Chapter 10 - The American Revolution Flashcards
What was the Enlightenment?
The Enlightenment was a movement of thinkers in eighteenth-century Europe who valued reason and science above faith or authority as a basis for society.
What were militias?
Militias were part-time armies.
What is a constitution?
A constitution is a set of fundamental rules for running a country that outlines the powers of government and the rights of citizens.
What is a federal republic?
A federal republic is a system of government where power is divided between a central government (usually headed by a president) and various regions or states.
Explain the 4 main causes of the American Revolution.
- The Age of Enlightenment - In the eighteenth century, a movement called the Enlightenment emerged in Europe. It was a movement of thinkers who valued reason and science above faith or authority as a basis for society.
- Restrictions on American Trade - The British Parliament forced the colonies to sell some of their products (cotton, sugar, tobacco) to Britain alone. This meant that the British could decide the price, as the Americans had nobody else to sell to. These rules caused a lot of smuggling, which led to clashes with the British navy.
- The Seven Years’ War - During the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), the British had defeated France and taken a lot of its territory. Huge numbers of British soldiers fought in America, and the British government wanted the colonies to pay them back for protecting them
- No Taxation without Representation - The British introduced the Stamp Act (1765) and Quartering Act (1765) The colonists were furious. They didn’t want to pay more taxes and they didn’t want taxes to be forced by a parliament in London where they had no representatives. Opposition groups used the slogan ‘No Taxation without Representation’. There were protests and violence against the Stamp Act in particular. ‘Stamp men’ were beaten up and ‘tarred and feathered’. The act was withdrawn in 1766.
What was the Boston Massacre?
When the British imposed the Townsend Acts in 1767, tensions and protests continued and in 1770 a Boston mob, protesting at the Townshend Acts (a tax on tea, glass, paint) confronted a group of British soldiers. The soldiers opened fire and five people were killed in the ‘Boston Massacre’. This led to anger among the Americans.
What was the Boston Tea Party?
After the Boston Massacre, the British withdrew all the Townshend Acts and other taxes - except a small tax on tea imports. However, in 1773 they passed the Tea Act, which exempted the East India Company from paying the tea tax. In December 1773, a group from the Sons of Liberty dressed as Native Americans and dumped 342 crates of East India Company tea into Boston Harbour, an event later known as the Boston Tea Party. After this event the British government imposed the Intolerable Acts. The port of Boston was closed until compensation was paid for the tea, the city was put under military rule and the colony’s assembly was suspended.
What was the First Continental Congress
The Intolerable Acts were a big concern to the colonists. Twelve of the thirteen colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia in September 1774. The Congress opposed all British taxes, urged a boycott of British goods and demanded the removal of British soldiers. Some demanded war but the majority were not yet willing to take it that far. This is known as the First Continental Congress.
What were the Battles of Lexington and Concord?
The British were worried that this would turn into a full-scale rebellion. In April 1775, they sent 800 troops to seize weapons at Concord, near Boston. An American rebel, Paul Revere, heard about this and organised militiamen to ride throughout the country to warn the rebels that the British were coming. When the British reached Concord, the weapons were gone. On their way back to Boston there was a larger battle, in which 273 British soldiers were killed.
What was the Second Continental Congress?
Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called ‘Common Sense’. In it he argued that the British were oppressing the rights of the American people, who should become completely independent to protect those rights. When the Second Continental Congress met in 1776, it chose George Washington to be commander-in chief of the Continental army. On 4th of July 1776, the Congress issued the Declaration of Independence.
What were the key battles of the War of Independence?
Washington lost his first battle, at Bunker Hill, but inflicted heavy casualties on the British.
The Continental Army won the Battle of Boston and captured cannons and rifles that were needed for the war.
After Washington was defeated at New York in 1776, he gained two small victories, at Princeton and Trenton.
In 1777, the British General Howe’s army of 18,000 men captured Philadelphia, America’s largest city and the home of the Continental Congress.
What happened in the turning point : Saratoga and the entry of the French?
The month after the loss of Philadelphia, the American General Horatio Gates defeated a British army of 8,000 men at Saratoga.
Then some of Britain’s European rivals became interested. France, Spain and the Netherlands joined the war against Britain in 1778. French help was particularly key to the colonies’ eventual victory. France sent 6,000 troops and weapons and used its fleet to disrupt British supplies.
What happened in the turning point: Valley Forge?
After his defeat at Philadelphia, Washington regrouped at a remote base called Valley Forge with his 11,000 men during the winter of 1777-1778. This was one of the harshest winters of the century. The men endured great hardship and hunger in the freezing cold. Disease was spreading in the camp and by the end of February, 3,000 men had died. Hundreds more had deserted.
However, the army that emerged from Valley Forge at winter’s end had been transformed. The professional Prussian soldier Baron Von Steuben had drilled the soldiers until they were as well trained and disciplined as any European army.
What was the Victory of Yorktown?
Over the next few years, the Americans won more battles, and Washington kept the British largely confined to New York. In the decisive battle at Yorktown in October 1781, 7,000 British soldiers under Lord Cornwallis were surrounded by 9,000 American and 5,000 French troops on land and a French fleet at sea. Cut off from reinforcements and supplies and outnumbered two to one, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington. This marked the end of the war. The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 recognising American independence.
What were the results of the American Revolution?
1. The foundation of the United States of America - After the Treaty of Paris in 1783, a Constitutional Convention was called in 1787. This was held by George Washington and had representatives from all the new states. It wrote a constitution for their new country, the United States of America. The American constitution established a federal republic.
2. The growth of the United States of America - The USA grew to 50 states over the next 200 years and by 1900, it was one of the most powerful countries in the world. Millions of immigrants from all over the world had made America their home.
3. The impact on France - News of events in America spread quickly, and brought the colonists’ ideas to other people. People were inspired from the American Republic. This was a factor causing the French Revolution in 1789.
4. The impact on Ireland - Ireland had been under British rule since the 1100s. People looked at America’s example and sought for an independent Ireland. This led to the 1798 Rebellion.
