causes of the american revolution Flashcards
what were the benefits of America being successful in the 7 years war (2)
no longer faced threat from French Canada
they could now exploit the vast territories acquired in N. America from France
what were the negative outcomes of the new empirial control over the extended N. American empire (4)
defence was now a major concern (native american attacks)
government had to provide for 80,000 french canadians
western policy was needed to sort out land policy, fur trade and native american relationship
the 7 years war made it apparent of the smuggling
give 2 main aims of George Grenville as PM
reduce spending on military
increase taxation
when did Grenville become PM
april 1763
summarise Pontiac’s rebellion and the significance of it
May 1763
Ohio Valley Native American tribes captured British forts, short lived success, British used bribes to decrease numbers of N. Americans, fighting continued but no real threat, highlighted that Americans relied on British for security
when was the Pontiac’s rebellion
may 1763
summarise the 1763 proclamation
declared the boundary of white settlement and ran across the Appalachian mountains, used as a temporary method to minimise white-Native American conflict, it angered the frontiersmen and the settlers
why did the 1763 proclamation line fail
unrealistic
hard to enforce
30,000 american settlers ignored the restriction and moved west in the 5 years after 1763
when did the 1763 proclamation line officially breakdown
1768
give 2 ways that the Grenville intended to reduce smuggling
colonial customs officials had to live in America not Britain
cases transferred from colonial courts to vice admiralty courts in Halifax, Nova Scotia
summarise the 1764 sugar act
reduced tax from 6d to 3d on mollases imported from non-British Caribbean islands, the tax yeilded only £21,000 to £78,000 per year, no British MPs opposed but many Americans did
when was the 1764 sugar act imposed
5th April 1764
why were the Americans opposed 1764 sugar act (4 Points)
lack of representation in parliament/ lack of American voice
John Wilkes (radical MP) demanded freedom of the press, accused the ministers of being tools of corruption
showed a poor relationship between Britain and America, such as the standing army in N.America when it was not needed
examples of propaganda ‘The rights of the British colonies asserted and proved’ showed that there american resistance and the refusal of taxation on americans without consent
summarise the currency act 1764
placed a ban on colonial paper money as the British merchants preferred to use British sterling
summarise the stamp act 1765
february 1765
implemented stamp duties onto products such as newspapers, legal documents to playing cards, the new duty would raise £60,000 in the first year
why did British MP believe in the implementation of the stamp act
believed that they have the right to tax the colonies and that the Americans should contribute to somewhat of their own defence
how did the Americans react to the Stamp Act 1765 (3 points)
it applied nationally compared to the sugar act which only affected New England
it antagonised the most influential groups such as the lawyers, printers and tavern keepers
they believed they should not be taxed as they were not represented in parliament
how did the American colonies react to the stamp act (Virginia resolves)
May 1765
Patrick Henry (lawyer) introduced resolutions in the Virginia House of Burgesses for attacking the stamp act
resolutions included colonists possessing the rights of Englishmen and that Americans could only be taxed if they had representation
how did the American colonies react to the stamp act (stamp act congress)
June 1765 Massachusetts assembly suggested that an inter-colonial meeting be held in order to draft a set of resolutions of the stamp act
delegates from 9 colonies attended (27 congressman)
how did the American colonies react to the stamp act (ideological debate)
congressmen believed there should be direct American representation and that there should be no taxation if there is none
the only way to raise money is through assemblies
the idea that the stamp act was a way to control American liberties
how did the American colonies react to the stamp act (popular protest)
there was a lot of crowd action
popular militancy was increasing
examples- Loyal Nine in Boston leader was Samuel Adams
how did the American colonies react to the stamp act (mob action)
fake models of Oliver (stamp distributor) and Bute were hung from the liberty tree, fake stamps were handed out and mocked, Oliver ordered the model to be took down but the crowd refused and then mobbed his house
many rich Bostonians feared that popular resentment at the stamp act had turned into an attack
