Unit 1 Flashcards
Stamp Act- 1765
The act that required every document of paper to be stamped and the stamps were very expensive , costing gold or silver coins.
Designed to raise revenue to pay for the soldiers stationed in the colonies
British courts enforce this by taking away any land or property involved in sales conducted without the stamps
example of taxation without representation
repealed in 1766 thanks to protestors - first step for colonists to create a new American identity
Intolerable Acts
Aka the Coercive acts , which put taxes on basic resources such as paper and paint which angered the colonists.
Prevented Massachusetts from governing itself
Closed the port of Boston until residents could pay for the tea they destroyed
Townshend Acts
taxed paper, tea, glass and other goods imported from Britain
These acts were put on the colonists to stop trade with other countries so the British could get all the resources and have a complete advantage over other countries.
John Rolfe
lands in Jamestown in 1610, “hell on earth journey” - 500 started the journey, only 60 remain due to inadequate supplies.
he planned to make money from Tobacoo, crop does well, and he makes money
Marries Pocahontas (daughter of king of the Pokanoket empire) made her a celebrity for advertising life in the new world
Pocahontas
Daughter of king of the Pokanoket empire, married John Rolfe
Tobacco
Crops planted by John Rolfe in Jamestown, crops did well, consequence was slaves were brought in for labor
King George III
ruled Britain for 59 years, became ill in 1788 during war with America - he appointed George Grenville as prime minister who agreed that the colonies should be strictly controlled by Britain, Grenville wanted to tax the colonies directly
Sugar Act of 1764
designed to raise revenue and reinforce British control over the colonies
lowered the tax on imported molasses used to produce rum in the colonies - goal was to encourage merchants to pay the lower tax instead of smuggling it in to avoid tax (this would increase British revenue)
Currency Act - 1764
declared that only British currency could be used in the colonies
Colonists had to discard the now useless colonial paper money
resulted in shortage of British currency which created economic difficulties
Mercantilism
trade designed to bring wealth primarily to the mother country
Patrick Henry
elected to Virginia’s House of Burgesses
persuaded the assembly to pass a resolutions that defended the colonists’ right to tax themselves rather than to be taxed by parliament.
Resolutions declared “General assembly of this colony have the sole right to lay taxes on its inhabitants”
News spread, other colonies responded - colonists realized they had more in common with each other than with Britain and began to organize
Sons of Liberty
men who led the angry crowd to protest British government (mostly merchants, shopkeepers and craftsmen)
organized a boycott and got merchants in NYC, Boston and Philly to stop importing goods from Britain
Led by Samuel Adams and John Hancock
French and Indian war -1754
War between the British and the French
triggered by the construction of Fort Duquesne
Because of the forts location the French were able to stop British expansion into the Ohio Country
George washington led an expedition of 300 Virginians toward Fort Duquesne to force the French to abandon the site. They ambushed the French and and the battle ended with one Virginian and 14 Frenchmen dead
Then the French attacked Washington and his men at Fort Necessity
Tea Act - 1773
law that guaranteed colonists would buy tea from the East India Company, no new taxes and lowered the price so colonists would buy from them causing an unfair monopoly and putting American tea sellers out of business
This was done by the British government to get the East India Company back on its feet and out of debt
Americans viewed this as another example of taxation without representation
Boston Tea Party- Dec 16, 1773
Sam Adams dared a crowd to take action at a rally at the Old South Church in Boston, a group of sons of liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians stormed 3 British shups and dumped 342 crates of tea overboard
Daughters of Liberty
During the American Revolution women were not allowed to vote or fight in the army. They used their power - the power to choose what not to buy
They agreed to boycott British goods to protest the Stamp Act
THey protested the tea act by making their own “liberty tea”
Boston Massacre
Late in the afternoon of March 5, 1770, British sentries guarding the Boston Customs House shot into a crowd of civilians, killing 5 people and wounding 6.
TO colonists this proved that the kings army would kill the king’s own people.
THis was sparked by a young wigmaker who thought a captain hadn’t paid for a shave
Sam Adams called it the Boston Massacre and had Paul Revere engrave a picture of the scene
John Adams
cousin of Samuel Adams, represented the British soldiers involved in Boston Massacre in court as he believed there should be a fair trial. Him and his cousin believed not only in America’s independence but that they should elect their own leaders and form an American republic.
Later elected president
First Continental Congress- sept 5 1774
meeting of the colonies in Philadelphia on Sept 5, 1774. Every colony except Georgia sent delegates.
56 representatives included Patrick Henry, Samuel and John Adams, George washington
Purpose was to discuss ways to have the intolerable acts repealed.
Voted to end all trade with Britain and Ireland
Decided that everyone qualified to fight should learn the art of war asap
2nd Continental Congress- May 1775
Goals- Finance and manage war, Unite governments of the 13 colonies without “uniting them” (allowed individual state constitutions), plan for independence
56 delegates
John Hancock, Sam Adams, John Adams - represented Masachusetts
Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, George Washington, John Jay(more conservative)
Georgia does end up sending delegates
Outcomes: 1)Continental Army (led by George Washington)- replaced state militias
2) Olive Branch Petition
3) Declaration of Independence
4) Committe of Correspondence - led by Sam Adams
5) articles of Conferderation (first attempt at constitution)
6) Continental Dollars
Ben Franklin
viewed himself as peacekeeper at 2nd continental congress
he was clear the British were not going to compromise and he was the one who said that the colonists needed to declare independence
Olive Branch Petition
John Dickinson wanted to offer peace to the king if he would repeal some of the intolerable acts
The king laughs at this - the other delegates tell John Dickinson we told you so
Declaration of Independence
Commitee of 5- Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Ben Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman
explains grievances to the king
explains what they will do with their independence
Thomas Jefferson is the author
Sextant
Made my Portugal, used to measure distance
Astrolabe
Made my Portugal , used to measure Langitude and Longitude
Caravel
Made by Portugal, A new type of boat that was smaller and faster.
Humanism
The idea that humans were good and not so bad
Individulism
The idea that you can do stuff by yourslef and you do not need other people as much
Reformation
The idea that you should have a relationship with god instead of a relationship with the church
Olive Branch Petition
Written by John Dickinson as a way to ask for peace from King George. This was an outcome of the second contenential congress