Seven Years/French and Indian War 1754-1763

A conflict between Britain and France for land and territory for economic value. War began when the French built many forts on the frontier to stop Britain’s expansion.

After effects:

• Britain had unchallenged control over colonies

• Challenged the American Indians

• British had the strongest naval power

• Colonists faced less threats from French, Spanish, and American Indians.

• The British were unimpressed with the colonist’s military abilities, and thought of them as unable and unwilling to protect the frontier.

• The colonists were proud of their military performance and looked down on the British leadership and military methods.

The Albany Congress

An intercolonial congress to address Iroqouis grievances.

The Albany Plan of Union 1754

An intercolonial system for recruiting troops and collecting taxes for their defense. This plan never went into effect because the colonies wanted to preserve their powers to tax.

salutary neglect

Loose enforcement of policies.

Pontiac’s War 1763

Indians angered by expanding European settlements on the western frontier.

Proclamation of 1763

A British limit on westward colonial expansion. Colonists didn’t want to lose the benefits so they continued to settle westward. This was in response to Pontiac’s rebellion to try to keep peace at the western frontier.

Vice admiralty courts

A court with only a judge instead of a jury for cases on maritime activities.

Toleration Act

Sugar Act/Revenue Act 1764

Added a tax to foreign and other goods to regulate the sugar trade and raise money. This also hoped to enforce the Navigation Acts and to stop smuggling.

Currency Act

Forbade the making of new paper money.

Quartering Act 1765

Required colonists to provide housing to British soldiers in the colonies.

Stamp Act 1765

Internal and direct tax on paper products (legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, and advertisements) and stamps to raise money to support the British soldiers in the colonies.

Stamp Act Resolutions

The Stamp Act Congress only wanted elected representatives to have the power to tax.

Declaratory Act 1766

Following the repeal of the Stamp Act, this act confirmed Parliament’s full power over the colonies for laws and taxes.

Townshend Acts 1767

Taxes on imported goods from Britain to pay royal officials in the colonies.

The Townshend Acts were repealed in 1770 because they negatively impacted trade and did not bring much income.

Virtual representation

Parliament members represented the whole empire instead of just their district.

Internal/external taxes (Direct/indirect taxes)

Sons of Liberty

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

A secret organization that intimidated tax agents into leaving their jobs and to stop collecting the stamp taxes.

Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer

John Dickenson said that Parliament could regulate trade, but could not tax without the consent of a colonial representative assembly.

Nonimportation

Nonimportation agreements: Boycott of British goods to pressure the British to repeal the Stamp Act.

writs of assistance

As part of the Townshend Acts, these were licenses for officials to search private homes for smuggled goods.

Wilkes Crisis 

Boston Massacre

March 5, 1770.

British guards fired on a group of colonists after the colonists harassed them with snowballs. It was called a massacre, increasing anti-British feelings.

Committees of Correspondence 1772

Started by Samuel Adams, these committees exchanged letters of suspicious or threatening British activity.

Started by the thought that the British were taking away colonial liberties.

The Gaspee incident 1772

Disguised as American Indians, colonists burned the Gaspee, a British customs ship that caught smugglers. 

The Tea Act 1773

Parliament lowered the price of tea from the British East India Company to attract more buyers. Most colonists refused to buy it because it would recognize Parliament’s right to tax them.

The Boston Tea Party

Bostonians gathered to throw boxes of tea from the British East India Company overboard.

The “Intolerable” Acts

The Coercive Acts 1774

Port Act: Closed the port of Boston until the destroyed tea was paid for.

Massachusetts Government Act: Lessened the government’s power in Massachusetts and increased the power of royal governors.

Administration of Justice Act: Allowed accused royal officials to be tried in Britain instead of in the colonies.

The Quebec Act 1774

In the Canadian lands that the British gained, there was a government without an assembly and the official religion was Catholicism.

Circular Letter 1768

By James Otis and Samuel Adams, who petitioned the Quartering and Townshend Acts and taxes.

The British responded by sending soldiers to patrol the colonists.

The colonists boycotted more products and smuggling increased to avoid the taxes.

The Enlightenment 18th century

A development in philosophy and literature. Leaders of the movement believed that using reasoning would bring light to the past. John Locke influenced the Enlightenment by writing about how everyone had natural rights because they were human.

Thomass Paine’s Common Sense 1776

Pamphlets directly attacking King George III in saying that his government was corrupt and wrote unreasonable laws. He wrote that the states should be independant and break political ties with Britain instead of being ruled by a distant and small island.

