Unit 2 | The American Revolution

5.0(1)
studied byStudied by 2 people
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/70

encourage image

There's no tags or description

Looks like no tags are added yet.

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

71 Terms

1
New cards

Enlightenment & Great Awakening (1730s-40s)

  • Belief that all people are sinners but can be saved through God's grace

  • direct connection with God

  • religion should be personal & casual

  • advocating for no need for clergy

2
New cards

Significance of Enlightenment & Great Awakening

  • Removing hierarchy/power of church —> thinking about removing hierarchy/power of centralized gov

  • Ideas of equality, liberty, freedom, justice —> disagreeing when Parliament taxed colonists w/out representation

3
New cards

Locke's Beliefs

  • Natural rights (Life, Liberty, Property)

  • can overthrow a government that does not support these rights

4
New cards

Rosseau's Belief

people should give up some autonomy for government protection.

5
New cards

Montesquieu's Beliefs

government powers should be separated with checks and balances

(separation of power + checks and balances)

6
New cards

Mercantilism

Economic policy where a nation exports more goods than it imports.

7
New cards

Significance of Mercantilism

  • Caused tension between Brit. & colonists- —> Angry + frustrated colonists —> protesting/revolting —> end of mercantilism + Revolutionary war

  • Colonists resorted to smuggling bc of trade laws based on mercantilism

8
New cards

Navigation Acts

  • British trade laws requiring colonies to EXPORT valuable goods to England FIRST

  • IMPORT goods ONLY from English ports.

  • —> smuggling culture

  • prevented trading w/ other countries

9
New cards

Salutary neglect

British policy allowing self-rule in colonies as long as they were profitable.

10
New cards

Iroquois

  • upstate NY area, aided French in F/I War

  • recognized importance of preserving balance of power between France & Britain

11
New cards

During French and Indian War/7 Years War

  • Phase 1: British struggle against NAs and French 

  • Phase 2: British cut off French shipping to the Americas 

    • Capture Montreal and force the French to surrender 

  • Treaty of Paris (1763) ends the war 

    • British kept Canada, Florida, and west up until the MI River

  • British initially struggled but eventually won (GW came in clutch) —> Treaty of Paris (1763)

12
New cards

French and Indian War Causes and Effects

Causes:

  • Britain & French both claim Ohio River Valley

  • Colonists ran out of land

  • NA = mad bc English are taking their land

Effects:

  • Britain in DEBT —> taxing colonists

  • Britain won & owns the land

  • NAs = mad Britain took their land —> Proclamation of 1763 to alleviate tensions between NA/French

13
New cards

Join or Die

  • Benjamin Franklin

  • Persuade colonies to combine forces to fight against French/NAs + get Britain to support a centralized/unified colonial government

    • colonies didn’t like it cause it was radical/new/unfamiliar

<ul><li><p>Benjamin Franklin</p></li><li><p>Persuade colonies to combine forces to fight against French/NAs + get Britain to support a centralized/unified colonial government</p><ul><li><p>colonies didn’t like it cause it was radical/new/unfamiliar </p></li></ul></li></ul><p></p>
14
New cards

Proclamation of 1763

  • King George III's decree closing lands west of the Appalachian Mountains for settlement by colonists

    • Attempt to alleviate tensions between NA + French

  • APP - AL - A - CHIAN —> PROC - LA - MA - TION

15
New cards

Significance of Proclamation of 1763

  • Attempted to alleviate tension w/ NA + French

  • Closed off colonial westward expansion —> anger from colonists

16
New cards

Treaty of Paris

  • ended war and left canada/great lakes/ohio river valley/florida to Great Britain

17
New cards

Pontiac's Rebellion

British Empire vs. several Native American tribes (Chief Ottawa included) after the Seven Years' War over Ohio/Great Lakes land

18
New cards

Albany Conference & Plan

  • Proposal by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 to create a centralized government for the colonies.

