Petition of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly to the King of England, March 5, 1771

The British decision to levy taxes on its American colonies following the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) led to widespread resistance and ultimately revolution.

Believing that the colonies should contribute to the expense of their own administration, the British Parliament implemented a series of unpopular trade regulations and taxes, such as the tax on tea, that provoked widespread protest.

On March 5, 1771, the Pennsylvania Assembly petitioned the King to intervene on his subjects' behalf. Britain's refusal to relent led several dozen Bostonians to take extreme action when they dumped tea into the harbor at the "Boston Tea Party."

The Road to Revolution exhibition’s first selection of records, Roots of Rebellion, is a part of #Declaration250, the National Archives’ celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial in 2026 (‪@America250‬).

Road to Revolution is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Comcast Corporation and Microsoft Corporation.

📸: Petition of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly to the King of England, March 5, 1771. Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention
📸: Political cartoon showing British officials pouring tea (the Coercive Acts) down the throat of a Native American woman representing “America.” Copy of an engraving The able doctor, or America swallowing the bitter draught by Paul Revere, June 17, 1774. National Archives Identifier 535722

#BostonTeaParty #AmericanRevolution #SevenYearsWar #ArchivesRoadToRevolution