Georgia People in Georgia did not share the same reactions to the Proclamation of 1763 as other colonists. The colony was relatively small and most colonists.

Presentation on theme: "Georgia People in Georgia did not share the same reactions to the Proclamation of 1763 as other colonists. The colony was relatively small and most colonists."— Presentation transcript:

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2 Georgia People in Georgia did not share the same reactions to the Proclamation of 1763 as other colonists. The colony was relatively small and most colonists were still settled along Georgia’s coastline. Also, Georgia gained land and resources from the Spanish after the French and Indian War. This new land opened up new coastal areas for Georgians to settle, which was great for trade. Taxation To help alleviate the debt incurred from the war, the British Parliament felt that the colonists should be responsible for some of the financial burden by paying new taxes. Many colonists were angered by the taxation, particularly because there was no colonial representation in the British Parliament. Stamp Act In 1765, England imposed the Stamp Act, which required colonists to buy a government stamp for nearly every paper document. Many colonists rebelled, saying that the government should not tax them when they had no representation in Parliament. Due to colonial pressure, the British Parliament eventually repealed the Stamp Act (but continued to issue others). Georgia Georgia’s response to the Stamp Act was not as violent as in other colonies due to its small population, strong royal governor (James Wright), and economic dependence on Great Britain. Georgia was actually the only colony where a small number of stamps were sold. There was some resistance to the Stamp Act. On November 6, 1765, a group affiliated with the Sons of Liberty called the “Liberty Boys” was established to oppose the Stamp Act. © 2014 Brain Wrinkles

3 Boston The American colonists were becoming more and more rebellious, particularly in Boston. The Boston Massacre occurred in 1770 when British soldiers fired into an angry mob of protestors, killing five colonists. The 1773 Boston Tea Party took place when colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act. Intolerable Acts In 1774, Parliament passed a series of laws called the Coercive Acts to punish the colony of Massachusetts and to set an example for the other colonies. Colonists called these laws the Intolerable Acts. Great Britain refused to repeal these laws until the colonists paid for the tea destroyed in Boston. The Intolerable Acts included four laws designed to punish the Massachusetts colonists for the Boston Tea Party. 1.Boston Port Act closed the port of Boston to trade. 2.Massachusetts Government Act prohibited town meetings and took away the colony’s charter. 3.Impartial Administration of Justice Act said that any British official that committed a capital crime was sent back to England for trial. 4.Quartering Act forced the citizens of Massachusetts to house and feed British soldiers at their own expense. 1 st Continental Congress The Intolerable Acts unified the colonies in a belief that the British Parliament was violating their rights. Twelve colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress of 1774. Georgia was the only colony that did not send a representative. The members wrote protests to England and decided to boycott British goods until taxes and trade regulation were repealed. They also pledged military support to Massachusetts if they were attacked by Great Britain. © 2014 Brain Wrinkles

4 American Revolution King George III said that the colonists would not become independent without a fight. On April 19 th, 1775, the first battle of the American Revolution took place at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. After several more battles, the Second Continental Congress met in May 1775. This time, Georgia was represented by 3 delegates: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton. Declaration of Independence A committee headed by Thomas Jefferson compiled a list of reasons why the American colonies should become independent in a formal document that was adopted on July 4, 1776. The first part, called the Preamble, explains the natural rights of all people. The second part includes a list of grievances against King George, including “imposing taxes without our consent” and “quartering large bodies of troops among us.” The final part is where the colonists officially severed ties from Great Britain. © 2014 Brain Wrinkles