1 France and England were at war for many years trying to gain control of the world. The war had taken place from India to America. When it all finally ended, King George was victorious, but the war had been costly. He looked to the American colonies to raise the money needed to pay his war debts.
2King George decreed that the colonies must purchase all manufactured goods from England and placed heavy taxes on the items they bought. The colonists were enraged and began smuggling goods from other countries. When the king heard of this, he sent soldiers to search homes looking for these smuggled items. The cries of "taxation without representation" and "unlawful searches" began to echo through the American colonies.
3 Up until this time, the thirteen colonies each had their own system of self-government. They lived under British rule and were loyal to the king. They traded with each other, England, and countries around the world. There were bustling cities like Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. With the new tyranny from England, things started to change. The states began to talk to each other about the oppression from England. They began to be united with the purpose of ending the tyranny. When the king ordered the colonies to purchase tax stamps for their newspapers and official papers, the tension between England and America escalated.
4 The king finally listened to the colonies and removed the taxes from everything but tea. However, he also instituted the "Tea Act," which stated tea could only be bought and sold through the British East India Company. This would put colonial tea companies out of business. Again, the colonists were furious. When ships loaded with tea arrived in Boston Harbor, men dressed up as Indians and threw the tea overboard. This act, known as "The Boston Tea Party," infuriated King George. He decided to force the colonists to behave and sent British ships and soldiers to Boston. The British ships blockaded the harbor, and the soldiers surrounded Boston to cut the city off from the rest of the colonies. The king wanted to use Boston as an example to the other colonists. His desire was for them to submit out of fear. Instead, the colonists came to the aid of Boston and sent supplies from all over America. The colonists refused to be bullied and defied the British wherever they could.
