Monday, Feb 2

Happy Groundhog's Day! We got into the swing of things today talking about the American "Revolution" which John Adams said took place before blood was shed at Lexington. To start off it is important to understand the initial relationship between the American colonists and the British. It was expected that the colonies would provide raw materials for British industry. This was the system of mercantilism. You should complete handout #2/#3 in your notebook. If you need a another explanation of mercantilism you should look on page 98 of your book.

When the British beat the French in the the French and Indian War it gave them control of North America but also left them in debt and with troops in America that needed to be paid for. British parliament decided to tax the colonists in order to pay for what the British felt was the defense of the colonies. You should be able to explain some of the British acts placed upon the colonists and also the colonial responses. Handout #4 should be completed where you should list some of the acts passed by the British and the colonial protests that ensued after each act. The acts I will focus on are: The Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts and the Tea Act.

Looking ahead reading assignment #2 (handout #7) will be due on Wednesday.