrespondenceGGE
.(GE
/GG_
E.
GG
E/
/GE
THE TEA ACT OF 1773
+ /7==9 GG
E-G
_G $GE$G
/E+
GE
//7==9 $
"E
/G $
GE
/)
E $G
H_
E/`G
E(G/
GMEN
COLONIAL PROTEST: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEA
/7==9E/.'
G+
E1
G7==9
E
G/E/
G
 GAE$
GG+G)4GL
G
"E
$G/#G(G.
E#
E2

#)7==9G
"E/G



G
E..'
E
*7<G

LG*.
5.4 • The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts 129
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-17
(#E!G.'
E.(E+G
G^7LG
_E/ E#G
G+GE/
E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
//+G /+.
( QFUUEUUR GGEG




E
PARLIAMENT RESPONDS: THE COERCIVE ACTS
$'GE/
&"$$$G')Q!;E79RGE
/G(
E(L"
E)E#F
M/GGG
H
E2GH
GEN+(
E
FIGURE 5.13 Lord North, seen here in
Portrait of Frederick North, Lord North
(1773–1774), painted by Nathaniel
Dance, was prime minister at the time of the destruction of the tea and insisted that Massachusetts make good on
the loss.
$7==:G+(G
 Coercive ActsE/+# $
E/("
_LE/
%_
(G(E/
%AE/
130 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-18
E!G,
E
G+,G,
-E!+G
) G
EG,
2GE/,G
E
+, Intolerable ActsE.'
HM/G.N
Q!;E7:R+E(G
Q(GR
E//E
)GLE
FIGURE 5.14 The artist of “The Able Doctor, or America Swallowing the Bitter Draught” (
London Magazine
, May 1,
1774) targets select members of Parliament as the perpetrators of a devilish scheme to overturn the constitution;
this is why Mother Britannia weeps. Note that this cartoon came from a British publication; Great Britain was not
united in support of Parliament’s policies toward the American colonies.
5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Describe the state of affairs between the colonies and the home government in 1774
• Explain the purpose and results of the First Continental Congress
CC7==:E(
$HE/
!G')E.G
 
GE. G
E'G
E/G
E*GE
$7==:G.'
GG
E/("
5.5 • Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity 131
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-19
GAE*G
(+G Suffolk Resolves .7==:G
$E(G!
E
/!
EQ"LG
ER/+
.;*8<G7==:G_
$E%"+H
"G+"G
+"GE(
E
$G+-(+.-G
-!E$-G
*7:G7==9
AGAGA
E$M+&N*8:G
.-E
/!
E/
EG!
E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
1 (#. QFUUEUU_R 
!L&"E
The First List of Un-American Activities
In her book
Toward A More Perfect Union: Virtue and the Formation of American Republics
, historian Ann Fairfax
Withington explores actions the delegates to the First Continental Congress took during the weeks they were
together. Along with their efforts to bring about the repeal of the Intolerable Acts, the delegates also banned
certain activities they believed would undermine their [ght against what they saw as British corruption.
In particular, the delegates prohibited horse races, cock[ghts, the theater, and elaborate funerals. The reasons
for these prohibitions provide insight into the state of affairs in 1774. Both horse races and cock[ghts
encouraged gambling and, for the delegates, gambling threatened to prevent the unity of action and purpose
they desired. In addition, cock[ghting appeared immoral and corrupt because the roosters were [tted with
razors and fought to the death (Figure 5.15).
DEFINING AMERICAN
132 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-20
FIGURE 5.15 Cock[ghts, as depicted in
The Cockpit
(1759) by British artist and engraver William Hogarth, were
among the entertainments the First Continental Congress sought to outlaw, considering them un-American.
The ban on the theater aimed to do away with another corrupt British practice. Critics had long believed that
theatrical performances drained money from working people. Moreover, they argued, theatergoers learned to lie
and deceive from what they saw on stage. The delegates felt banning the theater would demonstrate their
resolve to act honestly and without pretence in their [ght against corruption.
Finally, eighteenth-century mourning practices often required lavish spending on luxury items and even the
employment of professional mourners who, for a price, would shed tears at the grave. Prohibiting these practices
reflected the idea that luxury bred corruption, and the First Continental Congress wanted to demonstrate that the
colonists would do without British vices. Congress emphasized the need to be frugal and self-suf[cient when
confronted with corruption.
The First Continental Congress banned all four activities—horse races, cock[ghts, the theater, and elaborate
funerals—and entrusted the Continental Association with enforcement. Rejecting what they saw as corruption
coming from Great Britain, the delegates were also identifying themselves as standing apart from their British
relatives. They cast themselves as virtuous defenders of liberty against a corrupt Parliament.
$-+&G!
"$$$M(".NM 
)NMGN
GEGG
G!E*
H
E
5.5 • Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity 133
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-21
Key Terms
Boston Massacre (;G7==6G
_GG__

Coercive Acts Q%G("G+G,
R')(

Committees of Correspondence 

Daughters of Liberty AA

direct tax GL
indirect tax G
Intolerable Acts +,
Loyalists "
Massachusetts Circular .'.


no taxation without representation G_1.-G
+
non-importation movement 
Proclamation Line (G+7=<9G

Sons of Liberty GGA.

Suffolk Resolves ($
!G
AGAGA

vice-admiralty courts 
Summary
5.1 Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
/ )!7=<9E
)("LG
_E1
!G
)E/7=<97=<:
E/
E
5.2 The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
/+7=<;._ G
E*
GE/.
E2
.7=<<GAE
134 5 • Key Terms
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-22
5.3 The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
'.7=<;G/
GE
//
G
E)G"LE
5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
//G#GA

E/G
 E
5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity
/!G
GE$-G
7==9E/
GLE
2G
G!E
Review Questions
1E 2)7=<9P
E "
E !$2
E 
E 
2E 2.7=<:P
E $E
E $E
E $E
E $"E
3E 2_+("P
4E 2

.P
E 
E 
E !$2
E 
5E !.'P
E .
E _
E +
E 1.-
5 • Review Questions 135

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-23
6E 2

/P
E 
E 
E 
E 
7E 2L.L(
P
E /
E $
E (
E '#L
8E 2(P
9E 2"dP
E E
E $_E
E $__E
E /LG%#GE
10E 2/7==9P
E 
E 
E  $
E 
11E 2_P
12E 2!P
E "
E 
E "
E #
13E 2-P
E (
E +
E -$
E )4
Critical Thinking Questions
14E 2"7==:P2P
15E 'F
/+ AG/
!
Q!;E7RE#"
7=<97==:P
16E 2..P#
.
P
136 5 • Critical Thinking Questions
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-24
17E #_E#L
P#
P
18E 2
P2GMN
P#P
5 • Critical Thinking Questions 137
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-25
138 5 • Critical Thinking Questions
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 PDF
FIGURE 5.1
The Bostonians Paying the Excise-man, or Tarring and Feathering
(1774), attributed to Philip Dawe
(modi[ed), depicts the most publicized tarring and feathering incident of the American Revolution. The victim is
John Malcolm, a customs of[cial loyal to the British crown.
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER OUTLINE
5.1 Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
5.2 The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
5.3 The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity
/+ AG/!
Q!;E7RG_
+G%(GG_G
 LoyalistE//+G/7==9G'
/G.7=<;E2
(_G
E/