  • Intended to help colonies defend themselves in FI war

  • Colonists didn’t join bc they didn’t want to lose their independence

19
New cards

Significance of Albany Plan of Union

first important proposal to conceive of the colonies as a collective whole united under one government

20
New cards

Somerset vs. Stewart + Significance

  • Somerset (slave) sues Stewart in England

    • Freed enslaved laborers if they arrived in England 

  • Significance: Sets precedent that Britain is more anti-slavery than the American colonies => cause of the revolution (abolitionist ideas)

21
New cards

Quartering Act (1766) + Significance

  • required colonies to provide housing and supplies for british troops stationed after F/I war.

    • colonists were not happy and complained but went along because they accepted parliament's right to regulate trade/provide defense

  • Significance: increased resentment bc it challenged their right to keep the british at a distance

22
New cards

Sugar Act (1764) + Significance

  • Cut price on foreign sugar and raise money for Britain to pay off debt

  • Significance: severely restricted colonies’ ability to trade with other countries except Britain = violated colonists rights as British colonists —> moving towards Revolution

23
New cards

Stamp Act + Significance (1765)

  • Taxes on printed materials

  • Significance: first direct tax imposed by Parliament in the colonies

  • —> argued colonies had no representation in parliament and had no right to tax them

24
New cards

Currency Act + Significance

  • Prohibited Colonial legislatures from printing paper money

  • Significance: Colonists believed they were underpaid and couldn’t support their economy without printing money

25
New cards

Declaratory Act + Significance

  • Declared Parliament's authority to make laws and tax the American colonies.

  • Significance: Passed same day that Stamp Act was repealed - show of power

26
New cards

Coercive/Intolerable Acts + Significance

  • punished Boston by closing the port to trade until colonials paid for the destroyed tea + tax

  • increased power of governor at expense of elected assemblies and town meetings

    • left colonists raging, rejected idea that british could shut down trade

27
New cards

Townshend Acts (1767) + Significance

  • Indirect taxes on glass, paint, paper, tea (everyday goods)

  • Significance: Colonists = mad bc they had to pay more taxes for everyday items + to build houses

  • TOWNshend = TOWNhouse

28
New cards

Circular letters

  • Written by George Washington

  • Documents claiming the British had no right to tax without representation.

29
New cards

Stamp Act Congress (Oct. 1765)

  • Congress addressing the Stamp Act civilly/peacefully and encouraging boycotts of British goods.

  • Stamp Act Congress didn’t provide rational or logical ARGUMENTS against British rule

30
New cards

Samuel Adams

  • Founding member of the Sons of Liberty

  • John Adams’ cousin

  • Organized Committees of Correspondence

    • 1772 MA to keep colonists informed of British anticolonial actions + to plan resistance

31
New cards

Sons of Liberty

  • Rebellious colonists opposing British taxation

  • Created by Samuel Adams

  • Organized Boston Tea Party

  • Colonists opposing the Stamp Act and uniting, patriots, extremely violent protests

32
New cards

Committees of Correspondence (1773)

  • Intercolonial committee organized by Samuel Adams to inform colonists of British actions + PLAN!! resistance (didn’t acc do it)

  • Promoted leadership/cooperation

    • Parliament backed down but kept tea taxes

33
New cards

Boston Massacre (1770)

  • revived protest/violence where biggest riots occurred in boston

  • officers seized merchant ship for smuggling

  • British were stationed at docks

    • Resulted in lost jobs for people

  • Low income threw stuff at officers —> soldiers killing 5 colonists

34
New cards

Boston Massacre Significance

  • Sparked American Revolution

  • Where political tension between British soldiers & colonists peaked/deadly

  • revived protest/violence where biggest riots occurred in boston

35
New cards

Tea Act (1773)

  • Allowed British company to sell directly to colonists for tea

  • British thought they would be happy bc they lowered taxes for tea

    • British east india company: going out of business bc of competition

    • Women bought a lot of tea (they got mad bc they like other teas)

      • Significant bc not a lot of boycotts were led by women

36
New cards

Tea Act Significance

  • Colonists viewed as overbearing/overprotective —> rioting

37
New cards

Boston Tea Party (1773) + Significance

  • Patriots dumped tea in harbor, response to Tea Act

  • Significance: Angered the British → Intolerable/Coercive Acts

38
New cards

First Continental Congress (1774, Philly)

  • response to Boston Tea Party + Intolerable Acts

  • UNITED effort to boycott British imports to pressure British to repealing Intolerable Acts

  • “give me liberty or give me death” - Patrick Henry

  • ““The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American.”

