Chapter 5: The American Revolution (1763-1783)

Salutary neglect

an *informal British policy* during the first half of the 18th century that *allowed American colonies considerable freedom to pursue their economic and political interests in exchange for colonial obedience*

The Sugar Act of 1764 did what?

*got rid of jury trials for smugglers* and empowered admiralty courts to try them instead

Yorktown

1781, the *last battle of the Revolutionary War* General Lord Charles Cornwallis (along with over 7,000 British troops) surrendered at Yorktown, VA *did not end the American Revolution! took 2 years until the Treaty of Paris was established in 1783*

The Stamp Act crisis was not the only example of social turmoil during the 1760s. Identify the statements that describe the Regulator movement.

Regulators often included a *class-based element of the have-nots resisting the power of local elites* Regulators' grievances often revolved around *competing claims of land ownership*

True or False? The Voices of Freedom document, Association of the New York Sons of Liberty (1773), demonstrates that by 1773 the focus of British legislation was increasingly to assert parliamentary supremacy over the colonies.

TRUE!

Regulators

group that refers to people in the Carolinas who protested colonial policies in the 1760s South Carolina Regulators were *wealthy* backcountry residents who *protested their under representation in the colonial assembly* as well as the *lack of local governments* North Carolina Regulators were *mobilized small farmers* who were *upset with the corrupt local government run by the elites*

What does Paine see as the global significance of the American struggle for independence?

support for the struggle for "asylum for mankind" and freedom around the world

What is the theory of virtual representation?

the idea that the colonies were represented indirectly by Parliament as a whole

Identify the arguments and sentiments of Thomas Paine in his pamphlet Common Sense.

*democratic system* was preferable to monarchy *goal was to change people's minds* and give direction to their individual frustrations. As such, his ideas were expressed in a *brief, direct, and straightforward manner* that was readily accessible to the average person *being a part of the British empire unnecessarily involved the colonies in global wars*

What was the greatest challenge that Washington and the Continental army faced prior to the Battle of Trenton?

*demoralization and desertion* The numerous early failures of the war and the hardships of military service led *many soldiers to give up hope and or abandon the cause*

In Thomas Paine's document, Common Sense, what does Paine assert?

*in the original order of creation all mankind was equal* *no one* (just because of their birth) *should have a perpetual preference over others* *England's motive for protecting the colonies is interest* NOT attachment

How did Parliament respond to the Boston Tea Party?

*closed the port of Boston* until all the tea was payed for passed the *Intolerable Acts* (Coercive Acts, to force the colonists to obey the laws of the empire)

Loyalists

*colonists who remained loyal to Great Britain during the War of Independence* Treaty of Paris reintegrated them into society after the American Revolution

Describe the Battle of Saratoga and the outcome it had on the rest of the war.

*lack of British military coordination* played a major role in the outcome *American victory helped to persuade European powers to enter into the conflict*

As a result of the Townshend Duties, colonists ______________ their reliance on British goods, specifically through the _______________ efforts of the __________________.

As a result of the Townshend Duties, colonists *reduced* their reliance on British goods, specifically through the *homespun* efforts of the *Daughters of Liberty* By spinning and weaving cloth at home, the Daughters of Liberty allowed for the boycott of British cloth goods to be possible, and became a *symbol of American colonial resistance*

True or False? The author of the Voices of Freedom document, New York Workingmen Demand a Voice in the Revolutionary Struggle (1770), sees all [white] men equal as far as their English liberties.

TRUE!

*Common Sense*

Thomas Paine's anonymously published pamphlet that *attacked the English principles of hereditary rule and monarchical government* *supported American independence*

Treaty of Paris

Won recognition of *American independence* *gained control of the entire region between Canada and Florida east of the Mississippi River* *gave the right of Americans to fish in Atlantic waters off of Canada* (a matter of considerable importance to New Englanders) *reintegrated the Loyalist population into American society*

The majority of American victories of the Revolutionary War in the North took place where?

inland, away from the coast

The New York Sons of Liberty Association was signed by a great number of....?

lawyers, merchants, mechanics and inhabitants of all ranks

English liberties were believed to be...?

more important than luxury goods and trade with Britain

Describe the Boston Massacre.

mostly working class, racially mixed group Bostonian resentment of British soldiers increased because the soldiers often took jobs away from colonists crowd of colonials actually instigated the conflict