how did the American colonies react to the stamp act (sons of liberty)
autumn 1765- a group of men directing the mob action, group included merchants, artisans and intellictuals and ensured that political consciousness was kept high
why could it be seen that the sons of liberty’s influence was exaggerated
far from united
limited influence in the southern colonies
only an urban movement not a rural one and towns people made up 5%
how did the American colonies react to the stamp act (economic sanctions)
the sons of liberty appealed people to not buy British goods
October 1765 leading merchants in New York refused to import goods from Britain until the Stamp Act was repealed
boycott spread across the country
give 2 reasons for not repealing the stamp act
British MPs were horrified by the mob violence by repealing the act it could be seen as an act of weakness
the argument that America didn’t have representation was not valid as many places in Britain did not such as certain towns
give 2 reasons for repealing the stamp act
British merchants wanted to repeal the act as they were alarmed by the colonial boycott
Rockingham was informed by Gage that it could not be enforced without a great military force
summarise the declaratory act
claimed that the colonies were subordinate to the British crown and parliament, parliament had the full authority to make laws in the colonies
summarise the townshed crisis
Townshed (chancellor of the Exchequer) introduced new duties in 1767 on glass, wine, china, lead and paint
the tax would be intended to pay for the salaries of governors and judges so they weren’t dependent on the colonies
why did parliament believe the American people would be alright would with passing the act
these were external taxes and not internal taxes like the stamp act
summarise mutiny act 1765
colonial assemblies had to provide accomadation for British troops when needed
summarise the new york restraining act 1767
their assemblies could not take legislative action until they agreed with the mutiny act 1765
why did New York had to accept the New York restraining act 1767
they had little support from the other colonies so they were forced to
what was the reactions to the Townshend’s policies (intellectual)
John Dickinson wrote the Letters of a Pennsylvania Farmer (1768) and it was printed in most colonial newspapers
he argued that parliament did not have the right to tax the Americans as they did not consent
what was the reactions to the Townshend’s policies (political response)
February 1768 the Massachusetts assembly sent out a circular letter denouncing the Townshends duties for violating the American liberities and urged other colonies for common action
it was mainly the work of Samuel Adams and James Otis
7 colonial assemblies quickly approved of the letter and House of Burgesses also joined
what was the reactions to the Townshend’s policies (economic resistance)
1768 Boston led the way to organising a new economic boycott, many merchants opposed non-importation so the boycott was not completely successfully
by 1769 every colony except New Hampshire had organisations pledged to boycott British goods
merchants who refused would be attacked and warehouses burnt
non-importation put economic pressure on Britain and also went back to the aspects of simple lives of Americans without the British luxury
what was the reactions to the Townshend’s policies (unrest in Boston)
Boston Tea Party
commissions in the American Board of Customs Commissioners in Boston were always in wrath, they couldn’t stop the problem of smuggling
they asked help from the Royal Navy and in June 1768 the battleship ‘Romney’ sailed into the harbour and the navy seized the boat ‘Liberty’ which belonged to Hancock (leading American opposition to British)
the navy sailors from the Romney took the Liberty and took it into the harbour, but a mob started a fight with the commissioners and the commissioners had to take refuge in Castle William and Sons of Liberty were in control of Boston
what was the reactions to the Townshend’s policies (Wilkesite movement)
1768- John Wilkes was arrested and fined, 30,000 people protested outside the prison in London for his release, led to 20 wounded and 6 killed, heavily addressed in the newspaper and this news arrived in America and showed that Britain suppressed both America and Britain on liberties
what events led to the Boston Massacre (2 points)
Earl of Hillsborough ordered Governor Bernard to demand the Massachusetts assembly to withdraw the circular letter they has sent to the other colonies, they refused and the assembly was dissolved and this led to further anger
Sons of Liberty organised marches, revolutionaries armies in Boston attacking British troops and organised meetings
