Period 3: 1754 - 1800 Flashcards
French and Indian War (7 Years’ War)
Mostly Britain vs. France
Albany Plan of Union
British wanted to coordinate the war effort and colonial defense, also get the Iroquois on British side, so representatives from 7 colonies met in Albany where Ben Franklin proposed the Plan (Join or Die), to help coordinate troops and collect taxes (promote colonial unity!) but colonial jealousy and tradition of independence caused the plan’s rejection; est. a precedent for later meetings and cooperation
Treaty of Paris 1763
England gets French Canada and Spanish Florida, the French gave the Spanish Louisiana, and British control was est. over the region while France was basically kicked out (except Haiti)
Effects of French and Indian War
British supremacy of N. America and as leading naval power, British thought the colonies were militarily weak while the colonists viewed oppositely and were not impressed by the British.
- End to salutary neglect!
- War is expensive and England has debt so that means taxes
Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763)
Pontiac (Ottawa Chief) forged a W. confederation and rebelled against colonists encroaching on their land; Indians were mad bc of W. spread and bc the British didn’t bring them gifts so it went down in the Ohio River Valley and British send troops to put it down
Paxton Boys
W. Penn Scots-Irish attacked random Natives during during Pontiac’s Rebellion bc want gov. protection from Indians
Proclamation of 1763
after Pontiac’s Rebellion, prohibited colonial settlement W. of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent tensions w/ Natives; colonists were defiant tho and got a lil mad
Sugar Act (1764)/ Revenue Act of 1764
placed duties on sugar and luxuries to raise $ for England and provided stricter enforcement of Navigation Acts to stop smuggling (violators tried in vice-admiralty courts)
Quartering Act (1765)
colonists required to provide food and living quarters for British soldiers
Stamp Act! (1765)
direct tax on legal documents and items like newspapers, got the colonists real heated bc argued it was passed w/out consent of colonial legislatures
Responses to Stamp Act: Patrick Henry, virtual representation, Stamp Act Congress, Sons of Liberty
- Patrick Henry issues Virginia Resolved and talks about no taxation w/out representation
- British issues virtual representation
- Stamp Act Congress: 9 colonies meet to oppose British policies, move towards inter colonial unity
- Sons/ Daughters of Liberty: violent protests and boycotts (tar feathering)
Declaratory Act (1766)
After the repeal of the Stamp Act, Britain says they still have the power to tax the colonies
Townshend Acts (1767)
tax on imports like paper, tea, glass which would be used to pay royal officials in the colonies so more tensions, also officials could search private homes for goods w/ a writ of assistance rather than a warrant
Resistance to Townshend Acts
John Dickinson writes “Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania” to argue “no taxation without representation” but England argues that colonists are represented through virtual representation; colonists created nonimporation and nonconsumtion agreements to boycott British goods and Britain repeals the Acts in 1770 bc deterring trade
Boston Massacre
British troops open fire near the customs house killing 5 colonists and Paul Revere used it as pro-colonial propaganda
Committees of Correspondence
Started by Sam Adams in 1772 to keep up communication and resistance to British policies or suspicious activity; example of growing intercolonial unity
Tea Act (1773)
gave monopoly to British East India Company to help them with monetary problems, even tho it made the tea cheaper than smuggled Dutch tea, colonists refused it bc they did not agree to the tax
Boston Tea Party
Sons of Liberty protest against Tea Act, led to the Coercive Acts
Coercive Acts (1774) (Intolerable Acts)
to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party
- Boston port was closed until property was paid for
- Reduced power of Mass. legislature and banned town hall meetings
- Quartering Act expanded
- Royal officials accused of a crime would be tried in England
Quebec Act (1774)
Extended the boundary of Quebec into the Ohio Valley, est. Roman Catholicism as official religion and gov. allowed to operate w/out representative assembly or trial by jury
Colonial opinion of Quebec Act
Felt that it was a direct attack on them, that it took land away from them, Protestants mad at the Catholic part, and worried that England would take away representative gov. in the colonies
The First Continental Congress (1774)
response to Intolerable Acts, all colonies except Georgia sent representatives to Philadelphia to respond to British threats of their liberties and wanted to try to repair the relationship w/ England -> NOT calling for independence
- Endorsed Suffolk Resolves: Repeal of Intolerable Acts
- Passed Declaration of Rights and Grievances: restore colonial rights
- Created the Association: coordinate economic boycott
- Start making military preparations and plan to meet again
English response to First Continental Congress
King George dismisses the grievances, declares Massachusetts in a state of rebellion and sends more troops
Lexington and Concord
British troops led by Gen. Gage leave Boston to seize colonial weapons and arrest John Hancock and Sam Adams, Minutemen warned by Paul Revere that the British were coming and the “shot heard round the world” was shot in Lexington (1775) and another battle took place in Concord when colonial troops attacked the British on their way back
Bunker Hill
June 1775, true battle between opposing armies, British got hill which was actually Breed’s Hill, but colonists hold their own so builds their confidence
Second Continental Congress
May 1775, division amongst colonists on whether or not to declare independence, organized the Continental Army w/ George Washington as commander, sent “Olive Branch Petition” to King George III
Olive Branch Petition
sent to King George III, colonists w/ 2nd Continental Congress pledged their loyalty and asked the king to secure peace but George dismisses the OBP and declares the colonies in rebellion
Deep Roots of Revolution
Enlightenment ideas of John Locke and Rousseau, Locke said everyone has natural rights and power of gov. is derived from popular consent
Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”
influenced by the Enlightenment argued for the radical idea of colonial independence and breaking w/ British ties bc it was against common sense for a large continent to be rules by a small island so far away who imposed unreasonable laws
Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson which justified independence by listing specific grievances against King George III, wanted to rally support from colonists and get assistance from foreign nations, and broad appeal by declaring natural rights and popular sovereignty