American Revolution Essay Questions

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Explain 3 reasons why England did not enforce the Navigation Acts for 100 years. What was the result of British non-enforcement of the Navigation Acts?

The colonies were 3000 miles away from England. England was also distracted by wars with France and troubles in their own borders. Colonial governors often hired substitutes, and these substitutes would accept bribes to ignore the Navigation Acts. As a result of this, many do not even know free trading is illegal, and they start to see it as a right.

List and describe the members of the upper and lower social classes in America in 1776 (2 in each). Include a description of who they were what they did, and what regions they lived in.

The first upper class were merchants, who were large scale shippers, traders, and business owners, who were found in northern port cities such as New York and Boston. The second upper class was planters, who owned large plantations with many slaves. Planters were found in the South and live in almost constant debt to English agents. Mechanics were a lower class that consisted of city people that did not own businesses and worked for someone else. Examples are street cleaners, sailors, and constables. They were generally found in Northern cities. The final lower class was farmers, who were small independent family farmers that made up the majority of the population in the colonies. They could be found everywhere in the colonies.

Define mercantilism as it existed between Great Britain and the American colonies. Describe the system of mercantilism that existed between Great Britain and the American colonies.

Mercantilism existed between Great Britain and the American colonies through a series of laws known as the Navigation Acts. The colonies would send their raw materials to England, where they were turned into finished goods. These goods were then sold to the colonies. The American colonies could not trade directly with any other country. This kept prices artificially low and gave British manufacturers an exclusive large market. In return, the colonies got protection from the British.

Explain the Stamp Act of 1765 and its effect on the American colonies. Why was the Stamp Act significant within the American colonies? Identify and describe the most effective means of American protest against the Stamp Act. Explain why this form of protest was so effective.

The Stamp Act made it so Americans had to buy a certain number of English stamps to make transactions on paper products legal. This negatively impacted every aspect of colonial life. Businesses were put out of business. Resistance to the Stamp Act was the first time the colonies really united against the British. The most effective form of protest was the boycott. The colonies stopped buying British goods and relied on homespun goods instead. British manufacturers started to lose a lot of money because of this. They pressured Parliament to repeal the act, which they did.

How did Great Britain remain a strong, wealthy and powerful country after the American Revolution? Explain what was happening in Great Britain at the time (mid-to-late 1700s).

Great Britain was going through their Industrial Revolution. Mass production and technological advancements allowed them to produce large amounts of quality goods faster and cheaper. This made Britain extremely wealthy, allowing them to expand their empire.