  • STILL SOUGHT TO REMAIN PART OF BRITISH EMPIRE

Only state that didn’t join: Georgia - fear of losing protection from Native Americans + economically supported by trading cash crops w/ Britain

39
New cards

First Continental Congress Significance

  • First coordinated/united effort of resistance

  • Formally declared colonists should have the same rights as Englishmen

  • but still sought to remain part of the British Empire

40
New cards

Minutemen

  • Soldiers who had the ability of gathering in a formation at a short notice

    • defended Colonial arms that the British wanted to take 

41
New cards

Lexington and Concord 1775

  • Minutemen guerrilla warfare against British troops

  • Marked beginning of Revolutionary War

42
New cards

Non-Importation MOVEMENT/ACT (Oct. 1765)

  • Threatening British merchants with economic ruin by boycotting their goods and change Parliament-passed laws

43
New cards

Daughters of Liberty

  • gave up comforts by promoting boycotting british goods, won respect

    • they were PROMOTING it while Sons of Liberty ENFORCED it

  • Aided in non-importation movement

    • spun home (Homespun Movement) made cloth rather than british manufactured ones

44
New cards

Abigail Adams

  • Organized Committees of Correspondence

  • Advocated for women’s rights

  • “remember the ladies” (he forgot the ladies)

45
New cards

Homespun Movement

Focused on creating spun cotton/wool instead of purchasing and supporting british spun textiles

46
New cards

Second Continental Congress (1775)

  • Agreed on Washington as Continental Army commander

  • Direct response to Battles of Lexington & Concord

47
New cards

Olive Branch Petition

  • Last ditch effort to reconcile with Britain, emphasized loyalty to the crown & right as british citizens

  • IGNORED

48
New cards

Quebec Act

Extended Canada's southern border

49
New cards

Common Sense + Significance

  • Thomas Paine = Author

  • Outlined need for American independence

  • Reached the masses (wasn’t written too complicated + printed everywhere)

50
New cards

The Declaration of Independence (1776) + Significance

  • By Jefferson, inspired by:

    • Locke (Natural rights, LLP)

    • Paine (Common Sense)

  • First Part = complaints abt British violating colonists’ rights

  • Second Part = declaring independence

51
New cards

3 Phases of the REVOLUTIONARY War

  • British started attacking New England (alleviate Boston/MA conflicts)

  • Move towards Middle Colonies

  • Move towards Southern Colonies to gain support from Loyalists

52
New cards

Battle of Bunker Hill (1775) + Significance

  • British saw colonists as unthreatening enemy

  • Patriots fortified hills overlooking Boston to drive out British from port

  • Lord Howe ordered troops to march straight up hill → major defeat

    • Howe wanted to prove that the trained Brit. troops would beat the untrained colonists

    • British lost 2 more times and won bc Patriots ran out of ammo

  • Brit. had higher casualties → Patriots had moral victory

  • Significance: confirmed no more reconciliation + moral win for colonists

53
New cards

Benedict Arnold

  • Tried taking back fort from the british (Fort Ticonderoga)

  • Won, attacked at night with no resistance

  • Wasn’t given recognition for his strategies that lead to victory in certain battles and was seen as pro-british bc of marrying a lady who had connections w/ the british → eventually switched over to British side

54
New cards

Battle of Trenton/Washington Crosses the Delaware River (1776) + Significance

  • BACKGROUND:

    • British captured NYC and cut off New England from other colonies —> Washington forced to retreat in NJ

  • DURING:

    • Dec. 26 Washington counterattacks Hessians 

    • Significance: Modest victory raised Patriot spirits

55
New cards

Battle of Princeton (1777)

  • Attack on General Charles Cornwallis’s troops

  • 1777 initially started well (Battle of Trenton + Battle of Princeton)

