Failed+Attempts+to+Save+the+Empire--Fueling+the+Crisis

-  Lord Rockingham replaced Grenville as lord of the treasury  - Rockinghamites (Rockingham followers) envisioned a prosperous empire founded on an expanding commerce and local government -  Rockingham wanted to repeal the Stamp Act, claiming that American boycott would cause bankruptcy and spark urban riots, but could not announce until it had broad national support -  Grenville opposed repealing the Stamp Act; urged colleagues in the House of commons to maintain British supremacy  - William Pitt, Benjamin Franklin persuaded the house; the House of Commons repealed the Stamp Act -  The House of Commons passed the Declaratory Act: parliamentary supremacy over the Americans -> eroded colonists '  respect for imperial officeholders in America  l Rockingham gave way to a government headed by William Pitt, but Pitt got ill so Charles Townshend made important policy decisions l<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-family: 바탕">Townshend made the Townshend Revenue Acts: taxation on American imports of paper, glass, paint, lead, and tea l<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-family: 바탕">The House of commons liked the policy because it would reduce English land taxes l<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-family: 바탕">Townshend created an American Board of Customs Commissioners to enhance his authority and earn promised revenues from the policy l<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-family: 바탕">Parliament passed the Quantering Act: requiring the colonies to house soldiers in barracks, taverns and vacant buildings and to provide the amry with firewood, candles, beer and etc l<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-family: 바탕">Colonists got mad at more taxation without representation l<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-family: 바탕">Colonists organized boycotts of British goods l<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-family: 바탕">Massachusetts House of Rep sent letters to request suggestions on how to thward the Townshend Acts l<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-family: 바탕">Many busy local legislators ignored the letter, and Lord Hillsborough (England ' <span style="font-family: 바탕">s secretary for American affairs) ordered Massachusetts rep to rescind the letter l<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-family: 바탕">Legislators defied Hillsborough; set a foundation for intercolonial communication and a strengthening of conviction among the colonists of the righteousness of their position
 * <span style="font-family: 바탕">Failed Attempts to Save the Empire **
 * <span style="font-family: 바탕">Fueling the Crisis **

<span style="font-family: 바탕"> Courteney and Susan (G Period) Failed Attempts to Save the Empire

Greenville was replaced by Lord Rockingham (who was young and inexperienced) as First Lord of the Treasury. Rockingham wanted to repeal the Stamp Act because the American boycott could drive British economics into poverty, it was strongly discouraged by Greenville. The Stamp Act was repealed on March 18, 1766 by the House of Commons with the help of William Pitt and Benjamin Franklin. The House of Commons passed the Declatory Act on March of 1766 so that the repeal of the Stamp Act would not seem as a weakness; it was basically to show parliamentary supremacy over the Americans. British merchants tried to take credit for the repeal of the Stamp Act and recommended American merchants to "keep quiet". The Americans were discontent by the British undermining the American economy. This treatment angered George Mason-- a prodigious political figure from Virginia. The colonists stopped respecting British royal governors, customs collectors, and military personnel because they were incompetent. The Stamp Act had germinated much conflict between America and Britain.

Fueling the crisis

William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham, suffered from a bad case of gout and had to take leave from London; his chancellor of the exchequer, Charles Townshend, made important decisions on his behalf. However, he was an incompetent and impetuous man. During a parliamentary debate, Townshend announced that he had found a way to extract revenues from the American colonies-- the House of Commons lowered English land taxes. A desperate need of money led Townshend to carry out his plan for extraction--tax on American imports of paper, glass, paint, lead, and tea, known as the Townshend Revenue Acts (June-July 1767). Townshend wanted the the influx of money to free the royal governors and imperial officers from dependence on colonial assemblies by giving them (royal governors and imperial officers) sufficient salaries. Townshend saw need for drastic enforcement of his Act. He created an American Board of Customs Commisssioners, with a body located in Boston and vice-admiralty courts in Boston, Phladerphia, and Charles Town (major cities). Parliament ordered the governor of New York to vet all the bills passed by the assebly until resident British Troops were supplied in accordance to the Quartering Act (May 1765). This act demanded that the clonists house soldiers inbarracks, taverns, and vacant buildings a well as provide the army with firewood, candles, beers, and other items. A mriad of Americans saw this as a form of tax without representation and New Yorkers refused to pay.

- Colonists did not want to pay Townshend's duties as much as they didn't want to buy Grenville's stamps - Sons of Liberty organized boycotts of British goods - February 11, 1768 – the Massachusetts House of Representatives wrote a "circular letter" which requested suggestions on how to prevent the Townshend Acts - Legislators ignored this except for Lord Hillsborough, England's secretary for American affairs - He saw this attempt to create a united colonial front as "gross treason" and ordered Massachusetts representatives to cancel this - After, legislators voted 92 to 17 to defy him - The royal governor of Massachusetts put an end to the House of Representatives - This forced other colonies to show their support for Massachusetts - Started to consider the circular letter, something that Hillsborough had forbidden - Other assemblies were dissolved & this created a much broader crisis of representative government - The number 92, the number of legislators who voted against Hillsborough) became a symbol of patriotism - Parliament's challenge brought the very results it avoided: a foundation for intercolonial communication and a strengthening of conviction among the colonists of the righteousness of their position - opposed having colonies come together