The Crisis of Empire, Revolution, and Nation Building (1754-1800) Flashcards
French and Indian War
Identify:
- Phases
War between France and Britain in the American colonies due to mutual encroachment. The War brought a shift in American Indigenous alliances.
3 phases:
1: Local affair between British colonists and French forces. Most Indigenous groups sides with the French, who were more accommodating. The British were losing.
2: William Pitt takes over. He enforces heavy handed tactics that are unpopular and resisted amongst colonists, putting the entire British effort in jeopardy.
3: Pitt works with colonial assemblies, which proves successful. France loses the war.
Fort Duquesne and Fort Necessity
French and British fort respectively, both in Pittsburgh. British fort was in response to the French one, and these forts were the prelude to the French and Indian War.
Benjamin Franklin (French and Indian War)
Proposed the Albany Plan which was rejected by the delegates. It was an attempt to organize an inter-colonial government, since the British war effort was scattered.
Albany Plan
An attempt to organize an inter-colonial government, since the British war effort was scattered.
William Pitt (French and Indian War)
Oversaw phases 2 and 3 of the war.
Treaty of Paris
France’s surrendering of almost all of its North American empire to Britain and Spain. This occurred after the loss of the French and Indian War.
Sugar Act
Post French and Indian War tax levied on the British settlers due to the heavy debt incurred by Britain as a result of constant warfare. The act actually lowered the existing tax on molasses imported into North America from French colonies in the West Indies. However, it also cracked down on smuggling in an attempt to generate more income.
Stamp Act
Departure from previous British policy. It aimed solely to raise revenue, rather than regulating trade. This provoked much resentment amongst colonists. It is often considered to be the beginning of the American Revolution era.
Quartering Act
Act that stated that if there were not enough barracks, soldiers would be housed in local pubs, inns, etc. Colonial assemblies were expected to shoulder the costs of these soldiers. These troops often supplemented their part time wages by finding work in the community. This act was in response to the influx of British soldiers following the French and Indian War.
Jeffrey Amherst
Commander-in-chief of British forces in North America who exemplified the difference between British and French approaches to local Indigenous tribes. Amherst saw gift exchanges as demeaning, unlike the French, who regularly participated tin them. The Indigenous saw gift giving as an expression of dominance and protection.
Neolin
Indigenous leader who gave an apocalyptic vision of what would happen if Indigenous people did not change their ways. He encouraged them to curb contact with Europeans and lessen infighting. This came in response to French withdrawal from North America. He helped set the stage for a unified resistance.
Ottawa Tribe
After the French and Indian War, they found themselves without allies, since British Colonists had set their sights on their traditional lands. They led a rebellion on Fort Detroit and surrounding forts and settlements. They were initially successful.
Pontiac
Leader of the Ottawa Tribe during their rebellion.
Thomas Gage
Replaced Amherst due to Amherst’s failure in dealing with the Ottawa Tribe’s rebellion. Gage ultimately broke the rebellion, but smaller skirmishes continued until the American Revolution.
Proclamation of 1763
British government drew a line through the Appalachian Mountains and ordered colonists not to settle beyond it. This came in response to Pontiac’s Rebellion. Many colonists were disappointed by this, and access to western lands was one of the first major disputes between colonists and the government.
Scots-Irish
Identify:
- Initial Destination
Presbyterians from Scotland who generations earlier had settled in Ireland. Difficult economic conditions compelled them to move to America, making them the largest immigrant group in the middle colonies.
They initially aimed to settle in Pennsylvania, where there was available land and a need for workers. The South was dominated by slavery, the North’s Puritanism enforced homogeneity, and New York City’s land was mostly taken by large estates.
Paxton Boys
Vigilante group of Scots-Irish who raided Indigenous groups on the Pennsylvania frontier.
Conestoga Indians
Group attacked by the Paxton Boys. Most Conestoga Indians were Christians.
Apology (Paxton Boys)
Paxton Boy’s presentation of grievances toward Pennsylvania legislature. They were bitter about the presence of Indigenous groups on the Pennsylvania frontier, as well as grievances against the Quaker Elite maintaining a more lenient policy.
Declarations of the Stamp Act Congresss
Asserted that only representatives elected by colonists could enact taxes on the colonies. This came from delegates of nine colonies who met up in New York following the Stamp act.
No Taxation Without Representation
Rallying cry of opponents of British policies.
Patrick Henry
Wrote the Virginia Resolves
Virginia Resolves
Came before the Declarations of the Stamp Act Congress. They called for more autonomy that went beyond moderate proposals.
Virtual Representation
British government’s response to No Taxation Without Representation. This theory claimed that MP’s represented the entire Empire, so the colonists were technically represented, despite not being voted by the colonists.
Committees of Correspondence
Spread information and coordinated resistance actions against the British. These essentially became a shadow government, challenging legislative assemblies and royal governors.
Sons of Liberty
Harassed and sometimes attacked stamp act agents.