7=<9B7==:E
/L 
E/
5
Imperial Reforms and Colonial
Protests, 1763-1774

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Download
!$
2E GGE*G
 E
5.1 Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Discuss the status of Great Britain’s North American colonies in the years directly following the French and
Indian War
• Describe the size and scope of the British debt at the end of the French and Indian War
• Explain how the British Parliament responded to the debt crisis
• Outline the purpose of the Proclamation Line, the Sugar Act, and the Currency Act
FIGURE 5.2 (credit “1765”: modi[cation of work by the United Kingdom Government)
"7=<9E/!_G"
E
 EH
!+ E!(
"GM-GOG
OGGON
G!
GEG
)!GE7=<9/
+!$2Q.4L2RG
G!E/
G+L-GE
/GG"
E/E"
E+_
E G
E
112 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 PDF Download
PROBLEMS ON THE AMERICAN FRONTIER
2!$2G"G
E0/+G!)!E
!G
LE#G
G
E"
)7=<9E
GG(E/
MNQG!G.R
E/MN
!$2E1Q"2RA
7=:6E1
G
E/E/
`)G
.G.AG2GG
2E
/!"_
G`E2
!G)!
E.LG
GEG
!G!
E/_)
GE
)LQ''R)
*+E)
  E)L)
E$A+L-G+
E
+7=<7G)MS
TEN/`7=<9G+
*G+G#!EG.G.G
!+E*G1
+E+L-Q+L2R_E
!)GGG
E/)E
/.A$+Q+RG+G7=<9G
E!+G
.E/
G+)
E2"%+
'G+G+
Q!;E9RE"+
+G_E.
E!+M(
5.1 • Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War 113
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-1
G_"G'G
GNM2G"
'G%(E/EN
4GG+
E
FIGURE 5.3 This nineteenth-century lithograph depicts the massacre of Conestoga in 1763 at Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, where they had been placed in protective custody. None of the attackers, members of the Paxton
Boys, were ever identi[ed.
CLICK AND EXPLORE
1 +E QFUUEUUR !L
M!G+L($G7=<:EN
+L-+LG
E
/)LG('GFM2
PHEN+
GFM$GG
EN$MN
AG!(%GM4
$GEN
+L-7=<<G!G+
GE/GGE-
)2E
2G
E+LG+7=<9G
2 Proclamation LineG
(Q!;E:RE/+'`G
`)E
GE/
+'E
114 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-2
FIGURE 5.4 This map shows the status of the American colonies in 1763, after the end of the French and Indian
War. Although Great Britain won control of the territory east of the Mississippi, the Proclamation Line of 1763
prohibited British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. (credit: modi[cation of work by the
National Atlas of the United States)
THE BRITISH NATIONAL DEBT
"L_G
E/G]=;7=;<
]7997=<9E$G
)E/ 
E/")G
_"LG_
E
/G
E+G+G
+(%.GGE/
GGG
E""
7=<9E"G
GE
IMPERIAL REFORMS
/
A7=<6E$7=<:G+("7=<:G

E/
G LE/
E
GG_E)
GE
"+.7=<:G
GE"
!2$E/
G) G
E
5.1 • Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War 115
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-3
/7=<:.G_E+7=<:G
)G
E#G. vice-admiralty courtsE
/AGGE.
7=<:E/
 E/GG
AE$G
E
GG
E/
&G#'G#E 
E$&G
E$'GE$
GE/
GG indirect tax .
LE!G
"E/.G
EE/.
+E
5.2 The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Explain the purpose of the 1765 Stamp Act
• Describe the colonial responses to the Stamp Act
$7=<;G+
.E direct tax G.
GG
GE2.
 G_
MEN/.
+E
THE STAMP ACT AND THE QUARTERING ACT
+("G.7=<:G . 7=<;E
0GQ!
;E;RE$G7=<;G+,G
)E/+.,
E
116 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-4
FIGURE 5.5 Under the Stamp Act, anyone who used or purchased anything printed on paper had to buy a revenue
stamp for it. Image (a) shows a partial proof sheet of one-penny stamps. Image (b) provides a close-up of a one-
penny stamp. (credit a: modi[cation of work by the United Kingdom Government; credit b: modi[cation of work by
the United Kingdom Government)
/.!$2E.G
G
LE/A
E/.)7G7=<;G
]<6G666C7=C
)Q!;E<RE.G_
E
5.2 • The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 117
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-5
FIGURE 5.6 The announcement of the Stamp Act, seen in this newspaper publication (a), raised numerous
concerns among colonists in America. Protests against British imperial policy took many forms, such as this mock
stamp (b) whose text reads “An Emblem of the Effects of the STAMP. O! the Fatal STAMP.”
+7=<; ,E/,7=<;
E$
GG
E$GL
E.%$$G7<>;7<>>G
GL
E2
G)4GE2_
)47=<<G)4,E
COLONIAL PROTEST: GENTRY, MERCHANTS, AND THE STAMP ACT CONGRESS
!G.EG
GG
_G
EG
E+GG
MNQRE+
.G 
E#G
G
E2#GG
E
/.LG
+ GE
#G.
118 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-6
E$(GG%*G
GM/EN$
1#G_+#1.
-G.
1Q!;E=RE#1
CCE$G no taxation without
representationE
FIGURE 5.7
Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House of Burgesses
(1851), painted by Peter F. Rothermel, offers a
romanticized depiction of Henry’s speech denouncing the Stamp Act of 1765. Supporters and opponents alike
debated the stark language of the speech, which quickly became legendary.
/_G"+
E#G7=<;E$.G(
GGGE
(.
E-)47=<;E
+P/_G
.GE/E)
G
E/.G
E/G-"G
E(G
E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
 (#. QFUUEUU7R 
_E
MOBILIZATION: POPULAR PROTEST AGAINST THE STAMP ACT
/.G2
E2
.G
E/G Sons of Liberty  Daughters
of LibertyG.E
5.2 • The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 119

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-7
G%$$E
!7=<;G.'GGA
EG.
'E*7:G*G
(.E*_CG_
*CG__
E._G
E*EG
'"/#G+LG
 E/.'#
.HGE
!G.QM/.NM/A.N
#R
Q!;E>RE
FIGURE 5.8 With this broadside of December 17, 1765, the Sons of Liberty call for the resignation of Andrew Oliver,
the Massachusetts Distributor of Stamps.
.7=<<G'.
E/G
E/CC
E2AMGN
_E
/
=G7=<<G(78G+G
-$GM7>'GG
GEEEE/_G
G
ENGMGE
GG.
GG
G
GEN
/L non-importation movement .G
E2
GGE
GE
!G.'
E/'.
GE$
120 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-8
.GG_%
.'G.LE/G
GGG.LE$
G
.E/_
HGL
EGG
QR
Q!;E?RE
FIGURE 5.9 This 1766 illustration shows a funeral procession for the Stamp Act. Reverend William Scott leads the
procession of politicians who had supported the act, while a dog urinates on his leg. George Grenville, pictured
fourth in line, carries a small cof[n. What point do you think this cartoon is trying to make?
THE DECLARATORY ACT
"GLE
"L
&"$$$E2+G
E/L
HGA)
E(L
.E*
E
$(7=<<GG'-G+.E
HG%#
E#GG
G-E
/+L
E
5.2 • The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 121

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-9
CLICK AND EXPLORE
1 E QFUUEEUUDER 
G+E
5.3 The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Describe the purpose of the 1767 Townshend Acts
• Explain why many colonists protested the 1767 Townshend Acts and the consequences of their actions
L.E
/7=<<"LG
+E$7=<=G/G
)G
E
THE TOWNSHEND ACTS
'-LQ7=<;B7=<<RE-
G+G_
E"$$$-E2+G
GE#G+E#G
/ Q!;E76RG L_GE+
E
FIGURE 5.10 Charles Townshend, chancellor of the exchequer, shown here in a 1765 painting by Joshua Reynolds,
instituted the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767 in order to raise money to support the British military presence in
the colonies.
/L_)4G
122 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-10
,E$G/
-7=<=G)4L
GE
//-7=<=GGGG
E/G
E/
G.E$7=<<G+.
G!GM$
HG
EN
/$7=<= $
"E2AGG
-E.+
_G
E/+LE
$G
E$GG_
E//-7=<=GG
_E/
G
E/-
G_
E
/-E$M
NCGC
G
E!GG/
7=<=GE
"G_GE
/
E
/1AGA
GG+GGE
GAA#G).GG
_E.
GEG/
E!!$2G 

