A Divided Empire

A constitutional debate that happens to

involve taxes, among other things.

1763: End of Salutary Neglect

• Peace of Paris
• Orders in Council

Proclamation Line

● Minimize defense costs

● Preserve economic status quo

● Establish more control?

1764

● Revenue Act (Sugar Act): Lowered duty from 6d. to 3d. per gallon of molasses. Smugglers face vice admiralty (military) courts

1765 Stamp Act

Principle > Burden

40,000 Strlg = Sugar Act

60,000 Strlg = Stamp Act

Colonial Whig/Lockean ideology

“Those who are governed at the will… of others, and whose property may be taken from them by taxes, or otherwise, without their own consent, and against their will, are in the miserable condition of slaves.” - Samuel Hopkins

Colonial Reaction

• VA's Stamp Act Resolves: Parliament cannot tax colonies
• Stamp Act Congress
• Petitioning and Pamphleteering
• Economic Boycott: merchants & tradesmen begin
• nonimportation movement
• Crowd Resistance
• Son’s of Liberty

Parliamentary response

Stamp Act Repealed March 1766

Declaratory Act 1766: Parliament can “legislate for the colonies in all cases whatsoever.”

Townshend Duties 1767

• Indirect tax: Tea, Paper, Paint, Lead, Glass
• Est. Board of Customs Commissioners for America and use revenue to pay governor’s salaries

1767- Colonial Reaction

• Non-importation: 40% decline
• Resurgence of crowd intimidation

1770 Repeal of Townshend Duties

Except Tea: Parliament still maintains claim to rule over the colonies and leaves Tea duty so as to not overturn recent precedent.

March 1773

Tea Crisis

Parliament Response

Coercive Acts

● Boston Port Bill (March 1774)

● Massachusetts Government Act (May 1774)

● Administration of Justice Act (May 1774)

● Revised Quartering Act of 1765 (June 1774)

Plus....

● Quebec Act (June 1774)*