Key Topic 1 - America Flashcards
What area of Canada did Britain gain from the ‘7 Years War’?
Quebec
How had America been governed since the 1600s?
Salutary neglect
Who could vote in America?
50-80% of white males
What did Americans vote for?
Legislative assemblies
What was one of the largest cities in 1770?
Boston
What was the population of Boston?
20,000
How many redcoats were stationed in Boston since 1768 to keep peace?
600
How many new citizens in Canada did Britain have?
80,000
How many people were needed in the defence force in America?
10,000
What was Britain’s annual national debt?
£4.4 million
What was the colonial administration fee?
£350,000 per year
When and what taxed sugar?
Sugar duties, 1764
When and what taxed printed materials?
Stamp Act, 1765
What was taxed in the Townshend Duties of 1767?
Glass, wine, China, lead, paint, paper, tea
What did colonists say about taxation?
‘No taxation without representation’
What was Boston like in 1770?
A powder keg - the hub of the coming revolution
What were frequent riots held against
British taxation - usually held on Thursdays (market day)
Who was Governor of Boston
Thomas Hutchinson
What happened to Hutchinson?
House was ransacked
What happened to those showing loyalty to the British?
Tarred and feathered
What happened on March 5th 1770?
Boston Massacre
Why did the Boston Massacre happen?
Customs House guards were attacked by men throwing snowballs and stones
How many died in the Massacre?
5
When were the years of calm?
1770-73
Which taxes were repealed due to the Massacre?
Townshend Duties and Stamp Act
Why was Union between the 13 colonies low during the years of calm?
Huge wealth divisions, religious divisions, virtual civil war in the Carolina’s between small farmers and Tidewater officials
What 3 groups was society split roughly into
Loyalist, apathetic, patriot
Which of the 3 groups was best at recruiting?
Patriots
When and who set up the Committee of Correspondence?
1771, Sam Adams
What was the Committee of Correspondence?
A system of letter sharing and news sharing that the British couldn’t control
What was taxed in 1773?
Tea
Why was tea taxed?
Partly to tax the colonies and partly to help the struggling East India Trading Company
What did the colonists do out of principle despite the tea tax being light?
Still preferred to buy smuggled tea out of principle
Where was the most intense defiance?
Boston
How many ships were carrying over £10,000 worth of tea?
3
When did the Boston Tea Party happen?
December 1773
How many members of what group boarded the ships in the Tea Party?
60 members of the Sons of Liberty
How many chests of tea were sunk?
342
How did Britain react?
Outraged, decided to try and isolate Boston
What was passed in retaliation to the Tea Party?
Coercive Acts
When were the Coercive Acts passed?
1774
What were the Coercive Acts?
1) Closure of the port of Boston until the tea was paid for
2) Hutchinson replaced with Gage, governor can appoint and dismiss officials
3) Murder trials held in England
4) Power to military commanders to quarter troops in private houses