The townshend acts

The Townshend Acts are several acts passed by the British Parliament in 1767. All these acts affected the American colonies. The Acts were named for their sponsor, the British chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend.

Townshend was a gifted statesman, and delivered brilliant speeches in Parliament. His enemies used to say he did so only while drunk. They nicknamed him the "Champagne Charley".

The first Townshend Act required the colonies to provide quartering of British troops in America. The second, called the Revenue Act, imposed customs duties on colonial imports of some goods, tea being among them. Most of the colonists drank tea several times a day, so the tea tax was especially irksome. Another act established commissioners in the colonies to administer the customs services and to collect the duties. The colonists strongly objected to new impostures. They called the Townshend Acts the Intolerable ones. However, each colonial protest provoked additional measures by Parliament. Thus, in 1768, two regiments of British troops were landed in Boston. Their task was to discourage colonial demonstrations against the Townshend Acts. The people in the streets soon began to insult the soldiers, while the soldiers assaulted the citizens. A clash between the soldiers and townspeople was inevitable.

Notes:

The Townshend Acts — Законы Тауншенда

chancellor of the Exchequer — канцлер казначейства, ми­нистр финансов в Англии

Charles Townshend — Чарлз Тауншенд (1675-1738)

the Revenue Act — Закон о государственных доходах

established commissioners in the colonies to administer the customs services and to collect the duties — назначили уполномоченных в колонии для управления таможенными служ­бами и сбора пошлин

to provoke additional measures — вызывать дополнитель­ные меры

to insult — оскорблять

to assault — нападать

EXERCISES

1. Переведите на русский язык:

His enemies, duties on colonial imports of some goods, a clash between the soldiers and townspeople several acts, a gifted statesman, brilliant speeches in Parliament.

2. Выпишите из текста предложения, содержащие следующие словосочетания и переведите их на русский язык:

The Townshend Acts, "Champagne Charley", the Revenue Act, British troops the Exchequer Charles Townshend.

3. Составьте предложения со следующими словами и словосочетаниями:

These acts, for their sponsor, customs duties, on colonial imports, to collect the duties, each colonial protest.

4. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What are the Townshend Acts?

2. What did these acts require?

3. Which of them was especially irksome?

4. How did the colonists call the Townshend Acts?

5. Why were two regiments of British troops landed in Boston?

Boston massacre

On March 5, 1770, a group of citizens of Boston set upon a squad of ten British soldiers. The British had to open fire to defend their lives. They killed five men. Six citizens were wounded.

The soldiers and their officer, Captain Preston, were arrested and tried for murder. As both the soldiers and Bostonians were equally guilty, only two of the British were declared guilty of manslaughter. They were branded on the hand and released. The others, including the officer, were acquitted.

Boston Massacre, as the event was called, raised anti-British sentiment in the colonies. Massacre Day was observed in Boston as a patriotic holiday. Afterwards they used to say that the foundation of American independence was laid on that day.

American colonists felt that the time was coming for them to take up arms against the mother country. The colonies were unanimous in their desire to do away with the British rule. In 1772—1773 they formed special bodies called the local committees of correspondence. They were to keep alive opposition to British policy. Soon intercolonial committees of correspondence were created. Every colony had its central committee through which it could exchange information and ideas with other colonies. These intercolonial groups acted in unity and gradually evolved into the first American congress.

Notes:

Boston Massacre — Бостонская расправа (1770)

to try for murder — судить за убийство

manslaughter — человекоубийство

to be branded — быть заклейменным

to be acquitted — быть оправданным

to be observed — соблюдаться

the foundation of American independence was laid on that day — в тот день была заложена основа американской неза­висимости

to take up arms — браться за оружие

unanimous — единодушный

the local committees of correspondence — местные корреспондентские комитеты

gradually evolved into — постепенно превратились в

EXERCISES

1. Переведите на русский язык:

A group of citizens of Boston, a squad of ten British soldiers, six citizens, only two of the British, including the officer, as the event, anti-British sentiment in the colonies.

2. Выпишите из текста предложения, содержащие следующие словосочетания и переведите их на русский язык:

On March 5, 1770, as a patriotic holiday, afterwards, American colonists, in 1772—1773, intercolonial groups.

3. Составьте предложения со следующими словами и словосочетаниями:

American independence, the event, in Boston, special bodies, the local committees of correspondence, to keep alive opposition.

4. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What happened in Boston on March 5, 1770?

2. What sentiment did Boston Massacre raise in the British colonies?

3. Why were the colonies unanimous in their desire to do away with the British rule?

4. When were the local committees of correspondence formed?

5. What were they formed for?

6. What evolved into the first American congress?

BOSTON TEA PARTY

The Townshend Acts were so unpopular in America that Parliament decided to repeal the Townshend revenue duties. Only a symbolic tax on tea was retained. For a short period tea became cheaper.

Things went worse in 1773. The British East India Company was facing bankruptcy, as it could not sell about seventeen million pounds of tea imported from India. Parliament wanted to help the company. If the company collapsed, Britain would lose heavily in tax revenue. To assist the company, the British government granted the merchants the monopoly of tea business in America.

The colonists regarded it as an attempt to trick them. They protested the law giving a British company an unfair advantage in the colonial trade. Struggling against the monopoly, the Americans would not permit the unloading of three British ships that arrived in Boston with 342 chests of tea.

On December 16, a group of Bostonians, disguised as Indians, boarded these ships and emptied the tea into Boston Harbour. That was the famous Boston tea party.

To punish the Bostonians for the tea incident the British closed the port. No goods could be brought to Boston by sea. However, other colonies decided to provide Massachusetts with food and other necessary supplies. The repressive act of the British government fanned great discontent in America. It was responded by summoning of the First Continental Congress in 1774.

Notes:

Boston Tea Party — "Бостонское чаепитие"

a symbolic tax on tea was retained — символический на­лог на чай был сохранен

regarded it as an attempt to trick them — рассматривали это как попытку обмануть их

an unfair advantage — несправедливое преимущество

would not permit the unloading — не пожелали разрешить разгрузку

chest of tea — ящик чая. Ящик представлял собой стан­дартную торговую меру и содержал в себе 108 фунтов (около 50 кг) чая

fanned great discontent — вызвало огромное недоволь­ство

It was responded by summoning of the First Continental Congress — В ответ был созван Первый Континентальный конгресс

EXERCISES

1. Переведите на русский язык:

The Townshend Acts, so unpopular in America, Parliament decided, to repeal, the Townshend revenue duties, only a symbolic tax on tea, for a short period, tea became cheaper, an unfair advantage in the colonial trade.

2. Выпишите из текста предложения, содержащие следующие словосочетания и переведите их на русский язык:

The British East India Company, the British government granted, an attempt to trick them, the law giving a British company.

3. Составьте предложения со следующими словами и словосочетаниями:

On December 16, a group of Bostonians, to punish the Bostonians, to provide Massachusetts with food, the First Continental Congress in 1774.

4. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. Why did tea become cheaper?

2. Why did Parliament want to help the British East India Company?

3. What caused protests of the colonists?

4. What is known as the Boston Tea Party?

5. How were the Bostonians punished?

6. Why was the First Continental Congress summoned in 1774?