Unit: 01 Pre-Revolution (1750-1776)

Why did the colonists not like the Tea Act?

They thought the British wanted them to accept British taxes

How did the colonists react to the Intolerable Acts?

Most of the colonists united with Massachusetts

Why was the Battle of Lexington important?

The minutemen were outnumbered, although they did not drop their weapons. They proved to the British that they wouldn't give up.

What did the Second Continental Congress do to show that they didn't want war?

Create the Olive Branch Petition and send it to King George and the Parliament

How did Americans use geography to their advantage in Bunker Hill?

Took position on a hill overlooking the harbor

Who defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre?

John Adams

How did the aftermath of the Proclamation of 1763 show the growing tension between Parliament and the colonies?

Many angry settlers ignored the proclamation and moved westward.

The essential idea behind the British mercantilist system was that

economic growth in the colonies should benefit Britain.

What was the colonists' main argument against the Stamp Tax?

The colonists had no representatives in Parliament.

Why did the colonists object so strongly to the writs of assistance?

They violated property rights under British law.

Why did John Adams defend British soldiers accused of participation in the Boston Massacre?

He wanted to show that colonists believed in justice.

Crispus Attucks

A free black man who was the first person killed in the Revolution at the Boston Massacre.

Why was the Ohio River important to the French?

It linked their Great Lakes claims with their settlements along the Mississippi River.

What most upset Native Americans about British settlers in the Ohio River Valley?

The British cleared the land to establish farms.

What was the significance of the place where the French built Fort Duquesne and where George Washington was ordered to build a fort?

It was near rivers important for controlling the Ohio Valley.

Native Americans chose to participate in the French and Indian War in order to

protect their lands from further settlement.

The Treaty of Paris was significant for the British because they

gained control of most of the French land east of the Mississippi.

What lands did Spain, England and France control in the New World before the French and Indian War?

Spain controlled most of mexico. England had most of Canada and France controlled the Western United states but also just most of the land.

What did each control in the new world after the war was over?

England took everything east of the Mississippi except New Orleans plus Florida and also what is now Canada. Spain took everything West of the Mississippi plus New Orleans. France basically got kicked out of North America.

What was the war fought over?

Mercantilism, colonies, and the Ohio Valley.

What did each country want?

The French wanted to keep selling beaver fur while the British wanted the land

Why was the Ohio River so important to France?

The Ohio River provided beaver fur for the French which means they could sell the fur and the river there could be used as transportation for goods. It also connected their settlements.

What were the Indian allies of each side?

The Algonquins and Hurons were allied with the French. The Iroquois were allied with the British.

Who had more Indian allies and why?

The French because they had the Algonquian and the Huron and they both were large groups and also really powerful. The French also were kinder to the allies.

What were some of the advantages and disadvantages the British and the French each had?

The British had one of the strongest armies from all of Europe but the method that they used didn't work well in America with all the trees. The French had two Native American groups to help them.

What were the two things Major George Washington was sent to do in the western-mountains of Pennsylvania?

Washington was sent to make a fort and to confront the French and get them out of there.

What was Virginia trying to do? (in regards to the Ohio Valley)

They wanted to take control of the area because of all the opportunities there were (increasing the economy, growing many different crops, and a faster way of transportation).

What are the names of the three rivers on which Washington was supposed to build his fort?

Washington was supposed to build his fort on the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers

Why did he not build a fort there?

There was already a fort there (Fort Duquesne) plus the French were going to attack him.

What was the name of the fort he built and why did he build it?

Washington built Fort Necessity because the governor of Virginia wanted to control the Ohio Valley. The Ohio Valley had many rivers that made the land fertile and also could be used to trade.

What crime did the French accuse Washington of? Why did he sign a confession?

The French accused Washington of killing Jumanville (a French commander). Washington got captured by the French and he just wanted to leave so he signed their confession paper. The paper was in French and he doesn't know French and the paper secretly said that he killed Jumanville.

Who thought up the Albany Plan of Union? What two things were included in the plan?

Ben Franklin thought of the Albany Plan of Union which included making a one general government that would make a better defense and make laws.

