Period 3 Flashcards
Wars between France and Britain BEFORE the French and Indian War
King William’s War: British tried to take Quebec and failed when Natives sided w/ France and burned British settlements
Queen Anne’s War: British gained Nova Scotia and trading rights in Spanish America
King George II’s War: Spain attacked Georgia, Oglethorpe fought them off, New England took Louisbourg in Canada, BUT Britain returned it for trading rights in India, this caused tension between Britain and Colonists
French and Indian War
Britain wanted to stop France from building forts in the Western territory
Many Native American tribes sided with France, and Britain was losing
Then PM William Pitt focused on conquering Canada; at the Battle of Louisbourg Quebec Surrendered and France lost
Outcomes of the French and Indian War: The Peace of Paris
The war ended with the Peace of Paris
Great Britain got: French Canada and Spanish Florida
Spain got: France’s territory west of the Mississippi
IE Britain extends its control of North America, France has no more power on the continent
The F&I War…
- gave GB supremacy in North America
- challenged the autonomy of natives
- colonies no longer faced threats from France, Spain, or their native allies
Albany Plan of Union
Ben Franklin’s plan for colonial defense:
- intercolonial government
- system for recruiting troops and collecting taxes
it was not accepted because colonies wanted to keep their taxing power
The Albany Congress that discussed the plan set a precedence for future congresses
British and Colonial POVs of F&I War
Britain:
- low opinion of colonial military ability
- thought colonists were unable to defend new frontiers
Colonies:
- proud of their fighting in all four wars
- confident they could provide their own defense
- not impressed with British military leadership
- thought their methods were poorly suited to the densely wooded terrain
Pontiac’s Rebellion
1763, Chief Pontiac attacked frontier settlements and forts from NY to VA, the British sent regular troops instead of colonial ones
Proclamation of 1763
After Pontiac’s Rebellion, the British announced that colonists could not move west of the Appalachians to prevent further conflict
This angered the colonists who thought they deserved to live on the land they had fought for, and therefore created more conflict w/ the British
Sugar Act
AKA The Revenue Act
Put taxes on foreign sugar and other luxury goods, and enforced the Navigation Acts to stop smuggling
The Quartering Act
Colonists were required to house British soldiers and provide other resources (ex. food)
The Stamp Act
Was enacted to fund the British military in the colonies; put revenue stamps of most printed papers
This was directly paid by the colonists rather than merchants, causing greater conflict
Stamp Act Congress
Reps from 9 colonies met to form this Congress
They declared only their elected officials could approve taxes
It did not work
Currency Act
This act was passed with the Sugar Act. It prohibited the printing and issuance of paper money by the Colonial Legislature.
This act took away some of the independence of the colonial legislature. It also caused a great amount of protest in the colonies.
The Sons and Daughters of Liberty
Organization who protested the taxes
Intimidated tax agents, destroyed revenue stamps, and organized boycotts
The Townshend Acts
Duties on imports of tea, glass, and paper. The revenue from the taxes was used to pay colonial officials, making them completely independent of colonial assemblies.
While the taxes were not protested at first (because they were indirect), leaders such as John Dickinson, James Otis, and Samual Adams began to protest the taxation without representation.
The Massachusetts Circular Letter
A letter by James Otis and Samual Adams sent to every colony urging the colonies to petition Parliament to overturn the Townshend Acts, which the British responded to by threatening to dissolve the colonial legislature and send more troops, and boycotts of British goods were conducted.
Writs of Assistance
Enacted as part of the Townshend Acts, this act allowed officials to search private homes for smuggled goods. All that officials needed to do so was a writ of assistance (a general license to search anywhere) instead of a warrant approved by a judge.
The act was intended to end salutary neglect, and force an end to smuggling. However it did not make the colonies buy more British goods and the act did not generate much revenue.
Boston Massacre
In March 1770, a crowd of colonists harassed a group of guards outside of the customs house in Boston. The guards fired on the crowd, killing five.
This conflict was dubbed a massacre by Samual Adams in order to inflame anti-British feelings and protests. The killing of Crispus Attucks, a dockworker of African and Native American heritage, was used as a symbol of the antislavery movement.
Committee of Correspondence
There was a relative peace between the colonies and Britain between 1770-1772, so to keep the idea that Britain was undermining colonial liberties, Samuel Adams initiated the Committee of Correspondence.
