APUSH Unit 2: Cause -> Effect One-Pager Flashcards

French & Indian War (1754–1763)

  • Cause: Great Britain and France fought for control over land and power in North America.
  • Effect: Great Britain won the war but accumulated a massive financial debt.
  • Strategic Policy Shift: Great Britain wanted the American colonies to help pay for the war debt incurred in defending them.

British Taxes & Colonial Resistance

  • Sugar Act (1764):
    • Placed taxes on imported sugar and molasses.
    • Enforced stricter anti-smuggling trade regulations.
  • Stamp Act (1765):
    • Enacted a direct tax on printed materials (newspapers, legal documents, playing cards).
    • Sparked the colonial rallying cry: "No taxation without representation!"
    • Triggered organized resistance including the Stamp Act Congress, the Sons of Liberty, and trade boycotts, causing resistance to grow.
  • Declaratory Act (1766):
    • Reasserted that British Parliament maintained absolute authority to make laws binding the colonies in all cases.

Townshend Acts to Boston Massacre

  • Townshend Acts (1767):
    • Imposed taxes on imported goods including glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea.
    • Led colonists to organize boycotts and public protests.
  • Boston Massacre (1770):
    • British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing several colonists.
    • The incident was heavily utilized as anti-British propaganda throughout the colonies.
    • Solidified anti-taxation slogans such as "NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION".

Tea Act to Boston Tea Party

  • Tea Act (1773):
    • Designed to help the British East India Company sell tea directly in the colonies.
    • Colonists feared it would implicitly force them to accept Parliament's right to tax them.
  • Boston Tea Party (1773):
    • Protesters boarded British ships and dumped cargoes of tea into Boston Harbor.
    • Led Great Britain to decide to formally punish Massachusetts.

Intolerable Acts (1774)

  • Cause: Direct British reaction to the Boston Tea Party.
  • Direct Effects:
    • Closed Boston Harbor to trade.
    • Limited local self-government in Massachusetts.
  • Unintended Consequence:
    • Instead of separating Massachusetts from the rest of the colonies as intended, the punitive laws fostered increased colonial unity.

Continental Congress to Revolutionary War

  • First Continental Congress (1774):
    • Delegates from different colonies convened and worked together to coordinate resistance.
  • Lexington & Concord (1775):
    • Marked the first major military fighting of the American Revolution.
  • Second Continental Congress:
    • Managed the overall war effort and officially created the Continental Army.
    • Appointed George Washington as the commander-in-chief.

Bunker Hill & Early Steps Toward Independence

  • Battle of Bunker Hill (1775):
    • Resulted in a British victory, but with extremely heavy casualties.
    • Demonstrated to the colonies that colonial militia forces could resist the British army.
  • Olive Branch Petition (1775):
    • A final colonial effort to negotiate peace with Great Britain.
    • Formally rejected by King George III.
  • Common Sense (1776):
    • Widely read pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that vigorously encouraged full independence.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

  • Cause: Continuous violation of colonial rights by Great Britain.
  • Philosophical Foundations:
    • Incorporated John Locke's Enlightenment theories of natural rights and consent of the governed.
    • Key principles of John Locke: Natural rights include Life, Liberty, and Property; government derives its power directly from the people.
  • Effect: The Thirteen Colonies officially declared their independence from British rule.

Turning Points of the Revolution

  • Battle of Saratoga (1777):
    • Represented a major American victory.
    • Convinced France to openly support America by providing money, weapons, troops, and naval military aid.
  • Valley Forge (1777–1778):
    • Encampment where the Continental Army suffered through severe conditions but emerged significantly better trained and organized.
  • Treaty of Paris (1783):
    • Officially ended the war; Great Britain formally recognized American independence.

After Independence: Articles of Confederation

  • Underlying Motivation: Americans deeply feared creating another powerful or tyrannical government.
  • Outcome: Established a intentionally WEAK national government.
  • Weaknesses of the Articles:
    • Central government had no power to tax.
    • No executive branch (no president).
    • No national court system.
    • Weak control and regulation of interstate/foreign trade.
    • Extremely difficult to pass major laws (required approval from 9 out of 13 states).
  • Successes under the Articles:
    • Land Ordinance of 1785: Organized western lands into systematic townships.
    • Northwest Ordinance of 1787: Established an orderly procedure for western territories to become new states.
  • Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787):
    • Armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers that demonstrated the national government was far too weak to handle major domestic problems.

United States Constitution (1787)

  • Context: The Articles of Confederation proved too weak, prompting leaders to meet at the Constitutional Convention to create a stronger national government.
  • Key Compromises:
    • Great Compromise: Created a bicameral legislature where representation in the House of Representatives is based on state population, while the Senate provides 2 seats per state.
    • Three-Fifths Compromise: Stated that enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and direct taxation calculations.
    • Electoral College: Established an indirect election system for choosing the president.
  • Governmental Structure:
    • Separation of Powers: Government power is divided across 3 distinct branches (Legislative, Executive, Judicial).
    • Checks & Balances: Ensures each branch can limit and monitor the powers of the other branches.
    • Federalism: Power is divided between the national government and state governments.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists & The Bill of Rights

  • Federalists:
    • Supported ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
    • Favored a stronger national government.
    • Key figures include Alexander Hamilton and George Washington.
  • Anti-Federalists:
    • Feared excessive national power and tyranny.
    • Demanded explicit constitutional protections for individual rights.
    • Key figures include Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
  • Bill of Rights (1791):
    • Consists of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
    • Guarantees explicit protection for individual liberties to satisfy Anti-Federalist concerns.

Cause-and-Effect Chronology & Core Takeaways

APUSH Unit 2 Cause and Effect One-Pager Summary Diagram

  • The Complete Unit Chain (1754–1791):

    • French & Indian War (1754–1763) → British debt → British taxes → Colonial resistance → Boston Tea Party (1773) → Intolerable Acts (1774) → Colonial unity → Lexington & Concord (1775) → Revolution → Declaration of Independence (1776) → Saratoga + French help → American victory → Articles of Confederation (1781) → Weak government → Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787) → Constitution (1787) → Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists → Bill of Rights (1791).

  • 5 Things to Never Forget:

    1. French & Indian War → DEBT
    2. Debt → TAXES
    3. Taxes → RESISTANCE
    4. Shays' Rebellion → STRONGER GOVERNMENT
    5. Articles → CONSTITUTION

  • Key Synthesis Takeaway:

    • The American Revolution was not strictly about fighting Great Britain — it was equally about creating a system of government that balanced power, protected fundamental rights, and built a sustainable new nation.