APUSH 6/7 (revolutionary war)

Significance of French/Indian War

1. French are removed from most of North America.

2. End of salutary neglect, increase of taxes and regulations seen from the British.

3. Early attempts at colonial unity.

4. Colonists were upset as they got no reward for helping in the war.

Albany Congress

A body formed by the colonies to keep the Iroquois loyal to the British. Also promoted unity among the colonies, but failed to allow the colonies to have their own independent governing system.

Regulars

Majority of the British force, consisting of soldiers professionally trained for combat.

Pontiac’s War (1763)

Battle where an Ottawa leader laid siege to Detroit, and around 2,000 soldiers and settlers were killed.

Proclamation of 1763

Prohibited settlement beyond the Appalachians. Many land speculators and other colonist did not adhere to the law.

Battle of Quebec (1759)

One of the most important engagements between the British and French. Montreal fell in Canada, and French power was expelled from majority of the new world. The French were allowed to keep some profitable sugar islands in the West Indies, and some fishing stations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Republicanism

A society where citizens prioritize the common good to stabilize the government and the welfare. _____ was the opposition to aristocracy and monarchy.

Radical Whigs

A faction that feared the threat to freedom due to the power of the monarchy and parliament. They mounted attacks on the king’s ministers through bribery and patronage. Warned citizens to vigilant against dangers to liberty.

Mercantilism

The idea that wealth was equivalent to power. If a country had more gold and silver, it meant they were more powerful. This concept thus encouraged exporting more than importing.

Sugar Act (1764)

Increased the duty on sugar from the Indies. After much protest from the colonists, the taxes were lowered by a substantial amount.

Quartering Act (1765)

Required colonists to house and provide food for any British soldiers.

Stamp Act (1765)

Mandated the use of stamps (which signified the payment of the tax) on many paper items. These items included documents, playing cards, newspapers, diplomas, and marriage licenses.

Admiralty Courts

Juries weren’t allowed. The burden of proof was on the defendant (guilty until proven innocent). Threatened basic legal rights.

Stamp Act Congress

Body formed in the colonies in 1765 to repeal the Stamp Act, and boycott British imports. While unsuccessful, it was a small step towards colonial unity against the British superpower.

Nonimportation Agreements

Boycotts on importing and using certain British products. A promising stride towards union for the future Americans.

Sons/Daughters of Liberty

Radical groups that often used violence to enforce nonimportation agreements. Ransacked the homes of unpopular officials, used tar-and-feathering, and confiscated their money.

Declaratory Act

After withdrawing the Stamp Act, the _________ was passed. This reaffirmed Parliament’s right to control the colonies and tax them whenever they wanted.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Passed by governor Charles _____ to put duties on glass, white lead, paper, paint, and tea. Further angered the colonists. Led to an increase of smuggling, especially in Massachusetts.

Boston Massacre (1770)

A confrontation where a crowd of colonists attacked British soldiers. The soldiers fired into the crowd, killing/wounding 11 citizens. Much propaganda was centered around this, especially works by Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere. Propelled the colonists further into a rage.

Committees of Correspondence (1772)

A system developed by Samuel Adams to coordinate against the British on a cross-colony scale. Allowed for communication between the colonies. These committees led to further colonial unity, and set up the future American congresses.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

After a tax on tea, colonists dressed as Native Americans dumped the contents of 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. Signified the colonial ability to stand up to the British, and showcased the effects of taxation without representation.

Intolerable (coercive) Acts

A response to the Boston Tea Party in 1774, including the Boston Port Act. Branded as the Massacre of American Liberties, since it placed many restrictions on Massachusetts.

Boston Port Act

Closed the Boston harbor until the tea that was destroyed was paid for.

Quebec Act

Exemplified that the British ‘rewarded good behavior’. It extended Quebec's boundaries and granted freedom of worship to Catholics, angering colonists.

First Continental Congress (1774)

Met in Philly to redress colonial grievances. Melted away at intercolonial friction, and drafted up a Declaration of Rights. The body also created a ‘The Association’.

The Association

Made by the First Continental Congress to call for a complete boycott of British goods. Not yet a call for independence, but a chasm had grown between Britain and the colonies.

Lexington and Concord (1775)

The British commander in Boston sent a force to seize colonial gunpowder, and arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock. A skirmish between the colonial minutemen and the redcoats was exchanged, and thus, the Revolutionary War began.

Second Continental Congress

Met in May, 1775, where all 13 colonies were represented. Adopted measures to raise money for an army and navy, and attempted to draft appeals to the crown.

Bunker Hill

In June of 1775, the Americans were able to cut down the numbers of the British advancing upon the hill, but ran out of ammunition.

Olive Branch Petition

In July 1775, the Continental Congress drafted this to attempt to assert the rights of the colonists while maintaining loyalty to the British crown. It was ultimately rejected by King George III.

Common Sense

Pamphlet by Thomas Paine, written in 1776. It advocated for independence from Britain and criticized monarchy, influencing public opinion toward revolution.

Declaration of Independence

Formally accepted by Congress on July 4, 1776. Contained the grievances of the colonists, asserted their right to self-governance, and declared independence from British rule.

Battle of Long Island

In the fall of 1776, the Americans and Washington were outmaneuvered, only narrowly escaping the British forces under Howe. This battle left New York in the hands of the British for the remainder of the war, however.

Battle of Trenton

In December of 1776, Washington and his force stealthily crossed the Delaware river, catching a thousand Hessians by surprise, forcing them to surrender.

Battle of Saratoga

Pivotal battle in October of 1777, where American general Horatio Gates forced the surrender of Burgoyne’s entire command. This was the battle that secured foreign aid from France and marked a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

Treaty of Fort Stanwix

In 1784, the United States forced the Iroquois to sign a treaty and give up most of their land.

Privateers

Basically legalized pirates, authorized by Congress to prey on British shipments. Diverted men from the war effort, but were more damaging to the British than the American Navy.

Battle of Yorktown

In 1780-81, British general Cornwallis awaited a British resupply in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. The French Navy advanced a powerful fleet from the West Indies, preventing any aid from reaching the British forces. The French and American forces under Admiral de Grasse and Washington (respectively) surrounded Cornwallis, forcing the surrender of the British force. This was the last major battle of the war, and was a final blow to the British cause.

Treaty of Paris

1. Signed in 1783 to end the Revolutionary War.

2. Britain recognized the United States, and granted boundaries extending to the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes.

3. Loyalists were not to be prosecuted, and congress recommended the return of their property.

Causes of Revolution

1. Taxation without representation

2. Tight restrictions upon the colonies (i.e. Intolerable Acts) and violation of basic rights (admiralty Courts)

3. Boston Massacre (and its subsequent propaganada)

4. Colonial unity (first c.c., committees of correspondence, etc.)

5. Enlightenment thinking (republicanism, basic rights, liberty)

Figures of Revolution

1. George Washington: led continental army.

2. Thomas Jefferson: authored the Declaration of Independence.

3. John Adams: prime advocate for independence.

4. Benjamin Franklin: diplomat in France, advised colonial unity.

5. Samuel Adams: created propaganda and committees of correspondence.