Unit 1 Test: Colonial America

Question 1

What are the two boundaries of the colonial settlements?

Answer 1

Atlantic coast to the east
Appalachian mountains to the west

Question 2

How did the geography of New England affect the settlement of the colonist

Answer 2

-Rocky soil, short growing season:
-Natural harbors: which allows for shipping, fishing, ship building
-Diverse economy, with small scale fishing, whaling, farming, fur trade, ship building, lumber, trade

Question 3

How did the geography of Southern colonies affect the settlement of the colonist

Answer 3

-Fertile soil, long growing season:
- Led to a plantation economy based on the growth of cash crops, using African slaves as cheap labor. they grew things like tobacco, rice, indigo and later cotton.

Question 4

Who is John Locke

Answer 4

The person who enlightened Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence, with the three main rights being Life, Liberty and Property. In the declaration, property is changed to pursuit of happiness

Question 5

what is the enlightenment influence on the declaration of independence

Answer 5

Consent of the governed:
Government get its power from the people
“No taxation without representation”

Question 6

What is the Virginia house of Burgesses

Answer 6

An example of representative government. They elected their own representatives from all over Virginia. The first example of a democratic legislature in the US.

Question 7

Whats the mayflower compact

Answer 7

The first self attempt at self government in America

Question 8

What were the New England Town Meetings

Answer 8

A way to make decisions as a community. Another early example of democracy.

Question 9

What were the causes of the French and Indian war (Seven years war) (1756-1763)

Answer 9

Causes: The British wanted to expand west over the Appalachian colonies, but there were 2 groups there already: the French and the Natives

Question 10

What’s The Albany Congress?

Answer 10

When Great Britain called a meeting of all colonial leaders, o0f which 7 showed up. They did this to ask them to support the war effort and fight collectively under one government. They also tried to make allies with the Iroquois, but the refused because they thought the French would win.

Question 11

What was the effect of the French and Indian war (seven years war)(1756-1763)

Answer 11

-The British defeated the French, and they ceded French Canada to Great Britain.
-They also ceded East of the Mississippi, and Spanish Florida.
-It also caused the Proclamation of 1763.
-Post war, 10,000 British troops were stationed to colonies, and due to this, Britain raised colonial taxes, which they didn’t like.
-This was later a contributing factor to the American revolution.

Question 12

What’s the Proclamation of 1763?

Answer 12

It was an act issued to avoid fighting natives.
No colonists were allowed west of the Appalachian mountains

Question 13

Why is the Proclamation of 1763 important?

Answer 13

It shows that the British were out of touch, and is an example of a unpopular law.
-it also created the first Indian reserves in America.

Question 16

What are the 4 economic causes of the American revolution?

Answer 16

Mercantilism
The Sugar Act (1764)
The Stamp Act (1765)
The Townsend Acts (1767)

Question 17

What is mercantilism

Answer 17

It was the economic system in the 16th-18th centuries.
-Colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country (GB)
-Colonies used to supply mats and were used to market for goods, while restrictions were placed on colonial manufacturing and trade.

Question 18

What is The Sugar Act (1764)

Answer 18

Duties on imports to try to stop smuggling
Affected merchants and trades; led to writs of assistance (blanket search warrant)
British officials able to search suspected colonial ships or homes involved in smuggling, which sparked colonial outrage

Question 19

What is the Stamp Act (1765)

Answer 19

Tax on printed material
Affected more colonists directly, a direct tax
Resistance groups like the Sons of Liberty founded by Sam Adams led to boycott of British goods, led by NY, Philadelphia, and Boston.
Was repealed by parliament in 1766

Question 20

What is the Townsends Acts (1767)

Answer 20

indirect taxes on import
-Glass, wine, lead, paper, 3 penny tax on tea
-Caused more boycotts, and led Mercy Otis Warren to write plays, letters and pamphlets to tell women to stop buying luxury goods.

Question 21

What is salutary neglect (1607-1763)

Answer 21

Unofficial policies in colonies
Didn’t strictly enforce restrictive trade laws
Main idea: the colonies would best flourish without intervention from Royal officials
This ended after the Seven year war in 1763.
Was reversed after 1763, and everything was enforced strictly

Question 22

Whats the navigation acts

Answer 22

Laws governing colonial trade
Foreign ships were banned from trading in colonies, mostly targeted at the Dutch.
Colonies couldn’t export to any nation aside from GB
The navigations acts were to punish British competitors, not the colonists
Was unfair and gave all advantage to the British, and went ignored for 150+ yrs.

Question 23

Whats the Boston Massacre (1770)

Answer 23

In 1770, a group of angry colonists attack some British soliders, and they fire into the crowd killing 5 people.

Question 24

What propaganda was formed after the Boston massacre

Answer 24

Propaganda created by Paul Revere circulated about the “massacre” and colonists seethed in anger.

This caused the Committees of Correspondence to be formed by Sam Adams, to establish contact between colonies to inform each other of British actions via letter.

Question 25

What were some methods used to protest new laws/taxes by the colonists?

Answer 25

After the Tea act was passed, 3 shiploads of tea were destroyed by the boston tea party

First Continental Congress (1774):
-12 colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia to plan a response to British actions
-Drew up a declaration of colonial rights
-Supported Massachusetts protests and stated that if Britain used force against colonies, the colonies would fight back

Question 26

Whats the Tea Act of 1773?

Answer 26

When british tea was made less expensive then tea imported by colonial tea merchants.

Question 27

whats the Intolerable Acts of 1774?

Answer 27

-British response to Boston Tea Party; meant to punish the colonists

-Closed port of Boston, forbid town meetings, reduced power of legislature, Quartering Act let British commanders to house soldiers in private homes

-Boston placed under martial law (military)

-King George wanted to isolate Massachusetts in punishment
Response was colonial unity through the Committees of Correspondence

Question 28

What is Thomas Paine’s Common Sense

Answer 28

A document created by him to convince the people to join him in the revolution, and provide reasons why in language they could understand

Question 29

Whats the distance argument in Thomas Paine’s Common Sense?

Answer 29

The fact that Great Britain is too far from America to rule and govern it properly in a convenient manner.

Question 30

What were the justifications for the American Revolution in Thomas Paine’s Common Sense?

Answer 30

Distance argument
Size argument

Question 31

What’s the size argument in Thomas Paine’s Common Sense?

Answer 31

That Great Britain is too small of a country geographically to rule such a huge “continent” that America is.

Question 32

What’s the declaration of independence

Answer 32

The document that confirmed America’s cutting of political ties with Great Britain, that summarized al their reasons and grievances.

Question 33

What natural rights did the declaration want to protect

Answer 33

Life, Liberty, pursuit of happiness

Question 34

What are the grievances in the declaration of independence

Answer 34

A list of wrongdoings by the King to America.