America - chapter 3

when was the Boston tea party?

The Boston Tea Party occurred on December 16, 1773, when colonists protested against British taxation by dumping tea into Boston Harbor.

why was the Boston tea party a major turning point in the relations?

It symbolized the growing unity among the colonies against British rule and resistance to taxation without representation, leading to escalated tensions + Britains’s reaction (Intolerable Acts of 1774)

when were the Intolerable Acts?

The Intolerable Acts were enacted in 1774 by the British Parliament as a response to the Boston Tea Party, aiming to suppress colonial dissent and reassert British authority.

why were the protests of 1774 not revolutionary?

they only aimed to reverse the policies, not gain independence and only a few colonies wanted independence. The rest hoped for shared sovereignty between Britain and the colonists (they basically wanted salutary neglect with the colonists being responsible for their domestic affairs)

when was the declaration of indigence?

The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, formally announcing the colonies' separation from British rule.

why did relations deteriorate between 1774 and 1775?

Relations between the colonies and Britain deteriorated due to increasing taxes, military presence, and punitive measures like the Intolerable Acts. The colonies felt their rights were violated, leading to heightened tensions and resistance.

1. The British reaction to protests + the British insistence on wanting to exercise control over the colonies

2. Actions of colonists in overthrowing British authority. By 1776, effective British governance was only in Boston. The number of people opposing British authority were great.

What were the Intolerable Acts of 1774-75?

• Closing of Boston Port

• Suspending Massachusetts charter

• The Justice Act

• Quartering Act

These were all seen as necessary to regain control.

what was the issue with the Quebec Act?

The Quebec Act of 1774 extended Quebec's boundaries, recognised Catholicism, and denied westward expansion for the colonies. Colonists viewed it as an infringement on their rights and aspirations.

This means that the Quebec Act was seen as a punishment for everyone so the other colonies also felt targeted.

when was the Quebec Act?

The Quebec Act was enacted in 1774.

what were the times when the British lost some authority in the 1770s?

1. Repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766

2. Removal of most Townshend Duties in 1770

what was the priority of the British by 1774 and was the impact of it on resistance from the colonies?

The priority of the British by 1774 was to maintain control over the colonies and assert their authority, leading to heightened tensions. This focus on authority resulted in increased resistance among the colonies, as they united against perceived injustices.

what did the British do because of the growth in opposition in 1773/4?

- the British implemented the Coercive Acts in 1774, aiming to suppress colonial dissent and restore order by enforcing stricter control.

• in October 1774, the British recruited foreign mercenaries (Hessians) for a large force to impose royal authority over the colonies

• Passed the Prohibitory Act 1775 which halted trade + commerce with the colonies.

• The colonial subjects were declared out of George III’s royal protection + had their properties confiscated. (George’s declaration was made before the American declaration)

what happened during the colonial rebellion in 1774-76?

• a series of escalating protests against British authority, including the First Continental Congress and the formation of militias.

• Key events included the Battles of Lexington and Concord

• the Declaration of Independence in 1776

• the rejection of British rule

when was the first continental congress?

September 1774 — in response to the Intolerable Acts, gathering representatives from twelve of the thirteen colonies to address colonial grievances.

what happened during the first continental congress?

1774 — representatives of the colonies in a Continental congress (a body to counter the economic measures + propose possible reconciliation + pressure Britain)

• They imposed a ban on trading with Britain in 1774

what were the key areas of resistance in 1774

Boston, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia and South Carolina. New York was divided as there were some Loyalists.

how was resistance to British rule in the South?

here was patchy resistance due to the divide between plantation areas and poor areas.

what happened once the Intolerable Acts were announced?

resulting in the formation of the First Continental Congress to organise resistance. Colonists began boycotting British goods and increased calls for unity among the colonies.

• IN AUGUST: large crowds of 5000 people in Massachusetts (mostly farmers)

• The militia didn’t stop them— instead supported them. This meant that the colonists had support of armed forces

• The protests resulted in closing of courts and flight of officials

what was the differences between early outbreaks and the one in 1774?