The rest of1777 = defeats for washington, lost Philadelphia to Howe’s army

56
New cards

Battle of Saratoga + Significance

  • Showcased Patriots' ability to hold off British

  • Significance: TURNING POINT, showed colonists had a chance of winning —> Official French Alliance

57
New cards

America's Alliances

  • Franco-American Alliance

    • Provided resources + military expertise (lafayette)

  • Spains role

    • Spanish Governor from florida helped

  • Alliances were CRITICAL for America’s victory

58
New cards

Native American Participation/Aligning During the War

  • Believed British would prevent colonial westward expansion —> loyalist/supported British

59
New cards

African American Participation/Aligning During the War

  • Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation (1775) promised freedom to the enslaved laborers that fought for the British

  • Some were patriots in promise of manumission

  • James Lafayette (double agent)

60
New cards

Marquis de Lafayette

  • French aristocrat, supported + joined Patriots

    • Fought under Washington

    • Returned to France to persuade king to send forces to help Americans

  • Returned to America to provide military expertise/command forces

  • Helped trap British under General Cornwallis at Yorktown

61
New cards

Valley Forge (1777-1778)

  • Difficult winter 1777-1778 in PA for Continental Army under George Washington

62
New cards

Battle of Yorktown (1781) + Significance

  • French navy helped the Patriots to win the war

  • British were on a peninsula and assumed their Navy would come for reinforcements, then George Washington lead the troops around the edge of the land

  • Cornwallis’s British forces surrendered

  • Significance: led to the end of the war in 1783, with Treaty of Paris

63
New cards

Treaty of Paris (1783)

  • Ended Revolutionary War

  • Negotiated by Benjamin Franklin + John Adams

    • Franklin secured/negotiated more territory than the Patriots had actually won

  • Affirmed American independence + recognized US as independent nation

  • Allowed Americans to continue westward expansion past Appalachian

64
New cards

Reasons America Won

  • French + Spanish support

  • British didn’t understand the nature of the war

    • Soldiers didn’t want to fight the war + they were already in debt

    • Thought they could capture major seaports and they would win

      • Colonists continued to fight bc of their strong desire for liberty

  • Guerrilla warfare + George Washington skillful retreats

  • Fought on homeland

65
New cards

Loyalists after the war

  • Prevented from returning home, many became refugees

  • Mob violence

  • Slaves + Native loyalists fled

66
New cards

James Lafayette

  • Double agent/spy

  • enslaved man

    • PPL assumed that since he was enslaved he sided with the Brit and wasn’t smart enough to do anything big to help the war

  • joined the Continental Army and served under the Marquis de Lafayette

67
New cards

What did it take for the colonies to declare independence?

  • A minority favored independence early on only wanted to reconcile

  • Lexington and Concord (1775) 

  • Olive Branch petition = IGNORED 

  • Common Sense reaches the masses

  • Declaration of Independence 1776

68
New cards

Short Term Causes of the American Revolution

  • Taxes

  • New Laws/Regulations

  • Violence

69
New cards

Long Term Causes of the American Revolution

  • Great Awakening

  • F/I War

  • Enlightenment Ideas

70
New cards

How did Britain’s decision to end its policy of salutary neglect influence the development of the American Revolution?

  • Created resistance from colonies because they previously experienced increased autonomy/liberty than when they lived in Britain

  • Sovereign colonies became accustomed to self-control and self-governing after long period of salutary neglect

71
New cards

How did the French and Indian War (1754-1763) alter the political, economic, and ideological relations between Britain and its American colonies?

Political:

  • British ending salutary neglect + imposing new taxes/regulations —> colonies upset, building tension, and realizing their desire for liberty + self-governing + taxation with representation

Economic:

  • War debt for Britain —> taxing colonies to pay it off

  • Large territorial gain for Britain, but Proclamation of 1763 prevented colonists from expanding westward —> more tension + anger

Ideological:

  • Increased desire for self-government, having more representation in the laws that they have to follow

  • Increased ideas of natural rights, LLP, and disliking a single overpowered centralized government