history Flashcards
hp
Salutary Neglect
What it was: A British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws in the American colonies.
Why the British passed it: It allowed the colonies to operate with a high degree of autonomy while still being loyal to Britain, fostering economic prosperity and reducing administrative costs.
Why Americans were against its end: When the British began enforcing laws more strictly after the French and Indian War, the colonists resented the sudden imposition of control and taxes, leading to tensions that contributed to the American Revolution.
French & Indian War
(1754–1763)
What it was: A conflict between Britain and France in North America, with Native American alliances on both sides.
Why the British fought: To expand territorial claims in the Americas and push back French influence.
Why Americans were affected: The war resulted in British debt, leading Britain to tax the colonies more heavily. This shift, from neglect to interference, angered colonists.
. Proclamation of 1763
What it was: A British decree forbidding American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Why the British passed it: To stabilize relations with Native Americans after the French and Indian War by preventing colonial encroachment on their lands.
Why Americans were against it: Many colonists had hoped to settle in these newly acquired territories and viewed the proclamation as an unfair restriction on their freedom.
Sugar Act of 1764
What it was: A tax on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies.
Why the British passed it: To raise revenue to pay off debts from the French and Indian War and to better enforce trade regulations.
Why Americans were against it: The act imposed taxes without colonial representation in Parliament, which they saw as a violation of their rights.
Stamp Act of 1765
What it was: A tax on all printed materials, including newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards.
Why the British passed it: To raise revenue to cover the costs of stationing British troops in America.
Why Americans were against it: It was the first direct tax levied on the colonies, sparking widespread protests and the rallying cry of “no taxation without representation.”
Townshend Acts (1767)
What they were: A series of taxes on goods imported to the colonies, including tea, glass, paper, and paint.
Why the British passed them: To raise revenue from the colonies and pay British officials in America, making them less reliant on colonial assemblies.
Why Americans were against them: Colonists viewed the taxes as another example of unjust taxation without representation. Protests and boycotts followed, including the formation of the Sons of Liberty.
8
Declaratory Act of 1766
A law stating that Parliament had full authority to make laws binding the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”What it was: A law stating that Parliament had full authority to make laws binding the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”
Why the British passed it: To assert their authority after repealing the unpopular Stamp Act due to colonial protests.
Why Americans were against it: Although the Stamp Act was repealed, the Declaratory Act reinforced Britain’s right to impose laws without colonial input, which continued to fuel resentment.
Boston Massacre (1770)
What it was: A confrontation in which British soldiers killed five colonists in Boston during a tense standoff.
Why the British were involved: Soldiers were stationed in Boston to enforce British laws and protect officials, but tensions ran high between them and colonists.
Why Americans were outraged: The incident was used as propaganda to fuel anti-British sentiment, with colonists portraying it as an example of British tyranny and brutality.
9
Tea Act of 1773
What it was: A law that allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies, bypassing colonial merchants.
Why the British passed it: To help the struggling East India Company by giving it a monopoly on the American tea trade.
Why Americans were against it: Although it lowered the price of tea, colonists saw the act as another form of taxation without representation and an attempt to undercut colonial merchants.
Boston Tea Party (1773)
What it was: A protest in which American colonists, disguised as Native Americans, boarded British ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.
Why the British responded: The destruction of tea was a direct challenge to British authority.
Why Americans did it: The Tea Act was seen as a violation of their rights, and the Boston Tea Party was a dramatic way to protest British economic control and taxation.
Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) (1774)
What they were: A series of punitive laws passed after the Boston Tea Party, including the closing of Boston Harbor and the dissolution of Massachusetts’ self-government.
Why the British passed them: To punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party and reassert British control.
Why Americans were against them: Colonists saw these acts as extreme violations of their rights and liberties. The Coercive Acts united the colonies against British oppression and were a key step toward revolution.
. Writs of Assistance (1760s-1770s)
What it was: General search warrants that allowed British customs officers to search any location for smuggled goods without needing specific evidence or probable cause.
Why the British passed it: To enforce the Navigation Acts and combat widespread smuggling, which was reducing revenue from trade duties in the colonies.
Why Americans were against it: The writs violated basic colonial rights to privacy and due process. Colonists felt that the broad and unchecked authority of customs officials was oppressive and an infringement on their liberties. This anger over the writs contributed to growing resentment against British rule.
Vice-Admiralty Courts
What they were: Maritime courts without juries that handled cases involving smuggling, trade violations, and other maritime issues.
Why the British used them: To ensure strict enforcement of trade laws and taxes like the Sugar Act, where colonial courts were often lenient toward smugglers. In vice-admiralty courts, British-appointed judges made decisions, which made it easier for the Crown to secure convictions.
Why Americans were against them: The absence of juries, which were a standard part of English law, denied colonists the right to a trial by peers. This was seen as an unfair legal system, undermining the colonists’ legal protections and rights.
Quartering Acts (1765 and 1774)
What it was: A series of laws requiring American colonies to provide housing, food, and supplies to British troops stationed in America.
The 1774 Quartering Act (part of the Coercive Acts) expanded the requirement, allowing British soldiers to be housed in privately owned buildings, not just barracks or public buildings.
Why the British passed it: To reduce the cost of maintaining British troops in the colonies, particularly as tensions grew between Britain and the colonies. The act aimed to ensure that soldiers had the necessary provisions without burdening the British treasury.
Why Americans were against it: Colonists saw this as an imposition on their personal property and an infringement on their rights. The idea of being forced to quarter soldiers in private homes was especially alarming, and it heightened fears of British military domination and loss of autonomy. The Quartering Act was one of the grievances that contributed to the growing call for independence.
Internal vs. External Tax
Internal Tax:
Definition: Taxes that are imposed directly within the colonies on goods and services that were consumed or used domestically. These taxes were placed on transactions that occurred inside the colonies.
Examples: The Stamp Act of 1765 is the most famous example of an internal tax. It placed a tax on paper products (like newspapers, legal documents, and licenses) that were used within the colonies.
Why Americans were against it: Colonists felt that internal taxes were a violation of their right to self-governance because they were levied by Parliament without colonial representation. They believed that only their local assemblies had the authority to impose internal taxes. The phrase “no taxation without representation” became a rallying cry against internal taxes.
2. External Tax:
Definition: Taxes levied on imports and exports, applied to goods that crossed colonial borders. These taxes were often viewed as a regulation of trade and generally affected the price of goods coming into the colonies from abroad.
Examples: The Sugar Act of 1764 and the Townshend Acts are examples of external taxes, as they placed duties on imported goods like sugar, tea, glass, and paper.
Why Americans were initially more tolerant: Some colonists (like Benjamin Franklin) initially accepted external taxes as legitimate, since regulating trade was traditionally within Parliament’s power. However, over time, opposition grew to any taxation without representation, even external taxes, because colonists saw them as indirect means of raising revenue.
