Unit 2: Revolution and Building of America

Question 1

mercantilism

Answer 1

political/economic policies instituted in colonies to benefit the mother country
includes regulation/taxation, restricting migration of specialized workers

Question 2

salutary neglect

Answer 2

British practice of leaving the colonies alone (not actively enforcing Navigation Acts, etc.) in exchange for obedience to the monarchy (no rebellion)

Question 3

Navigation Laws / Acts

Answer 3

a series of acts in 1650s-1660s to expand British economic control over the colonies. included imports/exports in British ships only, exports to colonies had to go through British taxation, etc. increased British power and colonial resentment

Question 4

Seven Years’ War / French and Indian War

Answer 4

happened from 1756-1763. unique in that it began in America and ended in a clear British victory.
British vs French+Indians vying for control over Ohio Country (Ohio+Mississippi rivers).
started because Washington was sent to stop French from building forts but got ⅓ of his army killed and had to retreat.

Question 5

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Answer 5

French officially ceded all territory to the British (claims to Spanish Florida, West Indies sugar colonies, and swaths of Midwestern land)
With this, GB became biggest empire, but to manage new responsibilities, clutched its colonies with too tight a grip

Question 6

Pontiac’s Rebellion

Answer 6

1763 result of settler encroachment on land - native american violence across several British settlements
led to Proclamation of 1763

Question 7

Proclamation of 1763

Answer 7

to combat increased native violence b/c of settler encroachment, drew a “dividing line” between western native territory and eastern settler territory. angered colonists who felt constricted, but only really stopped them from purchasing west land, not creeping onto it.

Question 8

Sugar Act

Answer 8

To curb smuggling incentives and pay off war debts, cut taxes on British molasses and increased taxes on imports like sugar in 1764
mission failed, enforcement cost 4x the revenue brought in

Question 9

Stamp Act

Answer 9

the first time parli policy raised revenue through direct tax - the 1765 act mandated buying stamped (British) paper for basically all uses of paper

Question 10

Stamp Act Congress

Answer 10

October 1765 uniting of colonial assembles around “No Taxation without Representation!”
precipitated by the Virginia Resolves (House of Burgesses resolutions)

Question 11

Whig

Answer 11

a late 1700s opponent of British policies in American colonies

Question 12

non-importation acts

Answer 12

American pledges not to buy/consume British goods in the 1760s-1770s

Question 13

Virtual vs. Actual Representation [“taxation without representation”]

Answer 13

virtual rep (British): parli represents all British subjects, so America can be taxed
actual rep (Americans): no taxation without representation, parli doesn’t rep b/c not elected by us!

Question 14

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

Answer 14

1770s protestors against British military/governmental control. Daughters stopped buying clothes and made fabric themselves. Sons pledged to non-importation agreements.

Question 15

Townshend Acts

Answer 15

To raise more revenue to fund governor salaries, taxed a variety of imports in 1767 (glass, tea, etc.)
unpopular because they undermined previous colonial assembly powers to regulate royal governors’ salaries

Question 16

Boston Massacre

Answer 16

March 1770 brawl between taunting Boston colonists and harassing British soldiers
contributed to April 1770 repealment of Townshend Acts (American tensions rising)

Question 17

Tea Act

Answer 17

In 1773, removed tax on East India Company tea imports to bail them out and undermine American smuggling (lower prices)
caused Boston Tea Party

Question 18

Boston Tea Party

Answer 18

Because of the Tea Act (1773), Boston rebels dumped 300+ tea crates into the sea - contributed to highly violent British response

Question 19

Coercive/Intolerable Acts

Answer 19

a series of 1774 acts to punish the Boston Tea Party: closure of Boston harbor until tea debts were paid, new Quartering Act, Massachusetts governor assumed total election power over legislature. caused Patriots to stop paying taxes and stockpile weapons.

Question 20

Continental Congress

Answer 20

When the Virginia Assembly was dissolved (coercive acts backlash), gathered in September-October 1774 to have colonial policy coordination. Instituted Continental Association of 1774, where thousands organized boycotts of British imports and American exports to the British (brought war to a point of inevitability).

Question 21

Lexington and Concord

Answer 21

The April 1775 British venture west from Boston to Concord to arrest rebels + seize resources
stopped by Lexington silent protestors (battle site)
came to Concord but ultimately forced to retreat to Boston after suffering 3x losses that Americans did
turned the resistance movement into a proper rebellious war

Question 22

Battle of Bunker Hill

Answer 22

June 1775 battle between British and Americans in Massachusetts
British attempted to gain more power in Boston - they won but lost 2x the soldiers of the Americans
afterwards, king george III rejected future negotiations with Americans, increasing Patriots’ war fever

Question 23

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense

Answer 23

January 1776 pamphlets that led Loyalists to convert to Patriotism by criticizing the British via the king rather than attacking parliament
emphasized that war between britain and america was inevitable
inspired by John Locke’s theory of natural rights

Question 24

Declaration of Independence

Answer 24

the founding document of the USA - declared on July 2nd 1776 but formally adopted on July 4th
emphasized that people had intrinsic rights and should create their own governments in protest of tyrannous ones

Question 25

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Answer 25

recognized the independence and borders of America
designated western border as the Mississippi River, extending settler land way past what was deemed native land by the proclamation of 1763 (trans-appalachia)

Question 26

Effects of the Revolution on Slavery

Answer 26

after the revolution, the British offered slaves freedom in exchange for becoming Loyalists
this ended up backfiring, as though the American elite were concerned abt their slaves being liberated, Southern Patriots were especially outraged - they became strongly allied with the Patriots
in later years, North would link strongly to liberty + freedom (no slavery), while South rejected those ideals

