Quiet down, PEOPLE!
These two penned Cato's Letters; a series of 144 influential essays that profoundly shaped American Revolutionary ideology. These letters championed liberty, free speech, and resistance to tyranny, often quoted by American colonists to oppose British corruption, standing armies, and overreach.
Who were John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon?
This act was the first to tax the colonists for revenue.
What is the Sugar Act of March 1764?
This act closed the ports of Boston save for food or fuel.
What was the Boston Port Act (a part of the 1774 Coercive Acts)?
She was an enslaved Bostonian who wrote poetry about liberty and evangelical Christianity.
Who was Phillis Wheatley?
Number of colonies that met at the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1774.
What is 12 (no Georgia)?
During this decade, colonists imported 350,000 slaves (more than any preceding 10 year period).
What were the 1760s?
He was Prime Minister in 1763, at a time when the British were the most taxed in Europe.
Who was George Grenville?
This act barred the colonies from issuing paper money as legal tender.
What was the Currency Act (also of 1764)?
This act reformed the charter replacing elected assemblies with royal appointees and limited town meetings.
What was the Massachusetts Government Act (a part of the 1774 Coercive Acts)?
He paraded his slaved around a Virginian county courthouse with banners denouncing Parliament's taxes as "chains of slavery".
Who was Richard Henry Lee?
Number of delegates that met at the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1774.
What is 56?
On this month/year, a "party" saw some 50 Patriots disguised as Indians storm aboard three East India Company ships and dump about 340 chests (totally 90K pounds) of tea into the water.
What was December 1773?
This Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts begrudgingly supported blanket search warrants to help customs officials suppress smuggling. As such, Boston Patriots focused their ire on him.
Who was Thomas Hutchinson?
Note - even Hutchinson opposed the Stamp Act he acknowledged that the Empire had the right to pass it.
This act was levied within the colonies on legal documents, newspapers and even playing cards.
What was the Stamp Act of November 1764?
This act moved trials of Crown officials and soldiers to Britian.
What was the Impartial Administration Government Act (a part of the 1774 Coercive Acts)?
This famous courtcase of 1772 upheld that any slave became free upon setting foot in England.
What was Somerset v Stewart?
This association was the result when Congress met in 1774 to recommend a comprehensive trade boycott.
What was the Continental Association?
Congress' initially boycott of British imports occurred on this date.
What was December 1, 1774?
He was a Bostonian tax collector but neglected collecting money from his neediest supporters.
This act repealed the Stamp Act BUT still insisted the sovereign right to pass taxes on colonies in the future.
What is the Declaratory Act of March 1766?
Note - this act emulated an act passed in 1720 that rendered Britain supreme over Ireland.
What was the Quartering Act (a part of the 1774 Coercive Acts)?
These two states had enough slaves to maintain their economy but worried that too many more might pose a security ricks (think revolt). So they passed heavy duties to prevent more slave imports.
What were Maryland and Virginia?
Note - the Crown vetoed this (at the behest of British slave traders) but the Chesapeake colonists resented the British for vetoing their own tax. Max irony!!
This "plan of union" was modeled on Ben Franklin's Albany Plan of 1754.
What was Galloway's Plan?
Note - it was defeated 6-5 (Rhode Island didn't vote) as most were too soured on British rule to consider any constitutional relationship.
Congress delayed a boycott of colonial exports until this date.
What is September 10, 1775?
This British Chancellor of the Exchequer urged Parliament to enhance customs duties paid by the colonists, severely escalating tensions.
Who was Charles Townshend?
This act in 1767 levied duties on imported tea, glass, paper and paints.
What is the Townshend Act?
This act was passed in 1773 giving the East India Company a tax reduction on the tea the shipped.
What was the Tea Act?
Although he agreed that slavery was repugnant, this famous Patriot and orator still kept his slaves.
Who was Patrick Henry?
The term given to those who organized, communicated and mobilized resistance against British policies through Committees of Correspondence, Safety and Inspection.
What are Committeemen?
Note - included Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Ben Franklin and John Adams
Committee inspection was very effective. British imports plummeted from 3 million pounds in 1774 to this amount in the first 6 months of 1775.
What is 220,000 pounds?