E
REACTIONS: THE NON-IMPORTATION MOVEMENT
'.G/E!
G
E//
G
LE/-G
)4GG
5.3 • The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 123
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-11
+E
//GM'+!N
%E$`GG
 +G
GGGE
“Address to the Ladies” Verse from
The Boston Post-Boy and Advertiser
This verse, which ran in a Boston newspaper in November 1767, highlights how women were encouraged to take
political action by boycotting British goods. Notice that the writer especially encourages women to avoid British
tea (Bohea and Green Hyson) and linen, and to manufacture their own homespun cloth. Building on the protest of
the 1765 Stamp Act by the Daughters of Liberty, the non-importation movement of 1767–1768 mobilized
women as political actors.
“Young ladies in town, and those that live round,
Let a friend at this season advise you:
Since money’s so scarce, and times growing worse
Strange things may soon hap and surprize you:
First then, throw aside your high top knots of pride
Wear none but your own country linnen;
of economy boast, let your pride be the most
What, if homespun they say is not quite so gay
As brocades, yet be not in a passion,
For when once it is known this is much wore in town,
One and all will cry out, ’tis the fashion!
And as one, all agree that you’ll not married be
To such as will wear London Fact’ry:
But at [rst sight refuse, tell’em such you do chuse
As encourage our own Manufact’ry.
No more Ribbons wear, nor in rich dress appear,
Love your country much better than [ne things,
Begin without passion, ’twill soon be the fashion
To grace your smooth locks with a twine string.
Throw aside your Bohea, and your Green Hyson Tea,
And all things with a new fashion duty;
Procure a good store of the choice Labradore,
For there’ll soon be enough here to suit ye;
These do without fear and to all you’ll appear
Fair, charming, true, lovely, and cleaver;
Tho’ the times remain darkish, young men may be sparkish.
And love you much stronger than ever. !O!”
$(7=<>G. Massachusetts CircularE
.(#-G

EGM$GGS(#-T
G+G
GG
AMERICANA
124 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-12
GHG
+G(LGGEN
)G(L
E G
MEN
"LE/L
(E#G"G
C'#C(G
E/
(LE +G
GE
/'E2
E(
AG'
E/.'
HE!G
7=<?B7==6F
M2$''$(%&.*)G
$(+*-/ -H
-5 )# G
)./*2)A#*0. G
*/A+GST
AG*./*)
$.*).
0"#/ -.'$ -/4G

G
G
+GG( )EN
/7=<>B7=<?E$
E$G
_E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
!G )#
 QFUUEUUR E
TROUBLE IN BOSTON
/(+LG7=<>G'#
E/
G
EGG
ELGA
GE(G.'G
E/.'
HLE
5.3 • The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 125

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-13
%#LE2
_.'GG
E#
GE$7=<>G_
'
G
GE'.'G_G
_G2G
EGG_
E
`(;G7==6G Boston MassacreE
*GGG
E$`GG
MNQG
EEGRG_G_
EG_CGG__
C2E/
LG
G
+LE
/.'G
E+-G.'G
_G`E
GMN_
EG
E
$'E%GL
+GE
LLGG
E#G
E*G
GE
FM!HGG
GFH
GGH
GGG
AGAGGGHG
GGG
E/$EN
Propaganda and the Sons of Liberty
Long after the British soldiers had been tried and punished, the Sons of Liberty maintained a relentless
propaganda campaign against British oppression. Many of them were printers or engravers, and they were able
to use public media to sway others to their cause. Shortly after the incident outside the customs house, Paul
Revere created “The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the
29th Regt.” (Figure 5.11), based on an image by engraver Henry Pelham. The picture—which represents only the
protesters’ point of view—shows the ruthlessness of the British soldiers and the helplessness of the crowd of
AMERICANA
126 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-14
civilians. Notice the subtle details Revere uses to help convince the viewer of the civilians’ innocence and the
soldiers’ cruelty. Although eyewitnesses said the crowd started the [ght by throwing snowballs and rocks, in the
engraving they are innocently standing by. Revere also depicts the crowd as well dressed and well-to-do, when in
fact they were laborers and probably looked quite a bit rougher.
FIGURE 5.11 The Sons of Liberty circulated this sensationalized version of the events of March 5, 1770, in order
to promote the rightness of their cause. The verses below the image begin as follows: “Unhappy Boston! see thy
Sons deplore, Thy hallowed Walks besmeared with guiltless Gore.”
Newspaper articles and pamphlets that the Sons of Liberty circulated implied that the “massacre” was a planned
murder. In the
Boston Gazette
on March 12, 1770, an article describes the soldiers as striking [rst. It goes on to
discuss this version of the events: “On hearing the noise, one Samuel Atwood came up to see what was the
matter; and entering the alley from dock square, heard the latter part of the combat; and when the boys had
dispersed he met the ten or twelve soldiers aforesaid rushing down the alley towards the square and asked them
if they intended to murder people? They answered Yes, by God, root and branch! With that one of them struck Mr.
Atwood with a club which was repeated by another; and being unarmed, he turned to go off and received a
wound on the left shoulder which reached the bone and gave him much pain.”
What do you think most people in the United States think of when they consider the Boston Massacre? How does
the propaganda of the Sons of Liberty still affect the way we think of this event?
PARTIAL REPEAL
G(+/E
7=<6GE*G
+
AE/7=<=
')GE)
+/E/
/C
ACE
//G
E!GE/
E/
GL E
5.3 • The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 127
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-15
5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Describe the socio-political environment in the colonies in the early 1770s
• Explain the purpose of the Tea Act of 1773 and discuss colonial reactions to it
• Identify and describe the Coercive Acts
//7==9_7=<;.
7=<=/E
7==9E/+
G/
E/
 $LH
+E
SMOLDERING RESENTMENT
/GG+L
E/)4G
E$GE
+%'L
//"
GG`
GGE/.'
+E
1G7==8G-$

"d
)Q!;E78RE
G"dG-
$E/GG"
E.
E
FIGURE 5.12 This 1883 engraving, which appeared in
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine
, depicts the burning of the
Gaspée
. This attack provoked the British government to convene a Royal Commission of Inquiry; some regarded the
128 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-16
Commission as an example of excessive British power and control over the colonies.
.G%2%*GA Committee of
CorrespondenceGGE
.(GE
/GG_
E.
GG
E/
/GE
THE TEA ACT OF 1773
+ /7==9 GG
E-G
_G $GE$G
/E+
GE
//7==9 $
"E
/G $
GE
/)
E $G
H_
E/`G
E(G/
GMEN
COLONIAL PROTEST: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEA
/7==9E/.'
G+
E1
G7==9
E
G/E/
G
 GAE$
GG+G)4GL
G
"E
$G/#G(G.
E#
E2

#)7==9G
"E/G



G
E..'
E
*7<G

LG*.
5.4 • The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts 129
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-17
(#E!G.'
E.(E+G
G^7LG
_E/ E#G
G+GE/
E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
//+G /+.
( QFUUEUUR GGEG




E
PARLIAMENT RESPONDS: THE COERCIVE ACTS
$'GE/
&"$$$G')Q!;E79RGE
/G(
E(L"
E)E#F
M/GGG
H
E2GH
GEN+(
E
FIGURE 5.13 Lord North, seen here in
Portrait of Frederick North, Lord North
(1773–1774), painted by Nathaniel
Dance, was prime minister at the time of the destruction of the tea and insisted that Massachusetts make good on
the loss.
$7==:G+(G
 Coercive ActsE/+# $
E/("
_LE/
%_
(G(E/
%AE/
130 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-18
E!G,
E
G+,G,
-E!+G
) G
EG,
2GE/,G
E
+, Intolerable ActsE.'
HM/G.N
Q!;E7:R+E(G
Q(GR
E//E
)GLE
FIGURE 5.14 The artist of “The Able Doctor, or America Swallowing the Bitter Draught” (
London Magazine
, May 1,
1774) targets select members of Parliament as the perpetrators of a devilish scheme to overturn the constitution;
this is why Mother Britannia weeps. Note that this cartoon came from a British publication; Great Britain was not
united in support of Parliament’s policies toward the American colonies.
5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Describe the state of affairs between the colonies and the home government in 1774
• Explain the purpose and results of the First Continental Congress
CC7==:E(
$HE/
!G')E.G
 
