U.S. History Chapters 6–9: Revolution, Constitution & Colonial Society

Who were the main powers in America during the Revolutionary War period?

Great Britain, France, Spain, and Native American nations.

What happened to the tribes closest to the first colonies?

Many lost their land, suffered population losses from European diseases, and were pushed farther inland by colonial expansion.

How was the population changing during the early years of the colonies?

The population grew through high birth rates, European immigration, and the forced transportation of enslaved Africans.

How did slavery change in the 17th century?

Slavery became a permanent, hereditary, race-based system in many English colonies.

How did slavery look in different places?

In New England, enslaved people worked in households, ports, and trades; in the Middle Colonies, they worked in homes, businesses, and farms; in the Southern Colonies, they worked primarily on plantations growing cash crops.

How did African culture change during this time?

Enslaved Africans preserved and adapted traditions involving music, religion, food, language, storytelling, and farming.

How did Southern planters continue to gain power?

They used enslaved labor to produce profitable cash crops, accumulated land and wealth, and gained political influence.

How was agriculture important during this time?

Agriculture provided food, jobs, trade goods, and wealth; the South grew tobacco and rice, the Middle Colonies grew grains, and New England relied on smaller farms.

How was fishing viewed during this time?

Fishing was an important New England industry that provided food, jobs, and products for trade.

What was the triangular trade?

A trading network connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas that included manufactured goods, colonial products, and the forced transportation of enslaved Africans.

How was transportation during this time?

Transportation was slow and difficult, with ships and waterways especially important for trade.

What were roads like?

Most roads were unpaved, rough, and difficult to travel on, especially during bad weather.

What was the main way of traveling?

Ships and boats were especially important, along with horses, wagons, and carriages.

Where were populations gathered?

Mostly along the Atlantic coast, rivers, and harbors, particularly around port cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston.

How did voting look during this time period?

Voting was generally limited to white men who met property or wealth requirements; women, enslaved people, and most Native Americans were excluded.

What were some main ideas promoted in the colonies?

Representative government, self-government, religious freedom, natural rights, and the belief that government should protect people's rights.

Who fought in the Seven Years' War?

Great Britain and its allies fought France and its allies, with Native American nations supporting different sides.

Where was the Seven Years' War fought?

In North America, Europe, the Caribbean, India, and other regions.

Who were important people involved in the Seven Years' War?

George Washington, William Pitt, General James Wolfe, the Marquis de Montcalm, and King George III.

What was the outcome of the Seven Years' War?

Britain defeated France in North America and gained Canada and much French territory east of the Mississippi River.

What is the other name for the Seven Years' War?

The French and Indian War.

What was the main goal of the Seven Years' War?

To control valuable territory, trade routes, and resources, especially in the Ohio River Valley.

How did Native Americans respond after the initial attacks from the British?

Many resisted British expansion, including during Pontiac's War in 1763.

Why were Quebec and Montreal important?

They were major French settlements and strategic centers controlling important trade and transportation routes in Canada.

How did the Seven Years' War hurt the colonists?

Britain accumulated debt and imposed new taxes and stricter regulations on the colonies.

How was America a revolutionary force from the first day of its existence?

The colonies developed traditions of local self-government and representative assemblies that challenged centralized authority.

What were the Navigation Acts?

British laws regulating colonial trade to benefit Britain's economy and control shipping.

What was the Sugar Act?

A 1764 law that taxed certain imports, including molasses, and strengthened British customs enforcement.

What was the Quartering Act?

A law requiring colonial governments to provide housing and supplies for British troops in certain circumstances.

What was the Stamp Act?

A 1765 law taxing printed materials such as newspapers, legal documents, and pamphlets.

How and why did these acts anger the colonists?

Colonists believed Britain was violating their rights by imposing taxes without colonial representation in Parliament.

What was the main reason behind colonial opposition to taxation?

The belief that taxes required the consent of the people through their elected representatives.

Who were the Sons and Daughters of Liberty?

Groups of colonists who organized resistance to British taxes and policies.

What did the Sons and Daughters of Liberty do?

They organized protests, encouraged boycotts, and helped resist British taxation.

What did the Sons and Daughters of Liberty believe?

They believed taxation without representation violated colonial rights.

What were nonimportation agreements?

Agreements to stop importing British goods to pressure Britain to repeal unpopular taxes.

What were the Townshend Acts?

1767 laws imposing duties on imported goods such as glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea.

What was the tea tax?

A tax on tea that remained in place under the Tea Act of 1773, which gave the British East India Company favorable trading arrangements.

What led to the Boston Tea Party?

Colonists opposed the tea tax and the East India Company's special advantages, leading to protesters dumping tea into Boston Harbor.

How were the new taxes viewed in the colonies?

Many colonists viewed them as violations of their rights and attempts by Britain to control them without their consent.

What did the Intolerable Acts do?

They punished Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party, including closing Boston Harbor and restricting Massachusetts's self-government.

What was the First Continental Congress?

A meeting of colonial delegates in Philadelphia in 1774 to coordinate resistance to British policies.

