Untitled Flashcards Set

Colonial Life

1. Name the main reason for the population growth of the 1700s. 

• Decline in death rates because of improved medical practice/procedure, lifestyle, and food access. 

• Immigration from Europe to America

2. Name the 2 groups that made up the highest percentages of immigrants to the colonies throughout the 1700s. 

• The English and the Scots-Irish (from Scotland)

3. Compare and contrast the economies of New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. 

• New England: Fishing, Shipbuilding, and Trade

• Middle Colonies: Mixed economy with diverse agriculture and merchant shipping 

• Southern Colonies: Agriculture, reliant on cash crops like tobacco, rice and cotton

4. Explain why fewer and fewer servants began to arrive in Virginia in the late 1600s.

• Harsh labor conditions in the colonies

• More employment opportunities in England

5. Describe the economic benefit for owners of slaves.

• More cost-effective option, produce large quantities of crops at minimal cost

6. Show how Bacon’s Rebellion may have contributed to the rise of slavery, and how the government began to draw distinctions between what it meant to be white and what it meant to be black.

• People fear that continuing to have white indentured servants can lead to another rebellion with enslaved people 

• Started favoring importation of African slaves, more controlled labor due to racial distinction 

• Colonial law passed that says “white” as privileged class and “black” as enslaved, stripping African people’s right

7. Explain some of the main differences between the Upper and Lower South in terms of population and crops.

• Upper South: Diversified crops like tobacco and wheat

• Lower South: Plantation crops like cotton and rice 

8. Explain what life was like for freed people.

• Very difficult, limitations on rights, restricted access to education and employment 

9. Describe the Stono Slave Rebellion and the suspected rebellion in New York.

• The largest rebellion of enslaved people in colonial America, desires for freedom (in the colony of South Carolina)

• - Winter, harsh weather, food shortages, and economic difficulties 

10. Explain how religion began to change in the 1700s, and how deism differed from most of the other denominations.

• It shifted towards a more rational approach with the rise of Deism, emphasizes reason and observation of nature to understand God rather than scripture and religious authority

11. Explain how changes in the colonies may have led to the Great Awakening.

• Churches were becoming formal and less focused on personal spiritual experience which lead to the desire for more passionate and emotional expression of faith

• Enlightenment ideas: Emphasizes reason and logic, challenged traditional religious beliefs and created tension 

• New religion that appealed to people that seeked more personal and religious experience 

12. Describe the differences between Old Lights and New Lights and how the message of the New Lights differed from traditional Calvinism.

• Old Lights preferred traditional religious practice and reserved interpretation of religious doctrine

• New Lights emphasizes the emotional preaching and personal conversion. Participated in revival meetings, urges people to confront their own sinfulness and seek personal redemption

13. Show how the Great Awakening may have encouraged people to think differently than they had before. 

• The Great Awakening encouraged people to think differently about their personal connection with God. promoting the idea of individual spiritual experience over reliance on ministers

• To question societal hierarchies in other aspect of life, leading to more critical and independent mindset for colonists

14. Explain what the law said about colonial women in the 18^th century.

• Married women are legally “covered” by their husbands, no separate legal identity, could not own property, control their earnings, sign contracts, or sue in court without husband’s permission

15. Describe the kinds of work that a woman was expected to do within her home and neighborhood.

• Women can help each other in child birth, agriculture jobs

16. Describe the Scotch-Irish immigrants, where they came from, and where they settled.

• Came from Northern Ireland and settled in the American colonies, mostly in Pennsylvania but also in Virginia, Carolinas and across the South

17. Show what life was like on the frontier, and what kind of relationship the colonists on the frontier had with the Indian people who lived around them. 

• People started moving West because more people were moving

• Life was harsh and people struggled to survive against the elements

• Relationship between the colonists and Indian were uneasy because cultural differences and land competition

18. Explain how the tension began in the Ohio Country and how it finally turned into violence. 

• The Native was trading with British and French which made conflict as they were competing for land 

• Borders were not well defined and the British saw the Ohio Valley as a gateway to western expansion

• The governor of Virginia sent George Washington to the Ohio frontier to send the French a message (trespassing) 

• Washington surrendered to the French

19. Explain the significance of the Albany Conference and the Albany Plan of Union.

• Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Hutchinson writes the Albany Plan of Union

• Proposal for unified government for the colonies

The Colonial Crisis

Seven Years War is going to start in the colonies in this conflict over the Ohio River 

1. Explain the military tactic attempted by the British army at the beginning of the Seven Years’ War, and the difficulties they faced, both military and strategic, throughout the war.

