American Independence Flashcards
From Colonies to Independent Nation (1754-1800)
French and Indian War (1754-1763)
Part of the larger Seven Years' War.
Conflict sparked by British colonists' concerns about French encroachment in the Ohio River Valley.
British initially faced defeats.
Albany Plan of Union (Benjamin Franklin):
Proposed a more centralized government for the colonies for better defense coordination.
Rejected due to taxation concerns.
Significant as it foreshadowed future revolutionary congresses.
British Victory:
Peace of Paris (1763) - French ousted from North America, Louisiana territory given to Spain.
British gained all land east of the Mississippi River, doubling their North American holdings.
Consequences of the French and Indian War
Westward Expansion and Native American Conflicts:
Colonists pushed westward into the Ohio River Valley, leading to conflicts with American Indians.
Pontiac's Rebellion: Ottawa leader Pontiac led raids against encroaching colonists.
Colonists disregarded Native American claims to the land.
Royal Proclamation of 1763:
Forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to ease tensions with Native Americans and maintain trade relations.
Frustrated colonists who felt entitled to western lands after fighting in the war.
British Debt and Taxation:
British debt doubled, and the cost of running the colonies increased fivefold.
Parliament sought to impose taxes on the colonies to help shoulder the financial burden.
Taxation Without Representation
End of Salutary Neglect:
Britain traditionally allowed colonies to manage their own affairs due to distance (salutary neglect).
This era ended as Britain sought to directly tax and regulate the colonies.
Acts Imposed by Parliament:
Stricter enforcement of the Navigation Acts: Aimed to curb colonial smuggling and enforce trade regulations.
Quartering Act of 1765: Required colonists to house and feed imperial troops.
Sugar Act: Imposed taxes on coffee, wine, and other luxury items; stricter enforcement of molasses tax.
Stamp Act of 1765: Taxed all paper items, impacting various segments of colonial society.
Colonial Response:
Debate over taxation without representation.
Virtual Representation: British argued colonists were represented through Parliament’s representation of all British subjects.
Colonists rejected virtual representation, desiring localized representation.
Groups like the Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty emerged to oppose the Stamp Act.
Stamp Act Congress: 27 delegates from nine colonies petitioned Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act, asserting that taxation without representation was tyranny, while affirming loyalty to the crown.
Parliament's Response:
Repealed the Stamp Act and Sugar Act due to colonial protests and economic pressure.
Declaratory Act: Asserted Parliament's right to pass any law in the colonies.
Townshend Acts (1767):
Imposed new taxes on imported items like paper, glass, and tea.
Led to organized protests and boycotts, involving a broader spectrum of colonial society.
Women played a crucial role in boycotts by producing their own goods.
Escalating Tensions
Boston Massacre (1770):
British troops stationed in Boston harassed by colonists; resulted in the death of four colonists.
Used as propaganda to highlight British tyranny.
Six of eight soldiers were acquitted.
Boston Tea Party (1773):
Response to the Tea Act, which gave the British East India Company exclusive rights to sell tea in the colonies.
Colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.
Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts):
Passed in response to the Boston Tea Party, closing Boston Harbor and implementing new quartering acts.
Further fueled colonial resistance.
Road to Revolution
Continental Congress (1774):
Colonies united to resist British violations of their liberties while still seeking to remain British subjects.
Enlightenment Thought:
Natural Rights: Belief that all humans are endowed with rights by God that governments cannot take away.
Social Contract: Government derives power from the people and must protect their rights; citizens have the right to overthrow a government that tramples upon those rights.
Republicanism: Preference for a republican government with separation of powers and checks and balances.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (1776):
Argued for the necessity of independence from Britain.
Convinced many colonists that independence was the only option.
Declaration of Independence:
Written by Thomas Jefferson, it is imbued with Enlightenment ideals.
Affirms natural rights: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Asserts the social contract: Government derives powers from the consent of the governed; the people have the right to alter or abolish a destructive government.
Adopted on July 2, 1776, and made public on July 4, 1776.
American Revolution (1775-1783)
Loyalists: Sizable opposition to independence who wished to remain loyal to Britain.
Continental Army:
Led by George Washington.
Initially, ill-equipped, ill-trained, and underpaid.
Foreign Aid:
Victory at the Battle of Saratoga (1777) convinced France to ally with the Americans.
French support included guns, ships, and military personnel, such as the Marquis de Lafayette.
British Surrender:
Defeat at the Battle of Yorktown (1781) led to British surrender.
Impact:
Inspired revolutions in France and Haiti.
Articles of Confederation
First constitution of the United States.
Structure:
Legislative body held most power; no executive or judicial branch.
No national military force.
Limited federal power to tax; reliance on states for revenue.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787:
Provided a plan for territories to become states.
Abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory.
Shays' Rebellion:
Farmers in debt, led by Daniel Shays, rebelled in Massachusetts.
Highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation – lack of national army and executive power.
Constitutional Convention (1787)
Called to revise the Articles of Confederation but resulted in a new Constitution.
Factions:
Federalists: Favored a strong central government.
Anti-Federalists: Favored states' rights and opposed increasing federal power.
Representation Debate:
Virginia Plan: Representation based on population.
New Jersey Plan: Equal representation for each state.
Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise): Bicameral Congress with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with equal representation (two votes per state).
Three-Fifths Compromise:
Addressed how to account for enslaved population in representation.
Counted three-fifths of the enslaved population for representation purposes.
New Constitution:
Established a robust central government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
Included checks and balances to limit government power.
Ratification:
Federalist Papers: Essays by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison to persuade the public of the Constitution's merits.
Anti-Federalist opposition due to the lack of a Bill of Rights.
Federalists agreed to add a Bill of Rights post-ratification.
The Constitution went into effect in March 1789.
Distinct American Culture
Post-Revolution cultural identity.
Public education plans.
Historical themes in art (e.g., Charles Wilson Peale, Samuel Jennings).
Republican Motherhood:
Assigned women the role of raising virtuous sons instructed in the principles of liberty.
First Government Under the Constitution
George Washington as President, John Adams as Vice President.
Establishment of executive departments (Treasury, State, War, Justice).
Alexander Hamilton's Policies as Secretary of the Treasury:
Federal assumption of state debts to bind the nation and improve credit.
Creation of a national bank (Bank of the United States), justified by the elastic clause (necessary and proper clause).
Opposition:
Policies led to opposition from Democratic-Republicans (Thomas Jefferson, James Madison).
Disagreement over neutrality during the French Revolution.
Whiskey Rebellion (1794):
Farmers rebelled against the whiskey tax.
Washington federalized state militias to crush the rebellion.
Democratic Republicans saw this as federal overreach.
Washington's Farewell Address:
Advised against foreign entanglements and political factions.
John Adams' Presidency:
XYZ Affair: French demanded a bribe before negotiations, leading to outrage in the U.S.
Alien and Sedition Acts: Restricted immigration and made it illegal to criticize the government publicly.
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions: Argued that states could nullify unconstitutional federal laws.
Adams was not re-elected in 1800.
Relations with Foreign Powers and Native Americans
Concern among political elites about threats to U.S. sovereignty.
Indian Trade and Intercourse Act:
Regulated relationships between settlers and Indians; largely ignored by settlers.
Tensions with Britain due to westward migration and British support of Native Americans.
Pinckney's Treaty:
Resolved border disputes with Spain, establishing the border at the 31st parallel.
Legacy of Slavery
Emergence of distinct regional attitudes towards slavery.
Northern States:
Rapid growth of free black population.
Some states (e.g., New Jersey) granted voting rights to property-owning free blacks.
Establishment of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.
Southern States:
Majority of the black population was enslaved.
Rapid growth of enslaved population.
Laws made it nearly impossible to free slaves.
Expansion of slavery into Western territories.
From Colonies to Independent Nation (1754-1800)
French and Indian War (1754-1763)
Part of the larger Seven Years' War.
Conflict sparked by British colonists' concerns about French encroachment in the Ohio River Valley.
British initially faced defeats.
Albany Plan of Union (Benjamin Franklin):Proposed a more centralized government for the colonies for better defense coordination.
Rejected due to taxation concerns.
Significant as it foreshadowed future revolutionary congresses.
British Victory:Peace of Paris (1763) - French ousted from North America, Louisiana territory given to Spain.
British gained all land east of the Mississippi River, doubling their North American holdings.
Consequences of the French and Indian War
Westward Expansion and Native American Conflicts:Colonists pushed westward into the Ohio River Valley, leading to conflicts with American Indians.
Pontiac's Rebellion: Ottawa leader Pontiac led raids against encroaching colonists.
Colonists disregarded Native American claims to the land.
Royal Proclamation of 1763:Forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to ease tensions with Native Americans and maintain trade relations.
Frustrated colonists who felt entitled to western lands after fighting in the war.
British Debt and Taxation:British debt doubled, and the cost of running the colonies increased fivefold.
Parliament sought to impose taxes on the colonies to help shoulder the financial burden.
Taxation Without Representation
End of Salutary Neglect:Britain traditionally allowed colonies to manage their own affairs due to distance (salutary neglect).
This era ended as Britain sought to directly tax and regulate the colonies.
Acts Imposed by Parliament:Stricter enforcement of the Navigation Acts: Aimed to curb colonial smuggling and enforce trade regulations.
Quartering Act of 1765: Required colonists to house and feed imperial troops.
Sugar Act: Imposed taxes on coffee, wine, and other luxury items; stricter enforcement of molasses tax.