Seabury states, "foreign power is brought in to govern this province" [Connecticut]. To what foreign power does he refer?

other colonies

This bureau was responsible for the elimination of smuggling in colonial America.

the board of customs commissoners

John Dickinson

"Letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania" *protested the Townshend acts* leader of the committee that wrote the Articles of Confederation

Committee of Correspondence

*A group of colonial leaders who resolved to prevent the implementation of the Stamp Act* Even before the law's passage, they created a Committee of Correspondence to *communicate with other colonies to encourage opposition to the Sugar and Currency Acts*

virtual representation

*A widely accepted theory which held that each member of Parliament represented "virtually" all members of the Parliament (not just his own district)* and that the interests of all who lived under the British crown were supposedly taken into account

"an asylum for mankind"

*American exceptionalism* and the United Sates as a *symbol of universal freedom for mankind*

Describe the repeal of the Stamp Act.

*Colonial boycotts of British goods* played a major role in bringing about its repeal *At the same time that the Stamp Act was being repealed, the Declaratory Act was created*, which empowered Parliament to make all laws for the colonies. *Resisting the Stamp Act led to the first collective action by the colonies*

Samuel Adams

*Leader of the Boston Sons of Liberty who helped found the Committees of Correspondence* American revolutionary

What were the terms of the Treaty of Paris (1783) that ended the Revolutionary War?

*New Englanders gained fishing rights* in the Atlantic waters off the Canadian coast US *western border became the Mississippi River* *Loyalists were to be compensated by the US for their losses* (ultimately was not upheld)

Continental Congress

*The first meeting of representatives of the colonies held in Philadelphia (1774) to formulate actions against British policies in order to coordinate resistance to the Intolerable Acts* bringing together the most prominent political leaders of 12 mainland colonies in the *Second Continental Congress* (1775-1789) the colonial representatives *conducted the war* and *adopted the Declaration of Independence*, along with the *Articles of Confederation* *Important attendees: Adamses, George Washington, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry*

Daughters of Liberty

*Women who displayed their loyalty by participating in boycotts of British goods by spinning and weaving at home* (Martha Washington, SaraFranklin Backe, etc.) result of the Townshend Acts *symbol of American resistance*

Townshend acts

A *tax that the British Parliament passed in 1767 that was placed on imported goods* (leads, glass, paint and tea) established by the Board of Customs Commissioners and colonial vice-admiralty courts *use of American "homemade" goods came to be seen as a symbol of American resistance*

Thomas Paine was a native of...?

Enlgand

How were American forces able to prevail in the Revolutionary War?

Experience in fighting in the Seven Years' War and on their soil for a cause that inspired devotion and sacrifice.

Intolerable Acts

Four parliamentary measures in response to the Boston Tea Party... 1) *forced payment for the tea* 2) *disallowed colonial trials of British soldiers* 3) *forced their quatering in private homes* 4) *reduced the number of elected officials in MA* *Parliament closed the port of Boston to all trade until the tea was paid for*. It curtailed town meetings and authorized the governor to appoint members to the council (positions previously filled by election). It also empowered military commanders to lodge soldiers in private homes

In the Voices of Freedom document, New York Workingmen Demand a Voice in the Revolutionary Struggle (1770)... this document demonstrates....?

New York merchants wanted to end the "Non importation Agreement" targeting British goods, while artisans wanted to continue the boycott

Boston Tea Party

On December 16, 1773, the *Sons of Liberty disguised as Indians boarded three ships and threw more than 300 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest against the Tea Act* led to establishment of the *Intolerable Acts*

*American Crisis*

Pamphlet series by *Thomas Paine* that bolstered the morale of Americans fighting for independence during the Revolution

What were the roots and significance of the Stamp Act controversy?

Represented a new departure in imperial policy. *For the first time, Parliament attempted to raise money from direct taxes in the colonies rather than through the regulation of trade* *newspapers, books, court documents, commercial papers, land deeds, almanacs, etc. must now carry a stamp purchased from authorities* The Act was the *first major split between colonists and Great Britain over the meaning of freedom*

True or False? Part of Britain's motivation for passing the Quebec Act was to offer religious protection to the recently conquered French Canadian inhabitants as a trade-off for gaining their loyalty on political questions of governance and rule, so as to avoid the turmoil that was going on in the thirteen American colonies.

TRUE!