Question 27

Effects of the Revolution on Women

Answer 27

patriarchy was rampant, but revolution provided limited opportunities (though women took what they could get)
became army medics, fund-raisers, disguised soldiers
push for gender equality continually ignored and belittled (Abigail Adams’ “Remember the Ladies” was mocked by her husband)

Question 28

Effects of the Revolution on Native Americans

Answer 28

most sought to remain neutral but were forced to pick sides
once the war ended, Americans were back to pilfering native land

Question 29

Critical Period

Answer 29

1783-1787 vital point in American political history - advent of political parties and rise of
anti big government Patriots (states rights fights, fought often by working poor)
higher state taxes for states in debt

Question 30

AOC Weaknesses

Answer 30

the AOC had a unicameral legislature (one house of Congress) that lacked the authority to enforce its own laws - it had to get voluntary donations because it could not enforce taxes, and it could not combat the disproportionate tariffs imposed by different states due to unenforceable commerce regulations. this meant the government was essentially broke.
under the AOC, America also had no sense of unity (most identified with their state as a nationality rather than America itself) - because states could do as they please, the people did not see themselves as part of a whole

Question 31

AOC Strengths - Land Ordinances

Answer 31

Land Ordinance of 1785 divided Northwest Territory into township and range grid, NW Ordinance (1787) banned new slaves north of the Ohio River and made territories eligible for statehood once they reached a certain population

Question 32

AOC Strengths - States’ Rights

Answer 32

States could essentially operate by themselves, creating their own guaranteed freedoms (MA Constitution guaranteed freedom to religion, trial by jury, etc.)

Question 33

AOC Strengths - Equal Representation

Answer 33

In the true spirit of republicanism and anti-Parliament (no taxation without representation), each state was given an equal seat at the table. Colonial action often needed to be unanimous to pass a measure, so every vote counted.

Question 34

Shay’s Rebellion

Answer 34

demand for more paper money + > property requirements for voting + “unjust taxes” = 1786 disorganized revolt in western Massachusetts
winter 1787 - Daniel Shay, war vet, led rag-tag army to Springfield in protest, but one cannon blast scattered them
led to the American elite’s growing sense that a strong national government was needed to prevent anarchy

Question 35

Virginia Plan

Answer 35

a radical James Madison proposal that established a strong national government with 3 branches and bicameral legislature with the elected-by-citizens House of Reps and elected-by-state-legislatures Senate, both of which were based on population

Question 36

New Jersey Plan

Answer 36

a William Paterson proposal that upheld the unicameral legislature that repped all states equally

Question 37

The Great Compromise

Answer 37

the July 1787 compromise made between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans - established 3 branches of government and bicameral legislature with population-based House of Reps and equal representation Senate

Question 38

The 3/5 Compromise

Answer 38

The South wanted slaves to be counted as a full person in census counts so that they would have more political power in the House of Representatives, but the North called it hypocritical b/c slaves were treated as property
the ⅗ Compromise in June 1787 counted slaves as ⅗ of a person for census counts, which still gave the South unbelievable political advantages (12 out of the first 16 presidents were southern slaveowners).

Question 39

The Slave Trade Compromise

Answer 39

1808 agreement that cut America off from the trans-atlantic slave trade

Question 40

Electoral College

Answer 40

compromise between a president elected by Congress OR citizens
has electors cast votes on behalf of the people, amount depends on population of each state
criticized bc smaller pops = individual matters > (each elector reps < amt of ppl)

Question 41

Separation of Powers + Checks and Balances

Answer 41

Separation of powers is the strict division of power among balanced, separate branches of government
For example, the president can veto bills passed by Congress, but if both houses reject the veto in a ⅔ majority, they override it.
The Supreme Court has the final say of interstate squabbles and can interpret the Constitution in new ways

Question 42

federalism

Answer 42

the sharing of power among local, state, and national governments
MUST FINISH

Question 43

Elastic Clause

Answer 43

Elastic Clause gave power to Congress to make “necessary and proper laws” even after its ratification; lauded by the Federalists (Hamilton) because it supported the strengthening of national government
clashed against 10th amendment

Question 44

10th Amendment

Answer 44

10th Amendment guaranteed states the powers not explicitly delegated to the national government; lauded by the Anti-Federalists (Jefferson) because it supported states’ rights
clashed against elastic clause

Question 45

Federalists

Answer 45

young, energetic, and unified, were strong advocates for the Constitution and a strong national government - Hamilton + James Madison led

Question 46

Anti-Federalists

Answer 46

led by Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams, had diverse opinions on the Constitution (revise/reject/reconvene), advocated for the Bill of Rights, and worried about a strong central government becoming tyrannical

Question 47

Federalist Papers

Answer 47

1787-1788 collection of 87 essays defending the US Constitution and its principles
one of the most famous, the tenth (Madison), defends the concept of a large republic by emphasizing many diverse political groups as a strength, as they’d cancel each other out (preventing political monopoly)

Question 48

Bill of Rights

Answer 48

approved in 1791 after Anti-Federalist perspective considered
protected freedoms + guaranteed powers not given to the federal government to apply to states or “the people”
didn’t protect non white non property owners OR against state violations of rights

Question 49

The Enlightenment’s influence on the Revolution

Answer 49

Enlightenment ideas led many American political thinkers (such as John Locke) to emphasize individual hard work over birthright privilege, while religion strengthened Americans’ self-view as people entitled to liberty

Question 50

Republican Motherhood

Answer 50

called on women to teach republican values within the family and granted women a new importance in American political culture