American Studies Terms (Test 1)

Royal Proclamation of 1763

colonists cannot settle east of the Appalachian mountains

Molasses Act of 1733

introduced a tax on molasses (6d for every gallon imported)

Sugar Act of 1764

replaced the molasses act. cut tax down to 3d and provided a port inspector in every port

Stamp Act of 1765

1d on legal or financial documents (repealed in 1766)

Declaratory Act of 1766

repealed stamp act. insisted parliament had the right to tax

Townsend Duties of 1767

external taxes on trade and imported goods. led to increased protests, and repealed taxes (except for tea)

Boston Massacre (1779)

british army was stationed in boston (colonists did not like it). soldiers shot into rowdy crowd and killed five colonists

Tea Act of 1773

parliament gave the british east India company a monopoly of the sale of tea

Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773)

colonists rejecting the tea act, threw cargos of tea into the boston harbor

Intolerable Acts of 1774

in response to the boston tea party, five provisions (boston port act, massachusetts government act, administration of justice act, quartering act, Quebec act)

Boston Port Act (Intolerable Acts)

closed boston port until all of the tea was paid for

Massachusetts Government Act (Intolerable Acts)

suspended colonial legislature in massachusetts

Administration of Justice Act (Intolerable Acts)

any crime committed in the colonies could be tried in london

Quartering Act (Intolerable Acts)

soldiers did not have to pay to live in people’s homes

Quebec Act (Intolerable Acts)

gave canadians self governance

Salem Gunpowder Raid (February 1775)

british army started seizing gunpowder because they were afraid that the colonists were going to riot

Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 1775)

battle between colonists and british armies because of gunpowder raid. “shots heard round the world”

Olive Branch Petition (July 5 1775)

the colonists wanted to remain on good terms with the king

Mount Vernon Conference

discussed the boundary of maryland and virginia

Philadelphia Convention

addressed the problems of the articles of confederation and decided to draft a new constitution

Shay’s Rebellion

in response to unfair taxation. led to the philadelphia convention

Annapolis Convention

addressed trade barriers between states. only 5/13 showed up

Absolutism

the ruler has absolute authority to do whatever they would like to

Aristocracy

a privileged class of people hold government power

Social Deference

showing respect to those who are higher than you in the class system

Age of Enlightenment

movement that encouraged people to catalog all of the world’s knowledge and make it accessible

Republic

small, the most free (the people govern themselves), easily attacked, ruined by factions

Monarchy

medium, some freedom, can’t be too small (nobody would stand for it) or too big (would not be able to raise large armies easily)

Despotism/Empire

large, governs with force and fear, no freedom

Patronage

a duty that the better off owe to the less fortunate