French and Indian War
Who won the French and Indian War?
The British
How did the British govern the colonists before the seven year's war
Parliament governed the colonists through salutary neglect- didn't really enforce laws.
What was the first attempt at establishing government in the new nation? How did it succeed?
The first attempt was the Articles of Confederations. The articles were a weak attempt though because they had little power to levy taxes, raise an army, or regulate commerce. It succeeded by establishing the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 which made the plan for how territories can join the union and banished slavery in these regions.
Who were the Federalists and who were the Anti-federalists?
The Federalists believed that the nation needed a strong central government and supported the passage of the constitution. They came from a strong commercial background and from urban areas. (Federalists papers argued for the passage and need for the constitution)
The anti-federalists were rural people who wanted individual state power with less central government power. They debated the passage of the constitution.
What regional identities began to form in the nation in regard to slavery
The northern states had some free black people (especially in New Jersey). Though slavery still exsisted in the north.
The southern states had continued to use enslaved people for economic exploitation and legislation was passed in order to keep them enslaved. The south began to be economically reliant on enslavement.
Cause of French and Indian war
Dispute over land in North America between France and Britain.
What created the conflict between the British and the Colonists
The taxes being imposed in order to pay for the French and Indian War, restricting their expansion to the west, and the strict enforcement of legislation.
What was Shay's Rebellion?
Shay's rebellion was an uprising of farmers during 1786 and early 1787 which was caused by a post-war depression and the high taxes that were imposed on farmers. It demonstrated the weakness of the articles of confederation.
Why and when was the constitution passed
The constitution was eventually passed when the federalists agreed to add the Bill of Rights to the constitution (argued for by the anti-federalists) and the constitution was ratified in March 1789.
What was the middle passage/triangular slave trade?
The middle passage refers to the brutal trip that enslaved people had to face when being transported from Africa to America where many died and people were packed onto ships. The triangular slave trade refers to trade routes that carried British manufactured goods to Africa and the Colonies, Colonial products (like tobacco, indigo, sugar, and rice) to Europe, and Slaves from Africa to the New World. (result of mercantalism)
What did the British Parliament impose on the colonists in order to pay for the war's expenses.
Navigation acts, quartering act of 1765, sugar act, stamp act
What was the state of the colonies when the revolutionary war began?
The army was ill-equipped and no one believed that they had a chance because of Britain's greatly developed military. Colonial society was divided into patriots, loyalists, and neutral people.
What was the Constitutional Convention
colonial leaders met to revise the articles of confederation and fix the weaknesses but then they realized they needed to create a whole new constitution
What did George Washington warn against in his Farewell address
He warned against the involvement of foreign affairs and the formation of political parties (though Americans disobeyed this through the XYZ affair and the formation of Federalists VS. Democratic Republicans).
How did colonists react to the measures imposed by parliament
Tension began to rise after the stamp act was imposed (turning point): sons of liberty and daughters of liberty established stamp act congress to establish that taxation without representation is tyranny while still remaining loyal to the crown) In 1770 the Boston Massacre occured (boiling point) and then the Boston Tea party led to parliament passing the intolerable acts
What was the Albany Plan of Union and how was it significant?
The albany plan of union was a plan created by Benjamin Franklin in order to establish a more centralized government in order to more effectively recruit troops and raise taxes for the common defense. It failed, but it established a basis for the later revolutionary congress.
What were the debates of regarding the new constitution.
-Virginia Plan: representation by pop. (was in favor of larger states)
-New Jersey Plan: equal representation (favored smaller states)
2. How enslaved people would be represented:
- Northerners didn't want enslaved people to be represented while southerners wanted them to be represented (would give them an advantage)
3. People debated the position of presidency:
- worried that it would be too similar to structure of monarchy while others thought that the nation needed a strong executive.
How did the nation address relations with the Native Americans?
Indian Trade and Intercourse Act: regulated relationship between settlers and natives but settlers ignored it which created large conflict with the Natives and the British.
How did the new territory lead to tension between parliament and the colonists
It intensified conflict between the natives and the natives, so british imposed the royal proclamation of 1763 forbidding colonists from acquiring territory further than the Ohio River Valley. This angered colonists as they felt that if they fought in the war, they deserved to reap the benefits of war. Example of conflict with colonists and natives: Pontiac's Rebellion
How did the colonists win the revolutionary war?
At the battle of Saratoga, the colonists gained support of the French and Spanish because they proved themselves to be capable of winning the war. This led to the victory of the colonists in the battle of yorktown due to the French military and economic support.
What were the resolutions to the debates regarding the new constitution.
1. The Great compromise created two branches in congress: senate would have equal votes while house of reps would be based off of population (bicameral congress)
2. The 3/5ths compromise resolved that the slave population in each state would be added up and 3/5ths of this population would be represented in congress.
3. Checks and balances were introduced to help presidency not have the same power structure as a monarchy. The Federalist papers argued the need for a president and how it was logical to pass this in the constitution.
How did enlightenment thinking affect political thought during the time?
Constitution was created based on the enlightenment ideals of natural rights and the social contract. Declaration was riddled with these ideals and common sense used enlightenment ideals and logical appeals to convince the american people to separate from British.