History flash cards
Magna Carta What is it?
The Magna Carta was the first document to limit the English king’s power
What did the Magna Carta do?
Limited ability to tax without consent (the people’s approval),
Protected citizens private property,
Guaranteed the right to a trial by jury
When was the Magna Carta written?
Written in 1215
Colonial Self-Government, legislature
Colonists expected a voice in the government like the english got from the Magna Carta
By 1760, every colony had a legislature,
Lawmaking branch of government,
The king appointed his own governors to each colon
Legislature definition
lawmaking branch of government
Colonial rights
Colonists expected the same rights as the English:
Freedom of the press,
Right of journalists to publish truth no restrictions or punishments,
Right to vote Land owning white men only could vote at the time
Trade
The english passed the Navigation Acts to support mercantilism
Shipments from colonies went through England on English ships
Sometimes only England had access to the products like tobacco and sugar
Colonial Frustrations
Colonists often felt the Navigation Acts benefited the English and limited how much money colonial merchants could make
Some people started smuggling
Illegally trading things for the Navigation Acts
Start of the French and Indian War
1740s- british settlers (from virginia) move into french territory
1753- French build forts to reclaim their land
George Washington leads the first militia to fight against the French
Gathering an army
The british hoped to make an alliances with the Iroquois
A native american tribe
But they said no because they thought French would win
Many native american groups helped the French against the British
Colonial leaders asked each colony to unify and help the war, but the local governments wanted control of their own armies and taxes
The war ends
The British colonies started off losing, but after switching sights to Quebec (the capital) they forced France to surrender.
France and England were still beefing in Europe after this war .
Colonists felt more unified than ever before.
Taxes after the French and Indian War
Britain went into a lot of debt to win the french and indian war
To make the money back they taxed the colonists instead of their own citizens in England
Navigation Acts
Shipments from colonies went through England on English ships
Sometimes only england had access to the products like tobacco and sugar
Colonists often felt the Navigation Acts benefited the English, and limited how much colonial merchants could make
Some people restored to smuggling or illegally trading goods
Sugar Act (1764)
After the French and Indian war, to make money back Britain passed the Sugar Act and the Quartering Act
The Sugar Act was a tax on molasses
The colonists main source of sweetener
Quartering Act (1765)
This was the other act the British passed to make money back after the French and Indian war
To save money for Britain, colonists had to feed and house British soldiers
Violation of rights
Stamp Act, Boycott (1765)
Colonists had to buy tax stamps to put on paper goods
Newspapers, playing cards, contracts, legal documents
Huge pushback, colonists organized boycotts against British goods
Refused to buy certain products
It worked
The king took down the law
Townshend Acts (1767)
Britain would tax all products brought into the colonies
Allowed officials to search for illegal goods without telling the colonists what they were looking for
Tried to weaken colonial governments
Again, a boycott that worked
Britain repealed all the acts except the tea act
Boston Massacre What happened? Why? ( March 5, 1770)
An angry group of colonists surrounded a small group of soldiers, yelling and throwing snowballs at them
The soldiers fired into the crowd, killing 5 and wounding 6
People were very angry
Tea Act (1773)
British East India Company gets a monopoly on tea sold in the colonies
This means they had complete control and the colonists could only buy from them
British East India Company is Britain’s most important company
Tea was cheaper, but colonists were mad because:
Colonial merchants selling Dutch tea couldn’t compete with the price ( meaning they couldn’t sell it anymore)
Colonists still had a tea tax
Boston Tea Party What happened? Why?
The sons of liberty
A secret political organization that fought against British taxes organized a massive protest against the Tea Act
Dressed as Native Americans, the dumped 342 cases of tea into the boston harbor
The tea they dumped was worth 1000s of dollars
Intolerable
can not be tolerated/accepted/endured
Coerce
force someone to do something ( an unwilling person) by using force or threats
The intolerable acts/ coercive acts ( 1774): What was the first act?
The Boston Port Act
Royal navy shut down Boston Harbor until the Bostonians paid the British East India Company for all the lost tea
Britain wanted to regain the lost money and snow authority over the rebellious Boston
No imports or exports meant Boston’s local economy very bad, colonists began to starve without food and supplies shipping in
What was the second intolerable act?
The Massachusetts Government Act
The Massachusetts council was appointed by the king
Britain wanted to show the colonists that they were in charge and had more control over Massachusetts
The colonists saw this as Britain striping them of their right to representation by their own elected officials