The committee sent letters about suspicious and threatening British actions. The Virginia House of Burgess also had a committee, but they were intercolonial as well.
Burning of the Gaspee
The Gaspee was a British ship that had caught several smugglers in Rhode Island. To destroy the ship, several colonists boarded (disguised as Native Americans) and burned the ship.
This incident was frequently discussed by the Committee of Correspondence. A British commission was also ordered to investigate and bring those found guilty to Britain for trial.
Tea Act
The Tea Act was meant to help the British East India company by making tea cheaper than the Dutch tea that was smuggled, even with the tax, so that the colonists would buy it instead of smuggled tea.
Many still boycotted the tea and many of the British East India company’s shipments of tea had no buyers.
Boston Tea Party
When a shipment of tea came into the Boston Harbor, a group of colonial laborers and artisans boarded the boat (again dressed as Native Americans) and threw the tea overboard.
The reaction to this was mixed; some applauded it, and others thought it was too radical and too destructive. Britain enacted the Coercive (or Intolerable) acts as a punishment.
Coercive Acts
The Coercive Acts were enacted to punish the colonies (Massachusetts in particular) for the Boston Tea Party.
They were called the Intolerable Acts because of their harshness.
These acts closed Boston’s port (the Port Act), reduced the Massachusetts legislature’s power, allowed royal officials to be tried in Britain (the Administration of Justice Act), and expanded the Quartering Act.
The colonies were outraged by these laws and it caused more colonists to protest and take sides.
Quebec Act
This act organized Canadian lands by making Roman Catholicism the official religion, setting up a government without representative assemblies, and extending Quebec to the Ohio River.
This act also outraged American colonists because it took away lands from New York, PA, VA, CT, and more, and because they feared that their representative assemblies would be taken away. The American colonies also resented the recognition of the Catholic church.
The First Continental Congress
The first continental congress met after the Intolerable acts were enacted to discuss the British limiting colonial liberties.
The congress was made up of 2 delegates from every colony (except Georgia) and included Thomas Jefferson, John and Samual Adams, George Washington, and more.
The Congress adopted measures that they hoped would restore the colonies’s relationship with Britain. It included the Suffolk Resolves, which called for the repeal of the Intolerable acts, military preparations and boycotts to protest them, as well as a petition sent to the king urging him to make peace with the colonies (King George dismissed this and declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion).
Battle of Lexington + Concord
April 18, 1775, British troops under Thomas Gage were sent to seize weapons from a colonial militia in Concord. Paul Revere and William Dawes were able to warn the militia, who then met the British on the village green. After 8 casualties the militia retreated.
While the British destroyed the military supplies, colonial militias caught up to them in Lexington. The British suffered 250 casualties and humiliation that they were hurt so badly by an “amateur” army.
Battle of Bunker Hill
The first true battle of the American revolution; a colonial militia fortified Breed’s Hill (next to Bunker). The British attacked them to take the hill.
While the British succeeded in taking the hill, the colonists inflicted heavy casualties on the British (over 1,000).
Second Continental Congress
The Congress met again in May 1775. While some still hoped to fix the colonies relationship with Britain (mostly the Middle colonies) others began to call for independence.
The congress adopted the Declaration of the Causes and Necessities for Taking Up Arms. This declaration appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief, authorized a force under Benedict Arnold to raid Quebec and draw Canada from Britain, and called on colonies to provide troops.
Olive Branch Petition
The congress sought peace with Britain at the same time. In July they voted to send a petition directly to King George, pledging their loyalty to him and asking that he intervene with Parliament’s decisions.
King George again dismissed the petition and enacted the Prohibitory Act. This act declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion, and later prohibited shipping and trade between the colonies and Britain.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
This pamphlet argued that the colonies should become independent of Britain. Paine argued that a large continent should not be ruled by a small and distant island.
The pamphlet was so impactful because it was written in simple and understandable language which allowed many colonists to read it. Paine also directly attacked King George III and the idea of monarchy.
Declaration of Independence
The Congress began to agree that they needed independence. Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution calling for the colonies to be free.