First Continental Congress

Delegates discussed what was considered a British threat to their liberties.

Radicals: Those who wanted the most from Britain.

Conservatives: Those who held small protests against Britain.

Suffolk Resolves: Protest for repeal of Intolerable Acts by preparing military and boycotting British goods.

Declaration and Resolves: Asked the king to address colonial grievances and give colonial rights. They recognized Parliament’s power to regulate trade.

Continental Association: Enforcement of the Suffolk Resolves.

Would meet again in May 1775 if colonial rights were not restored.

Lexington & Concord April 1775

After additional troops were sent to the rebellious state of Massachusetts, British General Gage was sent to take military supplies from Concord. The militia (Minutemen) of Lexington found out and assembled but were forced to retreat and some of their supplies were destroyed. Later, they fired on the British from behind walls. 

Start of the Revolutionary War

Bunker Hill June 1775

The colonists lost control over a hill but managed to inflict heavy casualties on the British army.

Second Continental Congress May 1775

Delegates from New England wanted to declare independence. Those from the middle colonies wanted to restore the relationship with Britain. They began forming a new colonial army and volunteer units, and a navy to attack British ships.

Olive Branch Petition July 1775

To restore relation with Britain, a letter was sent to the king pledging loyalty and included a list of grievances to protect the rights of the colonists. This was responded with the Prohibitory Act (August 1775), declaring the colonies in rebellion. Later trade between Britain and the colonies was forbidden.

The Declaration of Independence June 1776

Included a list of grievances and why a revolution was reasonable.

Battle of Saratoga October 1777

The colonists' victory led to the French’s alliance, which helped them to win the Revolutionary War.

After the British surrendered, the American victory led to the French alliance starting in 1778. The French had also supplied money and supplies to the Americans as early as 1775.

Tories/Loyalists

Those who remained loyal to the king of Britain and fought against the Patriots. 

Battle of Yorktown 1781

The last major battle of the Revolutionary War. Americans with their French alliance, forced the British under General Cornwallis to surrender.

Treaty of Paris

Britain wanted peace because the costs of war were high.

1. Britain recognized the United States as independent.

2. The western boundary would be the Mississippi River.

3. Americans could fish on the coast of Canada.

4. Americans had to pay debts to British merchants and Loyalist claims of property.

Emancipation (different methods of doing so)

Freeing someone from the control of another.

Republican motherhood 

Highlighted the importance of women's roles in shaping the future generations as educators. They taught their children about the new republic and their role as citizens.

Land Ordinance of 1785

A system for organizing and selling Western lands

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Rules for forming new states. They had a limited self government and slavery was not allowed.

The Impost Plan 1781

To raise money, congress added a 5% tax on all imported goods.

Articles of Confederation 1777

Established a unicameral government with more power for the individual states. 9 out of 13 states were needed to pass laws. All 13 states were needed to amend the Articles.

Shays’ Rebellion Summer of 1786

Farmers and veterans protested about high taxes, imprisonment for debt, lack of paper money, and to keep the stay law (postponing the date a debt is due). These taxes were raised by the government to pay the veterans (basically the veterans were paying themselves).

Philadelphia/Constitutional Convention 1787

Planning for a stronger union, revising the Articles, and how to have a clear separation of powers to balance the government’s power. They wrote a new constitution that would need approval from 9 out of the 13 states.

Virginia Plan: Bicameral legislature where there is representation by population in both houses.

New Jersey Plan: Each state gets one vote. Congress can tax trade and states.

3/5ths Compromise

⅗ ‘s of slaves count for representation and taxes.

U.S. Constitution

Separation of powers to avoid abuse of powers by the central government.

Connecticut Plan (Great Compromise) has one house by population and the other with equal representation.

⅗ Compromise for counting slaves in the population.

Commercial Compromise: Congress could regulate interstate and foreign trade, could tax imports but could not tax exports.

Federalists/Anti-Federalists

Federalists: Supported the Constitution. Wanted a strong central government to maintain the Union.

Anti-Federalists: Not supporters of the Constitution. They thought that power was too remote from the people and wanted a bill of rights to ensure their rights were protected.

The Federalists Papers 1787

By Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to spread support for ratifying the Constitution.

Federalist No. 10 1787

By James Madison on the dangers of having factions and reasons why a republic is the best choice for the United States. 

A republic is where the power is held by the people through elected representatives.