history final exam-REBELLION IN THE THIRTEEN COLONIES+AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

What event ended in 1763 and led Britain to tax the colonies?

The French and Indian War (1754–1763).

Why did Britain think the colonies should pay new taxes after the war?

To help cover war costs and pay for colonial defense.

What effect did these taxes have on colonial identity?

They made colonists feel increasingly different from people in Britain.

What famous slogan expressed colonial opposition to British taxes?

“No taxation without representation.”

What did “No taxation without representation” mean?

Colonists did not want to be taxed by a government where they had no elected representatives.

What was the Stamp Act (1765)?

A tax on printed materials like paper, documents, and newspapers.

What were the Townshend Acts (1767–68)?

Taxes on imported goods such as glass, paper, and tea.

What was the purpose of the revenue from these acts?(Stamp act and Townshend act)

To pay royal officials and support customs enforcement through a new Board of Customs Commissioners in Boston.

How did colonists respond to the Stamp and Townshend Acts?

They organized boycotts of British goods and made local alternatives.

What group supported the boycotts by producing homespun clothing?

The Daughters of Liberty.

What happened in Boston after most Townshend taxes were repealed in 1770?

Tensions stayed high; British troops increased patrols, interrogated colonists, and marched through the city.

Where did clashes between colonists and British soldiers commonly occur?

In streets and taverns.

What happened on March 5, 1770?

The Boston Massacre.

. What started the Boston Massacre?

An argument between a colonist and a soldier that attracted an angry crowd.

What did the crowd throw at the soldiers during the Boston Massacre?

Snowballs and debris.

Why did the soldiers fire into the crowd?

Because they were nervous, confused, and panicked.

How many colonists died in the Boston Massacre?

Five.

Why was the Boston Massacre important?

It increased anti-British feelings and became a major turning point.

What happened in the Gaspee Affair in 1772?

Colonists attacked and burned a British customs ship.

How did the Gaspee Affair affect Samuel Adams?

It motivated him to take action and spread warnings about British control.

What did Samuel Adams do to spread information?

He wrote letters to colonial leaders about what was happening in Boston.

What organization did these letters help create?

The Committees of Correspondence

What were the Committees of Correspondence?

Groups formed to coordinate responses and share news between colonies.

How did Samuel Adams describe the British and Americans?

He described the British as corrupt and Americans as liberty-loving.

What did the Tea Act of 1773 do?

It kept the tax on tea and gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies.

Why did colonists oppose the Tea Act?

It gave one company too much power and forced colonists to pay a tax they hated.

What happened for three weeks before the Boston Tea Party?

Colonists blocked the unloading of British tea in Boston Harbor.

What happened during the Boston Tea Party?

Colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded ships and dumped over 300 chests of tea into the harbor.

When did the Boston Tea Party occur?

December 16, 1773.

How did Britain respond to the Boston Tea Party?

By passing the Intolerable Acts.

What did the Intolerable Acts do?

• Restricted town meetings

• Weakened the colonial government

• Closed Boston Harbor until the tea was paid for

Why did colonists call them “Intolerable”?

Because they were seen as harsh and meant to punish Massachusetts.

What was the Enlightenment?

An 18th-century movement that emphasized rights, citizen participation, and separation of powers.

How did Enlightenment ideas reach the colonies?

Through books, pamphlets, newspapers, and idea exchanges in colleges and port cities.

In 1774, how were the colonies divided in their opinions about Britain?

Some wanted loyalty, some wanted compromise, and a small group wanted independence.

What was the First Continental Congress?

A meeting of 12 colonies in Philadelphia in 1774.

What did the First Continental Congress declare about the king?

They affirmed loyalty to the king.

What did the Congress reject?

Parliament’s authority over colonial taxation and internal affairs.

What right did the delegates defend?

The colonies’ right to protest British policies.

What was the Continental Association?

A system created to organize a widespread boycott of British goods.

What was the overall effect of these events on the colonies?

They united colonists and pushed them closer to rebellion and independence.

What event marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in April 1775?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Why did the British march from Boston to Concord in 1775?

Because they learned that patriots had stored weapons there.

What happened at Lexington?

A small militia confronted British troops, shots were fired, and eight colonists were killed.

What happened during the fighting at Concord?

Colonists, in larger numbers, forced British troops to retreat toward Boston.

How did colonists attack the British on their retreat to Boston?

They fired at them from houses, walls, and trees, causing heavy British casualties.

What did these battles (Lexington and Concord) mark the beginning of?

The armed struggle for American independence.

When did the Second Continental Congress meet?

May 1775.

What role did the Second Continental Congress take on?

It became the acting government of the rebelling colonies.

What major responsibilities did Congress carry out?

Coordinating the war effort, unifying the colonies, issuing currency, securing foreign assistance, and creating committees.

Who was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army?

George Washington.

What important committee did Congress form in June 1776?

A five-member committee to draft the Declaration of Independence.

What was the Olive Branch Petition?

A final attempt by the colonies in 1775 to stop the fighting and protect their traditional rights as British subjects.

How did King George III respond to the Olive Branch Petition?

He rejected it, declared the colonies in open rebellion, and authorized the use of German (Hessian) troops.

What was Common Sense, and who wrote it?

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that argued for a complete break from Great Britain.

What were the main ideas of Common Sense?

That government should come from the people and that Americans had the right and ability to govern themselves.

Why was Common Sense important?

It persuaded many undecided or loyalist colonists to support independence.

When was American independence officially approved?

July 2, 1776.

When was the final version of the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776.

What famous line is found in the Declaration of Independence?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

What happened during the Battles of Saratoga (Sept–Oct 1777)?

The patriots won an overwhelming victory.

Why were the Battles of Saratoga a turning point?

The victory convinced France to join the war and support the colonists militarily.

What were the Articles of Confederation?

The first governing system of the United States, forming a loose confederation where each state remained independent but cooperated on military and diplomatic matters.

When were the Articles of Confederation approved and ratified?

Approved in 1777 and ratified in 1781.

How many years did it take for all thirteen states to agree on the Articles of Confederation?

Four years of debate and negotiation.

What was the main purpose of the Articles of Confederation during the war?

To provide a framework for coordinating the war effort against Great Britain.

What happened at the Battle of Yorktown?

After several days of fighting, the British surrendered.

When did the Battle of Yorktown take place?

September–October 1781.

What did the victory at Yorktown accomplish?

It effectively won the war for the patriots.

What was the Treaty of Paris of 1783?

The agreement signed in Paris that officially ended the American Revolutionary War.