Thomas Hutchinson
Lieutenant governor of Boston whose home was ransacked since the proprietor did not comply with the boycott of British goods.
Townshend Acts
Imposed additional taxes on the colonists after the Stamp Act crisis. These acts triggered boycotts of British goods. Locally produced goods, such as homespun clothing, became seen as virtuous substitutes for luxurious British goods.
Charles Townshend
British Chancellor of the Exchequer who made sure that the taxes imposed by the Townshend acts were on imports (external taxes) and not internal sales taxes on items.
Standing Armies
Following rioting, Britain deployed royal troops to Boston. These angered Bostonians, who viewed them ass threats to liberty. They competed with the colonists for waterfront jobs.
Boston Massacre
Occurred following a dispute between a soldier and a wigmaker’s apprentice. Colonists heckled and threw stones at the British soldiers, resulting in the troops firing into the crowd. There were 5 deaths, and the Boston Massacre was used as colonial propaganda to illustrate British troop’s brutality.
Crispus Attucks
African American killed during the Boston Massacre. He is regarded to be the first killed in the Boston Massacre, so the first killed in the American Revolution.
The Gaspee
A British revenue schooner who ran aground in shallow waters near Warwick, Rhode Island. He was searching for smugglers. Local men boarded the ship, looted it, and burnt it. The Gaspee affair marked a shift toward more militant tactics by colonial protestors.
Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act reduced taxes on tea sold by the British East India Company, whose stock value had virtually collapsed. The colonists became angry that the British were doing special favors for a large company. In response, the colonists dumped cases of tea into Boston Harbor.
Massachusetts Government Act
Part of the Coercive Acts. Brought the government of Massachusetts directly under British control. This limited the power of town meetings and allowed the royal governor to directly appoint officials, who in the past were elected.
Administration of Justice Act
Part of the Coercive Acts. It allowed British authorities to move trials from Massachusetts to Britain. Colonists viewed this as infringing on the rights of colonists to having a trial by a jury of one’s peers.
Boston Port Act
Part of the Coercive Acts. Closed the port of Boston to trade until further notice.
Quartering Act (Coercive Acts)
Expanded the scope of the 1765 quartering Act to require Boston residents to house British troops upon command.
Quebec Act
Part of the Coercive Acts, but had nothing to do with the Boston Tea Party. This enlarged the boundaries of Province and let Catholics in Quebec freely practice, which Protestant Bostonians saw as an attack on their faith.
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
Identify:
- Purpose
Massachusetts Government Act, Administration of Justice Act, Boston Port Act, Quartering Act, Quebec Act.
The British hoped that the coercive acts would make an example of Massachusetts and isolate it from the rest of the colonies. The opposite happened, and colonies resented the British for these acts.
First Continental Congress
Met in Philadelphia with representatives from each of the colonies except Georgia. This came as a response to the dissolution of the Virginian legislative assembly by the British. It marked a shift of power from royal governance to extralegal colonial bodies. They passed several resolutions that attempted to cut off all trade with Britain.
Committees of Safety
First Continental Congress called for these to enforce agreements.
Daughters of Liberty
Active in the opposition movement as protests were developing against the Stamp Act. They organized the production and distribution of homemade substitutes of Chinese and Indian teas traded from Britain.
Edenton Tea Party
A declaration signed by 51 women in North Carolina that resolved to give up tea and other British products.
Deborah Sampson
Woman disguised as a man and enlisted in the Continental Army.
Ebenezer Macintosh
Prominent leader of crowd actions in the Stamp Act period.
Thomas Paine and Benjamin Rush (pre-war)
Formed extralegal committees and militia groups in support of the revolution.
Reverend Samuel Danforth
Preached the uniqueness of Protestants in America’s mission to the world. (Errand in the Wilderness)
Protestant Evangelicalism
More intense and radical form of Protestantism which focused more on individual conversion and less centered on churches.
Bondage and Servitude
Common rhetoric used by protestant evangelicals, which helped push the ideas of republicanism. They also likened British rule to the devil, making the struggle against the British seem as as a struggle against godless tyranny.
Evangelicals View on the French and Indian War
Seen as a battle against Roman Catholicism.
Reverend John Allen (Oration Upon the Beauties of Liberty)
Baptist minister whose sermon exemplified Patriot sentiment.
Age of Revolutions
American Revolution was the frist.
Montesquieu (The Spirit of the Laws)
Argued that liberty could best be sustained by dividing the powers of government and maintaining a balance of power.
Two Treatises on Government
Written by John Locke to defend the Glorious Revolution.
Second Treatise on Government
John Locke’s argument that the ruler gains legitimacy by the consent of the governed. He argued that the basic responsibility of the government was to defend the natural rights of people. If a government fails to do this, the citizens have the right to overthrow the government. Ideas like this heavily influenced the Declaration of Independence.
Natural Rights of People (John Locke)
Life, Liberty, and Property.
