America exam questions Flashcards
1
Q
assess the impact of the Boston tea party
20 marks
A
- stricter British policies
- what was the tea party and what was it in response to?
- tea act in response to townshend duties
- still exercised dominance over colonies tax
- coercive act (intolerable act) 1774
- boston port act, liquidation of massachusets charter which led to 1774
- implement of british govener in massachusets assembly to limit laws passed brought outrage
- increased anti british sentiment
- increasing authority over colonies - political unification of colonies
- boycotts
- royal goveners didnt stop colonies like virginia taking a stand
- passes agreement against intolerable acts and agreed on boycotting british goods
- quickly shut down
- establishment of commities of saftey and observation acted as a form of government
- enforced non importation on colonies
- key impact - spread of ideology
- colonists rallying to bostons call of non importation
- in line with thomas paine’s common sense
- calling for rejection of all british authority over america, including external and internal taxes which tea act was an example of
- no taxation without representation
- self elected parliaments allowed ideas to spread quicker, reaching all colonies
- sons of libertys ideas spread quickly, with establishment of commities of saftey.
- idea that states hold more authority over legislation than british
- given a boost from boston tea party but always there to begin with
- ie stamp act etc etc
2
Q
which of the following had a greater development in the growth in opposition through the colonies
- townsend duties
- intolerable acts
10 marks
A
- townsend duties
-new duty on enumerated goods, taxing them when imported into the colonies
-not seen as an issue to british as it was an external tax
-letters of a pennsylvanian father, john dickinson was triggered by this
-which again ignited no taxation without representation
-circular letters from massachusets colonial assembly 1768 spread quickly
-by the end of 1768 7/13 colonies were rallying in support against british
- level of new founded opposition groups increased majorly
-protests increased
-
3
Q
How successful was Britain in advancing its territorial ambitions in NA 1740-56
20 marks
A
- Britain Took Louisburg in 45 gave it back in 48 (aix la Chappelle), yielding claims hiwer till wanted to expand over the Appalachian Mountains
- Yes because 1754 200,000 acres of land in the Ohio valley was granted to speculators, they also had the support of the colonists who wanted to expand out of the densely populated tidewater
- Duquesne taken, and 4 pronged attacked failed as Oswego fell, and only the campaign in Nova Scotia was successful – forts Gaspeau & Beausque taken & the Adiniasn removed so they could not offer help to French soldiers.
4
Q
No taxation without representation was the fundamental political idea underlying the deteriorating relations between Britain and its colonists in America by 1774. How far do you agree?
20 marks
A
Disagree - (Autonomy)
- policy of decreased salutary neglect (standing army proclamation line etc) angered Americans as it decreased their autonomy
- 1765 quartering act
Agree- (taxation)
- all the acts that implement tax
- stamp act 1765 first direct tax (raised worries over liberties of citizens and how fragile their rights were)
Disagree - (rights)
- John Locke & enlightenment, quartering act raised concerns over the stability of Conoila rights & their ‘natural right’ if property ownership – quartering acts violated natural rights
- 1767 – NY suspension act suspended their assembly, causing uproar as the rights and voice of the colonies were stripped away.
5
Q
Which of the following had greater impact on the growth of opposition to British rule?
-stamps act
-Townshend duties
10 marks
A
Stamp act
- 1st direct tax
- Worried colonists that other rights could be violated if they were being taxed without representation
- Affected everyone (all learned people) 75% compared to 60% in Britain
- Led to the VI resolves, boycotts & violence towards officials
- First to make Britain repeal
- Tax to raise money for defence of colonies (raised £60,000 = ¼ of budget
- for Standing army)
Townsend duties-
- indirect tax so Brit did not think it would affect
- still angered
- led to a repeal of most by 1770
- not being direct still had less impact
- first tax to fund British debt (£400,000)
- taxed more goods but did not impact as much as stamp act
- Boston massacre 1770
6
Q
Which of the following had greater impact on the outcome of the war of independence
-British policies during war
-the intervention of France
10 marks
A
Intervention of France
- sense of legitimacy
- created global war
- aided Spanish and Dutch entry
- Lafayette 12,000 men, 22,000 naval soldiers and 63 ships
- political ideology of the French boosted morale
- Meant Britain had to spread forces to protect parts of empire, Gibraltar, Morocco etc
- Provided 90% of weapons by the end of the war
- caused Spanish intervention (Spain entered as an ally to France)
- Reinforced the colonial troops & aided Colonial victory by blocking the entrance to Chesapeake bay at Yorktown (preventing British escape by navy & ensuring an American victory)
British policies
- Feb 1978 Lord Norths conciliatory propositions failed at ending the war as it did not allow American independence yet (over fears of other parts of the empire seeing the American ‘virotry’ and attempting to rebel for independence as well) - Could have ended the war but america delcined them die to no independence
- Underestimated the colonists & didn’t assume gurella warfare would be used (= failure at trenton & Princeton) & hatched over ambitious plans which ultimately failed (sarartoga)
7
Q
A
- Miantained state soverntity (10th ammendmetn) - linking the new federal governemnt to the old contitution and convincing untrusting americans (JDR’s) that the new federslist ogvernemnt would rue in the favuoor of the people and not be corrupo & selfish
- Prvented Tyranny & central governemnt abusing power (so thsu proved the war had been fought for independnacd & liberty & to escape an absoloutist governemnt like britian)
Protected the rights of the indidual (6th ammendment the right to be trialed in public by a fair & impartial jury) & protected natiral rigths (3rd ammendment right not refuse to queter troops)
8
Q
which of the following was more responsible for the failure of the articles of confederation?
