The independence movement in the American colonies began as early as 1763 and was quizlet

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9th EditionEric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self

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By the People: A History of the United States, AP Edition

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America's History for the AP Course

8th EditionEric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self

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America's History for the AP Course

8th EditionEric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self

470 solutions

America's History for the AP Course

9th EditionEric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self

961 solutions

By the People: A History of the United States, AP Edition

James W. Fraser

496 solutions

America's History for the AP Course

8th EditionEric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self

470 solutions

Colonial leaders vigorously protested. For them, the issue was clear.
They were being taxed without their consent by a Parliament in
which they had no voice. If Britain could pass the Stamp Act, what
other taxes might it pass in the future? Samuel Adams, a leader in the
Massachusetts legislature, asked, "Why not our lands? Why not the
produce of our lands and, in short, everything we possess and make
use of?" Patrick Henry, a member of Virginia's House of Burgesses,
called for resistance to the tax. When another member shouted that
resistance was treason, Henry reportedly replied, "If this be treason,
make the most of it!"

Colonial assemblies and newspapers took up the cry—"No taxation
without representation!" In October 1765, nine colonies sent delegates
to the Stamp Act Congress in New York City. This was the first time
the colonies met to consider acting together in protest. Delegates drew
up a petition to the king protesting the Stamp Act. The petition
declared that the right to tax the colonies belonged to the colonial
assemblies, not to Parliament. Later, colonial merchants organized a
boycott of British goods. A boycott is a refusal to buy.
Meanwhile, some colonists formed secret societies to oppose British
policies. The most famous of these groups was the Sons of
Liberty. Many Sons of Liberty were lawyers,
merchants, and craftspeople—the colonists
most affected by the Stamp Act. These
groups staged protests against the act.
Not all of their protests were peaceful.
The Sons of Liberty burned the
stamped paper whenever they could
find it. They also attacked customs
officials, whom they covered with
hot tar and feathers and paraded in
public. Fearing for their safety, many
customs officials quit their jobs.
The protests in the colonies had
an effect in Britain. Merchants
thought that their trade with
America would be hurt. Some
British political leaders, including the popular parliamentary leader William Pitt, agreed with American
thinking about taxing the colonies. Pitt spoke out against the Stamp Act.

In Massachusetts, the Continental Army had surrounded British forces in
Boston. Neither side was able or willing to break the standoff. However,
help for Washington was on the way. Cannons were being hauled from
Fort Ticonderoga. This was a rough job, since there were no roads across
the snow-covered mountains. It took soldiers two months to drag the 59
heavy weapons to Boston, where they arrived in January 1776.
Phillis Wheatley was America's
first important African-American
poet. She was born in Africa
about 1753 and sold into slavery
as a child. She was a household
servant for the Wheatley family
of Boston but was raised and
educated as a family member.
Some of Wheatley's poems
were about the Patriot cause. Of
George Washington, she wrote:
Proceed, great chief, with
virtue on thy side,
Thy ev'ry action let the
goddess guide.
A crown, a mansion, and
a throne that shine,
With gold unfading,
Washington! be thine.
In other poems, Wheatley
connected America's fight
against British oppression with
the struggle for freedom for
enslaved African Americans.
Armed with these cannons, Washington moved his troops to
Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston. The Americans
threatened to bombard the city. General Howe, who was now in
charge of the British forces, decided to withdraw his troops. On
March 17, about 9,000 British soldiers departed Boston in more
than 100 ships. Boston Patriots joyfully reclaimed their city.
Although the British had damaged homes and destroyed possessions,
Boston was still standing.
More than 1,000 Loyalist supporters left along with the
British troops. Anti-British feeling in Boston was so strong that
the Loyalists feared for their safety. Some Patriots even called
for Loyalists to be hanged as traitors. This did not happen, but
Loyalists' homes and property were seized.

Common Sense was an instant success. Published in January, it sold more
than 100,000 copies in three months. The call for independence had
become a roar. Congress debated the resolution, but not all the delegates
were ready to vote on it. They did, however, appoint
a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence.
The committee included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger
Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson.
The group chose Jefferson to compose the Declaration. Two reasons
for selecting Jefferson were that he was an excellent writer and that he
came from Virginia. The members knew that no independence movement
could succeed without Virginia's support. Jefferson immediately
went to work. In two weeks, he had prepared most of the Declaration.
(See pages 182-185.) On July 2, 1776, Congress considered Lee's resolution
again. Despite some strong opposition, the measure passed. From
this point forward, the colonies considered themselves independent.