Chapter 5 Study Guide

John Adams

Defense Attorney for the British soldiers in the Boston Massacre trial.

Minutemen

A civilian during Revolutionary era, sworn to be ready to fight with only one minute's notice.

Effigies

A mocking figure representing an unpopular individual.

Crispus Attucks

After one soldier was knocked down, the nervous redcoats did fire. They killed five colonists. Among the dead was Crispus Attucks, a dockworker who was part African, part Native American. One Bostonian cried: "Are the inhabitants to be knocked down in the streets? Are they to be murdered . . . ?" The colonists called the tragic encounter "the Boston Massacre."

Ethan Allen

After the battles at Lexington and Concord, armed conflict with British forces quickly spread. Benedict Arnold, a captain in the Connecticut militia, raised a force of 400 to seize Fort Ticonderoga near Lake Champlain in New York. Ticonderoga occupied a key location. It was also rich in military supplies. Arnold learned that Ethan Allen of nearby Vermont also planned to attack the fort. So Arnold joined forces with Allen's men—the so-called Green Mountain Boys. Together, they took the British by surprise. Fort Ticonderoga surrendered on May 10, 1775. Later, Arnold became a traitor to the Patriot cause. He sold military information to the British. When his crime was discovered in September 1780, he fled to British-controlled New York City. There he commanded British troops and led raids against the Americans in Virginia and Connecticut.

Proclamation of 1763

After their victory in the French and Indian War, the British controlled much of North America. Now they had to protect all this territory. To meet this challenge, King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763. This order prohibited, or banned, colonists from living west of the Appalachian Mountains, on Native American land. For the British, the proclamation offered several advantages. It helped keep peace between Native Americans and settlers. It also kept colonists near the Atlantic Coast, where British authority was stronger. Finally, it allowed Britain to control westward expansion and the fur trade in the region. The king sent 10,000 troops to the colonies to enforce the Proclamation of 1763 and keep the peace with Native Americans.

Patriots

American colonist who favored American independence. They believed that the colonists should have the right to govern themselves. The Patriots were determined to fight the British until American independence was won.

Loyalists

An American colonist who remained loyal to Britain and opposed the war for independence. Some were officeholders who felt a responsibility to uphold British rule. Others had not suffered from British policies and saw no reason to break with Britain. Still others believed Britain would win the war and did not want to be on the losing side.

John Hancock

Benjamin Franklin, one of the most respected men in the colonies, had been a leader in the Pennsylvania legislature. In 1765 he represented the colonies in London and helped win repeal of the Stamp Act. John Hancock of Massachusetts was a wealthy merchant. He funded many Patriot groups, including the Sons of Liberty. The delegates chose Hancock to be president of the Second Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson, only 32, was also a delegate. He served in the Virginia legislature. Jefferson was already known as a brilliant thinker and writer.

Fighting first broke out in what section of the colonies?

Boston, Massachusetts.

George Grenville

British Prime Minister who acted against smuggling.

Boston Tea Party(East India Trading Co. and its involvement)

Colonial merchants called for a new boycott. Colonists vowed to stop East India Company ships from unloading. The Daughters of Liberty issued a pamphlet declaring that rather than part with freedom, "We'll part with our tea." Despite warnings of trouble, the East India Company continued shipping tea to the colonies. Colonists in New York and Philadelphia forced the tea ships to turn back. In 1773, three ships loaded with tea arrived in Boston Harbor. The royal governor ordered that they be unloaded. The Boston Sons of Liberty acted swiftly. At midnight on December 16, colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded the ships and threw 342 chests of tea overboard. As word of the "Boston Tea Party"spread, colonists gathered to celebrate the bold act. Yet no one spoke out against British rule itself. Most colonists still saw themselves as loyal British citizens.

Suffolk Resolves

Continental Congress delegates also decided to endorse the Suffolk Resolves, prepared by the people of Boston and other Suffolk County towns in Massachusetts. These resolutions declared the Coercive Acts to be illegal. They called on the county's residents to arm themselves against the British. After delegates endorsed the resolves, other colonies also organized militias—groups of citizen soldiers.

writs of Assistance

Court document allowing customs officers to enter any location to search for smuggled goods. These documents allowed the officers to search almost anywhere—shops, warehouses, and even private homes—for smuggled goods.

Sons of Liberty

Despite warnings of trouble, the East India Company continued shipping tea to the colonies. Colonists in New York and Philadelphia forced the tea ships to turn back. In 1773, three ships loaded with tea arrived in Boston Harbor. The royal governor ordered that they be unloaded. The Boston Sons of Liberty acted swiftly. At midnight on December 16, colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded the ships and threw 342 chests of tea overboard. As word of the "Boston Tea Party"spread, colonists gathered to celebrate the bold act. Yet no one spoke out against British rule itself. Most colonists still saw themselves as loyal British citizens.