• Local committees of correspondence were established (radical and organised opposition)

  → Aim was to enforce economic warfare enforced by the Continental Congress (but it basically spread opposition)

• Brutal attacks on officials Loyalists with tarring and feathering

• By the end of 1774, many committees had taken on role of local governments (eg running firefighting, ferries etc) → in New England, Virginia, North and South Carolina

why was the British response to violence in 1774 delayed?

because they lacked sufficient force due to the large scale of opposition.

when did the first boycott against the British begin?

after the Stamp Tax in 1765 and so what occurred in 1774-75 was an intensification and coordination of existing conflict.

Where was British authority broken in 1775?

New England, Virginia, New York, South and North Carolina.

what did the colonists begin doing after Boston was fortified following the Intolerable Acts in 1774? What did the British do in response?

After Boston was fortified, the colonists began buying gunpowder, ammunition and arms. The British tried to stop this but were limited by the number of troops available.

What happened from February to spring 1775? (in terms of colonists actions)

• February: an expedition was sent to seize an arms depot in Massachusetts

• April: Another expedition sent to Concord (Massachusetts) began armed hostilities

• By the spring of 1775, there were large numbers of armed militia in New England colonies— well trained + well armed men 

• There were also 14,000 armed men in Massachusetts and thousands more in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island

What happened from February to spring 1775? (in terms of British actions)

On April 19 of 1775: 700 British troops marched to Concord (Massachusetts) to take an arms depot there

→ It was a large expedition but it’s because the British expected 3 large cannons there

Events of this day:

• The British troops' paths were blocked by colonial militia.

• The militia was urged by Samuel Adams who was in town.

• The first shots were fired at Lexington Common

When were the first shots fired at Lexington Common?

April 19, 1775

What happened at Lexington Common?

• 8 colonists killed

• Radicals blamed the British and ‘massacre’ news spread to Europe

There was more fighting at Concord and on the march back to Boston, the colonists attacked the British troops

→ 73 British troops killed + 174 wounded

→ 49 colonists killed + 39 wounded

Over 20,000 militiamen besieged Boston.

How many men besieged Boston in 1775?

20,000 militiamen

What happened at the Battle of Bunker Hill?

• Howe launched an attack without waiting for an artillery bombardment on rebel positions by the navy

• British casualties weren’t even more higher only because the rebels had a shortage of ammunition

• The larger rebel force suffered 138 killed + 276 wounded

• The smaller (and more experienced) British force suffered 226 killed and 800 wounded

Who was the British commander in the Battle of Bunker Hill?

General Howe

Whose failure was the Battle of Bunker Hill?

British failure

How many of the British were killed and injured during the Battle of Bunker Hill?

The smaller (and more experienced) British force suffered 226 killed and 800 wounded

How many of the colonists were killed and injured during the Battle of Bunker Hill?

The larger rebel force suffered 138 killed + 276 wounded

How many of the colonists were killed and injured at Lexington?

49 colonists killed + 39 wounded

How many of the British were killed and injured at Lexington?

73 British troops killed + 174 wounded

what were the consequences of the battle of Bunker Hill?

• American forces inflicted more casualties than suffered

• Authority of Congress strengthened because they now had an army

• The British forced out of New England and had to take war to New York (more loyalists)

• After Bunker Hill, the conflict more like a war

• The heavy losses in Bunker Hill made reconciliation difficult

• The war spread in the summer of 1775

• Failure to make the Americans lose quickly

what happened as a result of the unrest spreading to the South (1775) p?

caused a power vacuum

what developments occurred in 1776?

• Continental Congress created an army on 15 June 1776 to regularise the militia and to coordinate attacks on the British ships

• A navy was created on 13 October 1776

• George Washington made commander in chief

• After the British were forced out of Boston, the Congress decided to send forces to Canada (north) → to prevent British attacks + to go seize arms 

• Montreal was taken ( Nov 1775) and Quebec was besieged

why did the British still not reconcile in 1776?

Howe was authorised to reach a settlement but:

• the British couldn’t just forget about the violence towards the British officials and Loyalists.

• Over 50,000 Loyalists volunteered to fight

• The British couldn’t abandon policy of preventing westward expansion (conflict with NA – ££-

• For a world power to accept this retreat = loss of international prestige

why was the likelihood of reimposing British authority in 1776 high?

In 1776, likelihood of reimposing authority seemed high

• Britain had an army of 48,000 men → could be deployed in the colonies

• Though this was fewer than the Continental Army → they would not desert + were well trained

• The British had ££ to pay for the German mercenaries (hessians)

• The British navy allowed troop movement along the coast

• There were a substantial number of Loyalists, slaves and Native Americans who didn’t support the rebellion

Essentially, the British had a higher likelihood of winning so why compromise?

why did some colonists not want to continue the fight against the British in 1775?

