Towards Independence 法国大学公开课美国历史课件.ppt

Towards Independence Week 3 Map of the Thirteen Colonies Tax Raises A series of tax raisings under Chancellor of the Exchequer Grenville made tension grow to breaking point between the American colonies and the English mother country : 1764: Sugar Act and Currency Act, to stop the smuggling of molasses from the West Indies. The colonies were supposed to have trade relations with England only, but they did not want to choose between loyalty to the British crown and their own interests. So they protested; but this had no effect. 1765: Stamp Act. All official and legal documents, newspapers, almanacs and pamphlets circulating in the colonies had to bear stamps showing that a tax had been paid on them. Virginian lawyer Patrick Henry and other angry representatives organized protest, claiming that they had a right to self-government (i.e., local parliamentary control over taxation), even if they did not deny obedience to the king. They took action by means of boycott and crowd demonstrations. The Stamp Act was eventually repealed in 1766, most of all because a new Prime Minister (Townshend) had been appointed in GB. But the British government nevertheless insisted on keeping control over taxation in America. 1767: Townshend Acts, levying taxes on new goods (paper, glass and tea) which were, this time, imported from GB, not foreign countries, and were designed to raise the salaries of certain royal officials in the colonies. The MA legislature was the most violently opposed to these acts; it drafted a circular letter to the other colonial legislatures, calling for unity and the signature of a joint petition of protest. The British government tried to prevent the colonial assemblies from discussing this circular letter, but this only consolidated their unity. A mass campaign of information of ordinary folk started, which lasted for two years. Finally, in April 1770, the Townshend duties were withdrawn, except the tea tax. The Boston Massacre But on March 5, 1770