2. Enforcing the Colonial Relationship 1763-1774 Flashcards

1
Q
  1. What was Britain’s financial situation at the end of the 7 years war?
A
  • Doubled national debt from war.
  • Interest for debt was £4.4 mil a year.
  • National income only £8 mil a year.
  • Cost of maintaining colonies was £350,000 a year.
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2
Q

When did the 7 years war end?

A

February 1763

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3
Q
  1. Why did the American colonies benefit from the defeat of France in 1763?
A
  • No French threat from Canada.

- Colonies on the frontier were hoping to exploit the land gained from France.

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4
Q
  1. Why did it seem evident to many British politicians that imperial control over the colonies should be tightened in 1763?
A
  • To defend against Native American skirmishes.
  • To provide adequate government for the French Canadians.
  • Policy needed to manage land settlement and the fur trade.
  • Smuggling problems were becoming apparent.
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5
Q
  1. What happened in Pontiac’s rebellion of May 1763 and why was it significant?
A

Knowing white settlers would continue to invade their lands, Ohio valley tribes rebelled against the British, led by Pontiac.
- British troops eventually defeated them which proved colonists could not be counted on for their own defence.

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6
Q
  1. What was the 1763 Proclamation?
A
  • Declared boundary of white settlement along Appalachian strip, intended to be temporary to control conflict.
  • Frontier colonies angered as they felt they had the right to settle in land they ‘fought for’.
  • Over 30,000 settlers ignored it and by 1767, Britain accepted the breakdown of the proclamation.
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7
Q
  1. What were Grenville’s anti-smuggling measures of 1763?
A
  • Colonial customs officials now had to live in colonies rather than delegating their duties.
  • Smuggling cases went to a vice-admiralty courts in Nova Scotia with a judge and no jury.
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8
Q
  1. What was the 1764 Sugar act and associated legislation?
A
  • Lowered duty on foreign molasses and sugar to 3d per gallon instead of 6d.
  • Aimed to be more enforceable and raise over £78,000.
  • Added more items to the list of enumerated commodities such as wine and coffee, meaning they had to be shipped via Britain.
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9
Q
  1. What was the currency act of 1764? And who was it aimed at?
A
  • Banned Colonial paper money.

- Mostly aimed at Virginia who had issues vast quantities of paper money during the 7 years war.

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10
Q
  1. What was the colonies response to Grenville’s measures of 1763/4?
A
  • Angered many colonists, especially smugglers.
  • Worried the vice-admiralty courts challenged the colonial legal system.
  • Thought currency act was poorly timed during post war depression in colonies. Especially worried about deflation.
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11
Q
  1. Why did the Sugar act and additional policies cause some Americans to be suspicious in 1764?
A
  • Taxed without representation, showing parliament would control without consent.
  • Suspicious their political and legal systems were being undermined.
  • Suspicious of presence of standing army.
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12
Q
  1. What American opposition was there in 1764?
A
  • 9 colonies contacted parliament to tell them they had overstepped their power in raising revenue.
  • Some pamphlets produced.
  • Most colonists fine with it, giving Grenville the confidence for the Stamp act.
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13
Q

When was the stamp act announced and due to come into effect?

A

Announced in 1764, to come into effect in 1765.

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14
Q
  1. What was the Stamp act?
A
  • Stamps now had to be bought for all ‘official’ documents w.g marriage licenses, tavern licenses, newspapers.
  • Estimated to raise £60,000 in first year.
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15
Q
  1. Why did the Stamp act provoke such violent reaction in the colonies?
A
  • Almost all groups were affected by the act.
  • Influential groups at the heart of communities affected most such as newspaper printers and tavern owners.
  • First direct tax on colonies.
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16
Q

14a. What were the Virginia resolves?

A
  • Written by Patrick Henry in May 1765
  • Said, ‘Colonists have rights of Englishmen’
    ‘ Colonists can only be taxed with proper representation’
    ‘ Colonists have the right to consent’
    ‘ only the house of Burgesses can tax Virginians’
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17
Q

14b. What was the impact of the Virginia resolves?

