The ColoniesMerge Together
When a war is fought, someonemust pay for it. The French and IndianWar in the
1750s-1760s cost the English king a huge amount of money. Sending armies and
navies with war supplies from2,000miles away is very costly. To help pay for this long
war, England’s government decided to place new taxes on the people living in the
American colonies. A
tax
ismoney that is collected on goods and services to help pay
for services provided by the government. England placed new taxes onmany goods that
the colonists wanted and needed. These new taxes angered the colonists.
At this time, the colonies were not independent; they were governed by England’s
king. Until the 1760s, the 13 American colonies were quite separate fromeach other.
They had not joined together in thought or action. The new taxes created feelings of
resentment toward England’s government. Many of the colonists began to share their
anger about the way they were being treated by the king’s government. The colonists
believed very strongly that they should have some say, or
representation
, in what
goods were to be taxed. By themid-1770s, the situation had reached a point where
most leaders in the colonies agreed that it was time tomeet as a group.
Because Philadelphia was a keystone for all the colonies, this city was chosen as
themeeting place. Philadelphia was the center of cultural, political, medical, and
economic activities for the colonies. Many new ideas began in Philadelphia. In the
1730s, Ben Franklin started the first free library and volunteer fire department. In the
1750s, Benjamin Rush began the first hospital and first medical school in the colonies.
Thus, in September 1774, the leaders of the coloniesmet together in what was
called the
First Continental Congress
. Congressmeans coming together while
continental relates to all of the American colonies. As a result of thismeeting, the
leaders agreed to stop buying English goods that were being brought into the colonies.
They also agreed to try to stop England’s government frompassing laws and taxes that
the colonists believed were unfair.
Anger Among the Colonists with England’s Rule
47