• Economic warfare was impacting colonies because of ban on trading with Brain + british blockade of American ports

• Upsurge of opposition in 1774-75 (radical lower-class activity) worried the middle-class radicals

• War = higher taxes + greater controls + high debts + destruction of property

• Lack of unity amongst the colonies (already hard to maintain Continental army)

• British force was strong both in military and navy

• Many colonists (Loyalists, slaves and NA) preferred the British

• Colonial troops had limited skills and experience = hard to defeat the British in open warfare

what were the reasons for wanting to continue the war in 1775?

• Radical influence had grown

• Unsure if the future British government wouldn’t re-impose controls on trade, expansion + tax

• They hoped for overseas assistance from the French

dates for the first Continental Congress?

SEPT 1774–NOV 1774

how many colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress?

12 out of 13

why did the First Continental Congress meet?

• The congress met to coordinate action to persuade Britain to lift the Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts

• It discussed imposing economic measures to petition and end repressive measures

how was the unity amongst the First Continental Congress?

• There was no unity among the delegates

• Pennsylvania and New York wanting a plea

• NY delegates wanted to remedy grievances and support trade measures against Britain.

Continental Congress pushed ahead on both.

what did the first continental congress do?

• Set up a Continental Association and set out economic ban on trade with Britain which will be removed if the Coercive Acts are removed by Sept 1775

• Sent a petition to George III which failed and its failure led to the closure of the First Continental Congress

people in the First Continental Congress?

Samuel and John Adams

What did Massachusetts present?

The Suffolk Resolves 1774 — protesting the Intolerable Acts and calling for a boycott of British goods.

Massachusetts presented the Suffolk Resolves but didn’t want to break away from Britain

What did the creation of the First Continental Congress show?

It could be an alternative form of government as it established the Association and Committees to oversee it.

when was the second continental congress made?

May 1775

What had happened by the time the Second Continental Congress met?

First fighting at Lexington had occurred in April 1755 + there was an unofficial army besieging Boston + the rebellion was spreading.

Unrest was spreading to South + british reconciliation refusal + inflammatory talks by King fuelled talks of separation from britain

was the Second Continental Congress’s stance on declaring independence united? why did they still declare it?

no, but after ‘the flight of governors’, legitimate authority had to be established and so without formally declaring independence, the Congress took actions towards it.

what and who declared independence?

• Declaration of Independence in July 1776

• Second Continental Congress declared the independence

what did the Second Continental Congress do?

• Armed forces made into Continental Army

• The states were authorised to establish their own independent government

• Agents authorised to purchase weapons

• Printing of money authorised to pay for war

why was there discourse over the declaring of independence?

• fear that the independent divided colonies might get taken over by other european powers 

• fear of loss of trade

• Fears of local independence

• Fears by the propertied classes in the colonies of popular disturbances

• Loyalists

what changed the mind of those opposing the Declaration of Independence?

But April 1775’s bloodshed changed minds and made military action necessary.

when was the prohibitory act passed?

The Prohibitory Act 1775 was British legislation in late 1775 that cut off all trade between the Thirteen Colonies and England and removed the colonies from the King's protection.

what coherent policy did John Adams and his supporters offer in 1775-76?

• National unity against Britain

• Negotiations with foreign powers

• A clear statement of aims and values

who published Common Sense and when? Its success?

Paine’s Common Sense was published in 1776 → spread of ideas + 100,000 copies sold 

• Appeal: A new start to create a land of virtue and liberty

What did John Adams publish and when?

John Adams’ Thoughts on Government (April 1776) → blueprint for future national government to protect liberty and rights by separating power between government, legislature and judiciary.

what did the philosophers base their thinking on?

These ideas owed to John Locke’s idea of contractual government between ruler and ruled.

Separation of powers was to protect liberty of citizens by ensuring that different branches of government– executive, legislature and judiciary– are separate and can block any oppressive moves.

what had Britain done by may 1776?

dangerously, Britain had dispatched 100 ships + 32,000 men

who and when did the Congress appoint to draft the letter of independence?

In June 1776, Congress appointed Adams, Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to draft the letter of declaration.

aim of the letter of independence?

