America

Question 1

Summarise the colonial political system in America

Answer 1

Each of the 13 colonies had a written agreement between the colony and King of England or Parliament. They provided for direct rule by the king through an appointed governor.

Question 2

What was the governors role?

Answer 2

Veto acts passed by the colonial assembly
Summon/dissolve assemblies
Appoint and dismiss judges or officials
Governors could be dismissed by the British Government

Question 3

What did the colonial legislatures do?

Answer 3

Upper house was appointed by the governor and acted as advisors.
Lower house was elected by property holding males and controlled the salary of the governor, often used to keep him in line.
Assembly initiated money bills but laws passed by them could be vetoed by government

Question 4

How was America a ‘colonial democracy?’

Answer 4

50-80% of adult male population could vote (only 15% in Britain.)
Lower house representatives were elected
Legislative assemblies opposed British taxes

Question 5

What were the Navigation Acts?

Answer 5

Passed in 1651, designed to tighten government control over trade between Britain/its colonies/rest of the world
Trade had to be conducted through English ships so they could supervise imports/exports to not give extra power to colonies or weaken Britain’s commercial position

Question 6

What was the Mercantile System?

Answer 6

Economic policy to export more than import to increase wealth, increased gold/silver supplies, did this through use of tariffs
Colonies helped as an outlet for exports, this increased jobs at home
Britain took legal steps so colonies only traded with England

Question 7

How did trade work under the Mercantile system?

Answer 7

Example: Tobacco from Jamestown had to be shipped to England first where it could be taxed before sent on and sold elsewhere

Question 8

What was the 1732 Hat Act and 1750 Iron Act?

Answer 8

Hat Act: forbade the export of colonial beaver hats

Iron Act: forbade trade in colonial iron outside the British Empire

Question 9

What was the Stamp Act of 1765?

Answer 9

Act imposed stamps (requiring taxes to be paid) on almost all written materials
Taxes were low, would be spent on the colonies but caused opposition:
Boycotts of British goods, street protests, attacks on officers.
In March 1766 the Stamp Act was repealed

Question 10

What were the effects of the Seven Years War?

Answer 10

• A Government was needed for the 80,000 in French Canada who were part of the Empire
• British taxpayers felt hard pressed and national debt increased
• Soldiers who came back reported that the colonists has a high standard of living
• At least 10,000 troops were needed to control inhabitants

Question 11

Why did the colonists see the increase of taxes as unfair?

Answer 11

• Believed Britain was illegally trying to extend their power
• Money raised through colonial assemblies should be spent locally
• No taxation without representation

Question 12

What was the 1767 Townshend Duties and what was it’s significance?

Answer 12

New duties imposed on glass, wine, paper and tea. Colonists were suspicious of Britain’s changes, New York were punished by not complying with paying for troops

Question 13

What was the significance of the 1767 Colonial assemblies denouncing the new duties?

Answer 13

Boycotts were organised and there was a violent protest in Boston. New York assembly who refused to pay for troops was suspended. Military presence in Boston increased after Boston Massacre in 1770.

Question 14

What was the 1770 Boston Massacre?

Answer 14

Tensions after a boy is killed, British soldiers shot at rioters killing 5 citizens. All Townshend duties except for tea were repealed

Question 15

What was the 1770’s Committees of Correspondence?

Answer 15

By 1774 every colony except North Carolina and Pennsylvania has its own committee, setting up a new system that Britain couldn’t control

Question 16

What was the Tea Act of 1773?

Answer 16

To save the Easy India Company, tea could be exported straight to colonies, Americans paid duties but price reduces. Americans reacted badly and turned ships away from ports that were carrying tea.

Question 17

What were the Coercive Acts in 1774?

Answer 17

Port of Boston closed
Followed by Quebec Act
In Massachusetts open rebellion led to the first military engagement in the War for Independence. Colonial assemblies had to be dissolved by their governors but continued to meet in defiance.

Question 18

What was the Boston Tea Party of 1773?

Answer 18

Patriots disguised as Indians dumped £10,000 worth of tea into Boston Harbour in response to the Tea Act.

Question 19

What were the consequences of the Boston Tea Party?

Answer 19

• Boston went into lock down in military control

* Gained reactions from other colonies who saw how they could challenge British control

Question 20

What were some of the Articles in the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 20

• Needed agreement of nine states
• Congress controlled most aspects of government but couldn’t enforce taxes or regulate trade
• Congressmen served annually, couldn’t be elected more than 3 times every six years

Question 21

Explain General Burgoyne’s defeat at Saratoga in 1777

Answer 21

British defeat, had no reinforcements so was surrounded and surrendered. Forced to march to Boston, told to get on ships and not fight again but Congress rejected this and kept them prisoner until 1783.

Question 22

Explain French and Spanish involvement in the War for Independence

Answer 22

• Benjamin Franklin persuades French to ally with America, motivated by rivalry with British and regaining land from 7 Years War.
• French declare war on British in 1778, Spain join France in 1779, opens up vulnerability in Britain itself
• By 1781 Spanish forces cleared British troops from Mississippi Valley

Question 23

How did British troops change in the War for Independence?

Answer 23

1778 - 65% of British Army in America but only 20% by 1780

1778 - 41% of British Navy in America but only 13% by 1780

Mainly due to Spanish/French involvement threatening Britain at home

Question 24

Explain General Cornwallis’s defeat at Yorktown in 1781

Answer 24

By 1781 much of British control relied on keeping Yorktown to link to New York. Washington lay siege to British with 16,000 American/French troops for 3 weeks until they surrendered.
British split forces and had inadequate communication, reinforced arrived too late. Lord North (PM) says “it’s all over”

Question 25

What was the Treaty of Paris?

Answer 25

Signed by Britain, US, France, Spain and Holland in 1783.
•Recognition of American Independence and it’s new boundaries
•Division of Imperial possessions between Britain, France and Spain
•America had a strong negotiating team and British wanted a future ally