Studied by 24 people
What was the first tax to make money back for the British?
Sugar Act
What did the Sugar Act tax?
Sugar, coffee, wine, and other luxury items
What type of tax was the Sugar Act?
Indirect and external
What does an indirect tax mean?
The tax was paid by merchants (cost still carried over to consumers bc raised prices)
What does an external tax mean?
Taxes goods that were imported from the outside
What does a revenue tax mean?
The tax was meant to directly raise money (other acts could do this too such as navigation act, but it did it by regulating the economy)
Why did the colonists oppose revenue taxes?
They felt they needed real representation in Congress before they were taxed. (Rights of Englishmen: Could not take property without consent)
Why were the colonists particularly unhappy about the Stamp Act (compared to Sugar Act)
Had to pay in physical coins (shortage)
Direct tax (consumers directly saw the tax)
Hurts newspapers and lawyers (lots of influence over colonies)
Limited trial by jury and created admiralty courts (against rights of englishmen)
How did the colonists protest the Stamp Act?
Petitions such as Braintree instructions: “it’s against Rights of Englishmen”
Intimidate tax collectors (riots)
Formed Stamp Act Congress (said parliamant cant tax them, and they will boycott imports)
What were extralegal bodies?
Organizations that were not formally recognized (Ex. Sons of Liberty) but still held political influence
Why did Parliament eventually repeal the Stamp Act?
Boycotts were losing British merchants more money than they gained from the tax
What was the Declaratory Act?
Parliament baby raging and declaring they could pass any law they wanted about the colonies
What were the Townshend duties
tax on lead, glass, paper, paint, and TEA
Judge wages would be paid by England (controls them)
Writ of Assistance allowed British to search any property for smuggling
What was the Quartering Act
Required colonists to give shelter to British soldiers
Why was New York more angry about the Quartering Act?
They had more British soldiers than usual and did not believe they were necessary for protection
What type of tax were the Townshend duties and why?
Indirect and external because Lord Townshend thought (bc of the sugar act) that the colonies would be less opposed
How did the colonists respond to the Townshend Act?
Boycotted imported goods (Non-importation agreement) in Boston and spread the news to other colonies (extralegal info networks + Letters from a Pennsylvania farmer)
What was important about Letters of a Pennsylvania farmer? (John Dickinson)
Perfectly grasped the thoughts of colonies at the time (go back to the way things were before French and Indian War)
What famous line did Patrick Henry say?
"Give me liberty, or give me death!"
Which British politician made a famous rebuttal to Lord Townshend?
Isaac Barre
Why did the Townshend Duties bring the Board of Trade to Boston?
To better enforce shipping regulations and taxes
Who wrote the circulatory letters for the colonists?
John Adams and James Otis
Why were the circulatory letter significant?
First formal/official message to other colonies (assemblies, not their governors) regarding opposition to British policy
How did England respond to the circulatory letter?
They send one back to the governors and threaten to dissolve the MA assembly + move 2 regiments (4000) troops to Boston
What causes the Boston Massacre?
The movement of troops into Boston increases tension. Troops are harassed and shoot in a panic
Why does John Adam’s choose to defend Captain Preston?
He wants publicity (whether it’s good or bad publicity). He also wants to prove that there is justice in the MA courts.
How did the British respond to the Gaspee Incident?
They tried to bring perpetrators to England for trial which angered the colonists (Rights of Englishmen: entitlement to trial by peers)
What were the Hutchinson letters?
Letters written by Governor Thomas Hutchinson regarding concerns about the colonists and their protests against Britain. They were published in the colonies against the request of Ben Franklin and caused people to be outraged.
What caused the Tea Act?
The British East India Company was going bankrupt and had to sell its tea. Since England did not want to lose control over India, they made it so the company could trade directly with the colonists to cut down costs and get more sales.
Why did the colonists dislike the Tea Act?
Since there was still a tax on tea from the Townshend duties, the colonists thought it was a trick to make them pay taxes to Britain without representation.
How did colonies outside of Boston oppose the Tea Act?
They protested and stopped ships containing the tea from landing.
Why were the colonists in Boston unable to stop and seize the ships like in other ports?
Governor Hutchinson’s sons were the commissioners and could ask for support from the British regulars stationed in the city.
What did the people in Boston do the protest the Tea Act?
Boston Tea Party (Dressed up as Mohawks and threw tea overboard)
How the British respond to the Boston Tea Party?
They passed the Coercive/Intolerable Acts
What did the Intolerable Acts do?
Closed Boston ports until tea was paid off (Boston Port Bill)
Capital cases could be moved outside of MA (Administration of Justice Act)
Extends Quartering Act to all housing (Not just taverns and warehouses)
Revoked MA’s original charter (Mass Governing Act)
Also angers John Adams (he defended Captain Preston)
What did the British think the other colonies would do?
They would be happy for less competition from Boston. (Colonies actually sympathized with Boston and sent them resources)
Why did the Quebec Act anger the colonists?
Established Roman Church (angered Puritans) and did not give them Rights of Englishmen (they were french anyways). Colonists thought it was foreshadowing to England taking away their rights
What were the Suffolk Resolves?
Response to intolerable acts, proclaims they were unconstitutional
Boycott all British imports and products + refuse to pay tax
Urges colonies to raise militia
Support a separate MA government
Warned British that any political arrests would be resisted
Subjects don’t owe loyalty to King who violates their rights
Why was Georgia not present at the first Continental Congress?
