1754-1800 (10-17%) Flashcards
Why was the Battle of Yorktown significant?
The Battle of Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolution. The British were led by Lord Cornwallis and the colonists/French were led by George Washington and Jean-Baptiste de Rocheambeau.
What and when was the Whiskey Rebellion?
In 1794, farmers refused to pay Hamilton’s proposed whiskey excise and terrorized tax collectors in the region. Washington responded with Hamilton’s advising by sending military troops to quell the rebellion. The incident proved that the new system of government had the power and authority to suppress any resistance to its laws.
When was the French and Indian War (Seven Years War), and what was its impact?
The French and Indian War was a conflict between the British and the French that greatly involved the Native Americans and the American colonists. The French lost the war, and accordingly decreased their influence in the colonies. On the other hand, the British practically did the opposite. Unsatisfied with the colonists’ efforts during the war, the Crown was determined to impose stricter control on the colonies.
What was the impact of “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine?
“Common Sense” by Thomas Paine was published in 1776, and persuaded the colonists of the necessity for independence.
What was the impact of the Tea Act?
In 1773, Parliament imposed a tea tax on the colonies, which Americans saw as a new way it was trying to reaffirm its power. In defiance, colonists dressed up as Mohawk Indians and dumped chests of tea into Boston Harbor, infuriating the British.
What was Lexington and Concord?
“The Shot Heard ‘Round The World”
1775 - These were the first shots (the first battle) of the American Revolution.
How and why did American attitudes toward Parliament, the English Constitution, and the King change between 1763 and 1765?
Attitudes changed in response to legislation like the Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act of 1764, and the Stamp and Quartering Acts of 1765. The colonists grew to despise the British government, and formed the Stamp Act Congress. This was a major step in the colonies becoming a unified nation.
What was the Proclamation of 1763?
The Proclamation of 1763 prevented westward expansion past the Appalachian Mountains, in a British attempt to assert more control over the colonies.
What was the Battle of Saratoga?
The Battle of Saratoga (1777) was the turning point in the American Revolution for the colonists. Following the battle, the French decided to aid and participate in the war effort.
What were the Committees of Correspondence?
The Committees of Correspondence - started by Samuel Adams in 1764 - were groups intended to circulate grievances against the British to towns within their colonies.
When was the Second Continental Congress, and what came out of it?
The Second Continental Congress in 1775 established the Continental Army with Washington as its commander, a committee to formulate and conduct foreign policy, and that they would begin issuing paper money.
What were the Articles of Confederation?
Drawn up in 1781, the Articles were the first national government. They were very weak pieces of legislation with no POTUS or Judiciary, with Congress as the central institution and only given few powers to avoid tyranny, and made so that the country was completely dependent on the states.
What were the Northwest Ordinances?
The Northwest Ordinances of 1784, 1785, and 1787 were the most consequential pieces of legislation passed under the Articles of Confederation.
Ord. 1784 - Established that western territories would be organized as new states
Ord. 1785 - Established a system for selling western lands
Ord. 1787 - Ceded state claims to western territories to the national government, created the Northwest Territory, and created a system for a territory to apply for statehood.
What were the Intolerable Acts?
In 1774, the Intolerable Acts closed Boston ports to all but the military and took control of the Massachusetts government. They were designed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, but it seemed to Americans that the British were cutting them off form the West and surrounding them with their enemies.
What was the Treaty of Paris?
The Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the Revolution and Britain finally recognized American Independence. In this negotiation (by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay), Britain ceded lands from the Mississippi to the Appalachian Mountains.
What did the Declaration of Independence promise?
The Declaration of Independence (1776) listed the rights, grievances, and signatures of the founding fathers in declaring independence.
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.”
When was the First Continental Congress, and what came out of it?
The Continental Congress of 1774 was one of the first times the colonies acted as a united state.
At the meeting they (6 things)…
- Rejected a colonial union under British Authority
- Created a statement of grievances, demands, and the repeal of oppressive legislation since 1763
- Approved a series of resolutions recommending military preparations be made in the event of a possible attack on Boston
- Agreed to a series of boycotts
- Established a “continental association” to enforce the agreements made
- Agreed to meet again the following spring
What is the Bill of Rights?
In 1791, James Madison proposed and established the first 10 amendments to the Constitution (the 2 others were added in later) - the Bill of Rights. Antifederalists would not ratify the Constitution without this bill to protect the rights of individuals and reinforce the balance of powers.
What was the “Boston Massacre”?
In 1770, “liberty boys” began throwing rocks and snowballs at a group of Redcoats, and the British retaliated by killing 5 people.
What was Shays’s Rebellion?
In 1786, Daniel Shays led an uprising in response to the poor economy after the war. They stopped foreclosures on bankrupt farms and disrupted court proceedings. The rebellion highlighted the need for a stronger central government.
What were the “Rights of Englishmen”?
In 1772, Samuel Adams drafted a “Declaration of Rights of the Colonists as Men”. It stated that they had the right to life, liberty, property, and the ability to support their rights in anyway they could.
What was the “Virginia Resolves”?
The “Virginia Resolves” was Patrick Henry’s dramatic speech to the house that aroused Americans to action. It introduced a set of resolutions declaring that Americans possessed the same rights as the English, including the right to only be taxed by their representatives.
What was the Townshend Program?
Following the Mutiny/Quartering Act of 1765, Massachusetts and New York Assemblies refused to grant the mandated supplies to British troops. In response to their objection, Townshend disbanded the New York Assembly. He also established the Townshend Duties (taxes solely on external transactions), which he believed the colonists would not oppose since they were not on internal transactions. He was wrong. The colonists were furious and rejected the distinction between internal and external taxation.
What did the colonists mean when they said “no taxation without representation”?
“No taxation without representation” was the American belief that it was the right of the people to only be taxed with their own consent.