GE. G
E'G
E/G
E*GE
$7==:G.'
GG
E/("
5.5 • Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity 131
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-19
GAE*G
(+G Suffolk Resolves .7==:G
$E(G!
E
/!
EQ"LG
ER/+
.;*8<G7==:G_
$E%"+H
"G+"G
+"GE(
E
$G+-(+.-G
-!E$-G
*7:G7==9
AGAGA
E$M+&N*8:G
.-E
/!
E/
EG!
E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
1 (#. QFUUEUU_R 
!L&"E
The First List of Un-American Activities
In her book
Toward A More Perfect Union: Virtue and the Formation of American Republics
, historian Ann Fairfax
Withington explores actions the delegates to the First Continental Congress took during the weeks they were
together. Along with their efforts to bring about the repeal of the Intolerable Acts, the delegates also banned
certain activities they believed would undermine their [ght against what they saw as British corruption.
In particular, the delegates prohibited horse races, cock[ghts, the theater, and elaborate funerals. The reasons
for these prohibitions provide insight into the state of affairs in 1774. Both horse races and cock[ghts
encouraged gambling and, for the delegates, gambling threatened to prevent the unity of action and purpose
they desired. In addition, cock[ghting appeared immoral and corrupt because the roosters were [tted with
razors and fought to the death (Figure 5.15).
DEFINING AMERICAN
132 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-20
FIGURE 5.15 Cock[ghts, as depicted in
The Cockpit
(1759) by British artist and engraver William Hogarth, were
among the entertainments the First Continental Congress sought to outlaw, considering them un-American.
The ban on the theater aimed to do away with another corrupt British practice. Critics had long believed that
theatrical performances drained money from working people. Moreover, they argued, theatergoers learned to lie
and deceive from what they saw on stage. The delegates felt banning the theater would demonstrate their
resolve to act honestly and without pretence in their [ght against corruption.
Finally, eighteenth-century mourning practices often required lavish spending on luxury items and even the
employment of professional mourners who, for a price, would shed tears at the grave. Prohibiting these practices
reflected the idea that luxury bred corruption, and the First Continental Congress wanted to demonstrate that the
colonists would do without British vices. Congress emphasized the need to be frugal and self-suf[cient when
confronted with corruption.
The First Continental Congress banned all four activities—horse races, cock[ghts, the theater, and elaborate
funerals—and entrusted the Continental Association with enforcement. Rejecting what they saw as corruption
coming from Great Britain, the delegates were also identifying themselves as standing apart from their British
relatives. They cast themselves as virtuous defenders of liberty against a corrupt Parliament.
$-+&G!
"$$$M(".NM 
)NMGN
GEGG
G!E*
H
E
5.5 • Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity 133
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-21
Key Terms
Boston Massacre (;G7==6G
_GG__

Coercive Acts Q%G("G+G,
R')(

Committees of Correspondence 

Daughters of Liberty AA

direct tax GL
indirect tax G
Intolerable Acts +,
Loyalists "
Massachusetts Circular .'.


no taxation without representation G_1.-G
+
non-importation movement 
Proclamation Line (G+7=<9G

Sons of Liberty GGA.

Suffolk Resolves ($
!G
AGAGA

vice-admiralty courts 
Summary
5.1 Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
/ )!7=<9E
)("LG
_E1
!G
)E/7=<97=<:
E/
E
5.2 The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
/+7=<;._ G
E*
GE/.
E2
.7=<<GAE
134 5 • Key Terms
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-22
5.3 The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
'.7=<;G/
GE
//
G
E)G"LE
5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
//G#GA

E/G
 E
5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity
/!G
GE$-G
7==9E/
GLE
2G
G!E
Review Questions
1E 2)7=<9P
E "
E !$2
E 
E 
2E 2.7=<:P
E $E
E $E
E $E
E $"E
3E 2_+("P
4E 2

.P
E 
E 
E !$2
E 
5E !.'P
E .
E _
E +
E 1.-
5 • Review Questions 135

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-23
6E 2

/P
E 
E 
E 
E 
7E 2L.L(
P
E /
E $
E (
E '#L
8E 2(P
9E 2"dP
E E
E $_E
E $__E
E /LG%#GE
10E 2/7==9P
E 
E 
E  $
E 
11E 2_P
12E 2!P
E "
E 
E "
E #
13E 2-P
E (
E +
E -$
E )4
Critical Thinking Questions
14E 2"7==:P2P
15E 'F
/+ AG/
!
Q!;E7RE#"
7=<97==:P
16E 2..P#
.
P
136 5 • Critical Thinking Questions
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-24
17E #_E#L
P#
P
18E 2
P2GMN
P#P
5 • Critical Thinking Questions 137
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-25
138 5 • Critical Thinking Questions
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 PDF
FIGURE 5.1
The Bostonians Paying the Excise-man, or Tarring and Feathering
(1774), attributed to Philip Dawe
(modi[ed), depicts the most publicized tarring and feathering incident of the American Revolution. The victim is
John Malcolm, a customs of[cial loyal to the British crown.
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER OUTLINE
5.1 Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
5.2 The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
5.3 The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity
/+ AG/!
Q!;E7RG_
+G%(GG_G
 LoyalistE//+G/7==9G'
/G.7=<;E2
(_G
E/

7=<9B7==:E
/L 
E/
5
Imperial Reforms and Colonial
Protests, 1763-1774

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Download
!$
2E GGE*G
 E
5.1 Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Discuss the status of Great Britain’s North American colonies in the years directly following the French and
Indian War
• Describe the size and scope of the British debt at the end of the French and Indian War
• Explain how the British Parliament responded to the debt crisis
• Outline the purpose of the Proclamation Line, the Sugar Act, and the Currency Act
FIGURE 5.2 (credit “1765”: modi[cation of work by the United Kingdom Government)
"7=<9E/!_G"
E
 EH
!+ E!(
"GM-GOG
OGGON
G!
GEG
)!GE7=<9/
+!$2Q.4L2RG
G!E/
G+L-GE
/GG"
E/E"
E+_
E G
E
112 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 PDF Download
PROBLEMS ON THE AMERICAN FRONTIER
2!$2G"G
E0/+G!)!E
!G
LE#G
G
E"
)7=<9E
GG(E/
MNQG!G.R
E/MN
!$2E1Q"2RA
7=:6E1
G
E/E/
`)G
.G.AG2GG
2E
/!"_
G`E2
!G)!
E.LG
GEG
!G!
E/_)
GE
)LQ''R)
*+E)
  E)L)
E$A+L-G+
E
+7=<7G)MS
TEN/`7=<9G+
*G+G#!EG.G.G
!+E*G1
+E+L-Q+L2R_E
!)GGG
E/)E
/.A$+Q+RG+G7=<9G
E!+G
.E/
G+)
E2"%+
'G+G+
Q!;E9RE"+
+G_E.
E!+M(
5.1 • Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War 113
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-1
G_"G'G
GNM2G"
'G%(E/EN
4GG+
E
FIGURE 5.3 This nineteenth-century lithograph depicts the massacre of Conestoga in 1763 at Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, where they had been placed in protective custody. None of the attackers, members of the Paxton
Boys, were ever identi[ed.
CLICK AND EXPLORE
1 +E QFUUEUUR !L
M!G+L($G7=<:EN
+L-+LG
E
/)LG('GFM2
PHEN+
GFM$GG
EN$MN
AG!(%GM4
$GEN
+L-7=<<G!G+
GE/GGE-
)2E
2G
E+LG+7=<9G
2 Proclamation LineG
(Q!;E:RE/+'`G
`)E
GE/
+'E
114 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-2
FIGURE 5.4 This map shows the status of the American colonies in 1763, after the end of the French and Indian
War. Although Great Britain won control of the territory east of the Mississippi, the Proclamation Line of 1763
prohibited British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. (credit: modi[cation of work by the
National Atlas of the United States)
THE BRITISH NATIONAL DEBT
"L_G
E/G]=;7=;<
]7997=<9E$G
)E/ 
E/")G
_"LG_
E
/G
E+G+G
+(%.GGE/
GGG
E""
7=<9E"G
GE
IMPERIAL REFORMS
/
A7=<6E$7=<:G+("7=<:G

