America

Question 1

What are 4 facts indicating life in the USA was better than life in the UK in 1770

Answer 1

• Colonists paid 1/6 tax as UK citizens
• Literacy Rate 70%-100% depending on the area
• Better wages than Europe
• People were 2 inches taller in USA than UK indicating healthiness

Question 2

What was one thing the USA did not have which upset the public

Answer 2

No national assembly which made their complaints unheard

Question 3

Give 3 statistics suggesting that the UK struggled to maintain USA economically in 1770

Answer 3

• Defence Costs of USA were £750,000 a year
• Debt interest costs was £4.4 million over budget
• UK national debt was £133 million

Question 4

Name 3 acts introduced between 1964-65 which was widely unpopular with Americans

Answer 4

• Quartering Act (1964) meant US soldiers had to house British soldiers when requested
• Sugar Act (1964) taxed sugar
• Stamp Act (1965) taxed stamps which were legally required on all printed material so effectively taxed all printed material

Question 5

Who were the Sons of Liberty

Answer 5

A lobby group against the British founded in 1765 in opposition to ‘taxation without representation’

Question 6

How did colonists react to the Stamp Act

Answer 6

26th August 1765 a mob incited by the Sons of Liberty ransacked the house of Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson’s house and stole £900. He retaliated and made a claim for £2100 which increased anti-stamp tax protests and the act was repealed on the 18th March 1766

Question 7

What were the Townshend Duties

Answer 7

A series of taxes introduced from 1967-68 which were deeply unpopular with the public. The worst was the 1767 Revenue Act as it paid the salaries of governors and judges who the colonists thought oppressed them.

Question 8

How successful were the Townshend Duties

Answer 8

They were designed to raise £40,000 and only raised £45, and they led to boycotts and denunciations from Massachussetts. In 1768 British military presence increased to enforce taxes and it was eventually repealed in 1770

Question 9

What and when was the Boston Massacre

Answer 9

5th March 1770, 5 colonists were killed by British soldiers and the soldiers were found not guilty in court

It became a massive propaganda tool for the Sons of Liberty and caused uproar

Question 10

By the end of 1770 what was the last duty not yet repealed and what was the impact of this

Answer 10

Tea

Question 11

Describe the reasons for the introduction of the 1773 Tea Act and its reception in the USA

Answer 11

The EIC was allowed to trade tea cheaply to the USA in 1773 but was still subject to duties

This undercut the smugglers who had been supplying tea (85% of tea imports was smuggled from the Dutch) which angered Americans who didn’t want to pay duties and they rejected tea from the EIC

Question 12

What and when was the Boston Tea Party and how did Americans react

Answer 12

16th December 1773, 60 Sons of Liberty boarded British ships and threw £10,000 of tea overboard

Many Americans were actually horrified by this including Patriots as property was deemed sacred

Question 13

How did Britain react to the Boston Tea Party

Answer 13

Introduced the Coercive Acts in 1774

Question 14

What were the 5 Coercive Acts

Answer 14

• Boston Port Act (Closed Boston Port until King was paid for the tea and felt order was restored)
• Massachussetts Government Act (Increased British governmental control over Massachusetts)
• Administration of Justice Act (Allowed accused royal officials to have a trial elsewhere in the Empire which let them evade justice)
• Quartering Act 1774 (Allowed soldiers to stay in American homes)
• Quebec Act (Expanded Quebec into land claimed by the Ohio Company and Americans disliked the freedoms given to Catholics and French people)

Question 15

What was the impact of the Coercive Acts

Answer 15

• Reduced standard of living in Boston without a port and it felt to many like a military occupation
• Led to Bostons not trusting the justice system
• Reduced trust in the British as the Protestant population resented the leniency given to French and Catholics

Question 16

Who was Thomas Gage and how did he increase tensions

Answer 16

He was appointed Gov of Massachusetts in 1774, and attempted to steal a Powder Magazine and later attempted to seize a weapons cache - both failed and angered locals

He was also advised by Lord Dartmouth to use force on the locals to keep peace but Dartmouth added some clauses which voided himself of responsibility in case anything went wrong

Question 17

When was the first Continental Congress and what happened in it

How did the UK react to this

Answer 17

In September 1774 in Philadelphia, called for Massachussetts to arm for defence and gave each colony the right to determine its own need for troops

