Comprehensive Guide to the American Revolution (1763-1783): Causes, Social Impact, and Historiography Cartes | Quizlet

What was the American Revolution primarily about?

A constitutional, political, and social conflict centered on authority, sovereignty, and representation.

What was the initial goal of the American Revolution?

To defend established rights against perceived British innovations, rather than a bid for independence.

What British policy clashed with colonial views during the American Revolution?

The assertion of indivisible parliamentary supremacy, particularly through direct taxation.

Who articulated the colonial view of a federal empire?

John Dickinson, grounded in a constitution of 'custom and usage.'

What were the four facets of the conflict during the American Revolution?

A war for national independence, a civil war between Patriots and Loyalists, a war of conquest against Native Americans, and a global conflict involving European powers.

What was the significance of the Franco-American Alliance of 1778?

It transformed a colonial rebellion into a global war and provided crucial military and financial support.

What radical republican ideals emerged from the American Revolution?

Sovereignty in 'the people' and universal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

What contradictions marked the era of the American Revolution?

Fighting for liberty while upholding slavery, excluding women from the political order, and dispossessing Indigenous peoples.

What was one outcome of the American Revolution regarding political structures?

The creation of state constitutions prioritizing legislative power and the eventual framing of a federal system.

What was the British assertion of parliamentary supremacy?

The belief that Parliament had the ultimate authority over colonial affairs, including taxation.

What does 'no taxation without consent' signify?

The colonial argument against British taxation without representation in Parliament.

What was the Stamp Act Crisis of 1765?

A significant protest against British taxation that fueled colonial resistance.

What was the Boston Tea Party?

A protest against the Tea Act of 1773 where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

What were the Coercive Acts?

A series of punitive measures imposed by Britain in response to colonial protests, leading to the First Continental Congress.

What was the role of the Second Continental Congress?

To manage the colonial war effort and eventually adopt the Declaration of Independence.

What was the influence of Thomas Paine's Common Sense?

It encouraged colonists to seek independence from Britain.

What was the Treaty of Paris?

The agreement that ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence.

What was the significance of the military struggle in the American Revolution?

It involved key campaigns and the comparative military forces of the colonies and Britain.

Who were considered the 'Forgotten Majority' during the Revolution?

Groups such as women, African Americans, and Native Americans who played roles but were often overlooked.

What does the term 'social deference' refer to in the context of the Revolution?

The societal hierarchy that persisted despite calls for republican equality.

What were the historiographical interpretations of the American Revolution?

Various perspectives including ideological/Whig, progressive/economic, imperial, constitutional/legal, social/bottom-up, and radicalism thesis.

What is meant by 'authority and legitimacy' in the context of the Revolution?

The questions surrounding who holds power and how that power is justified during the revolutionary period.

What was the impact of the Seven Years' War on the American colonies?

It led to increased British taxation and control, contributing to colonial discontent.

What was the significance of the Townshend Acts?

A series of taxes that led to widespread colonial protests and boycotts.

What was the role of Native Americans during the American Revolution?

They were often caught in the conflict, facing conquest and dispossession.

What was the unresolved question of citizenship after the Revolution?

Debates over who qualified as a citizen and the rights associated with citizenship.

What was the core dispute at the heart of the American Revolution?

A dispute about authority stemming from divergent understandings of the British Empire's constitution.

How did metropolitan officials view the British Empire?

As a unitary state governed by a sovereign Parliament.

How did colonists perceive the British Empire?

As an extended polity of semi-autonomous provinces linked to the center through the Crown.

What was the British government's financial situation following the Seven Years' War?

Burdened by imperial debt of £140 million, double the pre-war amount.

What was the purpose of the American Revenue Act of 1764?

To centralize control and extract revenue from North American colonies.

What was the primary argument for British taxation of the colonies?

The British government claimed an inherent right to tax the colonies to defray the costs of imperial defense and administration.

What distinction did colonists make regarding taxes?

They accepted external taxes (duties on imports) but rejected internal taxes (direct taxes for revenue).

What was the doctrine of virtual representation?