• British Strategy attempted to isolate New England by capturing Lake Champlain (between Maine and Vermont).

• The british tried to copy europeans tactics because it worked for the europeans

• Lack of strategy, Unfamiliar terrain (Forest, swamps)

• Guerrilla warfare ( French and natives ambushed them difficult to maintain control)

• British won which led to the treaty of paris 1763 ( gain north america canada and mississippi river

2. Show how the colonists and the British had very different views of the Seven Year’s War. 

• The British wanted to expand their empire but the colonists viewed and bro I don't know how chat..

3. Describe the decisions that were made with the Treaty of Paris, 1763.

• France lost most of their land in NA

• British gained Canada and all of east of mississippi 

• Spain gained Louisiana (west of mississippi river) and new orleans from france  

4. Explain the background and the significance of the Proclamation of 1763.

• Proclamation of 1763 was issued by King George lll at the end of the 7 year war . It was a border line across the Appalachian mountains, stopping the british colousted from setting over there.

• It prevented conflict with the Natives 

• Angered the colonists since they wanted land over there.

5. Describe Pontiac’s Rebellion and how that led to the actions of the Paxton Boys

• Led by Pontiac, The goal was to drive out British forts and settlements. 

• The British government realized it was hard to maintain a good relationship with them so they avoided them. 

• Paxton were a group of men from Pennsylvania, they were angered by british response to the Rebellion (weak response) so they took matters into their own hands attacking the natives.

6. Describe the Revenue Act of 1764 (The Sugar Act), and the Stamp Act, why they were passed, and how and why the colonists began to protest them.

• They were passed because the British were in major debt from the seven year war, they saw taxes as a chance to contribute to the expanses.

• Revenue act of 1764 -  Lowered the tax on molasses to three pence, but raised the penalties for smuggling and tightened enforcements. 

• Stamp act of 1765- Set up taxes for all paper used for documents/mail. These documents have to have these special stamps to prove that the tax has been paid.

• This led the colonists to protest because they believed that they were being taxed unfairly.

7.Describe the tactics of the Sons of Liberty. (Group of colonial activist)

• Samuel Adams was the leader of this group.

• They used a variety of tactics. ( protests, boycotts, and etc..)

• He comes up with a plan saying if nobody sells stamps so he pressures/threats one of the stamp distributors. (they resign)

8. Explain the Stamp Act Congress and the petition that it produced.

• Held in New york city (representatives from 9 out of 13 colonies) 

• to petition the king of England and the British Parliament for repeal of the Stamp Act.

9. Describe the Revenue Act of 1767 (Townshend Duties), and why and how the colonists objected to it.

• Revenue act of 1767 - Duties on tea glass,lead, paper, paint. Importer will pay tax  the tax, but you have to pay it, he will have to raise prices.

• “No taxation without representation” Colonists who had no representation in the british parliament, argued that they shouldn't be taxed without having a say in the laws that imposed those taxes  

• Raised the prices on essential goods.

10. Explain how the military occupation of Massachusetts led to the Boston Massacre; describe the events of the Massacre.

• Colonist gather around british soldiers (protest against taxation) protesters started throwing sticks,snowballs,rocks which infuriated a soldier and tells them to fire, killing 5 people

11. Define the Tea Act of 1773.

• Gave east india companies a tax break on their tea, making it cheaper. act allowed the company to sell tea directly to the colonies at a reduced tax, bypassing colonial merchants

12. Explain the events of the Boston Tea Party.

• Colonists disguised as natives and boarded three east india company ships in boston and dumps 342 chest of tea into the water, protesting the tea and concept of “taxation without representation”

13. Explain the significance of the Coercive Acts.(made to punish massachusetts for the boston tea party)

• The boston port bill : Closed boston harbor to shipping until tea was paid for.

• Massachusetts government act : Reduced the power of the colony's elected legislature and gave more power to the british governor. And suspend town meetings

• The Administration of Justice Act : Any royal official accused of a capital crime in America will be tried at court in england.

