The Boston Massacre and Other Contributing Factors of the Revolutionary

The Boston Massacre and Other Contributing Factors of the Revolutionary War The Boston Massacre was not the only cause of the Revolutionary War. There were many events before and after that also contributed to the start of this war. They were the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Declaratory Act, Townshend Act, Quartering Act, Tea Act, the Boston Tea Party, and Coercive Acts. One of the first taxes put on the colonies by Britain was the Sugar Act. The Sugar Act of 1764 was to raise money to help Parliament run the colonies. This act put a tax on goods such as molasses, coffee, and sugar. It also required shippers to have a detailed outline of their cargoes. Smugglers could also be tried in admiralty courts. If convicted, the offenders lost both the cargo and the ship that carried it. Most colonists believed they should only be taxed by a government they had elected. They did not like this taxation without representation. The Stamp Act was then passed to help raise money to run the colonies. The Stamp Act was passed by Parliament in March 1765. This Act taxed the use of printed materials such as deeds, marriage licenses, advertisements, newspapers, diplomas, customs documents and even playing cards. Many colonial assemblies were against this taxation and wrote petitions demanding the repeal of this act. The first open resistance were riots caused by the Sons of Liberty who believed in action rather than talk. So, Parliament repealed this Act and then passed the Declaratory Act The Declaratory Act was a statement of power. It said the colonists were under the control of Parliament and they could pass any law they wanted. This Act did not settle the issue of taxation without representation. When the Stamp Act was repealed, the colo... ...s Preston's Account of the Boston Massacre: http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1751-1775/bostonmassacre/pres.htm Anonymous. The Boston Massacre: http://www.tiac.net/users/amerins/mass.htm Cameron, F. Boston Massacre: http://hana.asij.ac.jp/elementary/links/currlink/5-m/cameronf.htm Francis, Russell. Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill. Mahaw, NJ: Troll Associates, 1963. Garraty, John. American History. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. Garraty, John. American History. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. Garraty, John. The Story Of America. Austin, TX: Rinehart and Winston, 1994. McDowell, Bart. The Revolutionary War. Washington,DC: National Geographics Society, 1967. Muzzey, David. The american People. Boston, MA: Ginn and Company, 1927. Morrison, Alex. The Cause of the Revolutionary War: http://www.ctbw.com/amorris.htm