Continental Army

army authorized by the *Continental Congress* in 1775 that *fought the British in the War of Independence* *commanded by General George Washington*

What were the actions taken by the First Continental Congress?

established the *Continental Association* approved of the *Suffolk Resolves* (which called upon Americans to disregard new crown laws, refuse to pay their taxes and begin mobilizing for conflict) authorized the creation of *Committees of Safety* (major step in placing the governing power of the colonies into the hands of the colonials themselves)

Why was George Washington ultimately successful in leading the Continental army?

he employed *surprise attacks* on key targets he *avoided direct confrontations with British regulars* *He preserved the Continental army by not deploying it in a series of conventional stand-and-fight battles with the British*

"war of attrition"

prolonged war during which each side seeks to gradually wear out the other by a *series of small-scale actions*

As representatives of the crown, these individuals would have been either uncomfortable with or in outright opposition to colonial resistance.

royal governors

Tea Act

the *British exported millions of pounds of taxed cheap tea* to undercut the price of smuggled tea and force payment of the tea Led to the protest known as the *Boston Tea Party*

Who set up the Continental army under George Washington?

the Second Continental Congress

Thomas Paine's writings, Common Sense (1776) focused on reaching...?

the public sphere as a whole because political discussion took place on all levels

Declaratory Act

*Rejected Americans' claims* that only elected representatives could levy taxes and that *Parliament possessed the power to pass laws for the colonies and American people in all cases* established as a result of London repeal of the Stamp Act

Describe the concept of American exceptionalism.

*central to the concept of American self-identity* ("an asylum for mankind") US has a special purpose in the world America was to serve as a *role model to the rest of the world, modeling how to grant and share freedom among citizens*

Sons of Liberty

*organizations formed in response to the Stamp Act lead by Samuel Adams* led *protests* (Boston Tea Party), *posted notices* about the Stamp Act and *took the lead in enforcing the boycott of British imports* enjoyed no standing among the colony's wealthy elite and carried little weight in municipal affairs; many followers included craftsmen, laborers, and sailors

"Legacy of the Declaration of Independence"

*revolution against colonial tyranny* and the idea that *authority rests on the will of the people* Thomas Jefferson hoped that the Declaration would inspire others to claim liberty and self-government and it did! became very influential worldwide and looked upon as setting the prime example for other nations to establish their independence

Boston Massacre

*snow ball fight between Bostonians and British troops that escalated into an armed confrontation* that left five Bostonians dead, including a man named *Crispus Attucks* who would later be remembered as the "first martyr of the American Revolution." 1770 *Led to repeal of the Townshend Acts and only tax on tea remained*

Describe the Stamp Act.

*universally despised by colonists*, regardless of their class, region or occupation represented the *first time that Parliament placed a direct tax on the colonists* (tax on printed goods)

Why does Samuel Seabury believe the Continental Congress and local committees are undermining the liberties of Americans?

-the Continental Congress has formed treaties of alliance without the authority to do so -Mob rule and vengeance has been used against those who do not agree with the rebellion

Stamp Act

1765; law that placed *tax on printed goods* including: playing cards, documents, newspapers, etc. very disliked! led to establishment of the Sons of Liberty

Crispus Attucks

A *freed black man who was supposedly at the head of the crowd during the Boston Massacre and was killed* when the British fired on the crowd Considered the *"first martyr of the American Revolution."*

newspapers

A *means to proliferate political discussion* throughout America; *Expanded the involvement and understanding of governmental workings* where many posts from the Sons of Liberty were regarding notices about the Stamp Act

Lord Dunmore

British governor of Virginia who *offered freedom to any slave who fought for the king against the rebelling colonists* in November 1775

By late 1778, the British sought to change their tactics by moving their efforts to the ________in order to gain support from the _____________there, as well as encourage divisions between ________________and wealthy planters that would ultimately support their cause.

By late 1778, the British sought to change their tactics by moving their efforts to the *South* in order to gain support from the *Loyalists* there, as well as encourage divisions between *small farmers* and wealthy planters that would ultimately support their cause.

*Declaration of Independence*

Document adopted on *July 4, 1776 that made the break with the Britain official and allowed the US to become an independent nation* written by a committee of the *Second Continental Congress*, including principle writer Thomas Jefferson *The enduring impact came from Jefferson's preamble about rights so basic, so rooted in human nature itself, that no government could take them away*

Due to the increases in debts and new territories generated by the Seven Years' War, Britain sought to have colonists share in the costs of __________.This led many colonists to conclude that being part of the British Empire represented a threat to their ____________.