-economic problems
-civil disobedience
10 marks
A
Civil Disobedience:
- Shays rebellion, 1786 highlighted weakness of the confederation and its vulnerability to mob rule
- Led to the Philadelphia convention
- civil unrest in Massachusetts was symptomatic of widespread discontent across all former 13 colonies
- largely confined to North east and was not a national problem
Economic problems:
- articles made no provision for national taxation or regulation of commerce was a major weakness
- economic legacy of the war weakened the new confederation from offset, particularly due to inflation and loss of preferential trade terms with Britain
- however, these economic problems could have been managed and improved in time in different circumstances.
9
Q
‘Increased taxation was the main reason for growing hostility to British rule by 1776’ how far do you agree?
20 marks
A
For-
- include all taxes since 7 year war
- argue tax represented a broader underlying grievance about the authority of English parliament in the colonies
Against-
- might value factors such as political grievances over the relationship between US and English crown and parliament and the extent of their authority In America
- military factors; boston massacre and quartering act
- coersive English actions in colonies
- religious grievances, fears of roman Catholicism, Quebec act
- key individuals generating hostility; Jefferson, Dickenson, adams etc
10
Q
Which of the following was of greater importance as a cause of the declaration of independence?
-the ‘intolerable acts’
-the first continental congress
10 marks
A
Intolerable acts:
- five acts passed in response in boston turned a local issue into a national one, preconditions for declaration
- specific measures such as british Gov in charter convinced americans that the crown intended to erode traditional English ‘liberties’ across America
- HOWEVER, summer 1774 colonies had little unity and military strength to declare independence and that there was no colony wide consensus on what the response to these acts should be
First continental congress:
- political unity among colonies
- brought about prominence of several key leaders who would go on to become instrumental in drafting the declaration (Thomas Jefferson)
- HOWEVER, it was a petition to reform, rather than independence and it was subsequent military developments which stimulated the declaration itself
11
Q
To what extend was French entry into the war the main reason for American victory in the war of independence?
20 marks
A
Main reason-
- increased military resources, French entry into war made available
- bringing spain and dutch in and the international strateigic problems that the alliance brought in for GB
- argued that French entry wouldn’t have happened without British mistakes of the display of military prowess the american’s made at Saratoga
Other reasons-
- analyse American strength and British weakness
- leadership of Washington
- british weakness of the strategic challenges of crushing a distant rebellion
- british supply issues
- changing nature and extent of support for both sides
- key military turning points
12
Q
Which of the following was of greater importance in the growth of opposition to British rule in America?
-proclamation act
-stamp act
10 marks
A
Stamp act-
- warning about implementation gave time for opposition to develop, put in place 1765
- united cause
- literate angered, high literate rates 75-80%
- first direct tax, unjustified innovation
- no taxation without representation
- led to Virginia resolved and stamp act congress, led to popular protest, mob action
- led to founding of sons of liberty and boycott of goods
Proclamation act-
- angered colonists, Virginia: claims to western land
- Angered frontiersmen and land speculators
- didn’t spark serious discontent, difficult to enforce, 30,000 Americans settlers moved west in the period 1763-1768
13
Q
‘the regulation of trade was the most important cause of tension between Britain and the colonists in the period between 1763; how far do you agree?
20 marks
A
For-
- Mercantilism limited development of American economy and trade
- mercantilism increased opposition
- increased number of enumerated goods
- impact of navigation laws
- limits to colonial manufacturing Britain imposed
- the extent in which colonists benefited from mercantilist system
Against-
- mercantilist system benefits, little opposition
- role of George Washington?
- colonies ran own affairs and any attempt by Britain to assert their rights created opposition
- inability of British to enforce trade laws (woolen act, the hat and iron act)
- impact of educational opportunities, growth of publication with printing press
- impact of various wars, British in dept so took advantage of colonies
- issues of relations with NA and French
- nature of British rule
14
Q
Which of the following was of greater importance in the defeat of the British forces in America?
-Saratoga
-Yorktown
10 marks
A
Saratoga-
- boost to rebels, first British defeat in major campaign
- led to Clintons abandonment of the highlands which was a crucial area?
- british sent secret agent to contact American commissioners about ending war
- international consequences
- french entry
- spanish entry
Yorktown-
- descisive defeat but Britain still controlled larger areas
- didn’t lead to a collapse of British position
- led to Britain discontinuing operations and the public and parliament were reluctant to continue the war
15
Q
Assess the reasons why it was so difficult to find a successor to Washington in 1796
20 marks
A
Main reason-
-influence and power of GW, no one had the skills of Washington who avoided political in fighting
-reputation and patriotic prestige (inoculation)
-embodied national authority
-it was Washington who made the constitution work
-washington’s decision to not seek reelection
Washington had uite the north and south over the condisitution & feas wihtout him it woul dcolaspse.
Other reasons-
- argued that his retirement created a party strife
- factional rivalries within the federalists
- emergence of a political party so that presidency became a party question
- nature of electing a president and the role of party intrigue
- emerging geographical and socio-economic divisions within America
- the differing attitudes towards the French revolution and foreign policy
- the personalities of candidates