A
  • Spread ideas of consent for taxation.
  • 8 other assemblies passed similar resolutions, colonies were uniting.
  • Some Newspapers published 2 more extreme resolves from Patrick Henry which had not been passed but threatened violence/resistance.
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18
Q
  1. What was the Stamp act congress?
A
  • A Massachusetts proposed intercolonial meetings discussing common resolutions.
  • 9 Colonies in attendance.
  • Decided:
    ‘Stamp act subverted rights of colonists’
    ‘Only colonial assemblies could tax colonists’
    ‘Stamp act must be repealed and vice-admiralty courts abolished’
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19
Q

When was the Stamp act Congress?

A

October 1765

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20
Q
  1. Who were seen as the ‘real villains’ by colonists during the Stamp act crisis? And why?
A
  • The ministers in British parliament such as Bute and Grenville.
  • Believed they were conspiring to remove colonists liberties, and thought the standing army served as proof.
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21
Q
  1. Why was popular protest so important during the Stamp act crisis of 1765?
A
  • Took the debate from assemblies into a public movement.
  • Showed British government how widespread the unrest was.
  • Kept movement and unrest alive.
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22
Q
  1. Outline the mob action that took place in Boston during the Stamp act crisis?
A
  • Effigies of stamp officers (Oliver) and Bute burned/hung.
  • Houses of stamp officers destroyed, forcing resignation.
  • Sons of Liberty organise urban movement of resistance.
  • Class resentment as rich colonials feared property destruction.
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23
Q
  1. What economic sanctions were put in place by the colonists to protest the Stamp act?
A
  • Many merchants signed a non-importation agreement.

- General population undertook a boycott of British goods which severely damaged British merchants and artisans.

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24
Q

20a. When was the Stamp act repealled?

A

March 1766

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25
Q

20b. Why was the Stamp act repealled?

A
  • New Prime minister, Rockingham, felt parliament should exercise its right to tax less intensely.
  • British manufacturers were calling for repeal to end boycott.
  • Britain also lacked military power to enforce the act.
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26
Q
  1. Why was the declaratory act passed at the same time as the repeal of the stamp act?
A

To reassert parliament’s right to make laws for the colonies, in all cases except this one.

27
Q

When was the declaratory act passed?

A

1766

28
Q
  1. What were the short term consequences of the repeal of the Stamp act ?
A
  • Non-importation abandoned.
  • Sons of Liberty disbanded.
  • Assemblies sent thank yous to the King.
  • Most colonists returned to friendly perception of Britain.
  • Some politicians in the Colonies lost power due to affiliations with stamp officials.
29
Q
  1. What were the more significant, long term consequences of the repeal of the Stamp act?
A
  • More radical politicians elected in colonial assemblies.

- Britain felt the need to reassert its power over the colonies.

30
Q

24a. What lessons were learned by the Americans as a result of the Stamp act crisis?

A
  • Learned to be vigilant in defence of their liberties.

- Learned uniting could defeat the British.

31
Q

24b. What lesson was learned by the British as a result of the Stamp act crisis?

A
  • Learned America didn’t respect their power as much as they thought.
32
Q

When were the Townshend duties passed?

A

June 1767

33
Q

Who was Charles Townshend?

A

A British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1767, but died later that year.

34
Q
  1. What were the Townshend duties?
A
  • Duties on imports of glass, wine, paper, etc.

- Were external as Benjamin Franklin had highlighted difference between internal and external taxation.

35
Q
  1. Why were the Townshend duties introduced?
A
  • To pay salaries of royal officials in the colonies.

- These salaries had to be paid through Britain so colonies were taxed.

36
Q
  1. What was the New York restraining act of 1767? Why was it passed?
A
  • Stopped NY assembly from taking any legislative action until they complied with the Quartering act of 1765.
  • NY had unequal number of soldiers due to army headquarters so felt unfairly burdened by the quartering act.
37
Q
  1. What was the intellectual response to the Townshend duties?
A
  • John Dickinson writes ‘Letters of a Pennsylvanian farmer’
    which condemned taxation without representation and the NY restraining act.
  • Other writers warned the NY restraining act strengthened the King’s power and corrupted colonial assemblies.
38
Q
  1. What was the political response to the Townshend duties?
A
  • Feb 1768, Massachusetts circular letter is sent, denouncing Townshend duties.
  • 7 Colonies endorse letter.
  • House of Burgesses issue own letter saying joint action must be taken to avoid being enslaved.
  • Sons of liberty revived.
39
Q
  1. What economic resistance was there to the Townshend duties?
A
  • Boston organises non-importation movement from 1768, almost every colony involved by 1769.
  • Colonial manufacturing increases.
  • Importing merchants threatened.
  • Many colonists eager to abandon British ‘luxury’ and return to colonial ‘simplicity’.
40
Q
  1. What unrest occurred in Boston in 1767-8?
A
  • Boston was the location of the American Customs Commission.
  • Failed to prevent smuggling and were driven out of town after the seizure of John Hancock’s boat.
  • By 1768, Sons of Liberty controlled Boston.
41
Q