flow chart of events of the Boston massacre
22nd Feb 1770 a suspected customs informer killed an 11 year old boy during a riot, the funeral got turned into a political demonstration 5000 Bostonians attended
2nd March 1770- workers at a rope factory attacked some soldiers seeking jobs
5th March 1770- a detachment of British soldiers guarding hte custom house was attacked by a mob hurling snowballs, the troop opened fire and 5 were killed, Sam Adam’s believed it was a massacre, the funerals became a political demonstration
2/6 soldiers arrested for manslaughter but then pardoned
how did America react to the Coercive Act and the Quebec acts in 1774 to 1775
summarise the Coercive Acts
in response to Boston’’s involvement in the colonial troubles and this act was in 4 parts
the Boston Port Act closed Boston to all trade until the destroyed tea had been paid for
most civil affairs and meetings were closed
Impartial Administration of Justice Act provided for the transfer to Britain of murder trials
Quartering Act gave boarder authority to military commanders seeking to house their troops
what were the problems that Britain faced by 1770 (2 problems)
insufficient troops in the colonies to impose orders
relations between British authorities and assemblies had broken down
when and where was the committees of correspondence formed
1771 in the Boston Town Meeting
who joined the committees of correspondence
North Carolina and Pennsylvania
give 2 examples of Americans not being united by 1770
land boundaries and claiming between New York and New Hampshire
rich and poor tensions
summarise the Tea Act 1773
the act was designed to save the near-bankrupt East India Tea Company by permitting it to export tea to the colonies directly and retail it there with duties (Britain no longer had to pay for the duties)
why did the Americans disagree with the Tea Act 1773
another attempt at parliamentary taxation
destruction of American independence of their assemblies
how did Americans react to the Tea Act 1773 (4 ways)
comments in newspapers and pamphlets
violence threatened against merchants importing the tea
tea sent to Philedelphia and New York was sent back
tea agents were forced to resign
summarise the Boston Tea Party
28th November- the ship ‘Dartmouth’ had 114 chests of tea from the East India Company entered the Boston Harbour, Hutchinson (main merchant) was addimmient that the ship was to enter the harbour but the Bostonians were sure that it was not going to enter the harbour
2nd December- Elanor joined the Dartmouth and there was deadlock until the Beaver joined on the 15th december
16th december- sons of liberty dressed as Native Americans and boarded the 3 ships and threw the cargoes into the harbour
when did the Boston Tea Party occur
November 1773
what was the British reaction to the Boston Tea Party
believed it was a criminal act
summarise the Quebec Acts
placed authority in the hands of a governor without an elected assembly and limited trial by jury to help solve the problem of governing the French inhabitants of Quebec
when was the Quebec Act
June 1774
what was the American reaction to the Coercive and Quebec acts (political/ military action) 4 ways
colonial assemblies and other men of influence denounced the actions of the British government
Propoganda disseminated by the comittees of correspondence persuaded the colonists for common action
Virginian House of Burgesses passed a resolution on 24th May condemning the Coercive Acts (2 days later Dunmore dissolved the house)
89 Burgesses met to adopt a non-importation agreement and pledged against the consumption of tea
what was the American reaction to the Coercive and Quebec acts (newspaper and pamphlets)
by 1775 there were 42 colonial newspapersand 2 or 3 were radical
Thomas Jefferson published a Summary of the Rights of British America 9believed that Britain had no right to exercise authority over America)
John Adams published 12 essays between January 1774 and April 1775 in the Boston Gazette
summarise the first continental congress
September 1775
all of the colonies expect from Georgia sent atleast one delegate to Philedelphia
56 delegates were present
radicals included Richard Henry Lee and John and Sam Adams
they endorsed the Suffolk Resolves on the 17th September making the Coercive Acts null, called for Massachusetts for defence and called for non-importation of British goods
14th October- congress agreed on a declaration of rights and grievances which declined the colonies to being subjects to parliament’s authority
how did the Americans directly act towards the Coercive act
most Americans believed that the act (even though they were meant to punish Massachusetts) was a threat to all colonies
they all supported Boston by sending food and money to help the poor
