Dispute Over Tea After the Boston Massacre (1770-1773) relations are tense, but not violent Colonists continue to boycott British imports, which is hurting British commerce Especially tea and the British East India Tea Co. Townshend Act tax on tea is still in place Colonists are smuggling tea into America from the Dutch (no taxes on tea in the Netherlands)
What s a king to do?!? Pass a bail out by Jove!
British Tea Act of 1773 NOT a new tax, BUT the law let the British East India Tea Company (BIETC) bypass Britain and sell directly to colonists BIETC was loosing money because its legitimately imported tea could not compete with the tea being illegally smuggled by the colonial merchants British tea was now cheaper for the colonists, but was an ideological issue due BEITC became a monopoly Total market control over a product
Before Tea Act BEITC Britain Colonists BEITC $5/lb to Britain $10/lb from Britain to colonists + $.10 tax = $10.10/lb After Tea Act BEITC Colonists BEITC $8/lb Colonists
So, if the colonists were getting their tea cheaper, what s the big deal-e-o?
1. If the colonies paid the duty tax on the imported tea, they would be acknowledging Parliament s right to tax them. 2. Also, the BEITC was only selling their tea to specific merchants (consignees) Ahhh Now I get it!
And the tension mounts In September and October 1773, 7 ships carrying BEITC tea were sent to the colonies: 4 were bound for Boston 1 each for New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. In the ships were more than 2,000 chests containing nearly 600,000 pounds of tea.
Late November, 1773 The ships carrying the tea were not allowed to land in Philadelphia, New York or Charleston. Philadelphia : the tea was sent to a warehouse where it rotted. New York and Charleston: tea sent back home Boston permitted a total of three ships to dock Result: fury among the townspeople
The Ships The Dartmouth - Captain Hall, carried 114 chests of tea; arrived on Sunday, November 28th The Eleanor - Captain Coffin, carried 114 chests of tea; arrived on Thursday, December 2nd The Beaver - Captain Bruce, carried 112 chests of tea, docked on Wednesday, December 15 th The William hit a storm and was destroyed
The Beaver
Oh No You Didn t Sons of Liberty begin organizing Thousands show up for meetings Men assigned to watch The Dartmouth to prevent it from unloading the tea Sam Adams: "This meeting can do nothing further to save the country. Signal to let the tea par-tay begin!
December 16, 1773 Par-tay About 200 men disguised as Mohawk Indians assembled at the Old South Meeting House 342 chests of tea dumped into Boston Harbor Lasted between 7 and 10 pm Its estimated that 90,000 pounds of tea were dumped 10,000 then (approximately $1 million today)
One of only two known chests that survive from the Boston Tea Party. Passed down for generations as a prized, family heirloom, the chest was retrieved from the bay the morning after by 15-year-old John Robinson. Its history is documented in family records, and studies have shown that the chest was immersed in seawater and suggest that the lid was chopped open.
Intolerable (or Coercive) Acts, 1774 Reaction to the Boston Tea Party Parliament passes four laws with the explicit purpose of teaching the colonists a lesson and trying to prevent future rebellion I will not tolerate such rubbish. Good day sir!
The Intolerable Acts 1. The Boston Port Act shuts down all Boston ports
The Intolerable Acts 2. Massachusetts Government Act almost all positions in the colonial government were to be appointed by the governor or the king and only one town meeting per year without governor s permission Wait WHAT??? We re all fired? Crap!
The Intolerable Acts Or as G. Wash likes to call it: The Murder Act Muaha haha 3. Administration of Justice Act allowed the governor to move trials of accused royal officials to another colony or even to Great Britain if he believed the official could not get a fair trial in Massachusetts.
The Intolerable Acts 4. The Quartering Act reinstated; any occupied building now Seriously, dude, I m not kidding get out of my house.
Colonists
Met in Philadelphia from September 5 th to October 26 th of 1774 56 delegates from 12 colonies Georgia missing (anyone know why?!?)
3 resolutions were agreed upon Boycott ALL British goods Stop exporting goods to Britain Each colony should train their own militia Army of citizens who serve as soldiers in an emergency Minutemen- be prepared to fight at a minute s notice Meet again on May 10, 1775
Anyone for pizza?!? Do you think he ll pay? Please no anchovies!
Frenemies The Whigs & The Tories Whigs = Patriots In the majority Tories = Loyalists In the minority Government officials appointed by the crown The wealthy (merchants and land owners) Ethnic minorities (slaves and Native Americans)
Bean Town, 1775 General Thomas Gage, the military governor of Massachusetts had command of roughly 3,000 British military forces garrisoned in Boston Gage orders the removal of militia gun powder from a Whig controlled magazine through a secret strike mission: Powder Alarm! Also marched to Cambridge and removed field pieces
Gage s Orders Disarm the rebels, imprison the rebellion s leaders (especially Sammy and Johnny) and destroy all weapon stores Main weapon/powder/supply stores were held at Concord Problem: Gage s wife leaked info to the patriots and they were able to begin preparing for the worst!
You saucy minx, you! Thomas Gage Margaret Kemble Gage
The Regulars are coming, the Regulars are coming Revere and William Dawes ride to Lexington and meet up with Hancock and Adams Revere captured in Lex A dude named Sam Prescott rides on for him to Concord
Alarm and Muster" Network of widespread notification and fast deployment of local militia forces Bells, drums, alarm guns, bonfires and a trumpet used for rapid communication from town to town, Dozens of eastern Massachusetts villages instructed to muster their militias because the regulars in numbers greater than 500 were leaving Boston, with possible hostile intentions. Not Mustard! Muster, you fool!
The Shot Heard Round The World April 18, 1775 Gage marches about 700 men from Cambridge toward Concord March commences at 2AM 17 mile march Wet, soggy soldiers
"Stand your ground; don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here. Lay down your arms, you gosh darned rebels! Captain John Parker Major John Pitcairn
Lexington The Shot Heard Round the World Oopsies! 8 minutemen killed, 10 wounded Only 1 wounded redcoat Result: British now commit to marching to Concord they be miffed!
Oops, I totally didn t mean to do that!?! Um, sir, I think Johnson just started the war?
Concord British objective: destroy militia weapons and eat breakfast! British search homes/taverns for weapons while militias gather on a hillside outside of town Minutemen attacked at North Bridge (2 casualties) I ll have the Grand Slam with bacon and dippy eggs
Concord British retreated back to Boston, but along the way the militia snipe the redcoats British listed 73 killed, 174 wounded, and 26 missing Americans listed 49 killed, 39 wounded and five as missing. Result: Boost of morale for the Patriots We can do this thang! Team America!