THE ROAD TO REVOLUTION
Who fought each other in the French and Indian War? (what were the two opposing sides?)
1754
British (including many colonists) & Native American Allies
V.S.
French and their Native American Allies
What was the Stamp Act (1765)? (And what was the colonist reaction?)
Tax placed on all printed materials (newspapers, magazines, calendars, licenses, legal papers…)
→ Sons of Liberty & Stamp Act Congress (NY) formed * repealed in 1766
What was the First Continental Congress? When was it?
August 1774 → 12 colonies represented that supported organized boycotts (in process of sending letter to King George)
→ NOTE: the delegates FIRST meet to discuss America's future under growing British aggression
What was Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" ?
AND
What was the Declaration of Independence (1776)?
→pamphlet written advocating for independence for the 13 colonies (targeted/audience was the people of America, patriots who were willing to fight for their cause and break away from Britain)
-------
→ states the principles on which our government, and our identity as Americans, are based (basically a document that founded America and last formal document to the British stating that the United States was breaking away)
- INSPIRED FROM JOHN LOCKE IDEAS -
What was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?
→provided a method for admitting new states to the Union, right to trial by jury, promoted schools and education, etc...
IMPORTANT BECAUSE...settled concerns over establishing law and order in the newly-established nation (very fresh, fear of failure) - fixed problems that started the Revolution in the first place, such as land ownership
What was the Albany Plan of Union?
an (unsuccessful) attempt by Benjamin Franklin to unify the colonies
→ it did not work because many colonies feared that it would have taken away some of their existing powers (HOWEVER -- established a model for future attempts at unifying)
What was the Sugar Act of 1764? (And what was the colonist reaction?)
Lowered the tax on molasses, but British intended to enforce it (George Grenville)
→ British were not regulating trade, but extracting money from the colonists (included wine and coffee)
What was the idea behind Britain's belief of "Virtual Representation"?
colonists argued that they should not be taxed so heavily because they were not represented in the British Parliament
→ "Virtual Representation" - British argued that members of Parliament represented all classes of citizens, rather than specific locations (ONLY SERVED TO ANGER MORE COLONISTS)
What was "Republican Motherhood" ?
→ the idea that women should learn virtues so they can teach their children of republicanism (democratic ideals) and pass these values down to the next generation (Expectation of women in the home, daughters in the home-importance placed on wives)
What was Shay's Rebellion? (1786)
1786 → debt stricken farmers (Mass.) upset, armed uprisings occur from collective frustration
What caused the French and Indian War? (1754)
→ tensions in the Ohio River Valley increase (early 1750s)
→ conflict was an extension (prelude) of the Seven Years War (1756) being fought between the British and the French
What were the Declaratory Acts of 1766? (And what was the colonist reaction?)
Parliament has the power to make laws for the colonists “in all cases whatsoever”
→ Demonstrated British interest in control, making colonists even more frustrated and tensions rose
What was the Stamp Act Congress (October 1765) ?
→ 27 delegates from nine colonies group together in NY to create a formal petition to British Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act
Reason? → "No taxation without representation is tyranny"
NOTE: these delegates sent the petition as LOYAL SUBJECTS of the British empire (NOT A BID FOR INDEPENDENCE, SIMPLY A WANT TO HAVE THE FULL RIGHTS OF A BRITISH CITIZEN)
What were the Articles of Confederation?
→1st constitution (form of government) in the United States (drafted by John Dickinson)
Confederation = alliance between the independent states
What were some of the Article's weaknesses (name at least 2)?
WHAT WAS THE MAIN PROBLEM??
→no president or executive officer
→no national court system
→9/13 states must approve a law before it goes into affect (VERY HARD TO DO, PROBLEMS ARISE LATER)
→Congress has little to no power (no power to tax, regulate trade, etc...)
→no national currency
MAIN PROBLEM: States had too much power, and the federal government was weak (there was no national unity)
Describe the shift in the British policy toward the 13 Colonies after the war:
Before → "Salutary Neglect" (a healthy ignoring of the colonies)
After → "Mercantilism" (a system developed in which the colonies exist to serve the mother country (Britain) )
Quartering Act of 1765 → stated that imperial troops would remain in the colonies (even though the war was over) to enforce all the new tax laws that were being passed
What were the Townshend Acts (1767)? (And what was the colonist reaction?)
Tax on imported goods (lead, glass, paper, paint, tea)
→ British customs agents were profiting (receiving 1/3 of proceeds when ships were seized)
Led to protests 🡪 boycotts 🡪Boston Massacre (1770) 🡪 Boston Tea Party (1773)
What was the Boston Massacre (1770)?
AND
What was the Boston Tea Party (1773)?
→ started with group of boys taunting imperial British officers; response was the firing of the officers on the group, leading to 11 colonists wounded and 4 dead
SEEN AS A SIGN OF INCREASING BRITSH TRYANNY
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→ Response to the passing of the Tea Act (1773) - American political protest (by the Sons of Liberty) demonstrating the idea of "no taxation without representation"
tea was thrown off of ships into the Boston Harbor, leading to the passing of the "Intolerable" Acts (1774)
What was the Battle of Saratoga (1777)?
→ battle that was a turning point in the American Revolution, a battle that convinced the French to aid in the American Revolution (also thanks to Benjamin Franklin's help diplomatic work in/with France)
What was the Annapolis Convention (1786)?
→ meeting held in Virginia to discuss the issue of controlling commerce: additional major problems were also discussed
IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT BECAME A STEPPING STONE FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
Why was the French and Indian War (1754-1763) a turning point in the relationship between the colonists and the British?
Royal Proclamation of 1763 → forbade colonists from taking land in the Ohio River Valley (made colonists very upset because they were being denied their "war spoils" which they had felt entitled to)
→ because colonists fought alongside the British in the war but were not treated as such (British believed the colonists were lacking, and believed they should pay for most of the costs of war - BUILT TENSIONS)
What were the Intolerable (coercive) Acts (1774)? (And what was the colonist reaction?)
Reduced power of Mass. government (also closed down the Harbor after the Boston Tea Party until all the tea that had been thrown in was paid for)
→ Meeting of the 1st Continental Congress (1774) to discuss independence (NOTE)
→ NOTE: LEADS TO FIRST SHOTS BEING FIRED AT LEXINGTON AND CONCORD (April 1775)
What was the Second Continental Congress? When was it? (Name the important document associated with this event and what it stated)
→ Attempted to improve relations with British
→Olive Branch Petition: final attempt to avoid going to war with Britain and the 13 colonies of America (it emphasized their loyalty to the crown and how the colonists had the same rights as British citizens)
→Creation of the Continental Army: army created uniting the 13 colonies under the leadership of George Washington to fight against the British for independence)
Why was slavery a controversial topic during the American Revolution? How did the North differ from the South in how they handled slavery in the newly-formed nation?
→ the institution of slavery contradicted the spirit of the American Revolution...
most northern states end slavery, whereas the South kept slaves (some southerners did free their slaves)
NOTE: It was argued, especially amongst southerners, that slavery was essential to the economy
→ formal meeting held to create (draft) a new constitution for the United States (originally held with the intention of revising the Articles, rather than scrapping them and starting anew)