Thomas Jefferson and a committee then drafted the Declaration of Independence. This document listed grievances against George III and Parliament and expressed the basic rights that justified revolution. “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”
Patriots vs. Loyalists
Patriots:
- 40% of the colonies
- mostly from New England and Virginia
- fought in short periods
- lacked supplies, food, not paid well
- strong commitment to the cause
Loyalists
- maintained allegiance to Britain
- strongest in New York, New Jersey, and Georgia
- supplied the British w/ food + weapons
- many left the US after the war was over
Africans during the Revolution
Both the British and Patriots recruited Enslaved Africans with the incentive of freedom after the was over
Valley Forge
Long winter spent outside of Philadelphia while the British occupied it.
Battle of Trenton
Battle on Christmas Eve against the Hessians
They win the battle because the Hessians did not expect an attack on a holiday
This win motivates the Patriot troops, who re-enlist for another year
Battle of Saratoga
British from Canada tried to meet with troops in New England; they were surrounded by Patriot troops, cut off from supplies, and forced to surrender
This win for the Patriots persuaded France to aid the colonies
Battle of Yorktown
Last battle of the war
Patriot troops and the French Navy surrounded British troops in Yorktown, forcing them to surrender
Treaty of Paris
- British had to recognize the US as a sovereign nation
- Mississippi River would be the boundary of the US
- Americans could fish off the coast of Canada
- Americans would pay off debts to British merchants and honor loyalist property claims as well as paying off all other war debts
The Articles of Confederation
An intentionally weak form of government created during the war
Structure under the Articles
Only one branch (Congress)
Each state had one vote
9/13 votes were needed for something to pass
A committee of states could make minor decisions
Federal Powers under the Articles
Congress could wage war, make treaties, send diplomats, and BORROW money
Accomplishments of the Articles
Independence for the US
Land Ordinance of 1785: a policy for surveying and selling western lands, the ordinance set aside 1 per 36 square miles for public schools
Northwest Ordinance of 1787: established rules for creating new states, establishing limited self governance and prohibiting slavery
The selling of western lands was the ONLY source of revenue for the federal government under the Articles
Weaknesses/Issues under the Articles
- Federal government could not enforce treaties, so it could not force states to repay debts; this made Europe look down on the states and not trade w/ them
- Could not force the British out of outposts in the west (NO NATIONAL MILITARY)
- Could not tax; had to borrow money from states to pay debts
unpaid debts = limited credit and reduced trade
These weaknesses led to little foreign trade, and the US could not make money to pay their debts - Could not regulate commerce: states treated each other as rivals and put tariffs on each other and Congress could not settle disputes
RESULT: lack of unity between the states, not like a single country - lack of a national army: the federal government could not do anything during Shay’s Rebellion and the rebellion was ended by MA state militia
The Constitutional Convention
James Madison and Alexander Hamilton convinced delegates to meet and eventually to create a new document and new system of government
Separation of Powers
Under the Constitution power is separated first between federal and state government and then into three branches
Federal: national defense, foreign affairs, interstate commerce, postal system
State: schools, local elections
Legislative: (Congress) makes laws, passes taxes, allocates spending
Executive: (President) recommends and carries out laws/federal programs, makes treaties, declares war
Judicial: interprets laws and the Constitution
Checks and Balances
Congress passes laws; BUT the president can veto them and Supreme Court can rule them unconstitutional
President makes treaties; BUT Congress must ratify them
Supreme Court can order the president to enforce laws: BUT the president appoints judge
Bill of Rights
In order to ratify the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists required that a Bill of Rights be created to protect individual rights
The Connecticut Plan
One of the compromises of the convention
Large states wanted delegates based on population (so they would have more) = The Virginia Plan
Small states wanted equal representation for all states (so they would have a say) = the New Jersey Plan
The compromise was the CT Plan introduced by Roger Sherman
It created the two house Congress
States would have equal representation in the Senate but representation based on population in the House of Representatives
Three-Fifths Compromise
Should enslaved individuals be counted as people for representation?