32a. Who was the first secretary of state for the colonies?

A

Earl of Hillsborough.

42
Q

32b. When was the Earl of Hillsborough appointed as secretary of state for the colonies?

A

January 1768

43
Q

32c. What did the Earl of Hillsborough do first as secretary of state for the colonies?

A

Ordered Massachusetts to rescind their circular letter.

44
Q

When did troops first arrive in Boston following the Townshend crisis?

A

September 1768

45
Q
  1. Why did the arrival of troops in Boston in September 1768 lead to more problems?
A
  • Difficult to quarter men.
  • Aggravated Bostonians.
  • Off duty soldiers took up other jobs.
46
Q
  1. What led to the Boston Massacre of 1770?
A
  • Late February, Customs informer kills 11 year old during riot. And funeral becomes political demonstration.
  • 5 March 1770, Troops open fire after being attacked by snowballs and rocks.
47
Q
  1. What was the media impact of the Boston massacre of March 1770?
A
  • Sam Adams created the idea the civilians were deliberately killed and they became martyrs of the political struggle.
48
Q

When did the Boston Massacre take place?

A

March 1770

49
Q

How many colonists died as a result of the Boston Massacre?

A

5

50
Q
  1. What problems did the British government face by 1770? Why was the situation not yet irretrievable?
A
  • Insufficient troops in colonies to enforce order.
  • Relations between parliament and colonial assemblies was deteriorating.
  • However, Conservatives in America opposed mob action, and non-import was not fully followed. Not full devotion from colonies.
51
Q

37a. Why were the Townshend duties repealed?

A

Did not raise enough revenue and non importation was damaging Britain. However the duty on tea remained.

52
Q

When were the townshend duties repealed?

A

April 1770

53
Q

37b. What effect did the repeal of the Townshend acts have on resistance in the colonies?

A
  • New York stopped non-import, most ports then followed.

- Trade returned.

54
Q
  1. What were the committees of correspondence?
A
  • Created by Sam Adams in 1771 at a Boston town meeting.
  • Meant to ensure quick unified responses across colonies.
  • By February 1774, all but 2 colonies had some.
55
Q

When were the Committees of correspondence created?

A

1771

56
Q
  1. Why were American colonies not united in 1770?
A
  • Disputes over land, e.g New York and New Hampshire.
  • Wealth and class disputes.
  • Regulator movement in backcountry farmland.
57
Q
  1. Why was the 1773 tea act introduced?
A

EIC had too much tea and wanted to sell it off at a discounted price in America.

58
Q

When was the tea act passed?

A

1773

59
Q
  1. Why did the tea act seem like a good idea in Britain?
A
  • American consumers would benefit from low prices.
  • Britain would obtain duty from Townshend duties.
  • EIC would sell excess tea.
60
Q
  1. How did most Colonists react to the tea act?
A
  • Saw another attempt to reduce American freedoms.
  • Newspapers criticised it.
  • Merchants supporting it were attacked, most tea agents resigned.
61
Q
  1. What happened in the build up to the Boston tea party?
A
  • 28th November, Dartmouth ship enters harbour

- 30 days before tax must be paid on tea even if it isn’t unloaded.

62
Q
  1. What took place during the Boston tea party of 1773?
A

16 December 1773, Sons of Liberty threw £10,000 worth of tea into harbour from 3 ships.

63
Q

When did the Boston Tea party occur?

A

16 December 1773

64
Q
  1. What did John Adams write of the Boston Tea party?
A
  • Bold, daring, firm

- ‘A notable stage of history’