A Series of Rebellions Part II

Recap

In the previous post, we discussed a series of the first notable rebellions within the 13 colonies. With the British working for only their own interests, and not the Colonists, violence eventually erupted.

Getting into the Seven Years War, the colonists fought along with the British in the French and Indian War (The North American leg of the war) of 1754. To recover, the British passed a series of acts that were meant to help financially recover the empire, but it only created severe tension.

With the new taxes imposed, and the era of salutary neglect ending, the Colonists did not appreciate the Crown disrupting their society.

Initial Tensions

In response, the Colonists rebelled through smuggling, protests, riots, and propaganda. As time went on, and the British further restrained the colonists after their acts of rebellion, things boiled over and finally became fatal.

With the Boston Massacre and Committees of Correspondence being formed, the Colonists had more motive and better communication to take their rebellion even further.

A Series of Rebellions Part I

More Taxes

Tension had been brewing in the colonies for quite a while by the time the Committees of Correspondence were formed in 1772. With this network of communication established, the Colonists were ready to respond to whatever else the British wanted to impose.

In 1773, the British passed the Tea Act. This act was not particularly in response to the colonial attitude, but it was to bring more financial benefit to London. The Tea Act gave the British East India Company the full market in Colonial America. With the trading company having trouble after the war, along with the tax break discussed previously, Britain was bailing them out once again.

This was technically meant to be a good thing, because it made tea cheaper for the Colonists. While they still had to pay a Townshend tax, it was cheaper than what the colonies were previously smuggling, and the popular company wouldn’t go underwater.

The Colonists still did not like this. They perceived it as a tactic to entice them to pay more taxes. With this tax on tea being in place since the Townshend Act of 1767, the Colonists had already been avoiding buying this brand to avoid the taxes – hence the smuggling of tea for so long.

A Tea Party

At this point, the Colonists didn’t mind spending extra and smuggling their tea if it meant their money was not going to Britain. With the British giving the British East India Company the entire American market, it was even harder to dodge the tea tax.

In response to the tea act, they felt that the English wanted to dominate them even more than they already tried to. On December 16, 1773, the Colonists in Boston were ready to make sure their voice on the matter was heard.

Led and organized by the Sons of Liberty, ~60 colonists dressed up as Mohawk Indians in an attempt to conceal their identities as they were about to commit an act of treason. The dressed Colonists boarded the ships in their disguises and threw over 340 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor.

In his diary, John Adams writes:

This is the most magnificent Movement of all. There is a Dignity, a Majesty, a Sublimity, in this last Effort of the Patriots, that I greatly admire. The People should never rise, without doing something to be remembered—something notable [and] striking. This Destruction of the Tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important Consequences, and so lasting, that I [can’t] but consider it as an Epocha in History.

…

The Question is whether the Destruction of this Tea was necessary? I apprehend it was absolutely and indispensably so.

This shows that even to the Colonists, this was a monumental act of rebellion. This was almost £10,000 (£9,659 is stated in the resources below) wasted for 92,000 lbs. (46 tons) of tea thrown into the harbor. That is nearly £2 million today (2025).

This act of protest has been labelled as the infamous Boston Tea Party. This is also labeled as one of the main catalysts of American independence.

Even MORE Taxes

Needless to say, if any country went against America and wasted $2 million in an act of protest, we would not be happy. The British were not happy with the Boston Tea Party either. The British knew they did not have very much control over the colonies. Instead of listening, they decided that asserting more power would be the answer to rebellion.

In response to the Boston Tea Party, the British said more acts would be the answer. These four acts were passed in 1774:

The Boston Port Act
- This closed the ports in Boston and closed imports from arriving here
The Massachusetts Government Act
- Removed all self-governance from Massachusetts and replaced their government with a royally appointed governor, General Thomas Gage
The Administration of Justice Act
- Passed at the same time as the previously mentioned act, this gave the Thomas Gage more power in Massachusetts to allow him to move trails to another colony or even Britain
The Quartering Act (a second one with the original being passed in 1765 – see previous breakdowns)
- The only act to apply to all colonies it reinstate that the Colonists must provide for British military officials and allowed them to ask for more convenient and better living accommodations

These acts are better known as the Intolerable Acts (also called the Coercive Acts)

The First Continental Congress

Like the other times, the Colonists responded with more protests and outrage. However, the colonial leaders knew there was a need for more organized planning. The British had proved they would tax and restrict the colonies in any way they could find in response to rebellion, so they needed a better plan to gain respect.

The Intolerable Acts were different in the aspect that they were placed to explicitly disrupt the sovereignty of the Colonies. While still under British rule, they earned their sovereignty through the years of ensuring they were self-sufficient.

Plus, the British wanted them to be self-sufficient because it brought them more advantages. However, the British would take advantage of their self-sufficiency as soon as they needed extra funds or to expand a particular market.

The years of frustration and aggravation finally led to the First Continental Congress.

In late 1774 in Philadelphia, this congress was formed in response to everything, especially the Intolerable Acts. 56 delegates from all colonies – except Georgia – attended. Georgia did not attend because it still needed British support.

Many things were discussed during this meeting, but the majority of the conversation was how to react to the new acts and establish their rights as Colonists within America.

The delegates agreed that the colonies must stand together in unity. The main and most notable action taken during this meeting of delegates was the writing of The Declaration of Resolves. This was notable because:

This was the first formal response to the Intolerable Acts.
It declared that the colonists were entitled to the same rights as British citizens, including life, liberty, and property.
Asserted that Parliament had no authority to tax the colonies without their consent and that maintaining standing armies in the colonies during peacetime was unconstitutional.
Called for the repeal of the Intolerable Acts
Established the Continental Association: a unified agreement to boycott British goods and halt exports until colonial rights were restored.
- This also created local Committees of Observation and Inspection in each colony to enforce the boycott and ensure compliance, marking one of the first examples of organized colonial self-government.

Most importantly, the Congress decided to reconvene if their petitions were ignored, marking the first true act of colonial cooperation and government. This unity showed Britain that the colonies were no longer acting independently but as one body prepared to defend their liberties.

The Second Continental Congress

What Isn’t Mentioned

This post provides a simplified overview of how tensions between the colonies and Britain escalated after the Boston Massacre and Committees of Correspondence. While it covers the main events that led to open conflict, many smaller yet important details are not included here.

To keep this post clear and focused, it does not include:

The economic motivations behind the Tea Act, including how it aimed to save the British East India Company from bankruptcy.
The organization and secrecy of the Sons of Liberty during the Boston Tea Party, including how they coordinated through local taverns and disguised themselves to protect their identities.
The British response to the Boston Tea Party beyond the passage of the Coercive Acts, such as the debates in Parliament and how the King and ministers viewed colonial defiance.
The specific political structure and voting methods used by delegates in the First Continental Congress, as well as the differing colonial goals within it.
The daily enforcement and local impact of the Continental Association, such as how boycotts were monitored and how loyalist merchants were treated.

This breakdown focuses on providing a clear understanding of how these key events connected and built upon each other. The next post will move forward into how the colonies responded with more details with the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress, the formation of the Continental Army, and the steps toward declaring independence.

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A Series of Rebellions Part III

Timeline of the American Revolution

How Topics Work

Resources

https://www.jyfmuseums.org/learn/research-and-collections/essays/the-tea-act-and-the-boston-tea-party