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Problems between the colonists and Britain began in 1763. The Americans had fought for the British against France in the French and Indian War. After it spread to Europe, it became known as the Seven Years War.
Britain won the war. France had to give up Canada. It also gave up all claims to the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. But the war left Britain with huge debts. Britain wanted the American colonists to help pay for the war. It also wanted them to pay for the British soldiers it put in the colonies to protect them. The British decided to tax the colonists. Although they had the lowest taxes in the British Empire, many colonists felt the British government had no right to tax them. That’s because the colonies had no one to speak for them in the British Parliament.
In 1763, Parliament passed the Sugar Act. It put a tax on all sugar, molasses, and rum brought to the colonies from non-British sources. This cartoon by Ben Franklin urges the colonists to join together against the common enemy. It was first drawn to make the colonies want to work together during the French and Indian War. ▶
Parliament soon ended the Stamp Act. But it still taxed paper, lead, and glass. It also taxed paint and tea. Colonists again refused to buy British goods. British traders lost money and complained. By 1770, the British were only taxing tea. ▶
◀ The 1765 Stamp Act said that stamps or special stamped paper had to be bought and attached to many printed items in order to sell them. It applied to newspapers and legal documents. This law made the colonists angry. “No taxation without representation” became their cry. Colonists refused to buy the stamps. Sometimes they tarred and feathered officials who tried to collect the taxes!
▲ Until 1770, the fight between the colonists and the British was mostly a war of words. In 1770, that changed. An angry Boston crowd started throwing chunks of ice. Then they attacked British soldiers with clubs. The soldiers got scared and fired into the mob. Five people were killed. Boston colonists called this the Boston Massacre. The soldiers went to trial. They were cleared of murder charges. But Patriots used the killings to stir up anger against the British. Patriots were people who wanted the American colonies to be independent. They printed posters like the one shown here, by Paul Revere. It shows an inaccurate version of the event.
▲ The 1773 Tea Act said only the British could sell tea to the colonies. To protest, Patriots dressed up as Native Americans. Then they dumped tons of British tea into Boston harbor. British officials punished Boston for its “tea party.” They closed Boston harbor to all ships. They also took many powers away from the Massachusetts government.
▲ The first battles of the war took place in Massachusetts. On April 19, 1775, British soldiers and American volunteers faced off in the towns of Lexington and Concord. They fired shots at each other. The war was on!
In May 1775, 56 representatives met in Philadelphia at the Second Continental Congress. They wanted to show support for Massachusetts. So they wrote a letter to King George III, called the Olive Branch Petition. It listed their complaints and asked for his help. They also called for colonists to stop trading with Britain. The following year, the king turned down the petition. ▶
▲ Before the war, rich men and women wore wigs. Patriot men gave up their wigs. They started to wear their hair long. Sometimes they tied it back in a ponytail. Many Patriot women tried a new style. It included 13 curls at the neck, one for each of the 13 colonies.
