REVOLUTION. 



The supremacy of Parliament was regarded as suffi- the recognition of tlie autliority of Parliament 



ciciit sanction tor this action, but the colonies ha I taxes upon America, and became more dateraiaed in 



through tli. I the power ..I self-taxation come 



to consider that power as of right belonging to them. 

 Their charters, derived direetly I rum the crown. .-.- 

 for them the same rights that Knglit-hnieii enjoyed at 

 and this they construed to mean that as 

 " liuien could not be taxed except by the consent 



:>ertained to 



nt their 



tlie inhabitants 



representatives, the name right appcrtainci 

 ahitants of the colonies, and as Uta had 



A convention at Philadelphia condemned 

 the tax on te i and the attempt of the Hast India Com 



opposition. 



p. my to 



it on the colonies, ami declared those who 



should countenance this scheme as enemies of the 

 country- The opposition of the colonists induced tin- 

 return to Great Britain of the ships that were convey- 

 ing the tea, excepting those sailing for ISoston. where 

 ........... ......... . ----------- , -------- s ---- -- there was a military guard to protect them. They ar- 



represciitation in Parliament that body could not iiu- rived at that city, but the tea was thrown in the 

 pose taxes upon than. A resolution of Parliament harbor by persons disguised as Indians, Dec. 16, 1773. 

 passed in 17-1 i>ro|K.scd tlie imposition of a stamp Parliament in the following March, indignant at this 

 duty on the colonies. This resolution was followed outrage, directed the port of Boston to be closed. An 

 by an act providing that the instruments of commerce attempt was also made to change the charter of Mas- 

 should be null and void unless having a stamp, for sachusett.s so as to deprive that colony of popular rep- 

 which a duty must be paid. To the passage of this mentation in one branch of its Legislature and to 

 act opposition was made, and among other grounds substitute appointees of the Crown. The authority 

 upon that of the colonies having no representation in of the town-meetings and the selection of jurors were 

 Parliament, to which reply was made that the colonies interfered with to secure more perfect subjection to 

 were virtually represented as were certain cities of the authority of Parliament. The governor was al- 

 Great Britain. The operation of this Stamp Act lowed to send persons charged with murder or _other 



capital 



being suspended for a few months, the people of the 

 colonies were hesitating as to the course they should 

 pursue when Virginia, in May, 17f>5, adopted resolu- 

 tions, offered bv Patrick Henry, that denied the right 

 of the British Parliament to impose taxes upon that 

 colony, claiming that right exclusively for the legisla- 

 tive authority of the colony. These resolutions were 

 well received throughout the colonies, especially in 

 New England. The imposition of the stamp duty 

 was regarded as the assertion of a right of taxation 

 which if submitted to would lead to still further en- 

 croachments upon the liberties of the colonies and 

 would place intolerable burdens upon them. A con- 

 gress of the colonies was called and representatives 



offences to Great Britain for trial. These 

 measures excited the indignation of the people of all 

 tlie colonies. It was recognized that all the colonies 

 had a common cause in opposing these laws, as they 

 were an attack upon American liberty that would finally 

 embrace all of the colonies. 



By the Quebec Act an attempt was made to enlarge 

 the government of that conquered province so as to 

 encroach upon the colonies and to promote the interest 

 of despotic rule in America. Throughout the colonies 

 the people assembled and expressed in resolutions 

 their sympathy with Boston and their common inter- 

 est in the events there taking place. " Committees 

 of correspondence " were appointed to facilitate inter- 



from nine of the colonies met at New York, Oct. communication throughout the colonies. The situa- 

 7, 1765, those from Virginia. North Carolina, and ' tion was intensified t>y the exhibition of a greatly 

 Georgia being prevented from attending by the gov- ' increased military force in Boston. The inhabitants 

 crnors of those colonies. This convention asserted of that liberty-loving town suffered from the closing 

 the freedom of the colonies from taxation except that of their port, but received assistance from Salem and 

 imposed by themselves, and forwarded petitions to the other neighboring towns, whose ports derived commer- 



King and Parliament. 



Stamp Act was disregarded by the colonies. 

 The colonists agreed to purchase no goods from Great 

 Britain and betook themselves to domestic manufact- 

 ures. Their refusal to purchase articles of luxury 

 and even of necessity of English manufacture brought 

 great distress upon artificers in England. The Stamp 

 Act was repealed in March, 17o<>, but the absolute 

 supremacy of "the King in Parliament " was still 

 asserted. The people of the colonies from this time 

 assumed a more independent tone in regard to their 

 relations with (Jreat Britain. 



In June, 1767, Parliament enacted a law placing 

 duties upon glass, papei, painters' colors, lead, and 

 tea, in the colonies. Commissioners were sent to 

 Boston to enforce the collection of this revenue, and 

 the opposition of the people and their threatening at- 

 titude induced the sending of troops and vessels of 

 war to protect the commissioners. Two regiments 

 w, re riuartered in Boston from September. ITi'.s. until 

 a tier the street fight known as the "Bo-ton Massacre" 

 in March, 1770. The proposition made in Parliament 

 to take persons charged with treason in the colo-nies to 

 Great Britain for trial again aroused the opposition to 

 the use of manufactured goods of Great Britain. The 

 British manufacturers Jscing again made to fci-1 (In- 

 consequences of " non-importation agreements" Par- 

 liament was induced to repeal the tax except as to 

 tea. The colonists refused to import tea and the ex- 

 pected revenue front that source tailed. A project in 

 the interest of the Fast India Company for the direct 

 importation of tea into the colonies aroused at the 

 same time the jealousy of the merchants whose trade 

 would thus be interfered with and the patriotism of 

 the people of the colonies at large. Tin- pcoplcrcgarded 

 attempts to force tea upon them as intended to secure 



cial benefit from the misfortune of Boston. This ad- 

 vantage to the neighboring ports had been counted 

 upon in Great Britain as likely to detach them from 

 the interests of Boston. A Jeague and covenant 

 against trade with Great Britain was made by the 

 colonists, and denounced as traitorous by that govern- 

 ment, and those connected with it ordered to be ar- 

 rested. 



The plan of reorganizing the government of Massa- 

 chusetts was deprived of practical efficiency by the 

 excitement and rising of the people of that colony and 

 their taking the public authority in their own hands. 

 A committee of safety was appointed at Boston and 

 " minute men" selected to stand ready at any moment 

 for such military duty as might be required of them. 

 Other colonies united with Massachusetts in such 

 military preparations. Seizures of arms and ammu- 

 nition took place in various localities. A provisional 

 Congress in Massachusetts replaced the regular legis- 

 lature and sustained the popular rights as against the 

 Crown. A Continental Congress was convened in 

 Philadelphia, Sept. .1. 1774, and twelve colonies were 

 represented in it. The Congress was loyal to the 

 ( Vown, but devoted to the rights of America. In this 

 Congress controversies as to the relative claims of 

 large and small colonies to representation led to a 

 single vote being allowed to each. 



Congress assented to the regulation by Parliament 

 of the external commerce of the colonies, but declared 

 the invalidity of attempts to impose taxation without 

 the consent of the colonies. It demanded the rights 

 ofthe common law of England as to trial by a jury of 

 the vicinage, and insisted upon the immunities se- 

 cured by their (barters. It claimed the right to as- 

 semble and petition for the redress of grievances, and 

 against the presence in the colonies of a standing army. 