•  Quartering act : Colonists have to provide shelter and provision for the british army 

14. Describe the First Continental Congress and its importance. 

• Marked the first united action by the colonies to resist British control.

The War for Independence

1. Describe how the events at Lexington and Concord started the American War for Independence.

• British soldiers marched to Concord to seize colonial weapons but had a confrontation with local militia at Lexington leading to a larger battle in Concord

2. Explain why some delegates to the Second Continental Congress were not ready to endorse independence.

• Lacked clear instructions from home colonies 

• Feared potential consequences from a full break with Britain

• Hope for reconciliation

3. Explain the changes that George Washington made to the Continental Army.

• Establishing a more structured military organization, longer enlistment periods, improved training, better supplies and logistics to make an effective fighting force 

4. Describe the arguments made by Thomas Paine in Common Sense.

• Advocating for a new, self-governing republic based on the principles of natural rights, power resided with the people

• Claimed it as absurd for an island to rule a continent, London was too far from America to rule it and would only rule for Britain's benefit and not Americas 

5. Show how American women and African Americans became involved in the war effort.

• They eventually joined the war where they served as nurses, clerical staff, and pilots

• Industrial workforce like assembling aircraft, welding, filling labor gap left by men 

• Air raid warden, fire watchers, nurses’ aides

6. Compare American and British military goals in the war and how they tried to accomplish these goals.

• American goal: Independence from British rule, combination of guerilla warfare, strategic defense, and seeking international alliances

• British goal: Reassert authority over the colonies, relied on loyalists to gain intelligence and manpower, disrupting trade and putting economic pressure on the colonies

7. Describe the philosophical ideas outlined in the Declaration of Independence, and the grievances listed against the king.

• Philosophical idea of natural rights, stating all people are born with inherent rights “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” that cannot be taken away by nay government

• Grievances listed by King George III was imposing unfair taxes without consent, dissolving representatives assemblies, obstructing justice, deploying military forces without justification

8. Describe the kinds of people who remained loyal to England during the American Revolution, why they did so, and how they were treated during the Revolution.

• Loyalists remained loyal to England because they had strong economic ties to Britain, valued stability and order

• They faced harassment, property confiscation, and exile where they would be forced to flee to Canada 

9. Show how the Continental Congress tried to handle the money problem they faced.

• They tried to print large quantities of money but that led to inflation because the lacked the power to directly tax the states 

• Attempted to secure loans from foreign power like France 

10. Compare the fighting the in North with the fighting in the West, and the fighting in the South in terms of combatants, strategies, and important battles.

• North: Large armies, diverse population and strong industrial base allowing for consistent weapon production. They were trying to gain control of routes like Mississippi River by offensive operations

• South: Tried to utilize defensive strategies to outlast the North since they were on their terrain, tried to have heavy casualties to discourage the North from continuing

11. Explain the significance of both battles at Saratoga

• France signed a formal alliance with American after the Battle of Saratoga

• Provided military and financial support that contributed to the American Victory against the British

12. Describe the help that France promised to give to the United States in the war. 

• Promised to provide military, financial, and support to the united states. 

• Sending troops, ships, and providing supplies.

13. Explain the new strategy that King George came up with and whether or not is was successful.

• His strategy was to focus on the southern colonies believing that they would help them.

• Guerrilla Warfare: American fighters used hit-and-run tactics, making it harder for the British to control the area.

• Lack of Loyalist Support: Not as many loyalists supported the British as they hoped.

• French Assistance: The French helped the Americans, particularly with their navy, which prevented the British from receiving reinforcements.

• The British were surrounded and forced to surrender.

14. Explain the events and the significance of the Battle of Yorktown.

• Guerilla warfare slowed down the British Army

• Last big battle was at Yorktown, VA, French/Continental Army began closing in on the British and won over the British Navy

• French/American bombarded the British into surrendering

• Basically ended the war

15. Describe the Treaty of Paris and the most important of its eighty-two points

• Signed in September 1783, it recognized the independence of the United States.

• Established the Mississippi River as the Western border of the U.S.

• Required both nations to pay back debts to each other.

• The British agreed to withdraw their troops from U.S. territory.