The theory that colonists were represented in Parliament because MPs legislate for the entire empire, not just their constituencies.

How did colonists respond to the doctrine of virtual representation?

They insisted on actual representation, meaning the right to elect their own representatives who were accountable to them.

What did the Declaratory Act of 1766 assert about sovereignty?

It asserted that sovereignty could not be divided and that Parliament had full power to make laws binding the colonies in all cases whatsoever.

What was the significance of the taxation debate in the American Revolution?

It transformed a taxation debate into a revolutionary war due to the inability to resolve fundamental disagreements about authority.

What was John Dickinson's view on the new taxation acts?

He described them as unprecedented 'innovations' designed solely for levying money.

What was the British perspective on the Seven Years' War regarding the colonies?

They believed the war was fought to protect the colonies from French encirclement, thus justifying the need for colonial contributions.

What was the colonial view on taxation following the Seven Years' War?

Colonists believed they should not be taxed without representation in Parliament.

What were the two types of taxes distinguished by colonists?

External taxes (accepted) and internal taxes (rejected).

What did the British government believe about the representation of non-voting subjects?

They believed non-voting subjects were 'virtually represented' in Parliament.

What was the colonists' demand regarding representation?

They demanded the right to elect their own representatives who lived among them.

What was the impact of the British assertion of Parliamentary supremacy?

It led to increased tensions and ultimately contributed to the revolutionary sentiment among colonists.

What did the term 'sovereignty' imply in the context of the British Empire?

It implied that Parliament had supreme authority over the colonies without division.

What was the outcome of the inability to resolve the constitutional dispute?

It escalated tensions that culminated in the American Revolution.

What was the significance of the core concepts and definitions in understanding the American Revolution?

They provide a framework for analyzing the ideological underpinnings of the conflict.

What role did taxation play in the American Revolution?

Taxation was a central issue that fueled colonial resistance and calls for independence.

What was the colonial reaction to the British government's financial policies?

Colonial resistance grew as they opposed taxation without representation.

What did the British government believe about the necessity of taxing the colonies?

They believed it was necessary to cover the costs of defending the colonies.

What was the relationship between the British Parliament and the American colonies as viewed by the colonists?

Colonists viewed the relationship as one requiring direct representation rather than virtual representation.

What did the British officials argue regarding the authority to tax the colonies?

They argued that the colonies were part of the empire and thus subject to taxation by Parliament.

What was the significance of the term 'legitimate authority' in the context of the American Revolution?

It referred to the colonists' belief that only their elected representatives had the right to impose taxes.

What authority did Parliament claim over the American colonies?

Parliament claimed full power to make laws and statutes binding the colonies in all cases whatsoever.

What was the colonial response to Parliament's authority?

Colonists argued for 'no taxation without consent,' asserting that legitimate taxation required the consent of the governed.

Who articulated the principle 'Taxation without representation is tyranny'?

James Otis.

What did colonists believe about their relationship with Parliament?

They believed it was fundamentally different from that of British subjects at home, due to their distinct interests.

What is meant by a 'customary constitution' in the colonial context?

It refers to rights stemming from royal charters and long-standing practices, which the colonists believed could not be arbitrarily revoked.

What did the colonial assemblies claim authority over?

Colonial assemblies claimed exclusive authority over internal matters, including taxation.

What was the federal conception of the empire according to the colonists?

The empire was viewed as a community of distinct political entities, each with its own legislature, bound by allegiance to the king.

What was the outcome of the Seven Years' War for Britain?

Britain's victory created a financial crisis and administrative challenges due to new territories acquired.

What was the Proclamation of 1763?

It prohibited settlement west of the Appalachians, creating a boundary between colonists and Native Americans.

What was Pontiac's Rebellion?

A pan-Indian uprising led by Ottawa chief Pontiac against British expansion, leading to the stationing of British troops in North America.

What was the purpose of the Sugar Act of 1764?

It was the first law designed to raise revenue from the colonies by reducing the molasses duty and enforcing stricter customs regulations.

What did the Stamp Act of 1765 impose?