Due to the increases in debts and new territories generated by the Seven Years' War, Britain sought to have colonists share in the costs of *running the empire*. This led many colonists to conclude that being part of the British Empire represented a threat to their *personal freedoms*.

True or False? Proponents of "no taxation without representation" claimed that although trade regulation was a legal means for Parliament to raise revenue, direct internal taxes like the Stamp Act were an illegitimate extension of parliamentary power.

FALSE! Colonists such as Patrick Henry, in the Virginia House of Burgesses, claimed that the British government had no right to tax the colonists whatsoever, because to do so would violate their rights as free citizens. This is the origin of the rallying cry, "no taxation without representation," since the American colonies were not directly represented within Parliament.

True or False? Writs of assistance were legal decrees issued by Parliament to help royal governors work more effectively with their colonial legislatures by granting the governors more power.

FALSE! The writs were search warrants that helped imperial officials cut down on the illegal smuggling of colonial trade goods.

True or False? An American victory of the Revolutionary War meant that the troops would have to stop all British offensives and continually crush their British opponents on the battlefield.

FALSE! achieving utter and total military denomination was what the British were going to have to do. The Americans could "win by not losing," to the extent that as long as the Continental army remained in existence, the struggle could and would continue.

True or False? Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown ended the American Revolution.

FALSE! although the war was seen as unwinnable in Britain from 1781 onward, it still took two more years to conclude peace negotiations and sign the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War.

East India Company

Giant trading monopoly that *governed recently acquired British goods in India* British invested heavily in its stocks, leading to its rise and sharp collapse/financial crisis that sparked the *Tea Act* protests of the Tea Act led to the *Boston Tea Party* and as a result, the *Intolerable Acts*

Lord Dunmore's proclamation was very ________________ during the war because it allowed ________ to serve in the British army in exchange for ____________, and eventually pushed the colonies to make similar offers.

Lord Dunmore's proclamation was very *controversial* during the war because it allowed *slaves* to serve in the British army in exchange for *freedom*, and eventually pushed the colonies to make similar offers.

One major problem within the British empire was that the ________________ considered the empire to be a system of _____________ parts under Parliament's command, and colonists considered themselves as _______________ with the rights to govern themselves

One major problem within the British empire was that the *leadership* considered the empire to be a system of *unequal* parts under Parliament's command, and colonists considered themselves as *citizens* with the rights to govern themselves

True or False? The impact of the Declaration of Independence has extended far beyond the geographic boundaries of the country. Virtually every nation seeking independence from colonial rule since 1776 has modeled, or borrowed heavily from, the philosophical principles laid out in Jefferson's document to make its case for freedom and liberty in its own context.

TRUE!

True or False? When referring to certain rights as "unalienable" in the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was essentially indicating that these rights were impossible to take away.

TRUE!

True or False? By the time the Second Continental Congress convened, North American colonies were involved in an unofficial conflict that verged upon full-scale war.

TRUE! In April 1775, violent warfare had erupted at Lexington and Concord, resulting in the deaths of forty-nine colonists and seventy-three British soldiers, and the conflict was spreading rapidly. The Second Continental Congress first met in May 1775 in the immediate aftermath of the scenes of the battle that are carved upon this powder horn.

The New York Sons of Liberty, as with "Sons" in other ports, first emerged during the...?

The Stamp Act

What key events sharpened the divisions between Britain and the colonists in the late 1760s and early 1770s?

The Townshend Acts Homespun virtue (Daughters of Liberty) the Boston Massacre the Tea Act Intolerable Acts *these events marked the move toward American Independence*

The intensity of feelings for independence among the upper colonial class varied regionally. In _________________________________ the elites pressed very strongly for independence since their hold on local power was secure. In contrast, in places like _____________________________________, which were more diverse, there were fears that movements for equality could go too far, so feelings for independence were not as strong.

The intensity of feelings for independence among the upper colonial class varied regionally. In *Massachusetts and Virginia* the elites pressed very strongly for independence since their hold on local power was secure. In contrast, in places like *Pennsylvania and New York*, which were more diverse, there were fears that movements for equality could go too far, so feelings for independence were not as strong.