John Locke

English philosopher.

Battle of Bunker Hill

Following Lexington and Concord, more volunteers joined the colonial militias. Soon militia around Boston numbered about 20,000 strong. The British remained in control of the city, with the militia camped nearby. On June 16, 1775, militia commanded by Colonel William Prescott set up posts on Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill, across the harbor from Boston. The next day, the redcoats assembled at Breed's Hill. Bayonets drawn, they charged. Low on ammunition, Prescott reportedly ordered, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." The Americans opened fire, forcing the British to retreat. Twice more the redcoats charged, receiving furious fire from above. Finally, the Americans ran out of gunpowder and had to withdraw. The battle on Breed's Hill—which became known as the Battle of Bunker Hill—was a British victory. Yet the British suffered heavy losses of more than 1,000 dead and wounded. They were learning that defeating the Americans on the battlefield would be neither quick nor easy.

George Washington and Continental Army

George Washington had the Declaration read to his troops in New York City on July 9. In Worcester, Massachusetts, a public reading of the Declaration of Independence led to "repeated [cheers], firing of musketry and cannon, bonfires, and other demonstrations of joy." The Congress unanimously chose George Washington to command this army. Washington was an experienced soldier and a respected Southern planter. He left Philadelphia at once to take charge of the forces in Boston. Washington reached the Boston area in July 1775, a few weeks after the Battle of Bunker Hill. The British held Boston, but Patriot militia ringed the city. Although the size of the colonial force grew every day, Washington realized that the men were disorganized and lacked discipline—the ability to follow strict rules and procedures. Washington began the task of turning armed civilians into soldiers. Washington also needed weapons. He arranged to have dozens of cannons hauled 300 mile(483 km) from Fort Ticonderoga. Moving the heavy guns was a huge effort. In March 1776, Washington believed his army was ready to fight. Under the cover of darkness, he moved soldiers and cannons into position overlooking Boston, while the redcoats slept. On March 17, Washington led his jubilant troops into the city. They watched as the British troops sailed away to Halifax, Nova Scotia, a part of Canada.

Sugar Act

In 1764 Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which lowered the tax on the molasses the colonists imported. Grenville hoped this change would convince the colonists to pay the tax instead of smuggling. The act also allowed officers to seize goods from accused smugglers without going to court. The Sugar Act angered many colonists. They believed this and other new laws violated their rights. As British citizens, colonists argued, they had a right to a trial by jury and to be viewed as innocent until proven guilty, as stated in British law. Colonists also believed they had the right to be secure in their homes—without the threat of officers barging in to search for smuggled goods. British taxes also alarmed the colonists. James Otis, a lawyer in Boston, argued about this act.

Stamp Act

In 1765 Parliament passed the Stamp Act. This law taxed almost all printed materials. Newspapers, wills, and even playing cards needed a stamp to show that the tax had been paid. The Stamp Act outraged the colonists. They argued that only their own assemblies could tax them. Patrick Henry, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, got the burgesses to take action. The assembly passed a resolution—a formal expression of opinion—declaring that it had "the only and sole exclusive right and power to lay taxes"on its citizens. In Boston, Samuel Adams helped start the Sons of Liberty. Its members took to the streets to protest the Stamp Act. Protesters burned effigies—stuffed figures—made to look like unpopular tax collectors. Colonial leaders decided to work together. In October, delegates from nine colonies met in New York at the Stamp Act Congress. They sent a statement to the king and Parliament declaring that only colonial assemblies could tax the colonists.People in colonial cities urged merchants to boycott— refuse to buy—British goods in protest. As the boycott spread, businesses in Britain lost so much money that they demanded Parliament repeal, or cancel, the Stamp Act. In March 1766, Parliament repealed the law. However, it also passed the Declaratory Act, stating that it had the right to tax and make decisions for the British colonies "in all cases."

Second Continental Congress- pgs. 128-129- know key actions taken by this congress.

In 1774 the Continental Congress agreed to meet again if the British did not address their complaints. In fact, as the battles at Lexington and Concord in 1775 showed, the dispute between the British and the colonies had worsened. The Second Continental Congress met on May 10, 1775. The delegates included some of the greatest leaders in the colonies. Among them were John and Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and George Washington—all delegates to the First Continental Congress. Several new delegates came as well. Benjamin Franklin, one of the most respected men in the colonies, had been a leader in the Pennsylvania legislature. In 1765 he represented the colonies in London and helped win repeal of the Stamp Act. John Hancock of Massachusetts was a wealthy merchant. He funded many Patriot groups, including the Sons of Liberty. The delegates chose Hancock to be president of the Second Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson, only 32, was also a delegate. He served in the Virginia legislature. Jefferson was already known as a brilliant thinker and writer. The delegates at the Second Continental Congress had much to discuss. Though American and British blood had been spilled, they were not ready to vote for a break from Britain. It would be another year before Jefferson would write the Declaration of Independence.The Continental Congress did take steps to begin governing the colonies. It authorized the printing of money and set up a post office, with Franklin in charge. The Congress also formed committees to handle relations with Native Americans and foreign countries. Most important, it created the Continental Army. Unlike local militias, such a force could form and carry out an overall strategy for fighting the British. The Congress unanimously chose George Washington to command this army. Washington was an experienced soldier and a respected Southern planter. He left Philadelphia at once to take charge of the forces in Boston.