It imposed the first direct internal tax on the colonies, requiring stamps on legal documents, newspapers, and other items.

What was the significance of the Stamp Act Congress?

It was the first intercolonial political assembly initiated by the colonies, asserting that no taxes could be constitutionally imposed without their legislatures.

What actions did the Sons of Liberty take during the Stamp Act crisis?

They organized protests, hanged stamp distributors in effigy, and forced the resignation of stamp distributors.

What was the impact of merchant boycotts during the Stamp Act crisis?

British exports to America dropped by £1 million, demonstrating economic resistance.

How did women contribute to the resistance against British goods?

Women organized non-consumption boycotts and produced homespun clothing, gaining a public political role.

What was the outcome of the Stamp Act?

Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766 but passed the Declaratory Act asserting its authority over the colonies.

What were the Townshend Acts of 1767?

They were a series of measures that imposed taxes on goods imported to the American colonies, focusing on external duties.

What did the Townshend Acts impose duties on?

Glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea imported into the colonies.

What was the purpose of the revenues from the Townshend Acts?

To pay salaries of royal governors and judges, making them independent of colonial assemblies.

Who argued that any tax designed to raise revenue was unconstitutional without colonial consent?

John Dickinson in his Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania.

What significant event occurred on March 5, 1770?

The Boston Massacre, where British soldiers fired on a crowd, killing five colonists including Crispus Attucks.

What was the outcome of the Townshend duties in April 1770?

Most Townshend duties were repealed, but the tea tax was kept to maintain the principle of parliamentary taxation.

What did the Tea Act of 1773 allow the East India Company to do?

Sell tea directly to America without middlemen and bypass British tea auctions.

What was the colonial response to the Tea Act?

Colonial radicals viewed it as a trap that accepted Parliament's right to tax and threatened colonial merchants.

What happened on December 16, 1773, during the Boston Tea Party?

Approximately 150 men, organized by Samuel Adams, dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston harbor.

What were the Coercive Acts also known as?

The Intolerable Acts.

What did the Boston Port Act do?

Closed Boston harbor until the tea was paid for and order restored.

What was the purpose of the First Continental Congress?

To unify colonial response to the Coercive Acts and establish a non-importation agreement.

What was the Continental Association?

A comprehensive non-importation, non-consumption, and non-exportation agreement established by the First Continental Congress.

What significant event marked the beginning of armed conflict in the Revolutionary War?

The fighting at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.

What did the Second Continental Congress create on June 14, 1775?

The Continental Army, unifying colonial militias under central command.

Who was appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army?

George Washington.

What was the Olive Branch Petition?

A final appeal for reconciliation with the King, drafted by John Dickinson.

What was the main argument of Thomas Paine's Common Sense?

It argued for independence from Britain and criticized hereditary rule.

What did the Declaration of Independence emphasize about government?

Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed and the right of the people to alter or abolish destructive governments.

Who primarily drafted the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson, with input from John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.

What philosophical foundation did the Declaration of Independence draw upon?

Natural Rights Philosophy, influenced by John Locke.

What was the significance of the phrase 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness'?

It articulated the unalienable rights that the Declaration sought to protect.

What was the impact of Common Sense on public opinion?

It transformed the debate from conflict resolution to the legitimacy of monarchy and made independence desirable.

What did the Coercive Acts demonstrate to the colonies?

That Parliament claimed unlimited authority and punished an entire city for the actions of a few.

What did the Massachusetts Government Act restrict?

Town meetings to once annually and made the Governor's Council appointive.

What was the Administration of Justice Act?

It allowed royal officials accused of capital crimes to be tried in Britain.

What did the Quartering Act require of colonists?

To house troops in occupied buildings if barracks were inadequate.

What was the Quebec Act's impact on the colonies?

It extended Quebec's boundaries into the Ohio Valley and guaranteed French Canadians' Catholic religion.

What is the source of rights according to revolutionary philosophy?

Rights come from nature/God, not from government.

What is the purpose of government in revolutionary thought?

Governments exist to protect rights, not grant them.