American revolution Flashcards
1754-1763
French and Indian War
Outline salutary neglect
Salutary neglect refers to the period in which the thirteen colonies were neglected by Britain and left to virtually govern themselves. This gave the colonists an idea of life with a separation from Britain, therefore prompting the beginning of the revolution.
What were the writs of assistance?
a search warrant from the government permitting a search for contraband items in American homes. Argued against by James Otis, with his speech Against the Writs of Assistance. Demonstrates the growing agitation and repel of the colonists towards Britain.
What did otis dispute in 1764?
Britain’s right to tax colonists, with his pamphlet Rights of British Colonies Asserted and Proved. This conveyed the concepts of no taxation without representation and the ideas of natural rights.
define no taxation without representation
The people did not want to be taxed if they were not represented, and wanted to be directly represented in Britain.
Define mercantilism
The process by which Britain bought materials from America, used them to make items, and sold these items back to the Americans.
Sugar Act, 1764
A tax placed on Sugar to reinstitute Britain’s mercantilist policy. It became the first ‘direct tax’ in America and violated the colonist’s no taxation without representation policy. In response, James Otis produced his Rights of British Colonists Asserted and Proved pamphlet.
Stamp Act, 1765
A tax placed on an item that every colonist used - paper. Designed to cover the costs of defending the colonies, aka the war debt. The first tax to target the entirety of social classes in America. The American’s upper class petitioned and wrote resolves.
Stamp Act Congress, October 1765
Held in new York. Suggested by James Otis. The congress agreed upon the Declaration of Rights, which pledged loyalty to King George 3 whilst stating that Britain had illegally forced colonial rights.
Sons Of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were an influential group that formed from the Loyal nine. The tarred and feathered opponents, and caused the repeal of the Stamp Act. They were instrumental in the Boston Massacre of 1770 and carried out the Boston Tea Party of 1773.
Quartering Act, 1765
The Quartering act of 1765 gave the Crown permission to compel colonists to accommodate and feed British Troops after the French and Indian War. The New York Colonial Assembly refused to comply and it was suspended in 1767.
Declaratory Act, 1766
The Declaratory act granted Parliament the authority to pass laws for its American colonies. It signified Britain’s intentions.
Townshend Duties, 1767
The purpose was to raise revenue and to assert the power of the British Parliament. It was a duty on products such as paper, lead, glass, oil, paint and tea - items used by almost every colonist, and each item imported from Britain. The colonists resisted with boycotts and the refusal to import British products.
Standing Army
An army of soldiers in red coats. It was a theoretical threat, and seen was a risk to liberty under the Enlightenment ideals.
What were John Locke’s 3 natural rights?
Life, Liberty and Property.
What did the daughter’s of liberty do?
The Daughters of Liberty rebelled against Britain by refusing to import their food. This was powerful as women dominated the domestic sphere and placed a severe economic pressure on Britain.
The Boston Massacre, 1770
Reignited the Sons Of liberty in society, and was a confrontation between Bostonians and The Sons of Liberty and British troops.
1771 and 1772: a momentary lull
a short quiet period that belied the fact that the Revolution was soon to take a major turn for the worst for American colonists.
The Boston Tea Party, 1773
The dockworkers refused to unload the tea from the boat. Samuel Adams represented the Bostonians. No tax would be paid if the ships never unloaded their cargo. The Sons of Liberty dressed as First Nations and poured the tea into Boston Harbour. This triggered the Coercive Acts.
The Tea Act, 1773
A tax imposed on tea, which was imported by the colonists from Britain.
The Coercive Acts, 1774
A response from Britain to the Boston Tea Party as a punishment for the lost tea. It became known to Americans as ‘The Intolerable Acts’.
The Coercive Acts, 1774 - The Boston Port Act, 1774
Closed Boston Harbour to all trade
The Coercive Acts, 1774 - The Massachusetts Government Act
Stripped the power of the colonial assembly of Massachusetts and gave it, effectively, to the King.
The Coercive Acts, 1774 - The Administration of Justice Act
This ensured that those charged with crime would be trialled in either Britain or another British colony, ensuring Britain control over the outcome to favour them.
The Coercive Acts, 1774 - The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was reinstated
The Coercive Acts, 1774 - The Quebec Act
The Quebec Act took land won in the Indian reserve by the Americans in the French and Indian War and added it to the British Canada province of Quebec.
The Fairfax Resolves, 1774
A committee in the colony of Virginia that wrote a set of resolutions which rejected the British parliament’s claim of supreme authority over the colonies.
The Suffolk Resolves, 1774
A declaration made by leaders in the colony of Massachusetts that rejected the Massachusetts government act and resolved on a boycott of imported goods from Britain unless the Coercive ‘Intolerable’ Acts were repealed.
First Continental Congress, 1774
The first time the colonies came together to discuss their mutual problems. Each colony set up a Commit of Correspondence, a Committee of Safety and their militia became known a minute men.
Battle of Lexington Concord, 1775
Paul Revere discovered the British were on the march, and warned Patriots. The British fought their way into Concord, but were harassed all the way back to Boston. The revolutionary war had begun.
Second Continental Congress, 1775
Response to the Battle of Lexington-Concord. Beginning to act like a revolutionary federal American government. It dealt with issuing currency,