Aim: to present a justification for rebellion by blazing Britain. Jefferson differentiated between British people and the Americans. This would spread the blame to the British people.

The congress focused on the misdeeds of the King and his ministers.

They mentioned that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.

what were the ideas mentioned in the letter of independence?

1. “All men are created equal” – slaves? Native Americans? Servants? Majority of the delegates were slave owners lol

2. “Natural rights” – a dangerous claim. What is the limit of these rights and who decides if they are being undermined by the government? 

3. Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed — contradicted most of the world’s governments at the time as they relied on inherited or divine claim. Also did everyone– including women, slaves, servants– have to consent through elections?

This was a white, free men only revolution.

what were the early successes of the Colonists in the war?

The early colonial success in Massachusetts and taking of Fort Ticonderoga and Montreal, and the siege of Quebec were a surprise.

where did the British army do once their reinforcements arrived?

Once British reinforcements came, their army landed in New York and chased out Washington’s forces from Staten Island and then Brooklyn. A decisive British victory here might have cut off the colonial retreat.

what happened during the chase and manoeuvre?

Washington went from Long Island to New York → the British took New York

→ Washington then withdrew to Harlem and Howe landed above Harlem at Westchester

→ Washington withdrew to White Plains

→ Then, Washington’s army was chased across New Jersey and pushed across the Delaware River.

what did the British do once Washington’s army was chased across New Jersey and pushed across the Delaware River?

Meanwhile, the British had recovered Canada and Carleton’s force was about to move southward to take on Washington’s force and to link up with Howe’s force (In Westchester)

BUT

A fleet of fighting gunboats prevented Carleton from crossing Lake Champlain and recovering Fort Ticonderoga.

He moved back to Canada in November 1776.

What forts did the British take in late 1776? Whose were they?

British forces took Fort Lee and Fort Washington (both built by colonists in New Jersey)

Where did Washington escape to in late November?

Washington escaped to Pennsylvania with his 3000 men (originally 19,000)

What did the British successes include up until early December 1776?

• Taking Canada

• Taking colonial forts

• Driven colonists out of New York and New Jersey → defeated

So, Howe went to the winter quarters in New York. He didn’t expect an attack and left some German mercenaries in Trenton.

What happened on the 25th of December 1776?

But Washington did a surprise attack on 25 December and took Trenton (in New Jersey). (attack went against normal conventions of warfare)

Washington took Princeton and New Jersey. He then went to winter quarters at Morristown.

Victory at Trenton → gained support + ended British hope of Loyalists support in New Jersey (as it was now taken)

successes in the 1777 large-scale British operations?

• Howe took Philadelphia in September 1777 (Washington defeat)

• Colonial attack at Germantown in October 1777 → heavy colonial losses but showed bravery

• In the North, forces under Burgoyne retook Fort Ticonderoga.

British failures in the 1777 large-scale operations?

• An expedition under British general St Leger failed

• A force of Germans defeated in Vermont

• Burgoyne advanced south even though he knew Howe wouldn't join. He took his forces to Bemis Heights hoping for reinforcements from Clinton’s army in New York but didn’t → so suffered heavy losses against Gates and surrendered at Saratoga on 17 October 1777 (biggest British defeat)

Over 5000 British prisoners were taken to Boston

why were the colonists able to win a lot in 1777?

• British failure at Bunker Hill in 1775 boosted American confidence

• Initial colonial success of taking Ticonderoga and bringing war to Canada spread the conflict beyond Massachusetts

• Washington’s survival after British attacks in New York allowed war to continue

• Washington’s victory at Trenton boosted morale

• Colonial attack at Germantown in Oct 1777 (despite defeat) helped support grow in Europe and colonies

• Carleton’s failure to move his forces southward + Clinton’s inability to reinforce Burgoyne’s army ensured defeat at Saratoga

• French help in terms of money and arms + Saratoga confirmed French intervention

• Britain’s failure to win quickly had considerable consequences.

what were the key developments in the war 1778-82?

• international entry (France entered in 1778 and Spain entered in April 1779)

• Washington’s change of strategy

how did the entry of France and Spain cause the British to fail?

British forces more thinly spread in order to protect their West Indies colonies due and to meet French naval power

what were Washington’s strategies that allowed him to win?

• Instead of traditional assaults that he kept losing — he strategised holding on territory and depriving the British supplies and support.