The loss of the American colonies 1770-83 Flashcards

1
Q

What was the effect of the French-Indian Wars on American men?

A

Many men trained as soldiers who would fight in the Revolution

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2
Q

What was the effect of the 7 Years War on British debt?

A

It doubled, so taxes needed to be raised. The interest took £4.4 million out of an £8 million income

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3
Q

What percentage of American men had suffrage in 1770 and where did their votes go?

A

50%-80% which elected legislative assemblies which passed financial bills on local matters

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4
Q

What did American legislative assemblies start doing after 1763?

A

Overstepping their constitutional duty by voicing complaints about taxation, sending messages to London

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5
Q

What did New England focus on industrially?

A

Farming and fishing

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6
Q

What did the Middle colonies focus on industrially?

A

Wheat and flour production

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7
Q

What did the Southern colonies focus on industrially?

A

Tobacco, labour intensive with slaves aplenty

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8
Q

Why did money have to be raised in the American colonies?

A

Defense force against French and Native Indians, to govern new Frenchies, to pay off debt, and for colonial administration which had increased fivefold since 1748

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9
Q

Which 2 laws was passed in 1765?

A

The Stamp Act, which meant that certain printed goods had to use paper stamped in London. Also the Quartering Act meaning people had to house and feed soldiers

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10
Q

What was passed in 1767?

A

The Townsend Duties, which put duties on luxury items including tea

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11
Q

What caused the ‘years of peace’ 1770-73?

A

Repeal Townshend Duties except for tea, loyalist strength and colonist disunity

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12
Q

What percentage of Americans were loyalists or patriots?

A

20% Loyalists, 40%-45% Patriots

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13
Q

Who supported loyalists?

A

Slave owners in South who disliked instability in fear of slave uprising, Anglicans, non-English minorities

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14
Q

Who supported patriots?

A

Richer families like farmers in Virginia, enlightened town-dwellers, radicals, middle classes

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15
Q

What was set up in 1771?

A

Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence, a colonial grievances channel of communication which the British couldn’t control

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16
Q

What was passed in 1773?

A

The Tea Act which allowed the EIC to directly trade with America

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17
Q

Why was the Tea Act unpopular?

A

It was seen as another form of taxation, of British trying to squeeze money out of Americans

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18
Q

What was passed in 1774?

A

The Coercive or Intolerable Acts which closed Boston, allowed transfer of murder trials to England due to Patriot juries, and furthered Quartering Act

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19
Q

What was created in September 1774?

A

Continental Congress, as most of the legislative assemblies had been dissolved

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20
Q

What was the state of British rule in early 1775?

A

Committee of Safety ran America, apart from Boston

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21
Q

What occurred at the Battle of Lexington?

A

75 Patriots fired on General Gage’s loyalists who were destroying their stockpiles, 73 Brits dead

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22
Q

What happened on 26 May 1775?

A

Battle of Bunker Hill

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23
Q

What was the result of the Battle of Bunker Hill?

A

Pyric victory for British, the death rate set them back for the rest of the war, 1,054 vrs 450 casualties

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24
Q

What role did the Continental Congress play for the Patriots?

A

Gave patriots a sense of purpose, allowed to organise troops and turned the Boston revolts into a formal war

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25
Q

What did the CC do in July 1775?

A

Print money to pay for war

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26
Q

What did the CC help with in January 1776?

A

Printing and distribution of Tom Paine’s Common Sense

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27
Q

What does the Articles of Confederation show about the Patriot thought pattern?

A

Since it took so long, it can be shown that Patriots feared any power takeover by a central force

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28
Q

How many British soldiers were in America in 1775?

A

8,000

29
Q

What were the issues with the British army and navy?

A

The army was overstretched, and inexperienced while the navy had limited investment

30
Q

What were the strengths of the British?

A

Strong economy, ability to hire German mercenaries, energetic Admiral Lord Sandwich

31
Q

What was the issue about loyalist support?

A

It was spread out across the colonies

32
Q

What was the issue with British attack strategy?

A

Since they based themselves on the coast, to attack deep inland, their supply chains were long and weak

33
Q

What was the issue with British leadership?

A

There was no single General in London, instead a collection of armies chasing the Patriots

34
Q

What allowed the Patriot forces to woo neutrals?

A

Vibrancy of new state and message, ‘glorious cause’ idea, 10 years of British annoyance and level of participation in Declaration of Independence

35
Q

How did the Continental Army use it’s home advantage?

A

Knowledge of terrain, ideologically driven and true threat to livelihood and home is felt. Also few market traders sold to the British

36
Q

What was Washington’s strength?

