APUSH unit 2

What’s the big argument of this unit?

The American revolution was not caused by one tax it was developed from a growing conflict over who had political authority over the colonies

Major idea

After Britain defeated the French and Indian war. Britain tried to make the colonies contribute more money and follow imperial rules more closely. Causing many colonist to believe thus violated their traditional rights.

After independence America then faced another problem

How to create a government that is strong enough to function but not so strong that threatens liberty.

Mercantilism

Was the economic system in which Europe countries tried to increase their wealth and power by controlling trade and accumulating resources

How did Britain view the colonies

As part of the British empires economic system .

The colonies provided=

Raw materials

Agriculture products

Markets for British manufactured goods

Britain passed laws controlling colonial trade why did this matter?

Before 1763 many colonist accepted British authority even though they disliked some restrictions. But after the French and Indian war Britain began enforcing imperial policies more aggressively

Who fought in the French and Indian war?

Britain and its colonial allies vs France and its allies including many Native American nations

Why did the French and Indian war happen?

Both Britain and France wanted territory and influence in North America

Who won in the French and Indian war?

Britain bc the treaty of Paris 1763

What was the huge problem Britain had

Had spent enormous amount of money fighting this war DEBT!

British leader believed

The colonist would benefit from British protection so the colonies should help pay for it

BRITISH DEBT

Britain’s financial problems encouraged parliament to raise renevue from the colonies

What did the colonist question after British Debt

Whether parliament had the authority to tax them

Sugar act 1764

Placed duties in certain imported goods especially molasses and sugar and strengthened enforcement against smuggling

Why did the colonist object to the sugar act

Who was the constitutional authority to tax the colonies

Stamp act

Required many printed materials to carry a tax stamp

“No taxation without representation”

we are British subjects and have rights

Sons of liberty ex Samuel Adam’s

We’re a colonial resistance groups that organized protests against British taxation

Committees of correspondence

Helped colonies communicate with one another spreading news, political arguments

How is committee of correspondence important

Helped create internal colonial unity

Stamp act congress

Representatives from several colonies met to coordinate opposition arguing that colonists had the right of Englishmen and that taxation required representation

Declaratory act 1766

Britain repealed the stamp act because of colonial resistance

Who passed the declaratory act

Parliament

Parliament had authority to make laws for colonies why does this matter?

Britain backed down on one tax but did not back down on its claim of authority

Townshend act 1767

Placed duties on imported goods such as glass, paper, pain lead and tea

How did the colonist respond to the townshend act

Boycotts and protests

Virtual representation

Britain argued members of parliament represented the interests of the entire British empire even if colonists didn’t personally vote for them

Why did the colonist object to the virtual representative

Required representatives who were chosen by the people

Boston massacre 1770

British soldiers fired into a crowd in Boston killing several colonists

Why is the Boston massacre important

Patriots leaders used the event as propaganda to portray British troops as violent

What event increased anti British feelings

Boston massacre

Tea act 1773

Helped the British east India company sell tea in the colonies

Why did the colonies object even tho the tea became cheaper in some circumstances tea act 1773

Still viewed the law as confirming parliament right to tax and regulate them without their consent

Boston tea party

Colonist protested the tea act by dumping British tea into Boston harbor

What was the British response to the Boston tea party?

Passed the intolerable acts

Intolerable acts 1774

Called the coercive acts which British punished Massachusetts after the Boston tea party

How did Britain punish Massachusetts after the Boston tea party

Closing Boston harbor

Limiting Massachusetts self government

Increasing British authority

Why did it backfire when punishing Massachusetts for the Boston tea party

Other colonies supported Massachusetts and their problems became all the colonies problem

First continental congress 1774

Delegates from 12 colonies met to coordinate resistance they protested the intolerable act supported boycott, discussed colonial rights worked against Britain

Lexington and concord

British troops marched to seize colonial military supplies which caused a fight at Lexington and Concord.

Why is the Lexington and concord important

Considered the beginning of the revolutionary war

Second continental congress

The second continental congress became the central governing body for the colonies during the revolution

What happen in the second continental congress

created the continental army and choose George Washington as commander and eventually moved towards independence

Battle of bunker hill

British technically won. But American forces inflicted heavy casualties.

Why is the battle of bunker hill important?

Demonstrate that colonial forces could seriously challenge the British military

Olive brand petition

Colonist send a Appel to king George 111 wanted to reconciliation and hoped to avoid complete separation

Why is ur important olive branch petition

Improves that independence was not immediately everyone’s goals and king George 3 rejected the petition and declared the colonies in rebellion

Enlightenment

Reason,natural rights and liberty and ws government based on consent. This gave the colonist an intellectual argument for challenging government

John Locke

Argued that people posses natural rights. Life¡liberty+property also argued that government exists through the consent of the governed. If the government violates people fundamental rights people can change the government.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Developed ideas about the social contract and government receives authority from the people. Government is supposed to serve society rather than simply rule without limits.