Declaratory Act

In March 1766, Parliament repealed the law. However, it also passed the Declaratory Act, stating that it had the right to tax and make decisions for the British colonies "in all cases."

First Continental Congress

In September 1774, fifty-five delegates gathered in Philadelphia. They had come to set up a political body that would represent Americans and challenge British control. The delegates called this body the Continental Congress. Leaders from twelve of the thirteen colonies attended the meeting. Only Georgia did not send a representative. Massachusetts sent fiery Samuel Adams and his lawyer cousin, John Adams. New York sent John Jay, another lawyer. Virginia sent George Washington as well as Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry, two outspoken defenders of colonial rights. Patrick Henry wanted the colonies to unite in firm resistance to Britain. He summed up the meaning of the meeting when he addressed the delegates on its second day. The delegates discussed complaints against the British. Then they voted. In a statement of grievances, the delegates called for the repeal of 13 acts of Parliament. They believed these laws violated the "laws of nature, the principles of the English constitution, and the several charters" of the colonies. The delegates also voted to boycott British trade. The colonies would not import or use any British goods, nor would they sell their goods in Great Britain. Continental Congress delegates also decided to endorse the Suffolk Resolves, prepared by the people of Boston and other Suffolk County towns in Massachusetts. These resolutions declared the Coercive Acts to be illegal. They called on the county's residents to arm themselves against the British. After delegates endorsed the resolves, other colonies also organized militias—groups of citizen soldiers.

Patrick Henry

Member of the House of Burgesses and Delegate to the 1st Continental Congress.

Samuel Adams

Member of the Sons of Liberty.

Hessians

It asked him to protect the colonists' rights. The king rejected the petition. Instead, he prepared for war. He hired more than 30,000 German troops, called Hessians, to fight alongside British troops.

Thomas Paine- who was he, what did he write, and what did he suggest to the colonies?

Many colonists held on to hope that the colonies could remain part of Great Britain. Still, support for independence was growing. It was inspired in no small part by writer Thomas Paine. Paine arrived in the colonies from England in 1774. He soon caught the revolutionary spirit. In January 1776, he published a pamphlet called Common Sense. In bold language, Paine called for a complete break with British rule.

Battle of Lexington and Concord

Meanwhile, the British continued their march. At dawn, the redcoats approached Lexington. There they ran into about 70 waiting minutemen. Led by Captain John Parker, the minutemen stood on the town common with muskets in hand. Badly outnumbered, the minutemen were about to give way to the redcoats. Just then, a shot was fired—from where is still not clear. Both sides let loose an exchange of bullets. When the shooting ended, eight minutemen lay dead. The British continued on to Concord. While some troops burned the few weapons they found, the others met a group of minutemen waiting at the North Bridge. In a short battle, the British took heavy losses. They began to make their way back to Boston. All along the road, colonists hid behind trees and fired on the soldiers. By the time the redcoats reached Boston, at least 174 were wounded and 73 were dead. About 60 years later, poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in "The Concord Hymn" that the Americans at Lexington and Concord had fired the "shot heard 'round the world." The battle for independence had begun.

Boston Massacre

On March 5, 1770, violence erupted. A fight broke out between some Bostonians and soldiers. As British officers tried to calm the crowd, a man shouted, "We did not send for you. We will not have you here. We'll get rid of you, we'll drive you away!" The angry townspeople surged forward. They began throwing sticks and stones at the soldiers. "Come on, you rascals, you bloody backs, you lobster scoundrels, fire, if you dare," someone in the crowd shouted. After one soldier was knocked down, the nervous redcoats did fire. They killed five colonists. Among the dead was Crispus Attucks, a dockworker who was part African, part Native American. One Bostonian cried: "Are the inhabitants to be knocked down in the streets? Are they to be murdered . . . ?" The colonists called the tragic encounter "the Boston Massacre."

William Prescott

Patriot leader at Breed's Hill.

Ben Franklin

Placed in charge of the post office.

King George III

Ruler of Britain.

Tea Act

The British East India Company was vital to the British economy. Colonial refusal to import British East India tea had nearly driven the company out of business. To help save the company and protect the British economy, Parliament passed the Tea Act. It gave the company nearly total control of the market for tea in the colonies. The Tea Act also removed some—but not all—of the taxes on tea, making it less expensive for colonists. Yet the colonists remained angry. They did not want to pay any tax, and they did not want to be told what tea they could buy.