In 1755 Edward "Bulldog" Braddock commanded the British armies in America. Why did he fail?

Braddock wouldn't listen to Washington and Native American troops warning him about the French hiding.

Give two examples of how the British soldiers and colonists clashed culturally during Braddock's campaign.

The British (Redcoats) wore bright red clothing which made it easier for them to die. This left colonists unprotected.

Describe the method of warfare the British used successfully in Europe.

There were three lines of about one hundred soldiers. They were back to back and in an open field. The first line in the front would fire and all their guns would create a large smoke where the enemies couldn't see and then reload. In that large smoke the second line of the British would move up and then fire. Then so on. This would allow them to get close enough to the enemy to just hit them with their muskets. This method was called the rolling fire.

Describe why that method of warfare failed in the colonies.

This didn't work in the colonies because the colonies had a lot of trees around and in Europe where they usually were able to use this method the land was free of trees.

What happened as a result of Braddock's defeat?

Braddock's defeat broke British pride and left a large area of land open for attack. This meant Washington had to clean up after Braddock and defend the area with the army he had left.

What did William Pitt do to insure a British victory in the New World?

William Pitt took soldiers from Prussia to the New World instead of sending all their soldiers to Prussia. Instead he gave Prussia gold to purchase weapons and other things and their soldiers went to the New World to fight the French.

Why did the fall of Quebec mark the end of New France? Why was it so important?

Quebec was one of the largest cities that the French had controlled. When Quebec fell, the rest of the large cities fell and then the war ended with the Treaty of Paris which ended French power in the New World.

Who was the British general in charge and what did he do that was special?

William Pitt was important because he focused more on the war in America rather than the one in Europe. He gave away gold to Prussia in return for part of their army.

What happened to the British and French generals after the battle?

The French were kicked out of America and the British took over most of their land and ruled all the colonists now.

Where exactly was the battle fought?

The Ohio Valley.

What was the name of the peace treaty that ended the Seven Years War and what did it give to the French, English and Spanish? What did each lose?

The peace treaty was called the Treaty of Paris. The French lost basically all of their land. The Spanish got all of the land west of the Mississippi plus New Orleans. The English were no longer ruled by French power.

Ben Franklin

A delegate from Pennsylvania and proposed the "Albany Plan of the Union" as a way to strengthen colonies.

Edward Braddock

A British commander during the French and Indian War. He attempted to capture Fort Duquesne in 1755. He was defeated by the French and the Indians. At this battle, Braddock was mortally wounded.

Marquis de Montcalm

The leader of the French forces at Quebec who saw Quebec fall under smaller forces under the command of Gen. Wolfe. Marquis died during the Battle of Quebec.

George Grenville

Didn't want to tax America and argued with Townshend about taxing. Liked mercantilism because it helped pay off debt so he created the Navigation Acts to enforce mercantilism.

Pontiac

famous chief of the Ottawa who led an unsuccessful rebellion against the British (1715-1769)

Paul Revere

Made the engraving of the Boston Massacre that spread anti-british feelings across the colonies. Also warned the colonists about the British marching towards them in the battle of Lexington and Concord. A Bostonian silversmith.

Brig. General Hugh Percy

Brought cannons for the British during the Battle of Lexington and Concord

George Washington

Led the soldiers that shot the opening shots of the F/I war. Also tried to make a fort called Fort Necessity but the French had already made Fort Duquesne in the exact spot

James Wolfe

Captured Quebec by going to the top of a cliff and attacking

Half King

Seneca Indian Chief who killed Frenchman Jumonville

Charles Townshend

Wanted to tax America which created the Townshend Acts and writs of assistance.

James Otis

Fought against the writs of assistance claiming that they can't override the constitution. He lost this case, but colonists fought back with him. One of the people that Thomas Gage was looking for.

Crispus Attucks

A free black man who was the first person killed in the Revolution at the Boston Massacre.

John Hancock

Funded the Sons of Liberty. One of the people that Thomas Gage was looking for.

William Pitt

Gave gold to Prussia in return for soldiers to fight the French off.