E/
G LE/
E
GG_E)
GE
"+.7=<:G
GE"
!2$E/
G) G
E
5.1 • Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War 115
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-3
/7=<:.G_E+7=<:G
)G
E#G. vice-admiralty courtsE
/AGGE.
7=<:E/
 E/GG
AE$G
E
GG
E/
&G#'G#E 
E$&G
E$'GE$
GE/
GG indirect tax .
LE!G
"E/.G
EE/.
+E
5.2 The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Explain the purpose of the 1765 Stamp Act
• Describe the colonial responses to the Stamp Act
$7=<;G+
.E direct tax G.
GG
GE2.
 G_
MEN/.
+E
THE STAMP ACT AND THE QUARTERING ACT
+("G.7=<:G . 7=<;E
0GQ!
;E;RE$G7=<;G+,G
)E/+.,
E
116 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-4
FIGURE 5.5 Under the Stamp Act, anyone who used or purchased anything printed on paper had to buy a revenue
stamp for it. Image (a) shows a partial proof sheet of one-penny stamps. Image (b) provides a close-up of a one-
penny stamp. (credit a: modi[cation of work by the United Kingdom Government; credit b: modi[cation of work by
the United Kingdom Government)
/.!$2E.G
G
LE/A
E/.)7G7=<;G
]<6G666C7=C
)Q!;E<RE.G_
E
5.2 • The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 117
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-5
FIGURE 5.6 The announcement of the Stamp Act, seen in this newspaper publication (a), raised numerous
concerns among colonists in America. Protests against British imperial policy took many forms, such as this mock
stamp (b) whose text reads “An Emblem of the Effects of the STAMP. O! the Fatal STAMP.”
+7=<; ,E/,7=<;
E$
GG
E$GL
E.%$$G7<>;7<>>G
GL
E2
G)4GE2_
)47=<<G)4,E
COLONIAL PROTEST: GENTRY, MERCHANTS, AND THE STAMP ACT CONGRESS
!G.EG
GG
_G
EG
E+GG
MNQRE+
.G 
E#G
G
E2#GG
E
/.LG
+ GE
#G.
118 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-6
E$(GG%*G
GM/EN$
1#G_+#1.
-G.
1Q!;E=RE#1
CCE$G no taxation without
representationE
FIGURE 5.7
Patrick Henry Before the Virginia House of Burgesses
(1851), painted by Peter F. Rothermel, offers a
romanticized depiction of Henry’s speech denouncing the Stamp Act of 1765. Supporters and opponents alike
debated the stark language of the speech, which quickly became legendary.
/_G"+
E#G7=<;E$.G(
GGGE
(.
E-)47=<;E
+P/_G
.GE/E)
G
E/.G
E/G-"G
E(G
E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
 (#. QFUUEUU7R 
_E
MOBILIZATION: POPULAR PROTEST AGAINST THE STAMP ACT
/.G2
E2
.G
E/G Sons of Liberty  Daughters
of LibertyG.E
5.2 • The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 119

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-7
G%$$E
!7=<;G.'GGA
EG.
'E*7:G*G
(.E*_CG_
*CG__
E._G
E*EG
'"/#G+LG
 E/.'#
.HGE
!G.QM/.NM/A.N
#R
Q!;E>RE
FIGURE 5.8 With this broadside of December 17, 1765, the Sons of Liberty call for the resignation of Andrew Oliver,
the Massachusetts Distributor of Stamps.
.7=<<G'.
E/G
E/CC
E2AMGN
_E
/
=G7=<<G(78G+G
-$GM7>'GG
GEEEE/_G
G
ENGMGE
GG.
GG
G
GEN
/L non-importation movement .G
E2
GGE
GE
!G.'
E/'.
GE$
120 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-8
.GG_%
.'G.LE/G
GGG.LE$
G
.E/_
HGL
EGG
QR
Q!;E?RE
FIGURE 5.9 This 1766 illustration shows a funeral procession for the Stamp Act. Reverend William Scott leads the
procession of politicians who had supported the act, while a dog urinates on his leg. George Grenville, pictured
fourth in line, carries a small cof[n. What point do you think this cartoon is trying to make?
THE DECLARATORY ACT
"GLE
"L
&"$$$E2+G
E/L
HGA)
E(L
.E*
E
$(7=<<GG'-G+.E
HG%#
E#GG
G-E
/+L
E
5.2 • The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 121

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-9
CLICK AND EXPLORE
1 E QFUUEEUUDER 
G+E
5.3 The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Describe the purpose of the 1767 Townshend Acts
• Explain why many colonists protested the 1767 Townshend Acts and the consequences of their actions
L.E
/7=<<"LG
+E$7=<=G/G
)G
E
THE TOWNSHEND ACTS
'-LQ7=<;B7=<<RE-
G+G_
E"$$$-E2+G
GE#G+E#G
/ Q!;E76RG L_GE+
E
FIGURE 5.10 Charles Townshend, chancellor of the exchequer, shown here in a 1765 painting by Joshua Reynolds,
instituted the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767 in order to raise money to support the British military presence in
the colonies.
/L_)4G
122 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-10
,E$G/
-7=<=G)4L
GE
//-7=<=GGGG
E/G
E/
G.E$7=<<G+.
G!GM$
HG
EN
/$7=<= $
"E2AGG
-E.+
_G
E/+LE
$G
E$GG_
E//-7=<=GG
_E/
G
E/-
G_
E
/-E$M
NCGC
G
E!GG/
7=<=GE
"G_GE
/
E
/1AGA
GG+GGE
GAA#G).GG
_E.
GEG/
E!!$2G 

E
REACTIONS: THE NON-IMPORTATION MOVEMENT
'.G/E!
G
E//
G
LE/-G
)4GG
5.3 • The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 123
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-11
+E
//GM'+!N
%E$`GG
 +G
GGGE
“Address to the Ladies” Verse from
The Boston Post-Boy and Advertiser
This verse, which ran in a Boston newspaper in November 1767, highlights how women were encouraged to take
political action by boycotting British goods. Notice that the writer especially encourages women to avoid British
tea (Bohea and Green Hyson) and linen, and to manufacture their own homespun cloth. Building on the protest of
the 1765 Stamp Act by the Daughters of Liberty, the non-importation movement of 1767–1768 mobilized
women as political actors.
“Young ladies in town, and those that live round,
Let a friend at this season advise you:
Since money’s so scarce, and times growing worse
Strange things may soon hap and surprize you:
First then, throw aside your high top knots of pride
Wear none but your own country linnen;
of economy boast, let your pride be the most
What, if homespun they say is not quite so gay
As brocades, yet be not in a passion,
For when once it is known this is much wore in town,
One and all will cry out, ’tis the fashion!
And as one, all agree that you’ll not married be
To such as will wear London Fact’ry:
But at [rst sight refuse, tell’em such you do chuse
As encourage our own Manufact’ry.
No more Ribbons wear, nor in rich dress appear,
Love your country much better than [ne things,
Begin without passion, ’twill soon be the fashion
To grace your smooth locks with a twine string.
Throw aside your Bohea, and your Green Hyson Tea,
And all things with a new fashion duty;
Procure a good store of the choice Labradore,
For there’ll soon be enough here to suit ye;
These do without fear and to all you’ll appear
Fair, charming, true, lovely, and cleaver;
Tho’ the times remain darkish, young men may be sparkish.
And love you much stronger than ever. !O!”
$(7=<>G. Massachusetts CircularE
.(#-G

EGM$GGS(#-T
G+G
GG
AMERICANA
124 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-12
GHG
+G(LGGEN
)G(L
E G
MEN
"LE/L
(E#G"G
C'#C(G
E/
(LE +G
GE
/'E2
E(
AG'
E/.'
HE!G
7=<?B7==6F
M2$''$(%&.*)G
$(+*-/ -H
-5 )# G
)./*2)A#*0. G
*/A+GST
AG*./*)
$.*).
0"#/ -.'$ -/4G

G
G
+GG( )EN
/7=<>B7=<?E$
E$G
_E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
!G )#
 QFUUEUUR E
TROUBLE IN BOSTON
/(+LG7=<>G'#
E/
G
EGG
ELGA
GE(G.'G
E/.'
HLE
5.3 • The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 125