The UK officially considered the state of Massachussetts as being in a state of rebellion on the 9th February 1775 as a result

Question 18

What was the February 1775 Provisional Act

Answer 18

An idea proposed by PM Pitt the Elder to remove all duties includin sugar and recognised the Continental Congress as an American Parliament in order to reduce tensions in the colony

The House of Lords rejected this as they personally were the people who benefitted off the duties

Question 19

Describe the events of Lexington and Concord

Answer 19

Britain was due to march on Concord to seize a weapons cache - a tip off meant Sons of Liberty member Paul Revere could ride ahead on the night of April 18th 1775 and warn people fo the British attack. Patriot forces met British ones at Lexington on the way and won, then surrounding Boston with 20,000 patriots

Question 20

Describe the events of the battle of Bunker Hill

Answer 20

17th June 1775 the British engage the Americans in combat, fighting uphill the whole battle. Although Britain “wins” they suffer 2500 casulaties to the US 1000 and 1/8 of all British officers who died in the whole AWOI died at Bunker Hill, making the battle pyrrhic

Question 21

When did the UK consider the colonies to be in a state of full rebellion

Answer 21

August 1775

Question 22

What 2 things came of the Second Continental Congress June 1775

Answer 22

• Issued paper money to fund war
• Made George Washington Commander-in-chief

Question 23

Why did the Declaration of Independence not come during the 2nd Continental Congress

Answer 23

• Communication was difficult between different states and so it took a while for all states to agree and align their reasons for revolution
• Moderates had to see that every opportunity for peace had been taken

Question 24

When was the Olive Branch Petition sent out, what was it and when was it rejected

Answer 24

Sent 8th July 1775, offering peace with the British which King George refused in autumn

Question 25

When was the declaration of independence

Answer 25

4th July 1776

Question 26

In 1776 how many British soldiers had been deployed to the USA

Answer 26

8,000

Question 27

What were the main weaknesses of Britain before the AWOI

Answer 27

- Long supply lines fighting a transatlantic war - Little knowledge of the interior - They could not use their navy as blockading ports would affect the loyalists - This meant that they were susceptible to guerilla tactics

Question 28

What was 2 weakness of the continental army before the war

Answer 28

- Soldiers only served 6 months a year making keeping the army together was an issue - Badly trained and equipped

Question 29

Why did the British army control New York first

Answer 29

- It was the entrance to the Hudson River which could take them into enemy territory comparatively safely - It was 2/3 loyalist and therefore resistance would be less

Question 30

Describe the Battle of Brooklyn Heights

Answer 30

27th August 1776 A gap in Washington's defences allowed Britain to gain the advantage, forcing Washington to retreat, reducing his army to 5,000 (75% decrease) and reducing public confidence of him and morale

Question 31

Describe the attack of the HMS Eagle

Answer 31

6th September 1776, Ezra Lee piloted a combat submarine and attacked the HMS Eagle. Although he did not damage it it scared the British who had thought NY harbour was safe and they moved the fleet away instantly

Question 32

Describe the Battle of Trenton and its impact on the war

Answer 32

26th December 1776 - On the night before, Washington famously crossed the Delaware, then attacked Trenton which was guarded by mercenaries and won as the mercenaries were taken by surprise. There was a tip-off to the mercenaries which was allegedly ignored The actual win had little strategic important and achieved nothing tactically but was a huge propaganda boost which was needed to encourage army reinforcement. It was also a sign that the USA (especially commander Nathaniel Greene) had the potential to win battles

Question 33

What was the plan for the 1777 Northern Campaign and why was it doomed to fail

Answer 33

John Burgoyne was supposed to sail through the St Lawrence River and meet William Howe who was sailing up the Hudson. This was technically impressive as it would isolate New England from the rest of the country, however with limited communication technology it was too complicated and it did not account for Burgoyne and Howe's dislike of each other

Question 34

What 3 major issues occurred in the 14th June - 17th October 1777 Northern Campaign prior to the Battle of Saratoga

Answer 34

- Burgoyne's supply lines were strecthed reducing his army size to 4,000 - Howe never met Burgoyne - The British allied with the Native Americans which was unpopular with neutral Americans who then sided with the patriots