Robert Filmer
Asserted the divine right of kings.
Loyalists/Tories
Wanted to retain ties to Great Britain (around 15 to 20 percent of the population).
Olive Branch Petition
Sent to King George III by Congress affirming loyalty to the Crown but blaming the current problems on Parliament. The petition called for greater autonomy and the enactment of more equitable trade and tax regulations. George III rejected the petition without reading it.
Common Sense
Written by Thomas Paine. He advocated for independence from Britain, writing that he could not see a “single advantage” in “being connected with Great Britain”. At this point, the revolution was already well underway. He argued against the logic of the Olive Branch Petition, and put the blame for the crisis on King George III.
Declaration of Independence
Formally ratified by the Second Continental Congress in July 4, 1776. It was first written by Thomas Jefferson in consultation with a 5 person committee appointed by Congress. The draft went through edits by the entire Congress. It listed grievances against King George III, but Locke’s natural rights theory was very prominent.
“All men are created equal”
“Endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”
“The consent of the governed”
“To alter or abolish it”
Key ideas in the Declaration of Independence. The latter three ideas were directly inspired by John Locke’s political theories.
Republicanism in America (during/post war)
Identify:
- How Americans viewed themselves as Republican citizens and inspiration of ideas
Republics are country without monarchs, and the favored path for Americans. This was considered radical, since there were virtually no republics at that time since the Roman Republic.
Americans saw themselves, as republicans, as virtuous people who placed community first. They saw themselves as leading industrious, simple lives. This idea looked back on the Roman Republic. These ideas also were inspired by Puritan ideas.
Alternatively, some Americans believed that those who pursued self interest were ideal republicans. These contrasting ideas shaped many debates in the first decades of the US>
Adam Smith
Wrote The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations. These argued that rational self-interest and competition can lead to greater prosperity for all. This understanding of Republicanism put more of a focus on ambition and economical freedom.
Lexington and Concord
Towns where the first fighting began between colonists and the British. Americans often call the first shot “the shot heard round the world”. This marked the colonial situation from resistance to rebellion.
British Military Pros and Cons (Early War)
Pros:
- Highly trained and professional army
- Strongest Navy in the world
- Substantial financial resources
- Support of about a third of the colonial population
- Offered freedom to slaves who joined the British
- Supported by the majority of Indigenous groups.
Cons:
- Fought far from home, leading to difficulty maintaining supply lines over such a large theater and over a long war.
- Had enemies such as France who wished to see them defeated
American Military Pros and Cons (Early War)
Pros:
- Led by George Washington, who had several key generals
- Did not have to attack Great Britain to be victorious.
- Patriot soldiers believed deeply in the cause
Cons:
- Lack of financing
- Lack of strong central governing authority.
Nathanael Greene
Key general for the Patriots.
Henry Knox
Key general for the Patriots.
Marquis de Lafayette
French volunteer officer who fought for the Patriots.
Baron von Streuben
Prussian volunteer officer who fought for the Patriots.
Thaddeus Kosciusko
Polish volunteer officer who fought for the Patriots.
Casimir Pulaski
Polish volunteer officer who fought for the Patriots.
Phases of the American Revolutionary War
First Phase:
Primarily in New England. Great Britain had not yet grasped the depth of Patriot sentiment, and believed that the conflict was bought on by a loud minority. They suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Bunker Hill and lost Boston.
Second Phase:
Occurred primarily in the middle colonies. They aimed to keep New York in order to isolate New England. While they did drive the Patriot army out of New York City, forces coming from Canada were defeated in the Battle of Saratoga. The battle showed that Britain could control urban centers, but struggled to control vast stretches of land.
Third Phase:
Took place in the south, where loyalist sentiments were stronger and slave resentment could help the British. The strategy did not work, and Britain eventually surrendered after Yorktown.
Battle of Bunker Hill
Part of the first phase of the American Revolutionary War. Despite victory, they suffered heavy losses and had to abandon Boston.
Battle of Saratoga
Part of phase 2 of the American Revolutionary War. Major defeat of British troops coming from Canada. It showed France that colonists could mount formidable forces for battle, leading to them recognizing American sovereignty and agreeing to supply military assistance.
Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston
British victories in the third phase of the American Revolutionary War. However, these were not significant in the long run, since there was a stalemate in the North.
Benedict Arnold
Betrayed the Patriots and aided the British. Nicknamed the turncoat.
General Cornwallis
British general who lost at Yorktown.
Yorktown
Final major battle of the American Revolution, won by American-French forces. Smaller skirmishes continued until the Treaty of Paris.
Treaty of Paris (1783)
Formally ended the American Revolution.
Valley Forge
Location where Washington’s forces experienced food shortages, showing the financial troubles of the Continental Congress, who could not levy taxes on the people in its own right.
Payment of Continental soldiers
Usually certificates of frontier land due to lack of money. However, these were often used as currency, as soldiers had more immediate needs.
