How did the Americans go from loyal British subjects to full-blown revolutionaries? Were the British really that bad, or were the colonists simply overreacting?

In this episode of This Constitution, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon unpack the long and escalating list of grievances that transformed loyal British subjects into determined revolutionaries.

Moving beyond the myths of the Boston Tea Party, they trace a history of constitutional conflict, from the Proclamation of 1763 and the Stamp Act to the Boston Massacre. The conversation reveals how British attempts to reassert control, such as closing the Boston Harbor and dissolving local legislatures, were seen not as legitimate governance but as a fundamental attack on a 150-year tradition of American self-rule.

Discover the compelling "Dominion Theory" that American colonists advanced as a peaceful alternative to independence, and explore the pivotal moment when Britain's heavy-handed response to protest united the colonies and made revolution inevitable. If you've ever wondered whether the Founders were justified in their rebellion, this episode provides the evidence.

Tune in to explore how real grievances, not reckless rebellion, sparked the birth of American independence.

In This Episode

• (00:00) Introduction
• (00:44) Reading the declaration’s grievances
• (02:14) First Continental Congress and the Declaration of Resolves
• (04:29) Second Continental Congress and taking up arms
• (06:36) Lexington and Concord: the first shots
• (08:49) Colonial grievances as reactions to British actions
• (09:25) Colonial-British relations before the French and Indian War
• (10:54) The French and Indian War and its aftermath
• (11:11) Proclamation of 1763 and colonial expansion
• (12:41) New taxes: Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts
• (13:44) Homespun movement and boycotts
• (15:54) Boston Massacre and escalating tensions
• (16:34) The Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party
• (18:37) Internal colonial debate and Sons of Liberty
• (20:36) British reaction: the Intolerable Acts
• (21:39) Impact of the Intolerable Acts on colonial unity
• (22:34) Suspension of local governments and trial rights
• (24:13) Quartering of troops and widespread alarm
• (25:37) The Quebec Act and religious tensions
• (25:58) Why the Intolerable Acts were the breaking point
• (28:11) Dominion theory and alternative constitutional proposals
• (31:00) Missed opportunities for reconciliation
• (33:03) British conduct during the war
• (34:04) Conclusion: Were the British really that bad

Notable Quotes

• (03:21) “The keeping of standing armies in these colonies in times of peace, without the consent of the legislature of that colony, is against the law.” — Matthew 
• (06:48) “ General Gage... sent out from Boston a large detachment of his army, who made an unprovoked assault on the inhabitants at Lexington.” — Matthew 
• (13:56) “They would all meet in these spinning clubs and make homespun clothes and really shame other people who were buying any British-made goods.” — Savannah 
• (16:07) “The propaganda wheels are turning. The idea is not only are they taxing us, but now they’re actually shooting us.” — Savannah 
• (21:43) “The effect of this is that Boston’s going to starve. It’s a trade economy. You close Boston Harbor, you destroy the economy.” — Savannah
• (33:13) “They wound up sending German mercenaries, the Hessians  to fight on their behalf, and this actually results in widespread sexual violence against American women.” — Matthew 
• (34:04) “So to answer the question, were the British really that bad? Yes. Yes, they were.” — Savannah