Rising Tensions
What was the greatest benefit and the greatest cost to the British as a result of fighting in the French and Indian War?
The British gained a bunch of land but it cost them a lot of money.
What were the Navigation Acts?
Mercantile laws passed in the 1600s forcing the American colonies to only sell their raw goods to England and only purchase finished goods from England
Original form of government in the US, a "league of friendship" between the 13 new states.
Articles of Confederation
What were three beliefs of the anti-federalists?
- The Constitution needed a bill of rights to protect people's freedoms
- The power of government should belong to the states (or the people)
- A new government would result in people losing their freedoms
- Federal courts would overpower the state courts
- The president would pretty much take the place of a king
- The new government would crush citizens with heavy taxes
- The new government would result in another standing army in the Americas
In addition to having to pay new taxes, what was another reason the colonists were frustrated with England?
- No representation in parliament
- Quartering of troops / standing army in the colonies
- Did not have the rights of Englishmen
What were three taxes placed on the American colonies by the British crown?
Stamp Act, Tea Act, Sugar Act
How did the colonists' experiences in dealing with England shape their ideas when forming the Articles of Confederation?
They feared a large government and wanted to make their new government as small, local, and weak as possible.
How did the Constitution solve the disagreement of representation between small states (the New Jersey Plan) and large states (the Virginia Plan).
Congress would have two houses– the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House would represent the voice of the people and representation would be based on population. The Senate would represent the voice of the states and each state would recieve two Senators regardless of size.
What was one way that women specifically contributed to the patriot cause leading up to the Revolutionary War?
Homespun movement: women helped support a boycott of British goods by making yarn, fabrics, and even clothing in their homes
What was the Quartering Act?
British law requiring the colonials to provide food, lodging, and supplies for the British troops in the colonies.
What were three weaknesses of the articles of Confederation?
- Couldn't collect taxes
- Couldn't pay back debts
- Couldn't fund an army
- Couldn't control the states / trade between the states
- Too hard to amend
- No president
- No higher court system
Name for the overly complicated system in which rather than voting directly for the President each state chooses representatives who cast a presidential vote for the state.
Electoral College
What was the name of the battle(s) that set off the American Revolutionary War?
Lexington and Concord
What was the Boston Port Act?
A law passed by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, which essentially closed the port of Boston to all trade until the colonists paid for the tea that was destroyed.
What was the Republican Motherhood?
The idea that American women had a critical responsibility to instill republican virtues and values their children (especially their boys). Resulted in increased educational and social opportunities for women.
What were three compromises the Constitutional Convention made about slavery?
3/5's compromise: 3/5s slaves would be counted towards the population count for the purpose of representation and taxation
Fugitive slave laws: a law permitting the recapture of fugitive slaves
Slave trade: Congress could not outlaw the slave trade until 1808
What were three ways the colonists resisted British control?
Sons and Daughters of Liberty
Boston Tea Party
Tarring and feathering of Tax Collectors
Boycotting British Goods / Homespun Movement
Writing Pamphlets promoting revolutionary rhetoric
Continental Congress writing letters to King George
Protests like the one that lead to the Boston Massacre
What was the Declaratory Act?
British law passed in 1766 after the repeal of the stamp act; stated that Parliament had authority over the the colonies and the right to tax and pass legislation "in all cases whatsoever."
What were three warnings George Washington gave in his farewell address?
Diplomatic neutrality: Don't get involved in other country's affairs
Limited government: putting restrictions on the powers of government is essential to protecting individual's rights
Non-partisanship: avoid getting swept up in loyalty to your own political party and keep an open mind to political opponents
Patriotism: the importance of loving and being proud of your country
Public order: respect and try to work with the new recently created government
Unity: try to find common ground on a national beliefs rather than getting caught up in the differences of local beliefs
What were three ways the Constitution limited (or divided up) the power of the new government?
- Dividing power between the legislative, executive, and judicial branch
- Checks and balance
- Dividing power between the house of reps and senate
- Dividing power between the national government and states
- Having a Constitution that all three branches had to obey