History 10 The American Revolution War

The colonists protested the Stamp Act. List 3 reasons they disagreed with it.

1. They believed they should have the same rights as other British subjects - which included the right to agree or disagree to taxes. 2. They did not believe that Parliament had the right to tax them because they did not get to have a representative in Parliament that would speak for them and their interests. 3. They believed that only colonial assemblies had the right to impose taxes on the colonies.

What did the Navigation Acts require of New England Merchants.? Did they respect these rules? Explain.

According to the acts, they could only buy sugar and molasses from the British West Indies. In practise, they ignored the law and smuggled sugar and molasses from the French West Indies.

How were Jefferson and Locke similar?

Both argued that people have certain natural rights - including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

How did the colonists react to the laws they called the intolerable acts?

Delegates from most of the colonies met at a Continental Congress in Philadelphia. They urged (encouraged) the people in Boston to completely ignore the new rules and they decided to again boycott all British goods.

What is the Navigation Acts?

During the 1600's, Parliament had passed the Navigation Acts, which reflected mercantilist ideas. One act required colonial merchants to ship goods only on colonial or English vessels.

How were the colonists eventually able to force Parliament to repeal (change their mind about it) the Stamp Act?

For months the colonists boycotted (refused to buy) British goods. Parliament repealed the Act, but they still insisted that it was their right to tax the colonies.

What country helped the Americans defeat Britain? Why?

France helped the Americans fight by sending weapons and troops. They had lost to Britain in the Seven Year war and wanted to get even.

What made George Washington a good military leader?

He was able to unite the colonies in their common cause. He was a quick learner. He was good at reorganizing the colonial forces, which helped win some important victories.

What years marked the turning point in the Revolutionary War? What happened to change things around?

In 1777-1778, the American Army defeated the British at Saratoga (they were using weapons secretly supplied by France). This gave the French the confidence to officially support the Americans.

What happened in 1788?

In 1788, after much debate and compromise, the individual states ratified the Constitution of the United States.

Did the Navigation Acts benefit anyone? How?

In general, these acts benefited both the colonies and England. The colonies developed their own shipbuilding industries to carry goods to England. Also, there was less foreign competition, so it was easier for the colonial merchants to build their businesses.

What was the Continental Congress?

In reaction to all the the acts, delegates from each colony except Georgia met at a Continental Congress in Philadelphia. They urged residents to ignore the Intolerable acts and to boycott all British goods.

Was the Stamp Act unfair? What would the British think? What would the colonists think?

It depends on who you would ask. People in Britain had been paying these kind of taxes for hundreds of years. However, the colonists were not impressed and the Act causes an angry reaction.

Why did Jefferson believe that the colonists had the right to rebel against Britain?

Jefferson believed that government came out of an agreement between the ruled and the ruler. The argued that the ruler only had power as long as they had the permission of those that they were ruling. The Declaration of Independence stated the Britain had oppressed the colonists consistently (over and over) and deliberately (on purpose). He believed that this gave the colonists the right to rebel.

The men who wrote the Constitution were inspired by the works of ______________ and _____________.

Locke Montesquieu Both philosophers had suggested that the separation of powers would prevent tyranny in government. This is why the constitution established three separate branches of government. The constitution kept any one part of government from having more power than the others. For example, all three parts of government were involved in a bill becoming a low and being considered constitutional.

Did all of the colonists wish to be independent from Britain?

No. Some wanted to try to compromise with Britain to make things work. The more radical delegates wanted independence.

Why were the bill of rights added to the constitution?

Several states wanted this because they wanted to make sure that the freedoms and rights of the people were protected. (ex: freedom of speech, freedom of religion)

What was the American Revolutionary War?

The American Revolution War was the battle fought by the colonists against the British. The colonists wanted to rule their own land and colonies. The British did not agree.

When did the American Revolution start and end?

The American Revolution started in 1776 until 1783.

In the American Revolution, who seemed to have the military disadvantage and why?

The American colonists seemed to have a disadvantage. Their troops were not well trained, but where often farmers. They did not have a strong military, but rather a militia.

Who did the Americans find that was a brilliant military leader?

The Americans found a man named George Washington, a Virginia landowner.

What were some of the advantages the Americans had?

