U.S. History Test

Stamp Act

– 1765 act by Parliament that placed a tax on all printed materials

John Adams

– Massachusetts lawyer who championed colonial independence

Patrick Henry

– Virginia colonist who demanded, “Give me liberty, or give me death.”

Sons of Liberty

– associations of Patriots that protested against British taxes

nonimportation agreements

– colonial boycotts of British goods following the Stamp Act

Boston Massacre

– the 1770 shooting of five Boston citizens by British soldiers

committee of correspondence

– provided leadership and cooperation between colonies; organized protests by sending letters and newsletters (written communication) between colonies

Boston Tea Party

– 1773 Patriot protest against British tax on tea; Patriots dumped British tea into Boston Harbor

Intolerable Acts

– colonial label for the Coercive Acts punishing Boston after the Boston Tea Party

First Continental Congress

– 1774 meeting of colonial delegates to protest the Intolerable Acts

Colonists’ cherished rights:

• Trial by jury

• Freedom of the press

• Due process of law

• Protection from foreign attack

Causes of the American Revolution:

• Taxation

• First and Second Continental Congress

• Intolerable/Coercive Acts

• Boston Tea Party

• Boston Massacre

• The Enlightenment

• French and Indian War

How many barrels of tea were dumped?

342

Why did the Boston Tea Party happen?

• protest to tax on tea

• Britain gave BEIC right to sell unlimited tea at a discounted price in the colonies

3 documents:

• Manga Carta (1215)

• Petition of Rights (1628)

• English Bill of Rights (1689)

Compare Great Britain and the American colonies

Great Britain	American Colonies
King	Governor
Inherited executive power	Appointed by the King but paid by colonial legislature
Parliament	Colonial Legislatures
House of Lords Aristocrats with inherited legislative power	Upper House or Council Prominent citizens appointed by the governor
House of Commons Elected by the few wealthy property owners	Lower House or Assembly Elected property owners about two-thirds of colonists

What are the acts and when did they entail?

• Sugar Act (1764) - assigned customs officers and special courts to collect taxes and imprison smugglers

• Quartering Act (1765) - required colonists to provide housing and supplies for British soldiers

• Stamp Act (1765) - taxed all printed materials, such as newspapers, books, and contracts

Loyalists

• colonists who sided with the British and supported their laws and policies.

Patriots

• sided with the colonies and wanted to form a new country

Types of Protest:

• Intellectual

• Economic

• Violent

(give one example each)

Coercive Acts:

• Closed ports

• Quartered British soldiers in colonial homes

• Increased governor’s power at the expense of legislature

• Extraterritoriality

Why did Parliament reject the complaints of the colonists?

Parliament felt that…

• Virtual representation

• Other citizens couldn’t vote but still paid taxes

• The revenue was necessary

• The colonists could afford to pay their share

• The colonists were selfish and narrow-minded

What were some of the undemocratic principles of the British?

• Wealth and birth determined power and status.

• There was no formal charter/document outlining citizen rights.

• Only a quarter of British males could vote.

• Parliament claimed virtual representation allowing it to make laws for all British subjects.

First Continental Congress

• 12 colonies met (Georgia didn’t come)

• Organized boycotts against British taxes and imports

• Sent grievances to the king

militia

• minutemen

• civilian groups of soldiers

Second Continental Congress

• Olive Branch Petition

• Assigned Washington as commander of the Continental Army

• took responsibility for war

Continental Army

The colonial army fighting against the British in the American Revolution.

George Washington

- Virginian chosen as leader of the continental army.

Thomas Paine

-He was the author of “Common Sense”, a book that swayed most of the colonists to side with independence.

Declaration of Independence

- It was the document that declared America independence from Great Britain.

Thomas Jefferson

- He was the main author of the Declaration of Independence.

natural rights

- The belief that all men were created equal, this belief inspired colonists to do their best in the war.

What events led the colonists to declare their independence from Britain?

• Battles of Lexington and Concord: April 18th, 1775 star

• Second Continental Congress: May 1775 star

• Olive Branch Petition: July 1775

• Common Sense by Thomas Paine was published: January 1776 star

• Congress voted that America was free: July 2nd, 1776

• The Declaration of Independence approved, and the USA became established: July 4th, 1776

Why did Loyalists oppose independence from Britain?

• Loyalists disliked the taxes, oaths of allegiance, and militia drafts demanded by the new Patriot authorities to support the Patriots' war. They also resented the Patriots for shutting down Loyalist organizations.

Why did Thomas Paine argue so forcefully for independence?

• Didn’t like English regime; based on heritage not merit

• Believed colonists could form a country based on merit and effort, where anyone could succeed

Enlightenment ideologies found in the AR

• Natural rights

• consent of governed

• social contract

• laissez-faire

• Checks and balances

• separation of powers

3 parts of the DofI

• Preamble

• Grievances

• Declaration of Independence

Why did Loyalists oppose the Patriots' cause?

• Loyalists felt that the Patriots were savage committeemen whom were tryna die.

• felt that they would rather be oppressed by the hands of Britain than by those of the Patriots. 

1776, colonists made 3 important decisions:

• declare war

• all 13 colonies come together into the United States/The Union

• Make a republican government

Olive Branch Petition was…

the last attempt at getting the king on their side

What was King George’s response to the petition?

Rejected it, and sent 4,000 troops to Boston

Colonists compositin

1/5 of colonists were loyalists, another fifth were slaves, and many stayed neutral

Thomas Paine’s ideals:

• King is a tryant

• A republic is best for america

• making a society based on merit and achievement

• leader should be someone trusted and elected

• reinforced natural rights

Yorktown

Final Battle of the American Revolution in which French navy held the British at bay while the Continental army surrounded the redcoats, forcing General Cornwallis to surrender

Saratoga

–American victory in New York (1777) that led to alliance with France

Marquis de Lafayette

– French nobleman who assisted Washington

What helped the colonists win the war?

• Passion/spirit

• allies

• better knowledge of geography

Benjamin Franklin

– ambassador to France who persuaded the French to aid the Americans

Valley Forge

– Pennsylvania camp where Washington’s army spent the harsh winter of 1777-1778

William Howe

– British general whose mistakes resulted in many British deaths at Bunker Hill

B of Bunker Hill

• Howe wanted to show the British’s might and order a frontal attack

• Patriots took cannons from fort Ticonderoga

• Colonists used cannons and caused a lot of redcoat casualties

How long was the war?

Fighting: 1775-1781 Total: 1775-1783

Responsibilities of women:

• Make clothes, blankets, and shoes

• Cooked, washed clothes, maintained the camp

Mary Hayes

• Molly Pitcher

• replaced her fallen husband at a cannon