Revolutionary War

Intro: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts

Content: In late February 1770, the situation in Boston reached critical mass. The poisonous relationship between British soldiers and the townspeople was amplified by the death of 11-year old Christopher Seider, killed by a supporter of the Crown. His death illustrated the deteriorating circumstances in a town animated by hatred of Parliamentary import taxes, colonial attempts to strike at those taxes through non-importation of British goods, and the presence of an occupying standing army, something hated by Brits on both sides of the dispute, which led to fatal conflict and massacre.

Intro: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts

Content: Throughout the fall and winter of 1769-1770 the tension mounted to poisonous levels in Boston between the townspeople and the troops sent to garrison the city. Two issues continued to arouse the passions of unrest: non-importation and the irritating presence of British troops sent by the London government to help collect the infamous import taxes imposed by Parliament and to keep order in a municipality that was increasingly unresponsive to royal authority. These two issues led ultimately to one of the important events in the run up to Revolution and war, the so-called Boston Massacre.

Intro: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts

Content: Passage of the Stamp Tax by the British Parliament provoked several changes in the North American colonies. Rioting and civil disobedience were rampant. Advocates of the taxes were subjected to political pressure and physical violence. At the same time in most of the colonies a new class of leaders, such as Patrick Henry, began to help the public come to grips with a changing relationship with Britain, more resistant, even hostile to the interests of the mother country, and eventually to consider the path to independence.

Intro: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts

Content: After the passage of the Stamp Act by Parliament in 1765, reaction was slow in coming but built all during the summer, fall and winter of 1765. In the end, Parliament was forced to repeal the Stamp Tax because of vigorous resistance within the colonies and not insignificant opposition within Parliament itself. With Virginia and Massachusetts leading the way, the flame of resistance began to spread to the other colonies.

Intro: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts

Content: The passage of the Stamp Act by the British Parliament in 1765 transformed the political landscape within the colonies of North America. The London government was determined to extract from the colonies sufficient revenue to pay for the troops stationed on the continent to protect British and colonial interests. They came up with a clever scheme to raise the cash. A significant portion of legal and business documents would have to be printed on stamped paper supplied by the government at a relatively nominal rate, but no one was fooled. This was a tax, plain and simple. The reaction was slow in coming but built all during the summer, fall, and winter of 1765. In the end Parliament was forced to repeal the Stamp Tax because of vigorous resistance within the colonies and not insignificant opposition within Parliament itself.