Chapter 7 Review Part 1
The Stamp Act received the most outcries, and the idea of "_____ _______________ ___________ ______________" resulted from the protests of this act. Why was this statement slightly ironic?
"no taxation without representation" Colonies had never given representation to their own people living in the backcountry.
Describe 4 reasons why the independent and liberal attitudes of the Whigs/Republicanism developed so well in the colonies?
-Dukes and princes didn't exist in the colonies, everyone more or less on same social level -Property ownership and political participation relatively accessible -Americans had grown used to running themselves during the salutary neglect period -Great distance greatly weakened the British authority (until 1763)
What two reasons did Grenville have for thinking that his taxes were just?
-He wanted Americans to pay off their share of debts from their protection in the war and beyond -Britain already had similar taxes, and even a higher stamp tax
List 3 benefits that the colonies received from the mercantilist system. (if the colonies exist for benefit of the mother country, then doesn't the mother country exist to benefit the colonies?)
-London paid colonists who made ship parts much more than other foreign competitors -Virginia tobacco planters had a monopoly in Britain, they were the only place that English could get tobacco -Colonists were protected by Britain's army and navy, with no cost at all
Occasionally, Parliament passed laws to keep tabs on the mercantilism system. Describe early navigation laws (1650) put in place in the colonies.
-Navigation Law of 1650 said that all commerce coming to/from colonies must be carried in British/American ships. Tried to stop Dutch rivals from entering the American trade. -Other laws followed, saying that European goods coming to the colonies had to stop in Britain, where middlemen would collect taxes (and profit). -American merchants could sell some goods (tobacco) only to Britain (called "enumerated goods")
The coming conflicts of the Revolutionary War were inevitable and could not have been prevented. True or false? Explain Briefly-how did war eventually start? Over what?
False! Bonds were actually tightening between the British and Americans in a commercial, military, and cultural sense. The Americans also refused to ask for independence until very late in the war, they only wanted "rights of Englishmen." However, arguments over economic policies eventually exposed a gap in political values between the Americans and Britons. This led to independence.
Whig ideas made the Americans question why the British army was in America at all. Explain their thoughts.
French gone and Pontiac's troops crushed, the colonists didn't need protection. Colonists suspected that they were there to keep them in line and take away their liberties.
Describe how Britain's empire was developed "haphazardly." Despite this, Britain used the idea of _________________________ to make a profit and justify control over the colonies
Georgia was the only colony formally created by the British government. All others were founded by various trading companies, religious groups, or land-seekers mercantilism
After the French and Indian War, Britain had one of the biggest empires in the world and one of the largest debts ($140 million). How much was from defending the colonies? What did Britain do to try and pay off their debt (regarding the colonies?)
Half was from defending the colonies Britain tried to change its relationship with the American colonies
After Americans protested "taxation without representation," how did George Grenville respond?
He claimed that Parliament represented all British citizens, including the colonists, so they had "virtual representation"
How did the colonists feel in 1763? Why?
In 1763, the colonies were shocked when the king tried to tighten controls on the colonies.
Did the colonists want to be included in Parliament? Explain
No, as they would never make up the majority and would always be outvoted on colonial matters/taxes
Until 1763, did the mercantilist system and various Navigation Laws make colonial living intolerable? Why or why not?
No. They were loosely enforced and colonial merchants ignored or got around the laws. Many American fortunes (John Hancock) were made by smuggling
What was the Sugar Act? When was was it passed? Was it repealed?
Passed in 1764, the Sugar Act was the first law to raise revenue for England by taxing the colonies. It put taxes on sugar coming from the West Indies. Colonial protests lowered the tax slightly
What was the Quartering Act? When was it passed?
Passed in 1765, it forced colonies to provide food and a place to stay for British troops
What was the Stamp Tax? When was it passed?
Passed in 1765, it was the first tax collected directly from those who bought the good (not just merchants). It was placed on newspapers, documents, playing cards, and other paper goods.
Who was George Grenville? What 2 things did he do in 1763?
Prime minister of Britain Ended period of salutary neglect in 1763 and began enforcing the Navigation Laws.
The British crown had a "royal veto" that angered the colonists. Explain it and describe how often is was used.
