PERIOD IV.

THE REVOLUTION..

CHAPTER XXI.

THE CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION.

1. The Colonies Draw Together. By the year 1765, 1765 the colonies had so many people that they began to feel like one nation instead of separate settlements. They began to see that if all would act together they could defend each other and help each other in many ways.

2. Unfair Acts of England.-England had made niany laws that were not fair to the colonies. One of these laws forbade the people in the colonies to make their own vessels. Moreover, whatever they shipped away had to be sent in English vessels. Another law was passed to stop the colonists. from making iron, steel, paper, hats, and other goods.

3. Stamp Act. -Soon after the French and Indian War, the English Parliament determined to tax the colonies, and passed what is often called the "Stamp Act." By this law, the colonists 1765

A Minute Man.

had to have stamps on all business papers; the Eng lish Government collected this tax by selling the stamps. This act was resisted by the colonists so violently that it was repealed. Parliament, however, soon passed another 1767 act laying a tax on lead, paper, tea, paint, etc., which might be brought into the colonies. This unjust law

was also resisted.

4. The Colonists had no Voice in Making the Laws.~~ If the colonists had been allowed to send men to the English Parliament, where the laws were made, these men could have made speeches and let the other members know just how things stood in the colonies, and how much tax the people there were willing and

Revolutionary Sword.

able to pay. But when the laws came to be made, the colonists had no one to speak for them and to defend their cause, and so, for many years, they had to stand these unjust laws.

5. Beginning of Resistance.—Several meetings had been held in different parts of the colonies and the people had decided that they would not submit any longer to the evils of the English rule. Many of the colonists believed that they were strong enough to defend themselves and made up their minds to act together. The people refused to buy either the stamps which England sent over, or any article on which tax had to be paid. 1773 They gave a curious sort of "tea party" at Boston when

a lot of people, dressed like Indians, went down to the harbor and took all the tea from a vessel there and threw it overboard.

6. England Sends Troops to Boston.-The action of the people of Boston caused England to send soldiers to that city, to shut up the harbor and to put the colony under the command of the English general, 1774 Gage. This action of the English caused all the rest of the colonies to send food and money to help the people of Massachusetts.

7. The First Congress.-It was so plain that there would be a war that the colonists made up their minds to fix on some plans. So the wisest of them came to- 1774 gether at Philadelphia, and declared that the colonies would not have anything more to do with England until she ceased to be unfair to them.

8. Getting Ready for War.-A great deal of work had to be done in the separate colonies before the people were aroused, and Patrick Henry, in Virginia, made himself famous by the fire and boldness of his speeches, declaring that a war must certainly come. The troops under Gage in Boston soon had fights with the peo

diers everywhere and to drill them and to prepare flags, swords and guns in order to be ready when real war broke out. Committees of Safety took charge of affairs in many colonies, and "minute men," so called because

they were to be ready to march at a minute's notice, were enrolled everywhere.

9. Strength of Each Side.-The colonies now had 2,500,000 white people, and England had four times as many. England had some good generals and her soldiers were well drilled. But the colonies had many men who had been trained in the French and Indian wars, and the life of the people was such as to make them strong and hardy and bold soldiers. As you know, the colonists had the advantage of fighting at home while England had to send her soldiers and arms and supplies a long distance on slow sailing-vessels.

QUESTIONS.-1. Why was there a stronger feeling of friendship among the colonies? 2. How did they see that they could help each other? 3. Were the laws of England fair to the colonies? 4. Did England let the colonies build and own ships? Why not? 5. Were the colonists allowed to make iron and steel? 6. What sort of things had to be stamped? 7. What things were the colonists obliged to pay a tax on? 8. What good did all these laws do England? 9. For what reason did the colonists resist these laws? 10. What steps did the colonists take in resisting them? 11. What steps did England take on hearing of the action of the colonies? 12. What did the other colonies do for Massachusetts? 13. When and where did the first Congress meet? 14. What did it declare? 15. Who made himself about this time famous by his speeches? 16. How did the British troops in Boston get on with the people? 17. What did the colonies get ready for? 18. What steps did they take to prepare? 19. What were the Committees of Safety? 20. Tell of the strength of both sides.