Why did Colonists Separate from Great Britain?

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Why did Colonists Separate from Great Britain?
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Under the British Crown Colonists Enjoyed These
Rights

• Elected local representatives
• Freedom of Speech
• Right to own land
• Due Process
• Vote
• Jury Trials

What went wrong?
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The French and Indian War
1754 1763Cost a huge amount of moneyto
protect the British Colonies
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Economic Action by the Crown The Stamp Act of
1765. Imposed a tax on all paper including land
deeds, playing cards, wedding licenses.
The reaction that followed set off a series of
political, social and economic actions and
reactions cause and effect events leading to the
DOI
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• The reaction to the Stamp Act (1765) was not
  based on economics!!!
• The tax was meager.
• It was used to pay for the French Indian War
• But.

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Colonial reaction to the stamp act was fierce.
Boycotts, reduced revenues. Protests and pouring
scalding tea down the throat of a tax collector
or tar and feathering did happen. (Notice the
noose!!)
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New York Stamp Act riot 'The Folly of England and
the Ruin of America'. 
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No part of His Majestys dominions can be taxed without their consent James Otis, Massachusetts legislator Tension is high. Yesterday, an angry mob rushed a tax stamp distributor in Williamsburg, surrounding him. Today, the frightened agent resigned. Angry groups of shopkeepers, printers, lawyers and merchantscalling themselves Sons of Libertyhave joined together. They burn effigies of royal officials and strong-arm stamp agents across the colonies. Parliament shocked us all by passing the act. It taxes almost every piece of paper we use newspapers, legal documentseven playing cards! Theyve never taxed us directly before. Were outraged. Meeting in a special congress, weve declared that the act violates the spirit of the English constitution. We should be taxed only by our colonial legislatures. Weve resolved that Parliament has no power to tax usbecause we arent represented in Parliament.
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The tax was very intrusive. Colonists did not
have a say. The Colonists have never been
directly taxed before. (except sugar/Malaises
import tax)
The reaction was political, based on Natural Law.
From this philosophy came social based on
cultural identity. The act stirred up resentment
and created interest in the common man about
Natural Law. The rights of men and the role of
government.
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We have an old Mother who peevish is grown.She
snubs us like children that scarce walk
alone.She forgets that were grown with sense of
our own. If we dont obey orders, whatever the
case.She frowns and she chides and loses all
patience.And sometimes she hits us a slap in the
face. Her orders are so, we often suspect,That
age has impaired her of sound intellectBut
still, an old Mother should have due
respect... Untitled poem by Benjamin Franklin
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This letter sent from London, Franklin thanks his
old friend and Philadelphia neighbor for
endorsing his conduct in regard to the repeal of
the Stamp Act. Franklin, was Pennsylvania's
agent in London, he had supported the new tax on
America, he quickly switched to opposition after
hearing of the angry response in Pennsylvania.
Franklin attributed America's success in
obtaining the repeal "to what the Profane would
call Luck the Pious Providence."
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Franklins good name was restored
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King George 3rd declares the March 16, 1766
Declaratory Act
The Crown can impose (declare) any act on the
colonies. Leading to the Townsend Act
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Soldiers coming from England. Tensions Rising
1770 Boston Massacre. Not really
Is this picture fact or fiction? Yankee
propaganda. Created by Paul Revere to stir up
anti British sentiment and also created to sell
news papers making him a nice profit.
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Boston Tea Party 1773
Result (Effect) The Intolerable Acts, Closing the
Port of Boston Suspending state legislators etc.
Action (Cause) Reaction from the Tea Act which
required Colonists to get tea from the East India
Co. exclusively.
Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty Importance
of the Tea PartySymbolic for breaking cultural
ties with England (tea) ( a new identity forming)
and moral symbolism of the noble savage the
Mohawk Indian.
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Lexington/Concord Mass. April 19, 1775 British
Soldiers move to find stolen cannons and
munitions. Fighting breaks out. Shot Heard Round
the World.
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Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Paine's pamphlet brought the rising revolutionary
sentiment into sharp focus by placing blame for
the suffering of the colonies directly on the
reigning British monarch, George III. Common
Sense advocated an immediate declaration of
independence. A special moral obligation of
America and to the rest of the world. Not long
after publication, the spirit of Paine's argument
found resonance in the American Declaration of
Independence.
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Defining Thomas Jefferson
Founder of the University of Virginia
French Ambassador Secretary of State Anti
Federalist Author of the Virginia Statute of
Religious Rights 3rd
President Louisiana Purchase
Drafter of the DOI Planter
Inventor Slave Owner
Sally Hemings
1743 1826Died July 4th 50 years after the
DOI Same day of death as John Adams bitter rivals
and best friends
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Thomas Jefferson and Natural Law Built on
Enlightenment Ideas John Lock and others

• All men created equal (Endowed) Born with
  rights
• from a creator Unalienable Rights
  are not given The job of government is to
  protect individual rights
• Life Liberty (Property Locke) (Pursuit of
  Happiness
• Jefferson) Gov instituted by men with
  the consent of governed People have duty to
  abolish government. when
• government has abuse power not
  protected rights over
• period of time not addressing the
  grievances of the
• governed.

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Not Divinely Inspired Work!!!!
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The draft of the Declaration was revised first by
Adams and Franklin, and then by the full
committee. A total of 47 alterations, including
the insertion of three complete paragraphs, were
made to the text before it was presented to
Congress on June 28. After voting for
independence on July 2, Congress continued to
refine the document, making 39 additional
revisions to the committee draft before its final
adoption on the morning of July 4. Most famous
edit sacred to self evident
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The Revolutionary War would last 8 Years from
1776 until 1783 Then what..