Chapter 4: The Road to Independence

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering the causes, major military campaigns, political ideas, and social impacts of the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.

What primary territorial rivalry caused the French and Indian War?

The conflict arose from a long struggle between Great Britain and France for control of eastern North America, specifically competing claims to the upper Ohio River valley.

What occurred during George Washington's 1754 expedition into western Pennsylvania?

In May 1754, 22-year-old George Washington ambushed a French scouting party, then built Fort Necessity; French forces soon surrounded the fort and forced Washington to surrender.

What was the Seven Years' War and how did its outcome reshape colonial power?

Lasting from about 1756 to 1763, it engaged European powers (Austria, Saxony, Sweden, and France against Prussia, Hanover, and Great Britain), ultimately making Great Britain a dominant colonial empire in North America and India while France lost significant overseas territory.

What was the Albany Plan of Union and why was it rejected by colonial legislatures?

Proposed by Benjamin Franklin in June 1754, it called for a grand council of colonial delegates headed by a president general appointed by the British crown; colonial legislatures rejected it because they were unwilling to surrender power to a central government.

What happened to General Edward Braddock's forces on July 9, 1755?

About 900 French and Native Americans surprised nearly 1,500 British troops and 450 colonial militia in the forests of western Pennsylvania; Braddock was mortally wounded and roughly a third of the British force was killed or wounded.

How did William Pitt turn the tide of the French and Indian War after becoming prime minister in 1757?

He persuaded Parliament to raise taxes and borrow large sums of money to better prepare and lead British forces, enabling attacks on French forts such as Louisbourg, Fort Duquesne, and Fort Niagara.

What daring tactic did General James Wolfe use to capture Quebec in September 1759?

On the night of September 12, Wolfe moved approximately 4,500 British troops up a narrow, undefended path on the cliffs overlooking the St. Lawrence River to the Plains of Abraham, defeating the Marquis de Montcalm's troops.

What were the main territorial provisions of the Treaty of Paris of 1763?

France turned Canada over to Britain and surrendered all claims east of the Mississippi River except New Orleans (given secretly to Spain), while Spain exchanged Florida to Britain to regain Cuba.

How did the French and Indian War weaken American colonists' loyalty toward Great Britain?

Colonists lost respect for British military tactics after seeing British commanders order troops to stand in lines in the woods, felt insulted that British officers treated them without respect, and felt self-reliant after the French threat was removed.

What was Pontiac's Rebellion in the spring of 1763?

An uprising by the Ottawa, Huron, Potawatomi, and other Native Americans against British rule and General Jeffrey Amherst's policies; they destroyed every British fort west of the Appalachians except Fort Pitt and Fort Detroit and killed or captured about 2,000 colonists.

What did King George III's Proclamation of 1763 dictate?

It closed the region west of the Appalachian Mountains to all settlement by colonists, placing the territory under the control of the British military.

What was the Sugar Act of 1764, and what judicial enforcement mechanism did it implement?

It halved the duty on foreign molasses to discourage smuggling and increase tax collections, while ordering smuggling cases to be decided without juries in British courts where judges received a 5 percent commission on illegal cargoes and fines.

What did the Quartering Act of 1765 require?

It required the colonies to provide housing and supplies for the British troops who remained in North America after the French and Indian War.

Why did the Stamp Act of 1765 cause far greater outrage than previous acts like the Sugar Act?

It was the first direct tax imposed on colonists for the stated purpose of raising money (on legal documents, newspapers, and pamphlets), touching nearly all colonists and directly impacting influential printers, merchants, and lawyers.

What core constitutional argument did James Otis and the Stamp Act Congress express in the Declaration of Rights and Grievances?

They argued that colonists enjoyed the rights of Englishmen and that no taxes could be constitutionally imposed on them without their consent, which could only be given by their own elected colonial legislatures.

Who were the Sons of Liberty, and what actions did the Boston group take in August 1765?

Colonial resistance groups formed to enforce boycotts against British goods; in August 1765, the Boston group threatened the stamp distributor into resigning and ransacked the home of Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson.

What was the purpose of the Declaratory Act passed in 1766?

Passed on the same day the Stamp Act was repealed, it declared that Parliament had the full authority to make laws binding the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever.'

What did the Townshend Acts of 1767 tax, and why did colonists object to the revenue's use?

They placed import duties on lead, glass, paper, paint, and tea to pay the salaries of royal governors and judges, stripping colonial assemblies of their traditional 'power of the purse.'

What took place during the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770?

An unruly crowd threatened British soldiers who fired into the crowd, killing five colonists, including African American Crispus Attucks; John Adams defended the soldiers in court to ensure a fair trial.

What was the role of the Committees of Correspondence formed starting in 1772?

Organized by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and other leaders, they coordinated resistance, shared news, and united colonial opposition against British actions across the colonies.

Why did the Tea Act of 1773 anger colonial tea merchants and colonists?

It allowed the struggling British East India Company to sell tea directly in America without paying normal taxes, undercutting local merchants and smugglers while maintaining the import tax.

What were the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts of 1774?

A series of punitive laws targeting Massachusetts that closed Boston Harbor until destroyed tea was paid for, restricted town meetings to once a year, suspended the Massachusetts General Court, and appointed General Thomas Gage as governor.