The crown could veto any colonial law if it harmed the mercantilist system. The colonists strongly disliked this fact (principle over practice example), though it was only used 469 times out of 8,563 laws that were made in the colonies.
How did the London government view the colonies? What were they expected to do/not do?
The government saw the colonies as tenants. -Expected to make products needed in England (tobacco, sugar, ship masts) -Buy certain goods only from England (and not make certain things like beaver hats and cloth, to only get this from Britain) -Not supposed to attempt to have economic self-sufficiency or self-government
What is mercantilism? How were colonies beneficial for it?
The idea of mercantilism says that wealth is power and that economic wealth is measured by is measured by the amount of gold/silver it has. This is gained by exporting more than is imported. This lead to the idea that colonies should exist to enrich the mother country Colonies could provide the mother country with raw materials (no need for foreign goods) and buy back finished products.
While it benefited the colonies in some ways, mercantilism was harmful to the colonists. Describe how it hurt the colonies financially. Why did Theodore Roosevelt think revolution broke out?
The system forced the Americans to depend on Britain to make a profit, never allowed to "come of age" and support themselves or grow economically. He said that England failed to recognize an emerging nation (that wanted economic control) when it saw one
What two things did Britain acquire as a result of the French and Indian War? Explain why this happened. How did this lead to tension in the years after 1763?
They gained a massively enlarged empire in North America. They also built up a large debt due to the war and the decision to station 10,000 troops along the American frontier The British government wanted the Americans to help pay off the debt, which led to a change in British policy that then helped to create a sense of American identity and begin the American Revolution.
The British said that Parliament could not be divided into "legislative" authority in London and "taxing" authority in the colonies. What did this force Americans to do?
They were forced to defy Parliament completely and consider political independence.
The new taxes pinched American pocketbooks, but they also struck at _____________ _____________. So, many colonial assemblies refused to comply with the Quartering Act or only.....
local liberties, provided half the supplies needed
Britain's mercantilism policy caused a shortage of _________ in the colonies. Explain how this happened. What did the colonists have to do to make everyday purchases?
Coins, as the colonists bought more from England than they sold. Silver/gold coins ran out every year in the colonies. Colonists were forced to make everyday purchases with butter, nails, pitch, and feathers as currency
What was the difference between "legislation" and "taxation," in the minds of the colonists? What did they think was acceptable/unacceptable?
Americans said that Parliament had a rights to legislate (make laws) about things that concerned the whole empire, such as trade. They did not have a right to tax Americans when no colonists were seated in Parliament. Colonists said that only their colonial legislatures could tax the colonies.
Describe the idea of Republicanism, which took root in the colonies in the 1700s.
Modeled after Greek and Roman republics, this was a form of government where the people elected representatives. It was the opposite of monarchy/aristocracy and made people think that government could be different. Said a good society depended on the people's willingness to put the common good above their own
Briefly describe how America was a "breeding ground" for revolution, compared to England
The New World allowed new ideas about society and government. In England, people had always lived "in the shadows of their ancestors" and did not dare to try and change the society that had been the same for so long. In America, people were not so held back and could make the new country however they wanted, letting new ideas grow without English to stop them.
Who were the radical Whigs? How did they shape the thought of the open-minded colonies in the 1700s? The Whig ideas and the idea of ________________ made Americans on sharp alert to any possible threats to their rights.
The Whigs were a group of British political commentators who published articles about the government, which the colonists read. They told Americans to beware of Parliament's attempts to take away their liberties. Republicanism
What issues did paper money cause when currency issues hit a peak?
The colonies issued paper money, which lost value (depreciated) quickly. This made the British merchants lose money, so Parliament prevented the colonists from using the paper currency or passing bankruptcy laws (might harm British merchants). Colonists thought their well-being was sacrificed for British commercial interests.
Grenville's taxes stabbed at the basic rights of the colonists as Englishmen, especially through Admiralty Courts. Describe these courts and what they were used for, as well as why Americans disliked them.
Used to try those who violated the Stamp or Sugar acts. They had no juries and did not have the "innocent until proven guilty" factor. These two things were rights that everyone in England had and the colonists wanted, as well.