A Series of Rebellions

Recap

In the last post we began understanding the initial tensions between the Colonists and the British that fueled their desire for independence.

Before the time of the first Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, a series of Navigation Acts were passed beginning in the mid-1600s to confine colonial trade to England. These acts already created discontent within the colonies. With his position meant to allow him to stabilize the British government, Walpole decided it would be best to unofficially take a laissez-faire approach in managing colonial trade, choosing not to strictly enforce these older laws.

With this hands-off approach, the Colonists were able to trade with other countries and economically flourish. In turn, the British gained more money from the colonies, reduced tensions, and could put more energy into domestic affairs.

However, as time went on and the Americas were further explored by Europeans, there were disputes over western territory. The French were dispersed further west than the colonists were, so as the colonists and the British wanted to expand, conflict arose between the French and British. With the French and Indian War (was part of the larger Seven Years’ War) and other tensions between the European nations, the British exhausted many resources.

To recover from the costs of conflicts with the French, the British decided to impose a series of taxes. The colonists did not like that due to the heavy oversight, regulations, and loss of funds. These taxations initiated the first tensions that would revolutionize America’s population.

Initial Tensions

Rebelling Against the Tax Acts

As we left off, the Stamp Act (and the others also mentioned before) was the act that really pushed the colonists over the edge, as it was the first one to attempt to tax colonists internally. This was a tax that required all printed materials to be printed on paper stamped to show that taxes had been paid. In response, the Sons of Liberty were formed.

The Sons of Liberty were known to use the press to gain support through the colonists. But with the Stamp Act, their publications started to decrease, though they were still working to get their opinions through. The papers they did publish made sure to condemn the stamp as a “badge of slavery.”

With support from colonists, they were able to riot and heavily protest against the acts imposed to recover from the Seven Years’ War. Their riots would target British officials who worked to enforce the British laws imposed. The notable rebellion was when crowds used “dummies” and pretended to hang the officials.

With other targeting and public displays of protest to other British officials, the responses to the Stamp Act were the first official, organized acts of violence against British authority. This was when “no taxation without representation” was chanted in colonial riots.

Eventually, the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, only a year later. However, the Declaratory Act was passed the same day.

British Responses to Rebellion

When the Stamp Act was repealed, the British simultaneously passed the Declaratory Act in response. This act asserted that Parliament had full authority to legislate for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever,” including taxation (see previous post for further information 😉).

After the Declaratory Act, the Townshend Acts were passed in 1767. This was further taxation on goods imported to the colonies. The British decided to tax specific items that were not easily manufactured domestically by colonists and used legislation to interfere with colonial sovereignty. These included oil, lead, paper, paint, and tea.

Still to help pay for the Seven Years War, the Townshend Acts of 1767-1768 included:

The New York Restraining Act
- In response to New York’s refusal of the Quartering Act by putting a pause on the New York assembly to prevent the governor from working with legislation
The Revenue Act
- This was the specific act that taxed goods imported from England
The Indemnity Act
- Used to create a tax break for the popular tea company (the British East India Company) to create more profits, but it indirectly forced the colonists to pay more for their imported tea with a higher tax.
The Commissioners of Customs Act
- Established a Board of Customs Commissioners in America that provided further oversight on customs and imports to prevent smuggling and other small acts of rebellion.
Vice Admiralty Court Act
- Created three new courts in Charleston, Philadelphia, and Boston to ensure the implementation of harsher punishments for smuggling. This replaced the previous courts established and stopped decisions made by colonial juries.

*It is mentioned on the Battlefields website that there are disagreements on the exact acts that were within the Townshend Acts. The acts listed above are from Battlefields and American Revolution due to the consistent and more inclusive lists to provide a further inclusion of information.*

As these acts were imposed, the colonists and the Sons of Liberty continued to protest and boycott the British decisions, as well as the participation of the Daughters of Liberty, who began making whatever they could domestically to reduce imports and payments.

During these times of unrest, the British had their troops sent to enforce their law, and with the Quartering Act set before, the colonists had to house and provide for these soldiers. For the next three years, the colonists’ anger was fueled by British impositions

Boston Tension

From the built-up tension between the colonists and the British, there was bound to be more than riots and acts of protest. On March 5, 1770, there was yet another riot in the colonies, specifically in Boston, Massachusetts. During this night, many colonists were protesting and finding conflict with British soldiers.

Near King Street, colonists surrounded a British soldier. As the soldier was calling for help, more came around to defuse the situation and help, but by then the colonists were able to swarm and began dominating the situation. During the commotion, there was a shot into the crowd.

As panic began settling in, five colonists were killed from the British retaliation. This was the first time the political tensions between the colonists and British turned deadly. This incident has been labeled as the Boston Massacre.

In response, the British soldiers ended up in jail. Debates over the night, and who was really in the wrong, took over most conversations for months after the fact. This event was used heavily for propaganda created by the Sons of Liberty and other colonists.

Committees of Correspondence

With the tension still growing and tolerance for the British continuously decreasing, colonist Samuel Adams started the Committees of Correspondence in 1772. Starting with Samuel Adams’ establishment of the Boston Committee of Correspondence, areas within the 13 colonies created their own committees of correspondence where they could express their ideas, discuss issues, and coordinate resistance to British policies.

This promoted unity within the colonies and provided an effective network that allowed the colonists to work together for the best interests of Colonial America. This network of discussion would become an essential part of how the colonists prevailed against the suffocating acts imposed by the British.

There is much for to the story of America’s Independence. Subscribe to get access of part II as soon as it is available!

What isn’t Mentioned

This post is meant to provide a simplified breakdown of the major events and tensions that led to the American colonies’ growing resistance against British rule. However, there is much more depth to the story than what is covered here.

To keep this post focused, many important details, figures, and side events have been summarized or left out, including:

The economic impact of the Navigation Acts and how different colonial regions were affected.
The specific writings and speeches that spread revolutionary ideas, such as those by James Otis, Samuel Adams, and other early political thinkers.
The full political and social effects of the Stamp Act Congress and how colonies began coordinating resistance more formally.
The day-to-day colonial responses to British troops and customs officials, including the role of local militias and community boycotts.
The complex relationships between Britain, France, and Native American nations before and after the French and Indian War.
The broader global context of the Seven Years’ War and its financial consequences for the British Empire.
The role of women, artisans, and merchants, whose actions and boycotts shaped the early revolutionary movement in significant ways.
The local variations in protest and enforcement, since not all colonies experienced these tensions equally or reacted in the same way.

This post is just an introduction to how these tensions began to unfold. Future breakdowns will continue exploring how these early acts, protests, and organizations evolved into full-scale revolution and independence.

A Series of Rebellions Part II

A Series of Rebellions Part III

How Topics Work

Resources:

https://www.masshist.org/revolution/sons_of_liberty.php

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/declaratory-act

https://www.history.com/articles/townshend-acts

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/townshend-revenue-act

https://www.nps.gov/fost/blogs/the-early-rebellion-in-new-york.htm

https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/the-townshend-acts