Mercy Otis Warren

Made plays mocking the higher ups in Britain

Sam Adams

Sam Adams gave the Boston Massacre its name. Also a member of the Sons of Liberty and started the Committee of Correspondence.

Why did the relationship between the English and the Indians worsen after the war?

Taxes on goods that the Native Americans were buying rose and the Proclamation of 1763 divided the two groups and Native Americans still came over the line.

Describe what happened in Pontiac's War.

Pontiac attacked British troops because he feared that colonists who lived near Native American land wouldn't be safe.

What was the Proclamation of 1763 and why did Britain pass it?

The Proclamation of 1763 was a public announcement stating settlers can not go west of the Appalachian Mountains. Britain passed it to protect the Native Americans living there.

Why did the British want to tax the colonies and what economic principle is used to describe it? Why couldn't they understand colonial resentment of taxes?

The British wanted to tax the colonies because they were in debt. They went by this economic principle called mercantilism. They couldn't understand the resentment because people in England didn't complain much and they had higher taxes than the colonists.

Why did the colonists resent taxes so much? What term is used to describe the British treatment of the colonies before the French and Indian War

When the taxes were lowered, the colonists thought that the British power was trying to get them to forgive them for being in debt, the war, and other things like the writs of assistance. The British treated the colonies with salutary neglect.

What was the first major tax on the colonies in 1764? What did it tax? Were these important everyday goods?

The Sugar Act was the first major tax. It lowered taxes on molasses and sugar. These items were used in tea and water because colonists used water from the harbor which was dirty for tea. They thought that adding these things to tea made them live longer when really it was because they boiled all the germs out of the water when using it for tea.

What did the Stamp Act of 1765 tax? Were these important everyday goods?

The Stamp Act of 1765 taxed legal documents like wedding certificates, wills, birth certificates, etc. When the tax was paid a stamp was put on it. These items were important because men often got married because women died from birth so they would need to pay a lot for wedding certificates.

What did the Stamp Act Congress decide to do? Did it work?

The Stamp Act Congress created a petition. It worked because the parliament ended up stopping the Stamp Act.

What were the Townshend Acts of 1767? What did they tax? Were these important everyday goods?

The Townshend Acts was because Charles Townshend told Grenville about taxing the colonists and because Grenville didn't want to tax them Townshend did. The Townshend Acts taxed things that colonists couldn't make themselves. These were important because they were used in things like construction and also taxed drinks like tea which was very popular in the 1700's.

What did a writ of assistance allow a customs official (tax collector) to do?

The writ of assistance allowed tax collectors to search what a ship is carrying without reason.

What did the colonists do in response to the Townshend Acts? (it was an agreement)

They agreed to stop buying goods that were taxed from the Townshend Acts.

What were some of the ways regular people supported the boycott of British goods in 1767?

People made petitions to help with boycotts and also tried to get other colonists to help boycott.

What did the Sons of Liberty do to protest the taxes? What did the Daughters of Liberty do?

The Sons of Liberty had mock hangings. The Daughters of Liberty had petitions and peer pressured colonists, tax collectors, and the government into either getting rid of the tax or helping with boycotts.

Who began the Committee of Correspondence and what did it do?

Sam Adams started the Committee of Correspondence which wrote letters to the other colonies updating them about what is happening in Massachusetts

What was the Quartering Act? What happened to the New York Assembly when they refused to obey it?

The Quartering Act put an army in New York to protect colonists. The New York Assembly got removed.

Why were two regiments of British soldiers camping on Boston Common?

There were two regiments of British soldiers to protect customs officials from colonists because of the protests going on.

What happened on the night of March 5, 1770? What did Sam Adams do immediately after the event?

The Boston Massacre happened. Sam Adams said that the British soldiers should be removed immediately.

At their trial who defended the soldiers?

John Adams.

Why were the Townshend Acts repealed? How did it make the colonists feel?

The Townshend Acts were repealed because of all the riots and Charles Townshend saw that the colonists did fight back. The Townshend Acts made colonists mad because they didn't consent to being taxed.

What is propaganda and how did Paul Revere utilize it for the Colonists' benefit?