Adam smith

Criticized excessive economic regulated and supported freer marker. Chalked aspects of mercantilism- economics

Thomas Paine COMMON SENSE

Argued strongly for independence he attacked monarchy and argued ordinary people could govern themselves why? Helped shift public’s opinion towards independence.

Declaration of Independence

Explained natural rights, explained legitimate government (gov gets authority from the people). Justified revolution if gov repeats violates people rights than people have the right to alter or replace it. Listed grievances accused king George 3 of numerous abuses. Announced separation.

Patriots

Supported independence and included people form diffrent social and economic backgrounds

Loyalist

Supported remaining within the British empire and included people who had economic connections to Britain and also feared revolutionary instability. Believes britian would win and preferred the existing political system.

George Washington

Commended the continental army major role was keeping the continental army together long enough to continue fighting.

Saratoga

American victory was a major turning point because it helped convince France that the American cause had a serious change of succeeding.france then provided major assistance.

France became an American ally and provided

Money, weapons,soldiers, naval assistance

Why would France help

France wanted to weaken Britain after losing power to Britain in the seven year war.

Valley forge

Washington’s army spent the winter at valley forge. And condition were extremely difficult but this shows how there was difficulties faced b the continental army not an American battle victory.

Treaty of Paris

Ended the rev war and britian recognized American independence. US gained territory which extended west to the Mississippi River.

Pennsylvania Gradual emancipation law

Pennsylvania began process of ending slavery gradually and it did not eliminate slavery nationally

Abigail Adam’s

Urged leaders to consider women’s rights but still lacked equal political rights.

Republican motherhood

Women were given a more important civic role but not equal political power. But still didnt have equal rights

Native Americans

Did not support American independence because they feared American settlers would expand westward onto native lands. American wanted liberty by the were expanding into native peoples lands.

Mercy Otis warren

Patriot writer and political thinker she supported resistance to Britain and participated in political discussion though writing. Important because she demonstrates that women participated in rev political culture even though the lack of equal formal rights.

Letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania

John Dickinson citicized British taxation and defended colonial rights. Showing that colonial resistance as rooted in argument about constitutional rights.

Paxton boys

Group of Pennsylvania settlers who attacked native Americans

Articles of confederation

Created a confederation meaning the states retained most of the political power. National gov was intentionally weak because Americans feared centrialized authority after their experience with Britain.

Why make the gov weak

Americans had just fought a rev against what they considered an overly powerful gov and were afraid of creating another government tha could become tyrannical

1. No power to tax directly

Congress could request money from states but could not directly tax citizens which caused national government to struggle financially.

No strong executive

There was no president with strong executive authority which the gov had difficulty enforcing national policies

No national judicial branch

There wasnt a strong federal court system

Weak ability to regualte interstate commerce

States could pursue their own economic interests creating conflicts and economic problems.

Difficult amendment process

Changing the articles required agreement from all 13 states that made major reform extremely difficult

Land ordinance

Created a system for surveying western ands and didvided into a grid of townships and sections to created an organized method for settling and selling western territory.

Northwest ordinance

Created a system for governing the northwest territory which established a process by which territories could eventually become states which prohibited slavery in the northwest territory

Shay’s rebellion

Farmers in massachustts faced debt,taxes and foreclosures other armers rebelled

Constitutional convection

Delegates met in Philadelphia originally supposed to improve the article but created an entirely new government.

Federalism

Divided power between national government and state governments

Separation of power

Legislative make laws, congress executive enforcers laws=president and judicial interprets laws= federal courts

Checks and balances

Each branch can limit the others and the power is divided and power is checked

Great compromise

Major arguments was over representation

Large states and small states

Based on population for large and small wanted equal representation creating the bicameral congress

3/5 compromise

Delegates disagreed over how enslaved people would be counted for representation and each enslaved pero son a 3/5 of a persons for those purpose

Electoral college

Created an indirect system for selecting the president and states receive electoral votes based on their representation in congress. And founders had different views about how directly the president should be chosen.

Federalist

Supported the constitution and believed the articles were tooo weak. Needed stronger national government and better economic coordination for example Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and john jay

Federalist paper

Argued that the constitution created a government strong enough to function while using checks and balances to prevent tyranny

Anti federalist

Opposed or critiqued the constitution as written theur concerns national government could become too power and individual liberties were not adequately protected and the constitution lacked a bill of rights and the presidency could become too powerful. Patrick Henry ad George mason

Bill of rights

First 10 amendaments and protected indivual liberties and addresses some anti federalist concerns

Ratification

Formal approval of the constitution approval from 9/13 states to take effect