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-13
%#LE2
_.'GG
E#
GE$7=<>G_
'
G
GE'.'G_G
_G2G
EGG_
E
`(;G7==6G Boston MassacreE
*GGG
E$`GG
MNQG
EEGRG_G_
EG_CGG__
C2E/
LG
G
+LE
/.'G
E+-G.'G
_G`E
GMN_
EG
E
$'E%GL
+GE
LLGG
E#G
E*G
GE
FM!HGG
GFH
GGH
GGG
AGAGGGHG
GGG
E/$EN
Propaganda and the Sons of Liberty
Long after the British soldiers had been tried and punished, the Sons of Liberty maintained a relentless
propaganda campaign against British oppression. Many of them were printers or engravers, and they were able
to use public media to sway others to their cause. Shortly after the incident outside the customs house, Paul
Revere created “The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the
29th Regt.” (Figure 5.11), based on an image by engraver Henry Pelham. The picture—which represents only the
protesters’ point of view—shows the ruthlessness of the British soldiers and the helplessness of the crowd of
AMERICANA
126 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-14
civilians. Notice the subtle details Revere uses to help convince the viewer of the civilians’ innocence and the
soldiers’ cruelty. Although eyewitnesses said the crowd started the [ght by throwing snowballs and rocks, in the
engraving they are innocently standing by. Revere also depicts the crowd as well dressed and well-to-do, when in
fact they were laborers and probably looked quite a bit rougher.
FIGURE 5.11 The Sons of Liberty circulated this sensationalized version of the events of March 5, 1770, in order
to promote the rightness of their cause. The verses below the image begin as follows: “Unhappy Boston! see thy
Sons deplore, Thy hallowed Walks besmeared with guiltless Gore.”
Newspaper articles and pamphlets that the Sons of Liberty circulated implied that the “massacre” was a planned
murder. In the
Boston Gazette
on March 12, 1770, an article describes the soldiers as striking [rst. It goes on to
discuss this version of the events: “On hearing the noise, one Samuel Atwood came up to see what was the
matter; and entering the alley from dock square, heard the latter part of the combat; and when the boys had
dispersed he met the ten or twelve soldiers aforesaid rushing down the alley towards the square and asked them
if they intended to murder people? They answered Yes, by God, root and branch! With that one of them struck Mr.
Atwood with a club which was repeated by another; and being unarmed, he turned to go off and received a
wound on the left shoulder which reached the bone and gave him much pain.”
What do you think most people in the United States think of when they consider the Boston Massacre? How does
the propaganda of the Sons of Liberty still affect the way we think of this event?
PARTIAL REPEAL
G(+/E
7=<6GE*G
+
AE/7=<=
')GE)
+/E/
/C
ACE
//G
E!GE/
E/
GL E
5.3 • The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest 127
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-15
5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Describe the socio-political environment in the colonies in the early 1770s
• Explain the purpose of the Tea Act of 1773 and discuss colonial reactions to it
• Identify and describe the Coercive Acts
//7==9_7=<;.
7=<=/E
7==9E/+
G/
E/
 $LH
+E
SMOLDERING RESENTMENT
/GG+L
E/)4G
E$GE
+%'L
//"
GG`
GGE/.'
+E
1G7==8G-$

"d
)Q!;E78RE
G"dG-
$E/GG"
E.
E
FIGURE 5.12 This 1883 engraving, which appeared in
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine
, depicts the burning of the
Gaspée
. This attack provoked the British government to convene a Royal Commission of Inquiry; some regarded the
128 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-16
Commission as an example of excessive British power and control over the colonies.
.G%2%*GA Committee of
CorrespondenceGGE
.(GE
/GG_
E.
GG
E/
/GE
THE TEA ACT OF 1773
+ /7==9 GG
E-G
_G $GE$G
/E+
GE
//7==9 $
"E
/G $
GE
/)
E $G
H_
E/`G
E(G/
GMEN
COLONIAL PROTEST: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEA
/7==9E/.'
G+
E1
G7==9
E
G/E/
G
 GAE$
GG+G)4GL
G
"E
$G/#G(G.
E#
E2

#)7==9G
"E/G



G
E..'
E
*7<G

LG*.
5.4 • The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts 129
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-17
(#E!G.'
E.(E+G
G^7LG
_E/ E#G
G+GE/
E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
//+G /+.
( QFUUEUUR GGEG




E
PARLIAMENT RESPONDS: THE COERCIVE ACTS
$'GE/
&"$$$G')Q!;E79RGE
/G(
E(L"
E)E#F
M/GGG
H
E2GH
GEN+(
E
FIGURE 5.13 Lord North, seen here in
Portrait of Frederick North, Lord North
(1773–1774), painted by Nathaniel
Dance, was prime minister at the time of the destruction of the tea and insisted that Massachusetts make good on
the loss.
$7==:G+(G
 Coercive ActsE/+# $
E/("
_LE/
%_
(G(E/
%AE/
130 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-18
E!G,
E
G+,G,
-E!+G
) G
EG,
2GE/,G
E
+, Intolerable ActsE.'
HM/G.N
Q!;E7:R+E(G
Q(GR
E//E
)GLE
FIGURE 5.14 The artist of “The Able Doctor, or America Swallowing the Bitter Draught” (
London Magazine
, May 1,
1774) targets select members of Parliament as the perpetrators of a devilish scheme to overturn the constitution;
this is why Mother Britannia weeps. Note that this cartoon came from a British publication; Great Britain was not
united in support of Parliament’s policies toward the American colonies.
5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Describe the state of affairs between the colonies and the home government in 1774
• Explain the purpose and results of the First Continental Congress
CC7==:E(
$HE/
!G')E.G
 
GE. G
E'G
E/G
E*GE
$7==:G.'
GG
E/("
5.5 • Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity 131
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-19
GAE*G
(+G Suffolk Resolves .7==:G
$E(G!
E
/!
EQ"LG
ER/+
.;*8<G7==:G_
$E%"+H
"G+"G
+"GE(
E
$G+-(+.-G
-!E$-G
*7:G7==9
AGAGA
E$M+&N*8:G
.-E
/!
E/
EG!
E
CLICK AND EXPLORE
1 (#. QFUUEUU_R 
!L&"E
The First List of Un-American Activities
In her book
Toward A More Perfect Union: Virtue and the Formation of American Republics
, historian Ann Fairfax
Withington explores actions the delegates to the First Continental Congress took during the weeks they were
together. Along with their efforts to bring about the repeal of the Intolerable Acts, the delegates also banned
certain activities they believed would undermine their [ght against what they saw as British corruption.
In particular, the delegates prohibited horse races, cock[ghts, the theater, and elaborate funerals. The reasons
for these prohibitions provide insight into the state of affairs in 1774. Both horse races and cock[ghts
encouraged gambling and, for the delegates, gambling threatened to prevent the unity of action and purpose
they desired. In addition, cock[ghting appeared immoral and corrupt because the roosters were [tted with
razors and fought to the death (Figure 5.15).
DEFINING AMERICAN
132 5 • Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-20
FIGURE 5.15 Cock[ghts, as depicted in
The Cockpit
(1759) by British artist and engraver William Hogarth, were
among the entertainments the First Continental Congress sought to outlaw, considering them un-American.
The ban on the theater aimed to do away with another corrupt British practice. Critics had long believed that
theatrical performances drained money from working people. Moreover, they argued, theatergoers learned to lie
and deceive from what they saw on stage. The delegates felt banning the theater would demonstrate their
resolve to act honestly and without pretence in their [ght against corruption.
Finally, eighteenth-century mourning practices often required lavish spending on luxury items and even the
employment of professional mourners who, for a price, would shed tears at the grave. Prohibiting these practices
reflected the idea that luxury bred corruption, and the First Continental Congress wanted to demonstrate that the
colonists would do without British vices. Congress emphasized the need to be frugal and self-suf[cient when
confronted with corruption.
The First Continental Congress banned all four activities—horse races, cock[ghts, the theater, and elaborate
funerals—and entrusted the Continental Association with enforcement. Rejecting what they saw as corruption
coming from Great Britain, the delegates were also identifying themselves as standing apart from their British
relatives. They cast themselves as virtuous defenders of liberty against a corrupt Parliament.
$-+&G!
"$$$M(".NM 
)NMGN
GEGG
G!E*
H
E
5.5 • Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity 133
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-21
Key Terms
Boston Massacre (;G7==6G
_GG__

Coercive Acts Q%G("G+G,
R')(

Committees of Correspondence 

Daughters of Liberty AA

direct tax GL
indirect tax G
Intolerable Acts +,
Loyalists "
Massachusetts Circular .'.


no taxation without representation G_1.-G
+
non-importation movement 
Proclamation Line (G+7=<9G

Sons of Liberty GGA.

