With the Treaty of Paris, signed in 1763, all of the French holdings in North America were given to the British. Canada came completely into British hands, as well as the Louisiana territories east of the Mississippi. It was a triumph for British imperialism.

Prelude to Revolution

The war had been costly for the British, and some way had to be found to decrease the national debt. Since most of the expenses accrued had been the result of fighting against the French in the American colonies, it seemed reasonable that the colonists should pay for the service rendered to them through taxes.

Before this time, the colonies had never been taxed directly by Britain. In the view of the colonists, the British government did not have the right to tax them. Parliament maintained that it could, and did so with the passing of the Stamp Act in 1765.

This brought about the instant ire of the colonists, who responded by boycotting British goods. This resulted in a loss of revenue rather than a gain for the British, and the Stamp Act was repealed the next year.

Parliament continued to tax the colonies, however, and anger from the colonists grew over time. In Boston, Samuel Adams began a group called the Sons of Liberty. They were the most radical of the colonists, who sought not only an end to taxation but also complete independence from Britain.

In 1773, responding to the tax on tea, Adams and his Sons of Liberty dressed up as Indians to thwart suspicion, sneaked aboard a ship bearing a load of tea and dumped all of the tea into Boston Harbor. “The Boston Tea Party” resulted in a military crackdown on Boston, putting the city under martial law.

12 of the 13 colonies then gathered together in Philadelphia to discuss relations between themselves and the Crown. This was the First Continental Congress. A list of grievances was drawn up and sent to the current king of England, George III. They came to no effect.