Losing The American Colonies Flashcards
Why did Britain decide to start enforcing taxation on the colonies?
1763 - end of 7 year war with France where national debt stood at 137 million.
Britain also wanted to keep an army of 10,000 troops stationed in North America to defend against possible revenge attacks.
To prevent further attacks and to decrease national debt, Britain wanted to enforce taxes so the colonists would be paying for their defence
How much were Americans paying in taxes before Britain would enforce taxes ?
A sixpence a year !
Compared to the average Briton who paid 25 shillings
Americans paid 50 times less !!!!
What tensions existed before 1770 with relations with native Americans ?
Britain stated that in 1763, there would be no further expansion of American colonies into the west.
Colonialist disagreed and wanted to expand their farms into the the frontier
How were the colonists influenced by enlightenment philosophy?
The age of reason
Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke questioned the traditional authority such as the rule of the king and monarchy.
This directly inspired french and American revolutions.
This is evident in jefferson’s Declaration of Independence
How was their tensions before 1770 with the colonists and their growing identity ?
Americans were allowed to form colonial assemblies to discuss local matters.
They started to form their own identity with the increasing taxes from the British as they would get together and complain creating the divide between Britain and colonies.
When was the committes of correspondence set up ?
What was the significance of this ?
1771
Created by Sam Adams to communicate grieve because through all towns in Massachusetts then the 13 colonies
Significance -
Further form identity of colonists.
Organised opposition
What was the sugar act ?
1764
- actually lowered duty on sugar posts but strengthened methods for its collection
When was the stamp act ?
1765
When was the tea act passed ?
What did this involve ?
Why significant ?
1773
Permitted British east India company to sell surplus tea. This would compete with smuggled tea .
Could be argued to be an example of British intransigence as they reversed all the other taxes from Townsend duties in 1770 apart from this one just to enforce that they were still in charge
What was the reaction to the tea act ?
Why was this significant
60 sons of liberty boarded a ship and threw cargos with £10,000 worth of tea into the ocean.
342 chests sank
Significant as - direct rebellion against Britain with no turning back. Britain responded with the coercive acts which drove colonies to outright rebellion
What were the Townshend duties ?
When were they enforced ?
When were they reversed ?
1767
Duties on imports of glass , wine , China, paper, tea
- could be argued that Britain was listening to the colonists like Franklin who said Britain had no right to tax internally
Repealed 1770 except for the tax on tea !
How did the colonists react to the Townshend duties
Formal protests
‘No taxation without representation’
Boycotts and violent protests in Boston
When were the sons of liberty formed?
1765
What were the four main tensions between the colonists and the British by 1770?
War with France whereby British ended up with a large national debt 137 million which resulted in them wanted to enforce colonial taxing to pay for the army they wanted to put up there
Relations with native Americans
1763
London declared that there would be no more expansion of Native American land , Americans wanted to expand from frontier
The enlightenment
Anti - monarchist influence - john Locke
American colonists forming their own identity through colonial assemblies
When and what was the Boston massacre ?
1770
British troops were attacked by snow balls and killed 5 Bostonians after violent protests and riots every Thursday
Who defended the British troops in the boston massacre ?
John Adams
Got 6 out of 8 acquitted
How many people attended the funerals of the Boston massacre dead ?
Why was this significant
Five thousand
Significant as they became large political demonstrations
How was the Boston massacre depicted in propaganda?
Depicted as a massacre !
British troops open firing
Seemingly unprovoked at defenceless colonists
Paul Revere
Outline the change of organised resistance from colonial assemblies to committees of correspondence
Colonial assemblies - allowed by the british. Ununified assemblies
However upon the sugar act of 1764 , these assemblies were used to voice concerns towards the British which formed the American identity
The committees of correspondence
Formed originally in Massachusetts then to the 13 colonies in 1771 by Sam Adams to form organised resistance. MORE STRENGTH
What evidence was there for years of comparative calm between the colonists and the British (3)
- divisions between tidewater and backcountry
- 1771-1774, colonial imports from Britain doubled from 1768-1770
- lord north was moderate and willing to compromise
What was the Gaspee incident ?
Why was this significant ?
The Gaspee boat which enforced navigation acts was burnt by American smugglers who were not prosecuted
1772
Significance - evidence of not comparative calm
First act of direct violence
When was the first continental congress ?
Why was the significant.
1774
First time all the representatives form different colonies met in defiance of the British
When and what was the Boston tea party ?
What was it a reaction to?
1773 - tea act. Allowed east India company to directly trade with colonists which would reduce illegal tea smuggling as it would be cheaper
Reaction - Boston 60 sons of liberty boarded a tea ship and threw £10,000 worth of tea into the ocean and 342 chests sank
OUTRIGHT REBELLION
Which acts were a reaction to the Boston tea party.?
Coercive acts