Thomas Gage

The British also got ready for a fight. King George told Parliament that the New England Colonies were "in a state of rebellion" and that "blows must decide" who would control America. By April 1775, several thousand British troops were in and around Boston, with more on the way. British general Thomas Gage had orders to seize the weapons from the Massachusetts militia and arrest the leaders. Gage learned that the militia stored arms and ammunition at Concord, a town about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Boston. He ordered 700 troops under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith "to Concord, where you will seize and destroy all the artillery and ammunition you can find."

Townshend Acts

The Stamp Act taught the British that the colonists would resist internal taxes—those paid inside the colonies. As a result, in 1767 Parliament passed the Townshend Acts to tax imported goods, such as glass, tea, and paper. The tax was paid when the goods arrived—before they were brought inside the colonies. By then, any British taxes angered the colonists. Protests of the Townshend Acts began immediately. In towns throughout the colonies, women protested by supporting another boycott of British goods. They also urged colonists to wear homemade fabrics rather than buying fabric made in Britain. Some women's groups called themselves the Daughters of Liberty.

Olive Branch Petition

The delegates then offered Britain a last chance to avoid war. They sent a petition, or formal request, to George III. Called the Olive Branch Petition, it assured the king that the colonists wanted peace. It asked him to protect the colonists' rights. The king rejected the petition. Instead, he prepared for war. He hired more than 30,000 German troops, called Hessians, to fight alongside British troops.

Preamble

The preamble, or introduction, states that people who wish to form a new country should explain their reasons for doing so.

Committee of Correspondence

United protestors opposed to British rule.

William Dawes

Warren alerted Paul Revere and William Dawes, members of the Sons of Liberty. Revere and Dawes rode to Lexington, a town east of Concord, to spread the word that the British were coming. Revere galloped across the countryside, shouting his warning of the approaching troops. Hearing the news, Samuel Adams said, "What a glorious morning this is!" He was ready to fight. A British patrol later captured Dawes and Revere. Another rider named Samuel Prescott carried the warning to Concord.

Coercive Act or "Intolerable Acts"

When news of the Boston Tea Party reached London, King George III realized that Britain was losing control of the colonies. He declared, "We must either master them or totally leave them to themselves." In 1774 Parliament responded by passing a series of laws called the Coercive Acts. Coercive means to force someone to do something. These laws were meant to punish the colonists for resisting British authority. One Coercive Act applied to all the colonies. It forced the colonies to let British soldiers live among the colonists. Massachusetts, though, received the harshest treatment. One of the Coercive Acts banned town meetings in Massachusetts. Another closed Boston Harbor until the colonists paid for the ruined tea. This stopped most shipments of food and other supplies to the colony. Parliament was trying to cut Massachusetts off from the other colonies. Instead, the Coercive Acts drew the colonies together. Other colonies sent food and clothing to support Boston. Following the Coercive Acts, Parliament also passed the Quebec Act. This law created a government for Canada and extended its territory south all the way to the Ohio River. This action ignored the colonies' claims to that region. The colonists believed all of these new laws violated their rights as English citizens. They expressed their feelings about the laws by calling them the Intolerable Acts. Intolerable means painful and unbearable.

What was the Declaration of Independence?

While delegates debated, Congress chose a committee to write a declaration of independence. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman formed the committee. Adams asked Jefferson to write the first draft. Jefferson hesitated, but Adams persuaded him. Jefferson agreed that he would do the writing for the great project. He drew on ideas from English philosopher John Locke to explain why the 13 colonies were proclaiming their freedom. In the 1690s Locke expressed the idea that people are born with certain natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Locke wrote that people form governments to protect those rights, and that a government interfering with those rights could rightfully be overthrown. Jefferson and other Patriots agreed with Locke. On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted on Lee's resolution for independence. Twelve colonies voted for independence. New York did not vote but later announced its support. Next, the delegates discussed Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence. After making some changes, delegates approved the document on July 4, 1776. John Hancock signed the Declaration first. He remarked that he wrote his name large enough for King George to read without his glasses. Eventually 56 delegates signed the document announcing the birth of the United States. Copies of the Declaration of Independence were printed and sent out to people in the newly declared states. George Washington had the Declaration read to his troops in New York City on July 9. In Worcester, Massachusetts, a public reading of the Declaration of Independence led to "repeated [cheers], firing of musketry and cannon, bonfires, and other demonstrations of joy." Finally, the Declaration announces America's new status. Pledging "to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor," the Americans declared themselves a new nation. The struggle for independence—the American Revolution—had begun.

Thomas Jefferson

Wrote the Declaration of Independence.