What actions did the First Continental Congress take when it met in Philadelphia in September 1774?

The 56 delegates renewed a boycott of British goods via the Continental Association, urged colonies to arm themselves and form militias, and sent a petition to King George III outlining their rights and grievances.

What occurred during the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775?

British troops sent to seize Concord's military supplies clashed with minutemen on Lexington green (killing 8 Americans), destroyed minor supplies at Concord, and were fired on by 4,000 Patriots during their retreat, suffering over 70 dead and 170 wounded.

Why was Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense significant in early 1776?

Written in plain language that avoided classical references, its 25 editions persuaded many colonists that a complete, independent break from British monarchy and rule was necessary.

What was the Olive Branch Petition written by John Dickinson in 1775?

A document sent by the Second Continental Congress expressing continued loyalty to King George III and begging him to halt fighting until a compromise was reached; the king rejected it.

Which individuals served on the committee appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston.

How did John Locke's political ideas influence Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence?

Jefferson drew upon Locke's theories of natural rights and the social contract, stating that governments derive power from the consent of the governed and that citizens have the right to alter or abolish tyrannical governments.

What are the four distinct parts of the Declaration of Independence?

The preamble, the declaration of rights, the list of grievances (complaints against the king), and the resolution of independence.

What plea did Abigail Adams make to John Adams in her letter of March 31, 1776?

She urged him to 'Remember the Ladies' in the new code of laws, warned that women would foment rebellion without representation, and criticized slaveholders claiming to fight for liberty.

What occurred at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775?

General Howe ordered three assaults up Breed's Hill; the British captured the hill when Patriots ran out of ammunition, but the British suffered nearly 1,100 casualties out of 2,400 troops compared to fewer than 400 Patriot casualties.

How did George Washington force the British army to evacuate Boston in March 1776?

Colonel Henry Knox hauled captured cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights, allowing Washington to shell British forces in the city and ships in Boston Harbor until Howe evacuated to Halifax.

What were the primary military strengths and weaknesses of the British at the start of the Revolutionary War?

Strengths: a disciplined army, the world's finest navy, 50,000 Loyalists, Native American allies, and 30,000 Hessian mercenaries. Weaknesses: an unpopular war at home, fighting in hostile territory, and commanders slow to adapt tactics.

What roles did Margaret Corbin and Mary Hays ('Molly Pitcher') play during the war?

Margaret Corbin took her fallen husband's place in battle and received a military pension; Mary Hays carried water to troops at Monmouth and stepped up to fire her husband's cannon after he suffered heatstroke.

What were Nathan Hale's famous final words before being executed as a spy in September 1776?

'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.'

What daring action did Washington take at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776?

Abandoning the tradition of not fighting in winter, Washington ferried 2,400 troops across the ice-choked Delaware River on Christmas night to surprise and capture nearly the entire 1,400-man Hessian garrison with only five American casualties.

Why is the Battle of Saratoga (October 1777) considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War?

American forces under General Horatio Gates forced British General John Burgoyne to surrender his army, convincing France to sign a formal military alliance with the United States on February 6, 1778.

Which foreign volunteers contributed significantly to the Continental Army's operations and organization?

The Marquis de Lafayette and Johann de Kalb served as generals, Thaddeus Kosciusko designed defensive fortifications, and Baron Friedrich von Steuben trained the Continental troops into an effective fighting force.

What hardships did the Continental Army face during the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge?

Soldiers huddled in huts with almost no food, few blankets, and ragged clothing, leading Washington to report that nearly one-third of his 10,000 men were unfit for duty because they lacked coats or shoes.

How did the war affect trade, prices, and currency in the colonies?

British naval blockades cut American trade from £2,700,000 in 1775 to £110,000 in 1777; excessive printing of unbacked paper Continental dollars caused rampant inflation (a bushel of Massachusetts corn rose from under $1 in 1777 to almost $80 in 1779); and profiteering worsened shortages.

What did Colonel George Rogers Clark accomplish in the West between 1778 and 1779?

With 175 soldiers and French allies, Clark captured British posts in Indiana and Illinois; in February 1779, he marched through icy water to recapture Vincennes, strengthening Patriot claims to the Ohio River valley.

How did fighting unfold in the southern campaign between 1778 and 1781?

The British captured Savannah (1778), Charleston (1780), and Camden (1780), but suffered setbacks at Kings Mountain (1780) and Cowpens (1781); General Nathanael Greene then wore down Cornwallis' army in North Carolina.

How did American and French forces win the Battle of Yorktown in October 1781?

Lafayette blocked Cornwallis on the Yorktown peninsula while Washington's combined American-French army laid siege from land and the French fleet blockaded the coast, cutting off British escape and forcing Cornwallis to surrender on October 19, 1781.

What were the primary terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1783?

Britain recognized U.S. independence; set the northern border along the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River; established the Mississippi as the western boundary with open navigation; returned Florida to Spain; agreed to withdraw British troops; and recommended restoring Loyalist property.

What was the contradictory impact of the Revolution on African Americans and Native Americans?

Northern states began abolishing slavery while still limiting black political rights; southern slavery grew more restrictive; and Native Americans suffered disaster as the power of the Iroquois League was shattered and lands were seized.