A

He was able to regroup his forces after failure, make them professional during the war so they could fight the British conventionally

37
Q

What was the Patriot weakness?

A

Poor economic development meant high inflation when money is printed, and also lack of munition manufacture

38
Q

What occurred in October 1777?

A

Retreat to Saratoga by General Burgoyne

39
Q

Why did Burgoyne’s plan to attack from Canada end in failure?

A

Overstretched resources and supply lines, lack of communication with Clinton/Howe in New York and lack of loyalist support due to use of Native Indians

40
Q

What was the effect of Saratoga?

A

Loss of 6,000 troops, France and Spain enter war as patriots seen as a strong force

41
Q

What was the effect of foreign involvement in the War of Independence?

A

Spread of British forces increases, 1778 65% of army in North America, 1780 20%; intervention in Yorktown by de Grasse and Mississippi Valley by Spain in 1781

42
Q

What occurred on the 19th of October 1781?

A

General Cornwallis’ defeat in Yorktown

43
Q

How did Washington aid victory for the patriots in Yorktown?

A

He marched 16,000 troops down to Yorktown and with the French naval blockade, sieged for 3 weeks

44
Q

What caused failure for Cornwallis in Yorktown?

A

Lack of loyalist support inland, Clinton only left 4,000 troops in South and naïve expectation of holding of seaboard port of Yorktown

45
Q

Why was there a decision to seek peace in 1782?

A

Disruption of trade annoyed City, high cost of war (£232 million debt in 1783), fear of French invasion, desire to hold onto rest of North America

46
Q

What was the effect of the loss of the colonies on Britain?

A

No revolution and strong economic and population growth, resignation of North, attempt to make good relations with USA and change to system of governance in Ireland

47
Q

How many Americans fled the country after the war?

A

Around 100,000

48
Q

Who were the two most important pamphlet creators and agitators for the patriot cause?

A

Sam Adams and Paul Revere

49
Q

How did the patriots begin to gain military strength pre-war?

A

Taking over colonial militias which were meant to protect from the French, but the officers were sympathetic to the patriots

50
Q

What were the events of March 1776 in Boston?

A

Washington took large guns from Fort Ticonderoga and forced a British evacuation from the city

51
Q

Which overly-optimistic patriot attack failed in 1776 and why?

A

Attack to Quebec, but smallpox ruined the men

52
Q

What was the result of the Boxing Day success in Trenton in 1776?

A

It showed that they were still in the fight, even though it was a small victory

53
Q

What was formed internationally in 1780?

A

League of Armed Neutrality which resisted British attempts to stop and search merchant ships - French, Spanish and Dutch strength shown with weakened British force

54
Q

Who trained the patriot forces where and when?

A

Major General Steuben in Valley Forge in the winter of 1777/78

55
Q

How did Steuben change the Continental Army?

A

Everyone received a musket and was taught how to reload them in battle and use them in hand-to-hand combat efficiently

56
Q

What was passed in 1766 showing the hubris of the British?

A

Declaratory Act which proclaimed British ability to act as they wished with their colonies

57
Q

When was the Quartering Act passed and what was the immediate result?

A

1765 and it was fought in the New York assembly

58
Q

When was the Olive Branch petition?

A

July 1775

59
Q

What were the British losses in the south in 1780/81?

A

September 1780 Ferguson loses in King’s Mountain, and January 1781 Tarleton loses at Cowpens

60
Q

Where was the British success in March 1781 and what was the result?

A

Guilford Courthouse but Cornwallis could not capitalize on the result so ended with a tired retreat to the coast

61
Q

Lord North quote

A

Oh God! It is all over

62
Q

What was the result of the post-Chesapeake NY offensive by Howe and why?

A

It was half-hearted and ended in failure as perhaps he was looking for compromise, and international battles to retain other colonies began to take more and more British resources

63
Q

Why was Washington a good candidate for General based on background?

A

He was a Virginia landowner, more of an outsider to the Boston agitators so had the more rounded appeal

64
Q

Numbers to do with smallpox

A

As a cause of death among soldiers, it went from 17% to 1%

65
Q

Apart from Steuben, who was the other key appointment made by Washington?

A

Nathanael Greene who overhauled the inefficient supply system as previously many traders preferred the British and their real money

66
Q

Why was victory far from assured at the beginning of 1781?

A

Economic mismanagement and hyperinflation shook the coffers of the patriots

67
Q

What was the result with not complying with the Stamp Act?

A

Trial without jury at the Vice Admirals Court

68
Q

Who took control of Chesapeake Bay in 1781 and what was the patriot reaction to this?

A

Admiral de Grasse, so Washington took newly landed French forces with Rochambeau down to Cornwallis to rout him