Suffolk Resolves ($
!G
AGAGA

vice-admiralty courts 
Summary
5.1 Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
/ )!7=<9E
)("LG
_E1
!G
)E/7=<97=<:
E/
E
5.2 The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
/+7=<;._ G
E*
GE/.
E2
.7=<<GAE
134 5 • Key Terms
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-22
5.3 The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
'.7=<;G/
GE
//
G
E)G"LE
5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
//G#GA

E/G
 E
5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity
/!G
GE$-G
7==9E/
GLE
2G
G!E
Review Questions
1E 2)7=<9P
E "
E !$2
E 
E 
2E 2.7=<:P
E $E
E $E
E $E
E $"E
3E 2_+("P
4E 2

.P
E 
E 
E !$2
E 
5E !.'P
E .
E _
E +
E 1.-
5 • Review Questions 135

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-23
6E 2

/P
E 
E 
E 
E 
7E 2L.L(
P
E /
E $
E (
E '#L
8E 2(P
9E 2"dP
E E
E $_E
E $__E
E /LG%#GE
10E 2/7==9P
E 
E 
E  $
E 
11E 2_P
12E 2!P
E "
E 
E "
E #
13E 2-P
E (
E +
E -$
E )4
Critical Thinking Questions
14E 2"7==:P2P
15E 'F
/+ AG/
!
Q!;E7RE#"
7=<97==:P
16E 2..P#
.
P
136 5 • Critical Thinking Questions
Access for free at openstax.org.

Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-24
17E #_E#L
P#
P
18E 2
P2GMN
P#P
5 • Critical Thinking Questions 137
Imperial_Reforms_and_Colonial_Protests_1763-1774 Image-25
138 5 • Critical Thinking Questions
Access for free at openstax.org.

Subjects

U.S. History

Grade Levels

K12

Resource Type

PDF

Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774 PDF Download

Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests , FIGURE The Bostonians Paying the , or Feathering ( 1774 ) attributed to Philip ( depicts the most publicized tarring and feathering incident of the American Revolution . The victim is John Malcolm , a customs loyal to the British crown , CHAPTER OUTLINE Confronting the National De The Aftermath of the French and Indian War The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty The Acts and Colonial Protest The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts Disaffection The First Continental Congress and American Identity INTRODUCTION The Bostonians Paying the , or ' ing ' shows Patriots tarring and feathering the ner of Cus , John Malcolm , a sea captain , army , and staunch Loyalist . The print shows the Boston Tea Party , a protest against the Tea Act of 1773 , and the Liberty Tree , an elm tree near Boston Common that became a rallying point against the Stamp Act of 1765 . When the crowd threatened to hang Malcolm if he did not renounce his position as a royal customs , he reluctantly agreed and the protestors allowed him to go home . The scene represents the . toward those who supported al author and illustrates the high tide of unrest in the colonies after the British government imposed a series of imperial reform measures during the years . The government formerly la oversight of the colonies ended as the of the British Empire put these new reforms in place . The British hoped to gain greater control over colonial trade and frontier settlement as

112 Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests , well as to reduce the administrative cost of the colonies and the enormous debt left by the French and Indian War . Each step the British took , however , generated a backlash . Over time , imperial reforms pushed many colonists toward separation from the British Empire . Confronting the National Debt The Aftermath of the French and Indian War LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end ofthis section , you will be able to Discuss the status of Great Britain North American colonies in the years directly French and Indian War Describe the size and scope of the British debt at the end of the French and Indian War Explain how the British Parliament responded to the debt crisis Outline the purpose of the Proclamation Line , the Sugar Act , and the Currency Act Sugar Act reduces tax on , Coercive Acts molasses and First strengthens Continental compliance Congress 1764 1774 1763 1765 1767 1770 1773 Proclamation Stamp Act Boston Tea Act Line establishes Stamp Act Revenue Act Massacre Patriots dump boundary Congress tea into restricting Boston Harbor westward in Boston settlement Tea Party FIGURE ( credit 1765 of work bythe United Kingdom Government ) Great Britain had much to celebrate in 1763 . The long and costly war with France had ended , and Great Britain had emerged victorious . British subjects on both sides of the Atlantic celebrated the strength of the British Empire . Colonial pride ran high to live under the British Constitution and to have defeated the hated French Catholic menace brought great joy to British Protestants everywhere in the Empire . From Maine to Georgia , British colonists joyously celebrated the victory and sang the refrain of Rule , Britannia ! Britannia , rule the waves ! Britons never , never , never shall be slaves ! Despite the celebratory mood , the victory over France also produced major problems within the British Empire , problems that would have serious consequences for British colonists in the Americas . During the war , many Native American tribes had sided with the French , who supplied them with guns . After the 1763 Treaty of Paris that ended the French and Indian War ( or the Seven Years War ) British colonists had to defend the frontier , where French colonists and their tribal allies remained a powerful force . The most organized resistance , Pontiac Rebellion , highlighted tensions the settlers increasingly interpreted in racial terms . The massive debt the war generated at home , however , proved to be the most serious issue facing Great Britain . The frontier had to be secure in order to prevent another costly war . Greater enforcement of imperial trade laws had to be put into place . Parliament had to ways to raise revenue to pay off the crippling debt from the war . Everyone would have to contribute their expected share , including the British subjects across the Atlantic . Access for free at .

Confronting the National Debt The Aftermath of the French and Indian War 113 PROBLEMS ON THE AMERICAN FRONTIER With the end of the French and Indian War , Great Britain claimed a vast new expanse of territory , at least on paper . Under the terms of the Treaty of Paris , the French territory known as New France had ceased to exist . British territorial holdings now extended from Canada to Florida , and British military focus shifted to maintaining peace in the king newly enlarged lands . However , much of the land in the American British Empire remained under the control of powerful native , which made any claims of British mastery beyond the Atlantic coastal settlements hollow . Great Britain maintained ten thousand troops in North America after the war ended in 1763 to defend the borders and repel any attack by their imperial rivals . British colonists , eager for fresh land , poured over the Appalachian Mountains to stake claims . The western frontier had long been a middle ground where different imperial powers ( British , French , Spanish ) had interacted and compromised with native peoples . That era of accommodation in the middle ground came to an end after the French and Indian War . Virginians ( including George Washington ) and other colonists had already raised tensions in the with their quest for land . Virginia landowners in particular eagerly looked to diversify their holdings beyond tobacco , which had stagnated in price and ed the fertility of the lands along the Chesapeake Bay . They invested heavily in the newly available land . This westward movement brought the settlers into as never before with Native American tribes , such as the Shawnee , and Delaware , who increasingly held their ground against any urther intrusion by White settlers . The treaty that ended the war between France and Great Britain proved to be a blow to native peoples , who had viewed the as an opportunity to gain additional trade goods from both sic es . With the French defeat , many Native Americans who had sided with France lost a valued trading partner as well as bargaining power over the British . Settlers encroachment on their land , as well as the increased British military presence , changed the situation on the frontier dramatically . After the war , British troops took over the former French forts but failed to court favor with the local tribes by distributing ample gifts , as the Trench had done . They also reduced the amount of gunpowder and ammunition they sold to the Americans , worsening relationships further . Native Americans resistance to colonists drew upon the teachings of Delaware ( pro and the leadership of Ottawa war chief Pontiac . was a spiritual leader who preached a doctrine of shunning European culture and expelling Europeans from native lands . beliefs united Na ive Americans from many villages . In a alliance that came to be known as Pontiac Rebe ion , Pontiac led a loose coalition of these native tribes against the colonists and the British army . Pontiac started bringing his coalition together as early as 1761 , urging Native Americans to drive the Europeans out and make war upon them . The began in earnest in 1763 , when Pontiac and several hundred , and laid siege to Fort Detroit . At the same time , and laid siege to Fort Pitt . Over the next year , the war spread along the backcountry from Virginia to Pennsylvania . Pontiac Rebellion ( also known as Pontiac War ) triggered violence on both sides . Firsthand reports of Native American attacks tell of murder , scalping , dismemberment , and burning at the stake . These stories incited a deep racial hatred among colonists against all Native Americans . The actions of a group settlers from Paxton ( or ) Pennsylvania , in December 1763 , illustrates the deadly situation on the frontier . Forming a mob known as the Paxton Boys , these frontiersmen attacked a nearby group of of the tribe . The had lived peacefully with local settlers , but the Paxton Boys viewed all Native Americans as savages and they brutally murdered the six they found at home and burned their houses . When Governor John Penn put the remaining fourteen in protective custody in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , the Paxton Boys broke into the building and killed and scalped the they found there Figure . Although Governor Penn offered a reward for the capture of any Paxton Boys involved in the murders , no one ever the attackers . Some colonists reacted to the incident with outrage . Benjamin Franklin described the Paxton Boys as the barbarous Men who