If yes larger states would get even more representation in the House
The compromise was that each enslaved individual would count as three fifths of a person toward representation
The delegates also agreed to table discussions of abolishing slavery and the slave trade until 1808
The Commercial Compromise
Congress was allowed to regulate commerce and tax imports but it could not tax exports
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
Federalists wanted a strong federal government, loose interpretation of the Constitution, and were popular in the North with manufacturing ALEXANDER HAMILTON
Anti-Federalists wanted a weak federal government, strict interpretation of the Constitution, and were popular in the south and west with farmers THOMAS JEFFERSON
Implied Powers and the Necessary and Proper Clause
Federalists argued that there are certain powers that the President and Federal Government have even though they are not explicitly stated in the Constitution
If something is deemed “necessary” and appropriate then it can be done
This is the case with the National Bank
Women during the Revolution
Women provided supplies, worked as nurses and cooks, and some even fought in their husbands places (Molly Pitcher and Deborah Sampson)
Women ran farms and maintained the colonial economy while men were fighting
Status of Women after the Revolution
Women had a greater status BUT were not seen as equals to men
Abigail Adams wrote her husband letters telling him to “remember the ladies” when establishing independence, but her pleas were unsuccessful
Republican Motherhood
Called for educating women so they could teach their sons the values of the new republic and their roles as citizens
The Federalist Papers
85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in support of the Constitution in order to get states to ratify it
The Whiskey Rebellion
To raise revenue for Congress a tax was placed on whiskey. Farmers in Western PA were very angry over this because they could not afford to pay a tax on the whiskey they made from surplus corn and attacked revenue collectors. In response, Washington placed a militia of 15,000 under Hamilton’s command. This quickly ended the rebellion. Some applauded this action, while others saw it as unnecessary use of force (Jefferson gained support in Western PA because of it).
Citizen Genet
The French minister to the US, who broke rules of diplomacy and appealed to the American people to support the French. Washington requested the French remove him, but Genet remained in the US and became a citizen instead of going back to France.
Jay Treaty
A treaty developed by John Jay where Britain agreed to evacuate posts on the US’s western frontier, but they did not agree to end impressment (the practice of forcing men into the navy). This angered American supporters of France, but maintained the US’s neutrality.
Pinckney Treaty
Spain became concerned over their territory in the southeast after the Jay Treaty, so they negotiated a new treaty with the US. The Treaty opened the lower Mississippi river and New Orleans to American trade, the right of deposit (allowing American cargo in New Orleans without paying duties to Spain), and Spain accepted that Florida’s northern boundary would be the 31st parallel.
Proclamation of Neutrality
During the French Revolution, France was also fighting a defensive war with Britain which affected American merchants. Washington believed that the nation was not strong enough yet to join a European war, so he declared the US neutral. Jefferson disagreed and left the cabinet
Washington’s Farewell Address
When retiring, Washington addressed things that he considered unwise, including involvement in European affairs, permanent alliances, forming political parties, and sectionalism. Washington also left after two terms, setting a precedent for the following presidents.
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
- Pay off national debt at face value and the Federal Government assumes state’s debts
- Protect industries and collect revenue with high tariffs on imported goods
- Create a national bank for federal funds that would also print a common currency
Federalists supported it, Anti-Federalists were against it
It was adopted in a modified form
Anti-Federalists agreed to it on the terms that the capital would be in the South
The Bank of The United States
Privately owned, but was where the federal government kept funds, printed currency, and was used to stimulate business
XYZ Affair
To settle a dispute over French warships and privateers seizing US merchants, Adams sent a delegation to Paris. French ministers (known as X, Y, and Z) demanded bribes to enter the negotiation. Americans were angered by this and called for war against France. Adams resisted the demand for war and sent new ministers to Paris.
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Federalists strengthened in the house in 1798, so they began to enact laws that restricted their political opponents. They passed the Naturalization act, increasing the amount of years to qualify for US citizenship from 5 to 14, the Alien acts which allowed the president to deport aliens considered dangerous and to detain enemy aliens during wartime, and lastly the Sedition act which made it illegal for newspapers to criticize the president or congress.
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Virginia and Kentucky adopted resolutions by Jefferson and Madison that stated the states were in a “compact”. If any federal law broke this compact, the states could nullify it
Judicial Act of 1801 and Midnight Judges
The act created more judgeships in the US by eliminating the Supreme Court’s circuit duties. Just before leaving office, Adams filled these seats with Federalists.
Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle between the US and the Northwest Confederacy under chief Little Turtle
The Confederacy lost and agreed to the Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville
Northwest Confederacy tribes gave up their claims to land and this opened the Ohio Territory for settlement
Public Lands Act
Created procedures for dividing and selling federal lands
This added new states: Vermont 1791, Kentucky 1792, Tennessee 1796