Had relationships with British since they needed their help to fight Natives in Florida
What was the Galloway Plan of Union?
It proposed to politically unite Britain and the colonies. (Rejected because people did not like the treatment)
What was the Continental Association?
An agreement among the colonies that they would boycott all British imports and exports
What was the Declaration of Rights and Grievances?
A document passed by the Stamp Act Congress which said that colonists should be equal to other British citizens and need real representation in Parliament before they can be taxed.
Who replaced Thomas Hutchinson and what did this person do?
General Thomas Gage marched on Concord in order to find and destroy rumored ammunitions
What were the Conciliatory Propositions?
British promised that any colony that helped put down any “anti-crown” rebellions would not have to pay taxes or duties (besides some necessary for regulation of commerce)
Who played a large role in colonial intelligence?
Paul Revere and William Dawes
How does the Middlesex Alarm work?
Warren told Revere and Dawes that the British were crossing the Charles River and to ride to Concord and raise the alarm
Revere would go North across the river and Dawes would go south through the Boston Neck
Revere had a lantern on Old North Church in case he was caught by the British crossing the river to notify the militia on the other side
Charlestown, Somerville, Medford, Arlington, and Lexington
Crying out “The Regulars are coming out” and knocking on specific people’s doors
People used bells, drums, guns, bonfires, and trumpets to notify others
Caused a chain reaction with people notifying each other
Who was Isaac Davis?
He commanded the minutemen from Acton and his company was selected to lead the advance against the British in the Battle of Concord. His company was well equipped (bayonets) and trained because Davis was a gunsmith and had high standards. He was among the first to die
“I haven’t a man who is afraid to go”
Who was Abner Hosmer?
He was a drummer for Davis’ company and was among of the first to die along with Davis.
John Buttrick “Fire, Fellow soldiers, for God’s sake, fire!”
Who was James Hayward?
One of Davis’ friends, pursued the retreating British after the death of Davis and Hosmer. Later when drinking from a well, a British soldier appears and tells him he is a dead man. They shoot each other at the same time. The British soldier instantly dies, but Hayward lives till the next morning.
“You’re a dead man” “and so are you”
Who wrote the Poem “Paul Revere’s Ride?”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
What were the consequences of Lexington and Concord?
Ended potential for negotiation
Minutemen start laying siege to Boston
Second Continental Congress is called, MA takes the lead
Who goes to take Fort Ticonderoga and why?
Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen, and the Green Mountain Boys march on the fort to acquire weapons and 80 canons for the continental army.
How did Congress react to the acquisition of 80 canons?
Some wanted to keep them, some were horrified and wanted to send an apology letter. However, they decided to keep them in the end.
How is the Continental Army formed?
John Adams suggests that the minutemen laying siege to Boston and 6 other companies from other colonies can join together to be the continental army under GW.
Why do they choose GW to lead the Continental Army?
He’s from Virginia, not MA, making the war a united thing.
Why was Bunker Hill an important position?
It would give the British control of Boston Harbor.
Why was the Battle of Bunker Hill important to the colonists?
While they lost, it proved they could hold their own against the British. It was a Pyrrhic victory for the British since they lost 228 soldiers while the colonists only lost 140
What was the one advantage the colonists had over the British at Bunker Hill?
The colonists used frontier long rifles while had spiral barrels, allowing them to shoot more accurately. The British only had brown besses which had smooth barrels, causing them to be more inaccurate.
“Shoot when you see the whites of their eyes” - Israel Putnam
When does KGIII officially declare war?
After Bunker Hill
Who wrote the Olive Branch Petition and what is it about?
John Dickinson wrote the Olive Branch Petition. It’s a plea to the king, asking him to stop parliament from interfering with them. GWIII never reads it
What was the Declaration of the Cause and Necessity of Taking Up Arms?
A document Jefferson and revised by Dickinson about why the colonies were taking up arms. It lists their issues with Parliament extending its jurisdiction too far after the French and Indian war.
Taxation without representation
Admiralty courts
Coercive Acts
Declaratory Act
How Parliament has ignored their petitions and pleas
Placement of British troops in times of peace
Basically says that colonists are taking up arms in defense against the British tyranny
What was the Winter of Decision?
The winter between 1775 and 1776 where America needs to decide what it wants to do. There were 3 groups
Patriots want independence, neutral not sure / afraid of consequences, and tories support british
What swayed people towards the Patriots during the Winter of Decision?
KGIII hires Hessian mercenaries which makes tories unhappy. He opens Parliament with a speech against colonists which makes them all unhappy. He passes the American Prohibitory Act which allows British ships to treat all American ships as enemies.
How do the colonists respond the KGIIIs actions at the start of the war?
They pass the Letter of Marques which allows merchants to seize British ships. They pass the Open Port Decree which allows other countries to trade with the colonies. Henry Knox drags cannons from Ticonderoga to overlook Boston and force the British to evacuate.
What does Common Sense by Thomas Paine emphasis?
The colonies should cut all political connections with England. England does not care about them, only the money. England is trying to take away their natural rights and are not upholding civil rights. Blames King. Colonies have grown up. Calls for independence from the parent country.
What made Common Sense by Thomas Paine so successful?
It was a pamphlet so people didn’t throw it away but it was also easily distributed. Cheap and quick to make. Published on the same day KGIII’s hate speech was published.
What is Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution?
"that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states”
Who is the Declaration of Independence a Message to?
Other countries (france) to come help the colonists
Who writes up the new central government to unite the colonies?
John Dickinson
