Taxes & Smuggling - Prelude to Revolution: Crash Course US History #6

In which John Green teaches you about the roots of the American Revolution. The Revolution did not start on July 4, 1776. The Revolutionary War didn't start on July 4 either. (as you remember, I'm sure, the Revolution and the Revolutionary War are not the same thing) The shooting started on April 19, 1775, at Lexington and/or Concord, MA. Or the shooting started with the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. At least we can pin down the Declaration of Independence to July 4, 1776. Except that most of the signers didn't sign until August 2. The point is that the beginning of the Revolution is very complex and hard to pin down. John will lead you through the bramble of taxes, royal decrees, acts of parliament, colonial responses, and various congresses. We'll start with the end of the Seven Years' War, and the bill that the British ran up fighting the war. This led to taxes on colonial trade, which led to colonists demanding representation, which led to revolution. It all seems very complicated, but Crash Course will get you through it in about 12 minutes.

Chapters:
Introduction: The American Revolution 00:00
The End of the Seven Years War 0:36
Taxation in the American Colonies 1:47
The Stamp Act 2:22
The Townshend Acts 3:31
The Boston Massacre 4:22
The Boston Tea Party 4:54
The Intolerable Acts 5:47
The First Continental Congress 6:14
American Revolution =/= American War for Independence 7:35
Early Battles of the American Revolutionary War 7:58
Mystery Document 8:45
Thomas Paine's Common Sense 10:09
Credits 11:47

Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?

[swordfish]

There is something beautiful about this comment section. Half complaining about AP exams, half quoting Hamilton lyrics. I love it

[jackhunter]

Thank god for crash course... I'm a sophomore in AP US History and I will spend between 3 to 5 hours on homework per night trying to figure out what the hell the book is trying to say until I discovered these. These little 12 minute videos simplify and do more than an amazing job explaining history, getting all the important bits so concisely. Thank you so much, you just saved my ass in about 10 different ways.

[kenithy]

I bet half the views happen each year around May due to the AP final test.

[HeroofBergen]

"There is something absurd in supposing a continent to perpetually governed by an island." One the best quotes for American Independence ever, of all time.

[FirstNameLastName-xmby]

"There is something absurd in supposing my APUSH exam scores to be perpetually decided insufficient by the College Board."

We need a revolution

[elegy]

For anyone who doesn't get why the Boston Tea Party was such a big deal, it wasn't like little tea bags they were dumping off the ship. It was big, thick slabs of pure tea leaves.

[juliaaaaaaaaaa]

John Green getting me that 5 on the apush exam.

[Ajmgonja]

I’m just going to say it for everyone, John green is a savior

I would have failed so many tests without this channel

[kateazile]

#how do I watch 48 12-minute videos before tomorrow morning?

[tertiaryconsumer]

Sadly, Thomas Paine died without any common cents. :(

[MarthaMaysie]

Y’all doing this for your AP and I’m here just sitting on my bed watching this for homeschool.

[WhyDidIJustEatThat]

Hear ye! Hear ye! My name is Samuel Seabury, and I present free thoughts on the proceedings of the Continental Congress.

[doorrraaaa]

i am brazilian, learned very little about amerincan history at school. After listening to Hamilton, and becoming a little obsessed about it, I thought that maybe i should learn a little more about the real history involved... thanks crash course!

[Cyclonus]

Yes, Hello. I'd like to get my citizenship for Johngreensylvania. Which line do I stand in? :)

[disaidra]

Why should a tiny island across the sea regulate the price of tea? >:(

[LaibahAkbar]

I love how John Green can make a history lesson funny instead of boring...

[TheViolentFlame]

"Common Sense appeared in January of 1776, and it was like the Harry Potter of its time, only with liberty instead of wizard school" I am dying.

[pingpong]

*Me* puts on 2x speed to watch all the videos before my exam in 14 hours

[Fannii]

'cause I've been readind Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Some men say that I'm intense or I'm insane

[mconion]

I like how he is funny, and he gets to the point and actually teaches us something.