The American Revolution: 1775-1783 Flashcards
What is the American Revolution?
The American Revolution was an epic political and military struggle waged between 1765 and 1783 when 13 of Britain’s North American colonies rejected its imperial rule.
How did John Locke influence the American Revolution?
Locke expressed and agreed with having the right of liberty, property, and freedom, along with the right to revolt. These ideas inspired revolutionaries.
How did King George III impact the American Revolution?
King George consented to the hiring of thousands of mercenaries/soldiers to assist the British troops already in America in crushing the rebellion. He was relentless and give NOT want to give up the American colonies.
What was the goal of the Seven Years War?
Britain wanted to destroy France as a commercial rival, and they therefore focused on attacking the French navy and colonies overseas.
The Seven Years War originally started with who? (1756-1763)
The Seven Years War was fought by Britain and France to determine European supremacy, and to determine control of North America.
What were the alliances during the Seven Years War?
Great Britain, Prussia, Portugal and their respective colonies.
and
France, Spain, Austria, Russia, Sweden and their respective colonies.
What is the Treaty of Paris?
A treaty signed between the American colonies and Great Britain, ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation
When was the Treaty of Paris Signed? (Date)
September 3, 1783
What is the Stamp Acts (1765)? What did it entail?
The British Parliament passed this act in order to raise revenue to pay part of the empire’s defense costs.
The Stamp Act required the colonists to use specially stamped paper for all official documents, newspapers, and pamphlets.
Issued by Britain, the stamps were affixed to documents or packages to show that the tax had been paid.
Why were people mad about the Stamp Act?
Colonists argued that there should be “No Taxation without Representation” and that it went against the British constitution to be forced to pay a tax to which they had not agreed through representation in Parliament.
What other act accompanied the Stamp Act?
The Quartering Act
What was the Quartering Act?
It required colonial authorities to provide barracks (camps/houses for soldiers) and supplies for British troops.
It prohibited British soldiers from being quartered/boarded in private homes/
What was the Boston Massacre?
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred on March 5, 1770, between a “patriot” mob, throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks, and a squad of British soldiers. Several colonists were killed.
Why did the Boston Massacre occur?
British troops had been sent to Boston to enforce tax laws and the colonists resented the British troops.
Colonists didn’t believe that they deserved to be taxed, so they protested and rioted.
When did the Boston Massacre Occur? (Date)
March 5, 1770
What is the Boston Tea Party?
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest. American colonists, frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company into the harbor.
When was the Boston Tea Party?
December 16, 1773
What was the Coercive Acts of 1774? (In general)
A series of laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colony of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party.
British Parliament wanted to show how much power they hold.
What were the SPECIFIC punishments of the Coercive Act?
- Punished Boston by closing the port to all commerce until the British East India Company had been paid for its tea.
- Intended to prevent local juries from frustrating enforcement of imperial trade regulations and allowed royal officials accused of crimes while stopping a riot or collecting revenue to be sent to Britain for trial.
- Modified the Charter of Massachusetts by giving the royal governor greater appointive powers and limiting the authority of town meetings. The provisions of the Quartering Act were extended so that troops could be lodged in private dwellings.
Who won the American Revolution?
America ultimately won the Revolutionary War, when Britain surrendered thirteen of Great Britain’s North American colonies, and allowed them to have political independence and govern themselves.
What did the American Revolution Lead to?
The US Declaration of Independence
When was The Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
Who drafted The Declaration of Independence?
It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston.
Give me an example of how John Locke influence The Declaration of Independence.
Governments were established to assure citizens of “certain unalienable rights”: Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness (Locke’s were life, liberty, property)
How did Thomas Paine inspire the Declaration of Independence?
He urged the American Colonies to declare independence and immediately sever all ties with the British monarchy.
Who did George Washington helped American independence?
He assisted in the surrender of the last effective British fighting force in North America (Cornwallis’ army). This occured in Yorktown.
This led to Great Britain recognizing the independence of the former colonies as the United States.