Question 35

Describe the Battle of Saratoga

Answer 35

By the 7th October 1777 Burgoyne was trapped with just 4,000 men and without Howe's supplies had only 3 weeks of food left. He was also surrounded by 9,000 patriots under Horatio Gates Burgoyne didn't have to fight but did out of personal pride and London's demands On the 17th October Burgoyne agreed a gentleman's surrender and was allowed to leave if he exited the war

Question 36

What was the impact of the Saratoga Campaign

Answer 36

- Reduced war support in Britain - Proved to France that the US was worth supporting: They recognised as a country and formed an alliance with the USA on the 6th February 1778. - General Lafayette and Count de Rochambeau were dispatched to help the USA - The UK declared war on France on the 17th March 1778 turning the civil war into a global war which made them lose priority on the USA

Question 37

How did war with the French distract the British

Answer 37

During the AWOI and immediately after France fought the UK in Gibraltar, Jersey, the Caribbean and aided Mysore in the Second Anglo-Mysore wars

Question 38

Describe the start of the Southern Campaign

Answer 38

Britain decided to invade the Carolinas as they were the richest states funding the war, taking over Charleston (richest city in the colony) on the 17th March 1780 which became the British base in the South

Question 39

Which two actions in the Southern Campaign turned most Southerners against the British

Answer 39

- British officer Henry Clinton offered to free slaves who fought for the British - this freed 20,000 slaves - British officers such as Banastre Tarleton (Bloody Ban) gained a reputation for being ruthless

Question 40

Describe the Battle of Camden

Answer 40

16th August 1780 2000 Brits (Cornwallis) vs 3000 Patriots (Gates) USA had the numerical advantage but poor leadership led to Gates fleeing the battlefield leaving his army behind and a major American defeat, strengthening British control of the Carolinas

Question 41

What was a major propaganda blow for the USA in 1780

Answer 41

One of their most beloved US leaders, Benedict Arnold, offered to switch sides in order for money, through asking a spy called Major Andre to relay the information Major Andre got executed by the US on the 2nd October 1780 and became a British martyr while Americans felt crushed by the betrayal of Arnold

Question 42

Describe the Battle of Kings Mountain

Answer 42

7th October 1780 Hilly and wooded terrain meant the patriots could utilise cover well and made British bayonet charges useless. The British commander Bull Ferguson died and the British surrendered

Question 43

Describe the Pennsylvania and Pompton mutinies

Answer 43

1st January 1781, 1,500 soldiers in Pennsylvania were angry that they were getting paid $20 bounties compared to others getting $1000 bounties and in a drunken rage killed 3 officers. They were pardoned and transferred to the Southern Campaign because they rejected British offer for them to defect A similar mutiny was planned in Pompton but George Washington was tipped off and arrested the instigators It damaged Washington's reputation

Question 44

Describe the Battle of the Cowpens

Answer 44

17th January 1781, USA and UK met at Cowpens, SC, USA had better tactics and more numbers and defeated the British, forcing Banastre Tarleton to flee and leave his army to die fighting

Question 45

Describe the Battle of Guildford Courthouse

Answer 45

15th March 1781, Cornwallis' troops were tired and low morale and had little knowledge of the American army left, they engaged in combat and the British were defeated losing 25% of their army

Question 46

Why did the French engage the British at Chesapeake Bay on the 5th September 1781

Answer 46

The British under Cornwallis had fortified in Yorktown and needed relief from the navy so defeating the navy would mean the British army would have to surrender

Question 47

Describe the Battle of Chesapeake Bay

Answer 47

5th September 1781 24 French ships led by the Conte de Grasse beat Admiral Grave's 19 ship army, forcing the English navy to head back to New York and depriving Cornwallis of supplies

Question 48

When and where did the French land in the USA and with how many troops

Answer 48

1780 with 5500 men in Rhode Island

Question 49

Describe the siege of Yorktown

Answer 49

8000 Americans alongside the French army bombarded the 7000 man British defence at Yorktown from the 30th September 1781 - 19th October 1781, and Britain had no resupplies due to the Battle of Chesapeake. Cornwallis surrendered after Alexander Hamilton's army took the 10th redoubt. Admiral Graves left NY on the 19th October with 4000 men and 25 ships to rescue the British at Yorktown but turned around after learning of surrender The 19th October 1781 marked the end of the war