114 Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests , committed the atrocious act , in of Government , of all Laws human and divine , and to the eternal Disgrace of their Country and Colour , stating that the Wickedness can not be covered , the Guilt will lie on the whole Land , till Justice is done on the Murderers . The blood of the innocent will cry to heaven for vengeance . Yet , as the inability to bring the perpetrators to justice clearly indicates , the Paxton Boys had many more supporters than critics . FIGURE This lithograph depicts the massacre of in 1763 at Lancaster , Pennsylvania , where they had been placed in protective custody . None of the attackers , members of the Paxton Boys , were ever . CLICK AND EXPLORE Visit Explore ( paxton ) to read the full text of Benjamin Benjamin Franklin , An Account of the Paxton Boys Murder of the Indians , 1764 . Pontiac Rebellion and the Paxton Boys actions were examples of early American race wars , in which both sides saw themselves as inherently different from the other and believed the other needed to be eradicated . The prophet message , which he said he received in a vision from the Master of Life , was Wherefore do you suffer the whites to dwell upon your lands ?

Drive them away wage war against them . Pontiac echoed this idea in a meeting , exhorting tribes to join together against the British It is important for us , my brothers , that we exterminate from our lands this nation which seeks only to destroy us . In his letter suggesting gifts to the natives of blankets , Field Marshal Jeffrey Amherst said , You will do well to inoculate the Indians by means of blankets , as well as every other method that can serve to extirpate this execrable race . Pontiac Rebellion came to an end in 1766 , when it became clear that the French , whom Pontiac had hoped would side with his forces , would not be returning . The repercussions , however , would last much longer . Race relations between Native Americans and White people remained poisoned on the frontier . Well aware of the problems on the frontier , the British government took steps to try to prevent bloodshed and another costly war . At the beginning of Pontiac uprising , the British issued the Proclamation of 1763 , which forbade White settlement west of the Proclamation Line , a borderline running along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains ( Figure . The Proclamation Line aimed to forestall further on the frontier , the clear of tension in British North America . British colonists who had hoped to move west after the war chafed at this restriction , believing the war had been fought and won to ensure the right to settle west . The Proclamation Line therefore came as a setback to their vision of westward expansion . Access for free at .

Confronting the National Debt The Aftermath of the French and Indian War Line at 1763 . us a an DEL rum mu FIGURE This map shows the status ofthe American colonies in 1763 , after the end of the French and Indian War . Although Great Britain won control of the territory east of the Mississippi , the Proclamation Line of 1763 prohibited British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains . credit of work by the National Atlas of the United States ) THE BRITISH NATIONAL DEBT Great Britain newly enlarged empire meant a greater burden , and the mushrooming debt from the war was a major cause of concern . The war nearly doubled the British national debt , from million in 1756 to million in 1763 . Interest payments alone consumed over half the national budget , and the continuing military presence in North America was a constant drain . The Empire needed more revenue to replenish its dwindling coffers . Those in Great Britain believed that British subjects in North America , as the major of Great Britain war for global supremacy , should certainly shoulder their share of the burden . The British government began increasing revenues by raising taxes at home , even as various interest groups lobbied to keep their taxes low . Powerful members of the aristocracy , well represented in Parliament , successfully convinced Prime Minister John Stuart , third earl of Bute , to refrain from raising taxes on land . The greater tax burden , therefore , fell on the lower classes in the form of increased import duties , which raised the prices of imported goods such as sugar and tobacco . George succeeded Bute as prime minister in 1763 . determined to curtail government spending and make sure that , as subjects of the British Empire , the American colonists did their part to pay down the massive debt . IMPERIAL REFORMS The new era of greater British interest in the American colonies through imperial reforms picked up in pace in the . In 1764 , Prime Minister introduced the Currency Act of 1764 , prohibiting the colonies from printing additional paper money and requiring colonists to pay British merchants in gold and silver instead of the colonial paper money already in circulation . The Currency Act aimed to standardize the currency used in Atlantic trade , a logical reform designed to help stabilize the Empire economy . This rule brought American economic activity under greater British control . Colonists relied on their own paper currency to conduct trade and , with gold and silver in short supply , they found their tight . Not surprisingly , they grumbled about the new imperial currency regulations . also pushed Parliament to pass the Sugar Act of 1764 , which actually lowered duties on British molasses by half , from six pence per gallon to three . designed this measure to address the problem of rampant colonial smuggling with the French sugar islands in the West Indies . The act attempted to make it easier for colonial traders , especially New England mariners who routinely engaged in illegal trade , to comply with the imperial law . 115

116 Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests , To give teeth to the 1764 Sugar Act , the law enforcement provisions . Prior to the 1764 act , colonial violations of the Navigation Acts had been tried in local courts , where sympathetic colonial juries refused to convict merchants on trial . However , the Sugar Act required violators to be tried in courts . These tribunals , which settled disputes that occurred at sea , operated without juries . Some colonists saw this feature of the 1764 act as dangerous . They argued that trial had long been honored as a basic right of Englishmen under the British Constitution . To deprive defendants of a jury , they contended , meant reducing British subjects to political slavery . In the British Atlantic world , some colonists perceived this loss of liberty as parallel to the enslavement of Africans . As loyal British subjects , colonists in America cherished their Constitution , an unwritten system of government that they celebrated as the best political system in the world . The British Constitution prescribed the roles of the King , the House , and the House of Commons . Each entity provided a check and balance against the worst tendencies of the others . If the King had too much power , the result would be tyranny . If the Lords had too much power , the result would be oligarchy . If the Commons had the balance of power , democracy or mob rule would prevail . The British Constitution promised representation of the will of British subjects , and without such representation , even the indirect tax of the Sugar Act was considered a threat to the settlers rights as British subjects . Furthermore , some American colonists felt the colonies were on equal political footing with Great Britain . The Sugar Act meant they were secondary , mere adjuncts to the Empire . All subjects of the British crown knew they had liberties under the constitution . The Sugar Act suggested that some in Parliament labored to deprive them of what made them uniquely British . The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end ofthis section , you will be able to Explain the purpose ofthe 1765 Stamp Act Describe the colonial responses to the Stamp Act In 1765 , the British Parliament moved beyond the efforts during the previous two years to better regulate westward expansion and trade by putting in place the Stamp Act . As a direct tax on the colonists , the Stamp Act imposed an internal tax on almost every type of printed paper colonists used , including newspapers , legal documents , and playing cards . While the architects of the Stamp Act saw the measure as a way to defray the costs of the British Empire , it nonetheless gave rise to the major colonial protest against British imperial control as expressed in the famous slogan no taxation without representation . The Stamp Act reinforced the sense among some colonists that Parliament was not treating them as equals of their peers across the Atlantic . THE STAMP ACT AND THE QUARTERING ACT Prime Minister , author of the Sugar Act of 1764 , introduced the Stamp Act in the early spring of 1765 . Under this act , anyone who used or purchased anything printed on paper had to buy a revenue stamp Figure ) for it . In the same year , 1765 , Parliament also passed the Quartering Act , a law that attempted to solve the problems of stationing troops in North America . The Parliament understood the Stamp Act and the Quartering Act as an assertion of their power to control colonial policy . Access for free at .

The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty 117 , 41 ' 53 . FIGURE Underthe Stamp Act , anyone who used o