Keith Mack
The Committees of Correspondence were created to share information with other towns and colonies about ways to challenge British laws. The Committees of Correspondence were a response to the Stamp Act, which was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765, to raise money to pay for the army through a tax on all legal and official papers and publications circulating in the colonies. The Stamp Act was one of the most controversial laws ever passed by Parliament, and it resulted in violent protests in America. The colonists argued that there should be “No Taxation without Representation” and that it was against the British Constitution to be forced to pay a tax to which they had not agreed through representation in Parliament.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To share information with other towns and colonies about ways to challenge British laws |
| Methods | Spreading information quickly through the colonies by sharing ideas and information |
| Example | Committees of Correspondence |
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What You'll Learn
Committees of Correspondence
The Sugar Act was not the first tax imposed on the colonists by the British. In 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which imposed a tax on all legal and official papers and publications circulating in the colonies. This act was highly controversial and sparked violent protests in America. The colonists argued that they were being taxed without representation, as they had no elected representatives in the British Parliament. They also saw the act as a violation of their constitutional rights and natural liberties. The Stamp Act was eventually repealed in 1766 after months of protests and boycotts.
However, the repeal of the Stamp Act did not ease tensions between the colonists and the British government. The British continued to impose taxes on imports, such as the Townshend Duties, which the colonists again denied Parliament's power to impose. The colonists saw these duties as a way for the British to raise revenue in America without their consent. The Townshend Duties led to further protests, such as the famous Boston Massacre in 1770, where five Bostonians were killed by British troops.
The Committees of Correspondence played a crucial role in spreading information about these incidents and encouraging colonists to unite against what they perceived as British oppression. They helped to foster a sense of common grievance among the colonists and coordinated protests and boycotts of British goods. The Committees of Correspondence were an important step in the colonists' journey towards revolution and independence from Britain.
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The Stamp Act
The Act imposed a direct tax on all legal and official papers and publications circulating in the colonies. This included legal documents, magazines, playing cards, newspapers, and other types of paper used throughout the colonies. The tax had to be paid in British currency, which was difficult to obtain, rather than colonial paper money. Those accused of violating the Stamp Act could be prosecuted in Vice-Admiralty Courts, which had no juries and could be held anywhere in the British Empire.
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The Mutiny Act
The Act of 1689 made desertion, mutiny, and sedition of officers and soldiers crimes triable by court-martial in peacetime England, and these crimes were punishable by death. The Act also initiated the codification of military law in Great Britain. In 1692, the Mutiny Act was amended to include payment for quartering the troops.
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The Declaratory Act
The Act was met with an outcry of horror in the colonies, with colonial leaders screaming "Treason" and "Magna Carta"!. They believed that such a doctrine demolished the essence of all their British ancestors had fought for and took away the very essence of Anglo-Saxon liberty.
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The Coercive Acts
The first of the Coercive Acts was the Boston Port Act, passed on March 31, 1774, and given royal assent by King George III on May 20. This act authorized the Royal Navy to blockade Boston Harbour, effectively closing it to commercial traffic. It also forbade exports to foreign ports or provinces, with the exception of provisions for the British Army and necessary goods. The port was to remain closed until restitution was made to the East India Company, the colony was deemed obedient to British laws, and British goods could be traded safely.
The second act was the Massachusetts Government Act, which, along with the Impartial Administration of Justice Act, took away the self-governance and rights that Massachusetts had previously enjoyed. These acts triggered outrage and indignation in the Thirteen Colonies. The Administration of Justice Act also allowed for the relocation of trials of British officials from Massachusetts to Britain, making it more difficult to prosecute them for any crimes they may have committed.
The third act was the Quartering Act, which allowed high-ranking military officials to demand better accommodations for troops and refuse inconvenient locations for quarters. While it did not require colonists to house soldiers within their private homes, it did require that soldiers be housed and quartered at the colonists' expense. This act applied to all of the colonies and aimed to address the long-standing issue of effectively housing troops in North America.
The fourth act was the Quebec Act, also known as the Canada Act, which was sometimes included as one of the Coercive Acts. This act extended the borders of the province of Quebec southward to the Ohio River, into the Great Lakes region and much of what is now the Midwestern United States. It also granted religious freedom to the French Catholic majority in the territory, allowing the free exercise of the Catholic religion. Additionally, it instituted English criminal law while maintaining French civil law, excluding trial by jury.
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Frequently asked questions
The Committees of Correspondence were groups created to share information with other towns and colonies about ways to challenge British laws.
The Committees published a series of resolutions, stating that the Stamp Act violates the rights of the colonists.
The Committees protested and brought the soldiers to trial.
