The Stono Rebellion

The British Parliament stockpiled numerous taxes onto the colonies of America, such as the well-known Stamp Act of 1765. Alas two groups were formed that stood out, being the rebels and the loyalists. The rebels vowed for independence, their numbers growing stronger and stronger through the Quartering Act and such. On the other hand, the loyalists wanted to keep their trust in Great Britain. They both had their own opinions of the king and Parliament and were justified in their own eyes, but both groups were also unjustified in the point of view of both beholders.

Some of the taxes that were implemented onto the Americans were the Sugar and Stamp act, Navigation act, Wool act, Hat act, the Proclamation of 1763, the Quartering Act, Townshend Acts, and the Coercive Intolerable Acts, (Document Five). Each one of these added more stress on the colonist persuading their final decision of starting a revolution. Not only did the taxes install hatred into the colonist but also events and actions that the British did harmed their cause. Those events included; the boston massacre, the French Indian war, Boston Tea Party, and many more, (Document four) As seen the British lead themselves onto the wrong path by trying to tighten their grip on the colonist but ended up hurting themselves when their actions added more fuel to the Americans fire.

The British government was not looking for the best of the people. They were only thinking about what they wanted; the government was not interested in what the people wanted so they decided to make decisions on their own, which resulted in changes that form the United States today. Because of this, they were justified in rebelling and declaring independence. One reason why the colonists decided to rebel and declare independence was because of taxation.

Overall, the colonists were trying to have a very minimal amount of interaction with Great Britain. As Patrick Henry said in 1775 “Give me liberty or give me death” (Document 5). Some colonists were so unhappy with the British that they were willing to fight for their freedom. Their reactions ultimately lead to the American Revolution and, from that,

England, the previously loved mother country, turned into the evil step-mother, trying to act in ways the colonists did not believe was proper. Economically, England restricted trade and imposed taxes. Politically, England started to take over colonial governments, failing to give colonists the representation they wished to have. Ideologically, England no longer fit the society that the colonists newly envisioned; it may have even been the opposite. From all of these changes, tension grew between the two nations eventually culminating and tearing the two apart.

The American colonies established their resistance to the British royal crown, as the ministers of King George III began to impose new taxes trying to reduce debt that incurred during the French and Indian War, aka the Seven Years War (1754-1763). The American

They did this through social, political, and economic factors. Ideas of freedom, laws passed by British Parliament, and limiting trading led for people in America to grow resentment of British rule

The people of America (colonists) were tired of being controlled by England. They wanted to be free and independent. They believed that they were able to control themselves and be their own country. They wanted England to let go of their control and to view them as independent and their own country.

By 1775 the relationship attitude of the American colonist towards the British led to the American Revolution. Leading up to this event we can trace back to 1763 when British leaders began to try take control of the colonist. The British had set up a policy prohibiting people to settling in the west. Throughout the years the American colonists have changed their attitudes towards the British politically, economically, and socially by the 1775. Politically the British and the colonies were loyal and support to each other between 1700-1763.

They still wanted independant and seperate governments. How the British Reacted : The British created new taxes and laws to keep the colonists under control and to continue making a profit off of the colonies. What Did the Event Lead to or Cause : This event lead to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, in 1776, which clarified and justified the Second Continental Congress.

After the French and Indian War the British were had a gargantuan debt! In order to pay off such a huge debt they imposed new taxes and enforced old ones. Great Britain thought that it was allowed to pass laws like these, because Britain had protected the colonists therefore the colonists have to give obedience. Laws like the Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Tea Act, and along with the British being oblivious to colonists’ pleas to change the harsh laws (Document 2) allowed

Merriam-Webster defines slavery as; the state of being own by another person, the custom or practice of owning slaves or hard tiring labor. Oxford dictionaries defines slavery as; a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them. In 1654, a court in Northampton County rules John Casor, an African the first legally recognized slave in America and rules him property for life. The Virginia Slaves codes of 1705 further defined the status of slaves as people imported from nations that were not Christian. Why were Africans chosen by the Europeans to be enslaved? Initially Europeans tried enslaving Native Americans, but due to their weak immune systems Native Americans could not fight off Old –World diseases such as smallpox

The Stono Rebellion was the largest slave revolt to take place in the colonies. About 20 whites and 40 slaves were killed, after about 100 slaves decided to run away to St. Augustine to acquire freedom. The Spanish in St.Augustine had offered freedom to any slave that came to them, and the slaves were also free to follow their own religion there. The promise of freedom was not the only reason why the slaves wanted to escape from British rule. A boom in the production of rice had caused for the amount of slaves in South Carolina to increase drastically. Men were put on rice fields to work, which caused conflict. The background of the slaves also held a great deal of importance. The slaves knew how to fight, which would be a problem

Settling in the New World provided both the American settlers and the British government with many opportunities. For the colonists, North America provided an opportunity to improve their lives and escape religious persecution. For the British, settlers in North America provided access to raw materials and new markets in which to sell finished goods. This mercantilist relationship continued for several years, until the colonists began to question Parliament’s right to treat them differently than other British citizens. Taxes were imposed on the colonists as a means of helping to pay the debt Britain had incurred fighting the French.

The transcontinental exchange of humans in the early 1500s transformed lives and identities, for slavery led to African-Americans becoming enslaved beings and influenced their new arduous way of life. When the African slaves were brought to America this caused a population change that influenced their identity. Africans were now seen as slaves, which meant that they would work for their master for the rest of their life. As soon as they arrived in America they began working every day in the fields (The Atlantic Slave Trade). They had very little time to themselves since they were always working.