Stamp Act of 1765: Taxed all paper items, impacting various segments of colonial society.
Colonial Response:Debate over taxation without representation.
Virtual Representation: British argued colonists were represented through Parliament’s representation of all British subjects.
Colonists rejected virtual representation, desiring localized representation.
Groups like the Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty emerged to oppose the Stamp Act.
Stamp Act Congress: 27 delegates from nine colonies petitioned Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act, asserting that taxation without representation was tyranny, while affirming loyalty to the crown.
Parliament's Response:Repealed the Stamp Act and Sugar Act due to colonial protests and economic pressure.
Declaratory Act: Asserted Parliament's right to pass any law in the colonies.
Townshend Acts (1767):Imposed new taxes on imported items like paper, glass, and tea.
Led to organized protests and boycotts, involving a broader spectrum of colonial society.
Women played a crucial role in boycotts by producing their own goods.
Escalating Tensions
Boston Massacre (1770):British troops stationed in Boston harassed by colonists; resulted in the death of four colonists.
Used as propaganda to highlight British tyranny.
Six of eight soldiers were acquitted.
Boston Tea Party (1773):Response to the Tea Act, which gave the British East India Company exclusive rights to sell tea in the colonies.
Colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.
Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts):Passed in response to the Boston Tea Party, closing Boston Harbor and implementing new quartering acts.
Further fueled colonial resistance.
Road to Revolution
Continental Congress (1774):Colonies united to resist British violations of their liberties while still seeking to remain British subjects.
Enlightenment Thought:Natural Rights: Belief that all humans are endowed with rights by God that governments cannot take away.
Social Contract: Government derives power from the people and must protect their rights; citizens have the right to overthrow a government that tramples upon those rights.
Republicanism: Preference for a republican government with separation of powers and checks and balances.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (1776):Argued for the necessity of independence from Britain.
Convinced many colonists that independence was the only option.
Declaration of Independence:Written by Thomas Jefferson, it is imbued with Enlightenment ideals.
Affirms natural rights: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Asserts the social contract: Government derives powers from the consent of the governed; the people have the right to alter or abolish a destructive government.
Adopted on July 2, 1776, and made public on July 4, 1776.
American Revolution (1775-1783)
Loyalists: Sizable opposition to independence who wished to remain loyal to Britain.
Continental Army:Led by George Washington.
Initially, ill-equipped, ill-trained, and underpaid.
Foreign Aid:Victory at the Battle of Saratoga (1777) convinced France to ally with the Americans.
French support included guns, ships, and military personnel, such as the Marquis de Lafayette.
British Surrender:Defeat at the Battle of Yorktown (1781) led to British surrender.
Impact:Inspired revolutions in France and Haiti.
Articles of Confederation
First constitution of the United States.
Structure:Legislative body held most power; no executive or judicial branch.
No national military force.
Limited federal power to tax; reliance on states for revenue.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787:Provided a plan for territories to become states.
Abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory.
Shays' Rebellion:Farmers in debt, led by Daniel Shays, rebelled in Massachusetts.
Highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation – lack of national army and executive power.
Constitutional Convention (1787)
Called to revise the Articles of Confederation but resulted in a new Constitution.
Factions:Federalists: Favored a strong central government.
Anti-Federalists: Favored states' rights and opposed increasing federal power.
Representation Debate:Virginia Plan: Representation based on population.
New Jersey Plan: Equal representation for each state.
Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise): Bicameral Congress with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with equal representation (two votes per state).
Three-Fifths Compromise:Addressed how to account for enslaved population in representation.
Counted three-fifths of the enslaved population for representation purposes.
New Constitution:Established a robust central government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
Included checks and balances to limit government power.
Ratification:Federalist Papers: Essays by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison to persuade the public of the Constitution's merits.
Anti-Federalist opposition due to the lack of a Bill of Rights.
Federalists agreed to add a Bill of Rights post-ratification.
The Constitution went into effect in March 1789.
Distinct American Culture
Post-Revolution cultural identity.
Public education plans.
Historical themes in art (e.g., Charles Wilson Peale, Samuel Jennings).
Republican Motherhood:Assigned women the role of raising virtuous sons instructed in the principles of liberty.
First Government Under the Constitution
George Washington as President, John Adams as Vice President.
Establishment of executive departments (Treasury, State, War, Justice).
Alexander Hamilton's Policies as Secretary of the Treasury:Federal assumption of state debts to bind the nation and improve credit.
Creation of a national bank (Bank of the United States), justified by the elastic clause (necessary and proper clause).
Opposition:Policies led to opposition from Democratic-Republicans (Thomas Jefferson, James Madison).
Disagreement over neutrality during the French Revolution.
Whiskey Rebellion (1794):Farmers rebelled against the whiskey tax.
Washington federalized state militias to crush the rebellion.
Democratic Republicans saw this as federal over