Chapter 6: The American Revolution

What was the Sugar Act?

A tax on sugar and molasses. It was also an attempt to get merchants to pay an already existing duty

Why was the Sugar Act put into place?

To combat the widespread smuggling of molasses in New England

What was the Sugar Act a representation of?

Taxation without representation

What was the Currency Act?

An act that restricted colonies from producing paper money

What were some of the aftermaths of the Currency Act?

It made money more uniform throughout the colonies and Britain; however, there was a severe drop in wealth, and it angered colonists

What was the Stamp Act?

An act that required many documents to be printed on paper that had been stamped to show that the duty had been paid

What type of documents had to be stamped?

Newspapers, pamphlets, diplomas, legal documents, and playing cards

Why was the Stamp Act so heavily resisted?

It directly affected numerous groups like printers, lawyers, college students, and even sailors.

What were the types of resistance to the Stamp Act?

Legislative resistance by elites, economic resistance by merchants, and popular protest by common colonists

What was the most important tax of this time?

The Stamp Act

What were the Townshend Acts?

Laws passed by the British Parliament that placed taxes and strict rules on everything imported to the Americas

What were the Townshend Acts in response to, and did they increase?

It was in response to boycotts, and it intensified the colonial resistance. It was also the most widespread tax at the time

What were John Dickinson's "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania" important for?

They were protesting the Townshend Acts and saying that Britain had no legal right to tax the American colonies for the purpose of raising revenue

Why was the Committee of Correspondence formed?

To keep the colors informed of the resistance efforts throughout the colonies.

What was the Boston Massacre?

An act of resistance from Bostonians that ended with the British firing their muskets and killing 5 Bostonians

Why was the Boston Massacre so significant?

It was the first blood-shed fight

What role did John Adams play in the Boston Massacre?

He was the defender for the soldiers because he believed everyone had a right to a defense

What was the Boston Tea Party, and why was it detrimental?

A protest led by the Sons of Liberty, where 46 tons of tea was dumped into the Boston Harbor, costing the British millions

What were the Coercive/Intolerable Acts?

A series of acts passed that shut down the Boston Port, which cut off all trade to and from the city, put the colonial government entirely under British control, allowed any royal officials accused of a crime to be tried in Britain, and allowed the British army to quarter newly arrived soldiers in colonists' homes.

What were the names of all the Coercive/Intolerable Acts passed?

Boston Port Act, Massachusetts Government Act, Administration of Justice Act, and Quartering Act.

Who were loyalists?

People who were loyal to Britain during the Revolutionary war

Why were loyalists loyal to Britain?

Because of economic, political, and survival reasons. But mainly economic reasons with cash crops.

Where and why did loyalists leave America?

They left to go back to Britain after the Revolution because they lost so much property

When was the first Continental Congress convened?

September 5, 1774

What happened at the Continental Congress?

They issued a document known as the "Continetal Association"

What was the purpose of the Contintenal Congress?

To coordinate a united colonial resistance against the intolerable acts

What compromises were passed by the Continental Congress?

3/5ths compromise, electoral college, and ending the Slave Trade timeline

What was the Battle of Lexington known as?

A shock around the world because it was the first shot of war

Was the Battle of Conord a win?

Yes, it was considered one becuase we did some damage and we held our own for once

What did Common Sense argue for?

Independence by denouncing monarchy and challenging the logic behind the British Empire

How did the Common Sense pamphlet influence Washington?

It convinced him that we need independence, and he also made every single one of his men read it

What did Lord Dunmore's proclamation declare?

Martial law was declared, and it offered freedom to all indentured servants and slaves if they would leave their enslavers and join the British in the war.

Why was the Dunmore's Proclamation so important?

It was a super smart move by the British because it gave them more men in the war

What was the Declaration of Independence?

Document that stated the 13 colonies were no longer a colony of Britain, and they would be a separate and independent state. It also stated why they had the right to leave and what the king had done wrong

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence, and what did it give everyone?

Thomas Jefferson wrote it, and it gave everyone a real cause to keep fighting

What were the Battles of Saratoga?

A series of battles that was a turning point in the war. We went from losing to winning

What did the Battle of Saratoga ensure that we have?

The French navy. We would not have won the war without the French because they had a navy

What was the Battle of Yorktown?

The last major battle of the Revolutionary War

What happened at the Battle of Yorktown?

The British surrendered, and it marked the end of the war and the creation of a new nation

What were the Articles of Confederation?

The first written constitution of the United States

Did the Articles of Confederation work?

No, because it made a terrible, super weak government