French & Indian War
English vs. French and most Indians, aka 7 Years War, conflict over Ohio River Valley settlement, Anglo-French wars in Europe, French expansionism
Proclamation of 1763
Forbade English Settlers to move west beyond line drawn in the Appalachian Mths, British sought to avoid further conflicts w/ Natives & reserve and speculation & fur trade for themselves, not colonists, was "appeasing" to Natives
Sugar Act
Eliminate illegal sugar trade between colonists. & French & Spanish West Indies, strengthened enforcement of sugar duty & lowered molasses, accused smugglers now tried in vice-admiralty courts not local ones, tax paid by merchants
Paxton Boys
Band of people from W. PA demanded relief from colonial taxes & help defending against close Indians in backcountry, radicals (rowdy)
Regulators
NC farmers of upcountry opposed taxes by local sheriffs, as western counties were badly represented, grievances, led Regulator Movement
Stamp Act
an act passed by the British Parliament in 1756 that raised revenue from the American Colonies by a duty in the form of a stamp required on all newspapers and legal or commercial documents
Stamp Act Congress
Formed & met in NY with 9 colonies' delegates and sought to petition king & Parliament aboutt taxation w/o representation
Declaratory Act
After repeal of Stamp Act, this asserted Parliament's authority over the colonies in all cases whatsoever
Townshend Duties
Created by Charles Townshend, included Mutiny / Quartering Act & revenue tax on trade goods (lead, paint, glass, tea), Townshend disbanded the NY assembly until they obeyed the Mutiny Act, revenue was salary of officials
Boston Massacre
People threw rocks & snowballs at customs house, a guard fell, and soldiers opened fire, killing 5 people while trying to protect the building
Samuel Adams
Radical leader, distant cousin of John Adams , helped w / public outrage over Boston Massacre, proposed "committee of correspondence"
Virtual Representation
Members of Parliament mostly from London and didn't represent individuals or specific geographic areas; they represented the interests of the whole empire
Actual Representation
Americans believed every community was entitled to one representative who was elected by the people they were responsible for
Burning of the Gaspee
HMS Gaspee was burned by Rhode Islanders ; it was sent to enforce maritime trade laws & prevent smuggling
Committees of Correspondence
Proposed by Sam Adams ; located in Boston, where members publicized grievances against England throughout the colony jother colonies formed their own committees
Tea Act
Passed by British govt. in order to save the East India Company from bankruptcy, they were allowed to skip the navigation takes colonial merchants were subject to, so they could undersell American merchants & monopolize tea trade
Boston Tea Party
After failing to turn back three shiploads of East India Company tea, men dressed up as Mohawks and threw chests of tea into the Boston Harbor, similar events follow in other seaports
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts
In four acts, Parliament targeted only MA. by closing the port of Boston, reduced colonial self-government, and permitted royal officers to be tried in other colonies or Erglish court, and quartering of troops; the Quebec Act also gave Catholic French more rights, which was viewed as a threat
First Continental Congress
Delegates from all 13 colonies (except GA) met & made 5 major decisions: reject colonial union, drafted grievances to send to king, approved resolutions to prepare for war, stopped all trade w/GB, and meet next spring
Second Continental Congress
They met three weeks after the Battles of Lexington & Concordl in the State House in Philadelphia, with GA missing again; they were able to agree to support the war, but disagreed about its purpose
Lexington & Concord
Minutemen in MA armed & trained, awaited British attack, Gen. Thomas Gage sent to capture rebels Sam Adams & John Hancock, but only went when he heard of gunpowder ; William Dawes & Paul Revere rode out to warn people, people die, but British lost 3x the men and burned leftover gunpoder ; British victory