When was the First Continental Congress held?

September-October 1774.

What did the First Continental Congress do?

It protested British policies, organized a boycott of British goods, and encouraged cooperation among the colonies.

What was created?

Greater colonial cooperation and an agreement to meet again if Britain did not address their grievances.

What were Lexington and Concord?

The first major battles of the American Revolutionary War, fought on April 19, 1775.

Why were Lexington and Concord significant?

They marked the beginning of open warfare between Britain and the colonies.

What happened at Lexington and Concord?

British troops marched to seize colonial military supplies, and colonial militia fought them.

What was the Boston Massacre?

A March 5, 1770, confrontation in Boston in which British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists.

When was the Second Continental Congress?

It first met on May 10, 1775.

What was Washington assigned to do?

He was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army.

What was the Olive Branch Petition?

A 1775 petition asking King George III to reconcile with the colonies and avoid further conflict.

What event led to King George III rejecting reconciliation?

The growing colonial rebellion and fighting at Lexington and Concord.

Who were the Hessians?

German soldiers hired by Britain to fight against the American colonists.

What was Common Sense?

A 1776 pamphlet written by Thomas Paine arguing that the colonies should become independent from Britain.

What came from Common Sense?

It increased public support for independence.

Why was Common Sense important?

It explained the case for independence in language ordinary colonists could understand.

When was the Declaration of Independence signed?

It was adopted on July 4, 1776, with most delegates signing it on August 2, 1776.

What did the Declaration of Independence formally do?

It declared the 13 colonies independent from Great Britain.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author.

Who were Loyalists?

Colonists who supported remaining part of the British Empire.

Who were Patriots?

Colonists who supported resistance to Britain and, increasingly, independence.

What did the Battle of Saratoga do for the colonies?

It provided a major American victory in 1777 and helped convince France to support the Americans.

Who began supporting the Americans after Saratoga?

France formally allied with the United States in 1778.

What were the three major components of the agreement between America and France?

France recognized American independence, established commercial relations, and agreed to provide military assistance.

What were the major setbacks with the Articles of Confederation?

The national government struggled to raise money, pay debts, regulate trade, and enforce its decisions.

What could the Articles of Confederation do?

It could declare war, make peace, negotiate treaties, conduct foreign relations, borrow money, and request money from states.

What could the Articles of Confederation not do effectively?

It could not directly tax citizens, effectively regulate interstate commerce, or reliably force states to provide money.

Why was the Articles of Confederation designed to be weak?

Americans feared that a powerful central government might become tyrannical, like the British monarchy.

What was the conclusion about where the country would be built going forward?

The Constitutional Convention decided to replace the Articles with a new Constitution creating a stronger federal government.

What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 do?

It established a system for governing western territories and prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory.

What was Shays' Rebellion?

An armed uprising by indebted farmers in Massachusetts in 1786-1787.

What caused Shays' Rebellion?

High taxes, debt, economic hardship, and the threat of losing property.

Who led Shays' Rebellion?

Daniel Shays was one of its principal leaders.

Where did Shays' Rebellion occur?

Massachusetts, particularly the western part of the state.

What was the Virginia Plan?

A proposal for a strong national government with a two-house legislature and representation based largely on population.

What was the New Jersey Plan?

A proposal for a stronger national government with one legislative house and equal representation for each state.

What was the Great Compromise?

It created a two-house Congress, with representation based on population in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

What does our Constitution do?

It establishes the federal government, divides its powers among three branches, and establishes checks and balances.

Who were the Federalists, and what did they think?

They supported ratifying the Constitution and creating a stronger national government.

Who were the Anti-Federalists, and what did they think?

They feared a powerful central government and wanted stronger protections for individual rights.

What did the Bill of Rights do?

It added the first ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting individual freedoms and limiting government power.

What are some freedoms or protections that come with the Bill of Rights?

Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition; protection against unreasonable searches; due process; and protections for criminal defendants.

Who was Alexander Hamilton, and what did he do?

He was the first secretary of the Treasury and developed a plan to strengthen the nation's finances and credit.

Who wrote the Bill of Rights?

James Madison drafted the amendments that became the Bill of Rights.

What did the Judiciary Act of 1789 do?

It established the initial structure of the federal court system and created lower federal courts.

What was Hamilton's plan for fixing the nation's credit?

He proposed repaying national debts, having the federal government assume certain state debts, and creating a national bank.

What would the national bank do?

It would hold government funds, help manage payments and debt, provide loans, and support a stable financial system.

Who disagreed with Hamilton on the national bank?

Thomas Jefferson and his supporters.

What is loose construction?

A broad interpretation of the Constitution that allows implied federal powers.

What is strict construction?

A narrow interpretation of the Constitution that limits the federal government to specifically granted or narrowly implied powers.

Why were tariffs important to the sustainability of the nation?

They raised government revenue and could protect American industries from foreign competition.

What was the main argument against the national bank?

Opponents argued that the Constitution did not specifically authorize Congress to create a national bank.