Revolution MCQ Flashcards
1
Q
Characteristics of American Colonial Government
A
- The ACG mimics Parliament
- All colonies have their own representative assembly
- Parliament doesn’t tax colonies directly, only colonial legislatures do
2
Q
Rights of the British colonists
A
- British colonists have more religious and personal freedom than Spanish and French colonists
- This b/c GB doesn’t have an absolute monarchy anymore
- Others don’t have personal liberty
- Creates affection between colonies and the crown
3
Q
Where do taxes come from?
A
Colonial assemblies
4
Q
Navigation Acts
A
- Series of laws passed by Britain to restrict colonies’ trade
- Colonies cannot trade with anyone other than England
- Therefore, England gets more money out of this
- An example of salutary neglect
5
Q
Salutary Neglect
A
- British policy of non-enforcement of policies and laws
- British pass laws but don’t enforce any of them
- Navigation Acts are largely un-enforced
- Colonies smuggle goods from the Spanish and Dutch, but British don’t catch them b/c it is too much money and effort (enough people follow the Navigation Acts anyway so British don’t really need to go after smugglers)
6
Q
Aftermath of Navigation Acts
A
- America as a market for British goods has surpassed its value as an agricultural producer
- Colonies make raw materials for England and British use the materials to make a product, which is sold back to the colonies
7
Q
French and Indian War
A
- Land dispute over Ohio River Valley
- Fight between French and British
- Colonists are fighting the French themselves and they win, but go into a large debt
- Part of the 7 Years War
- High participation from colonists
- At the end of the war, colonists see themselves as the freest people on Earth
8
Q
Pontiac’s Rebellion
A
- A revolt against the British in Michigan
- Many people died
- Inspired by the teachings of Neolin (Native American religious prophet)
- British realized that these types of rebellions will continue to happen so they get a large military presence, but costs money and can’t afford it b/c of their debt
- So, they begin taxing the colonies directly in order to earn money for a military presence
9
Q
Proclamation of 1763
A
- Colonists cannot move past Appalachian Mts.
- As a result of the FI War, the British got land between Appalachian and Mississippi
- Ends salutary neglect
10
Q
Stamp Act Crisis
A
- Tax on paper goods
- Taxation without representation, which represented the colonists’ lack of representation in Parliament
- Doesn’t tax trade, which is what colonists are used to
- Makes people very angry
- Women don’t purchase British goods anymore to revolt against the Act
- Merchants are angry b/c they aren’t making sales and too much pressure is put on Parliament
- Resolved when Parliament repeals the act
11
Q
Townshend Act Crisis
A
- Tax on all goods imported from England
- Should not even be taxed b/c of rules of mercantilism
- Tax policy now a pattern
- Protests, tar, and feathering occur due to this act and is the same situation as the Stamp Act
12
Q
What does Parliament do when revolts happen due to the Townshend Act Crisis?
A
- Parliament calls in more British troops to defend British personnel that are already there
- B/c they are concerned for their safety
- These troops live in people’s houses which causes a lot of issues and tension
13
Q
Boston Massacre
A
- Happens in Boston b/c of the port where goods come and go
- A big mob of people harass the tax house and then troops come to fight against this
- 5 Boston citizens are killed
- People are extremely angry b/c of this
14
Q
Tea Act Crisis
A
- Makes tea LESS expensive
- The BEI company is about to get into debt, so the British government tries to bail it out
- Tries to flood the market in the colonies with cheap tea, which drives colonial tea merchants out of business
- Creates monopoly for EIC
- Prices go up after others are out of business
15
Q
East India Company
A
- Largest corporation in GB
- Members of Parliament own stocks from this company
16
Q
Boston Tea Party
A
- Sons of Liberty go into the ocean in the middle of the night and throw 18 million cups of tea in the ocean
17
Q
Passing of Intolerable Acts
A
- Closes the port in Boston
- Bad news for Boston b/c they will get no more money and can’t do business
- Leads to the first Continental Congress in 1774
18
Q
Continental Congress
A
- Most representation from the colonies
- 12 colonies present at the meeting (all except Georgia)
- A united colonial response
19
Q
War Before Independence
A
- War exists before independence
- Colonists are fighting the British
- A lot of people are dying
- Creates division when it comes to independence b/c the war affects some colonies but not all
20
Q
Second Continental Congress
A
- Turn towards independence around 1775
- All colonies are present at this meeting
21
Q
Olive Branch Petition
A
- Peace offering
- Last attempt to peacefully reconcile with GB
- King responds with a rude message and rejects the peace offering
22
Q
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
A
- A pamphlet
- Makes an argument for independence which he thinks is common sense
- Significant b/c audience is regular people who can’t go to the CC meetings, so they can read the pamphlet instead
23
Q
Albany Plan of Union of 1754
A
A failed proposal by the seven northern colonies urging the unification of the colonies under one crown-appointed president
24
Q
Virtual Representation
A
- Idea that the American colonies were virtually represented by all members of Parliament, even though they had no actual representative in Parliament
25
Writs of Assistance
- Writs allowed unlimited search warrants without cause to look for evidence of smuggling
- One of the colonies' main complaints against Britain
26
Sugar Act
- Decision by Parliament to tax refined sugar and many other colonial products
- Also established a machinery to end smuggling by colonial merchants
27
Revenue Act
- Tax on wool and hides, which was previously traded for free
28
Battles of Lexington and Concord
- First shots fired in the Revolutionary War near Boston
- Around 350 people killed
29
Battle of Bunker Hill
- First major battle of the Revolutionary War
30
Continental Army
- Army authorized by the Continental Congress to fight the British, which was commanded by General George Washington
31
Lord Dunmore's Proclamation
- A proclamation issued by the earl of Dunmore (British governor of VA), that offered freedom to any slave who fought for the king against the rebelling colonists
32
Declaration of Independence
- Document adopted that made the break with Britain official
- Drafted by a committee of the Second Continental Congress (including TJ)
33
Battle of Saratoga
Major defeat of British general John Burgoyne and more than 5000 British troops at Saratoga
34
Benedict Arnold
- A traitorous American commander who planned to sell out the American garrison to the British
- His plot was discovered before it could be executed and he joined the British army
35
Battle of Yorktown
Last battle of the Revolutionary War where British troops surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia
36
Treaty of Paris
- Treaty that ended the Revolutionary War
- Recognized American independence from Britain
- Established the border between Canada and the US
- Fixed the western border at the Mississippi River
- Ceded Florida to Spain
