In 1670, there were an estimated 75,000 people spread throughout the US colonies By 1770, a mere hundred years later, the population had exploded to over two million (these figures include Native Americans, colonists of white European origin, and enslaved people of African origin). As the population grew, so did each colony's economy, government, and resistance to British rule. 

Our guiding questions are...

• Why did colonists become unhappy being under British rule? 

• In what ways did colonists protest against British rule? 

After winning the French & Indian War, Britain was desperate to pay off its large war debts. Between 1764 and 1773, the British Parliament passed a series of new acts to be followed by the colonies. Most of those acts were tax laws, designed to raise money to help Britain earn money. However, colonists up to this point had not been taxed by the British government; instead, they had only paid taxes determined by colonial legislatures. Many colonists were angered by the tax laws and believe that being taxed violated their rights. This was the start of the colonists' growing discontent with British rule.

DIRECTIONS: Explore how tension mounted between the Britain and the colonies in the decade leading up to the American Revolution. Click each image below for its corresponding page and pay close attention to British actions vs. Colonial reactions.