Propaganda is to portray something in a biased way to get people to see things a certain way than what really happened. Paul Revere used propaganda in his engraving of the Boston Massacre to make it seem like the British were having a great time killing colonists and tried to make the colonists seem innocent. In reality the colonists were throwing snowballs and rocks at the British and the British just got scared and hit the trigger. Paul Revere

What was the Tea Act of 1773? How did it help the British East India Company?

The Tea Act lowered taxes on tea and also the tax to import tea into America. The East India Company imported most of the tea into America so it was cheaper for them to import.

Explain why the British thought it was very fair and why the colonists thought it was unfair.

The British thought it was fair because Americans loved tea and they wanted them to buy more British tea. Colonists thought the British wanted to be forgiven for the previous taxes.

Besides boycotting British tea, what did the Bostonians do in response to the Tea Act?

The Sons of Liberty would tell the ships that were at the barber to go away. Colonists also dressed up as the Mohawk and threw tea overboard the ship which is called the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party + Tea Act

The British power made taxes lower on tea and to import tea. The colonists thought this was to forgive them for previous taxes so they started a revolt. They stopped ships from coming into the harbor and they boycotted British goods. One day in December, at a meeting Sam Adams said something which seemed like a signal because a group of men dressed like the Mohawk dumped a bunch of British tea into the harbor.

Who was Governor Hutchinson and what did he do to help cause the situation?

Governor Hutchinson let the people on the ship unload the tea anyways.

What was Boston's punishment for the Boston Tea Party? What were the names each side had for the punishments? What were the four punishments? (parts of the Act)

Boston passed the Intolerable Acts also known as the Coercive Acts. There were 4 things to the acts. The acts would shut down the Boston port, no more town meetings, colonists would have to house soldiers, and those charged with a crime would have to be tried in Canada or Britain.

What was the name of the colonial meeting in response to the Intolerable Acts? What two decisions did they make at this meeting?

The colonists had a meeting called the First Continental Congress. They decided to make a militia and train that militia plus boycott British goods along with stop exporting to Britain.

What has become known as The Shot Heard 'Round the World?

The battle of Lexington and Concord.

Why did Thomas Gage send 700 British soldiers to Concord? What were they sent to find? (Two people and a thing)

Thomas Gage heard about weapons being in Concord and also John Hancock and Sam Adams were told to be there so he sent soldiers.

What happened when the soldiers entered the town of Lexington? What did it become known as?

The soldiers saw a bunch of minutemen waiting for their arrival. The British told the minutemen to go home, but then a random shot fired and they went to war. They then had to retreat while bullets were being fired at them. This created what is now known as the battle of Lexington and Concord.

What happened at the Old North Bridge?

The battle of Concord.

Describe the British retreat from Concord back to Boston.

The British didn't find what they needed (weapons) and as they made their way back to Boston, On their way back, minutemen were hiding in trees and sharpshooters fired at them. This made it hard for the British to fight back because they didn't know where the bullets were coming from.

What did the British include in the Quebec Act?

The French were given some land and the British ruled them the same way France did (salutary neglect).

Why were the colonists upset by it? (quebec act)

The colonists thought Britain was favoring the French.

What was the First Continental Congress and what three things did it do?

The First Continental Congress was created to discuss the Intolerable Acts plus Quebec Act and its effect on the colonies. The congress prepared a militia for each colony, planned to meet the next year, and agreed to boycott all British goods.

Describe the Olive Branch Petition and the king's response.

The Olive Branch Petition stated that colonists would give their loyalty to the king in return that he removed the intolerable acts. The king was angry and sent British troops down to the colonists.

What was the Second Continental Congress and what four things did it do?

The Second Continental Congress worked basically like a normal government. They set up the continental army, appointed George Washington as their commander, made the Olive Branch Petition, and made things right with Britain without war.

Who is Ethan Allen and what did he do at the beginning of the Revolution?

Ethan Allen was a Vermont blacksmith who led the Green Mountain Boys to have a surprise attack on Fort Ticonderoga which held a British commander.

Where was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?

Breed's Hill (boston)

Why did the British need to get the colonists away from the hill?

So that they could get the weapons found in Concord and also get Samuel Adams and John Hancock.