Consequences- America Flashcards
Explain the articles of confederation.
Shown before congress on the 12th July 1776, mostly written by Dickinson, the final version was passed by congress on November 17th 1776. This document set forth the sovereign nature of the states (can self govern) but also unilateral principles such as voting procedure and structure of government.
It also abolished the continental congress and created the confederation congress which would represent all states in matters of law. With 9/13 voting in favour for a new law to be approved and 13/13 voting in favour for any amendment to the articles of confederation to be approved.
Outline three factors that inhibited the ability of the British army to win the revolutionary war.
Insurgent warfare. The British were not able to distinguish between a normal colonist and a rebel. Giving the continental army an advantage in espionage and sabotage.
Terrain. British troops were unfamiliar with the environment, so were slow in movement compared with the continental army who had expert knowledge of the environment.
Knowledge. Most senior officers in the continental army (like Washington) had first-hand knowledge of the British army’s structure, and its flaws.
Outline three examples of the continental army benefiting from foreign aid.
After the battle of Saratoga in 1777, Louis XVI allied France with the continental army in 1778. Sending 29 ships, thousands of troops and supplies.
Lafayette arrived in July of 1777 in Philadelphia. He then became a senior advisor to Washington, then a General of the continental army.
Baron von Steuben arrived in December of 1777. Training the Washington’s forces to an elite standard through the winter of 1778 (Valley Forge).
Explain the British outcomes from the American victory.
In February 1782 parliament voted to end the fighting and seek a peace treaty.
Lord North resigned as prime minister in March 1782.
The fighting resulted in 30 000 British troop casualties, and 7000 Hessian troop casualties.
Left Britain with a cost of 80 million pounds.
Outline the outcomes of the Treaty of Paris.
Singed in 1783 in Paris, two years after the fighting had stopped with the battle of Yorktown. Negotiations held by Franklin, John Addams and John Jay for the Americans and Richard Oswald for the British (former slave trader and colonist).
British acknowledged independence and sovereignty of the US.
British surrendered all territory from the Appalachian mountains to the Ohio river (all in north America).
Both sides honoured all private and commercial debt from before the war.
Both sides given unrestricted access to the Mississippi river.
States “encouraged” to compensate loyalists for land and property seizures.
Outline three strengths and weaknesses of the articles of confederation.
S: Works well in wartime, allowing troops to be pooled from each state. Clear boundaries established between states and how they interact. War costs come from shared treasury.
W: One state could put in more troops then another. One vote per state meant that smaller population states could block larger ones from law changes. Congress did not have the authority to tax the states.
Explain shays rebellion.
Daniel Shays (former officer in continental army), after being hit hard by the post war recession, lead a force of 1200 to attack the federal arsenal at Springfield in 1787. The attack was unsuccessful, Shay fled and was sentenced to death in absentia. In 1788 Shay was pardoned and granted a pension for his war service. This inspired further rebellions throughout the states, and encouraged states to pass concessions to quell disgruntled former soldiers.
Outline three problems facing the new society in America.
National government problems. Articles of confederation made congress ineffective and let states act completely independently.
Economic problems. Post war recession by British economic retaliation for the war. Also congress could not raise money by taxing the states, it relied on states to tax themselves.
Military problems. Congress could not afford to pay the troops as it could not tax the states, so it relied on individual states to pay troops stationed there. When they avoided payment, this lead to disgruntled soldiers.
Explain the purpose and outcomes of the Annapolis and Philadelphia conventions.
Annapolis convention held in 1786, organised by Madison, was meant to call together all states to revise the articles of confederation. But not enough states committed delegates for it to be effective.
Philadelphia convention held in 1787, attended by Hamilton and Madison with Washington serving as president of the convention, aimed to create and new government and constitution to replace the articles of confederation.
Madison produced a draft constitution which entailed a new political system.
Outline the new political system in the constitution.
The federal government now had the authority to tax the states. Power was split into three branch’s as set out in the new constitution: the legislative, the executive and the judicial. The constitution also set out a system of checks and balances to make sure each branch could not overpower the others and become tyrannical.
Explain the federalists and give prominent examples.
These were those who supported the constitution and the system of federal government it would create. Significant federalists were: Madison, Hamilton and John Jay (all three wrote the federalist papers), Washington and Franklin.
Explain the anti federalists and give prominent examples.
Those who were against the constitution and the system of federal government it would create. Instead favouring small scale local government.
Significant anti federalists were: Jefferson, Patrick Henry and George Mason.
Explain the federalist papers.
A series of 85 essays anonymously published by John Jay (5), Madison (29) and Hamilton (51) between October 1787 and August 1788.
They argued in favour of the constitution. Saying that it, as the supreme law of the land, would prevent the rise of tyrants through the system of checks and balances. The new government would be answerable to the people and through its authority to tax the states it would lessen the post war economic crisis.
Explain the bill of rights.
Written by Madison largely, first tabled with the congress in 1789 and ratified in 1791, this document was meant to accompany the constitution and protect individual rights. It drew on the ideas of Locke, Rousseau, Paine, Jefferson, Dickinson and recommendations from state conventions.
Explain the role of Washington in developing the new society.
Previously commander in chief of war, was president of the Philadelphia convention, a federalist, and first president of the US.