The Americans had some huge advantages. They knew the land,which made surprise attacks easier. They also had weapons at hand. The Americans could go home during the fight to sleep or eat.

What was added as the first ten amendments to the constitution?

The Bill of rights was added as the first ten amendments. It protects the basic rights of freedom of speech and religion.

What was the Boston Tea Party?

The Boston Tea Party was an event done by the Bostonians as a expression of contempt for British policies. In 1773, a group of Bostonians disguised themselves as First Nation people. They then went and dumped a shipment of tea into the Boston harbour. Many colonists cheered when they heard about the event.

What did the British Goverment think of the Boston Tea Party? Who was responsible for causing it?

The British Government was outraged and saw it as an act of rebellion. A group of Bostonions dressed up as Indians and dumped a shipment of tea into the Boston Harbour.

Which countries were involved in the American Revolutionary War?

The British and the American colonist. France also fought along side the Americans.

Who controlled the colonial trade?

The British controlled all the trading. If the colonist wanted to trade with any other country, they had to send their shipment on a colonial or British vessel to Britain first.

What were some of the disadvantages the British had?

The British had some huge disadvantages. The British did not know the land and where hundreds of miles away from home and family. The Americans would often attack without the British knowing. They also had to wait weeks or months for supplies to arrive from home.

In the American Revolution, who seemed to have the military advantage and why?

The British seemed to have a slight advantage at first. They had well trained troops and they occupied the larger cities.

What was the Intolerable Act?

The Intolerable Act was passed by parliament. Parliament closed the port of Boston, forbade the Massachusetts assembly from holding regular sessions and imposed military rules on the colonists.

What was the Quebec Act?

The Quebec Act extended the boundaries of Quebec south to the Ohio River. The colonists saw the act as an effort to prevent them from moving westward.

What was the Stamp Act?

The Stamp Act taxed a variety of items, from newspaper, wills and deeds to playing cards and dice. People in England and other parts of Europe had been paying these taxes for centuries, but the colonists had a angry reaction.

What brought the Seven Years War to an end?

The Treaty of Paris

In 1763, the attitude of the British changed toward the colonies. Why?

The Treaty of Paris had brought the Seven Years War to and end. The war had been expensive and Britain was in a lot of debt because of the war. The British had left troops in America to defend it and the British thought that the American colonies should help to pay for their own defense.

What led the American people to believe they were entitled to certain rights that the British were violating?

The colonists believed that they should have the same rights that people in England had won during the Glorious Revolution.

What caused the American Revolutionary War?

The colonists wanted to control their land and colonies. They also wanted to control the trading. Before anything could be shipped to America, it had to go to Britain to be taxed. The colonists wanted to be able to trade without Britain taxing everything.

What was the outcome of the War of Independence?

The colonists won and America was recognized as an independent country. The British lost and could no longer control the colonists or the colonists trade.

What happened on July 4th, 1776?

The delegates from each colony met at a second Continental Congress. They agreed on a Declaration of Independence that explained the reasons for their separation from Britain.

Who was is charge in the colonies?

The king appointed royal governers. The governers were in charge of local affairs. They appointed judges and other officials. Britain regulated colonial trade.

What challenges did the newly independent nation face?

The newly independent nation had to form a government that would protect the freedom the people had won. Between 1781 and 1789, the United States followed a constitution called the Articles of Confederation. The Articles created a congress that had limited powers. One example would be no collecting taxes.

What was the seven year war?

The seven year war started in 1756 till 1763. This war was fought by the British and French. The cause was Britain wanted to extend more land to the west.

How many colonies were in America at the time of the American Revolution?

There were 13 colonies in America.

What was the reason that some New England Merchants did not like the Navigation Acts?

These merchants relied heavily on sugar and molasses, which were imported from the West Indies. The Acts said that they had to buy these things from the British West Indies, but they wanted to buy them from the French West Indies.

How did the British government punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party?

They passed a series of laws that the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. The port of Boston (where trade would go out of) was closed. The Massachusetts assembly was not allowed to hold regular sessions. They also involved the military in ruling the colony. They also passed the Quebec Act.

When the colonies were expanding, what was keeping Britain busy?

They were busy with wars in Europe.

Who was primarily responsible for drafting the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson, a patriot from Virginia. Jefferson was a scholar and knew about the ideas of John Locke. He also agreed that people had certain natural rights.