003 - Understanding the American Revolution

What important event occurred between the first and second meetings of the Continental Congress?

Fighting broke out at Lexington and Concord. Fighting broke out in April 1775 just a month before the Second Continental Congress was slated to meet.

How did the reform agenda of Charles Finney differ from Lyman Beecher's during the Second Great Awakening?

Finney supported the abolition movement, whereas Beecher's cause was the temperance movement. Charles Finney was a devoted abolitionist and encouraged Christians to see slavery as a moral issue rather than a political or economic one. It took half a century, but they successfully worked to end slavery in America. A revivalist named Lyman Beecher led people to voluntarily stop drinking alcohol since it could easily lead to sin, and he founded the temperance movement to ban the sale of alcohol legally.

Which one of the following country's ideals were adopted as a model for the U.S. Constitution?

France Many of the ideals enshrined in the U.S. Constitution had been first cultivated in France by participants of the French Revolution of 1789.

Which of the following is correct about George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards?

Jonathan Edwards is often credited with starting the First Great Awakening in 1741, while George Whitefield starting preaching outside church.

Republicanism in America _____

Allows for self-government because the people give leaders their authority. Republicanism is a complete reversal of 'divine' right to rule. Instead of leaders receiving authority from God, leaders are chosen by the people.

The Boston Massacre occurred in:

1770 The Boston Massacre occurred in 1770 in Boston.

The Proclamation of 1763 stated that:

American colonists were not allowed to migrate west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Proclamation of 1763 was enacted to appease the western Native American tribes who had helped Britain win the French and Indian War.

Which of the following is FALSE of the legacy of Awakening?

Americans believe that faith is a matter of tradition. Instead of seeing faith as a matter of tradition, Americans now felt free to choose their own religious affiliation.

Why were Americans unwilling to support the Anglican Church after the American Revolution?

Americans wanted something that reflected their own values.

How did improved literacy in Europe and Franklin's circulation of Enlightenment ideals impact the world view of the eighteenth century?

Both phenomena allowed more people access to new ideals Improved literacy in Europe following the Scientific Revolution and Benjamin Franklin's circulation of Enlightenment ideals both increased the access everyday people had to Enlightenment thinking and ideals.

What did the Awakening share with the Enlightenment?

Both valued freedom of conscience. Freedom of conscience was at the heart of this struggle against old regimes and old ways of thinking, and it changed the way people viewed authority. The Enlightenment engaged the mind, but the Great Awakening engaged the heart.

Which of the following was NOT an outcome of the Second Great Awakening?

Church attendance decreased. The Second Great Awakening did increase church attendance.

Which of the following religious groups did NOT emerge during the Second Great Awakening?

Congregationalists By the time of the Revolution, the largest denominations were the Quakers, the Congregationalists (descended from the Puritan tradition), and the Anglicans. It means that the Congregationalists were already there before the Second Great Awakening.

Why did Deism play a large role in the principles of American Government?

Deism encourages reason and human action, but still allows for a belief in God Deism is a philosophical belief in a deity based on reason rather than faith. According to Deists, God does not interfere in human events. After setting events in motion, humans are left to their own devices to keep the world running. Thomas Jefferson and many other American Enlightenment thinkers were influenced by Deist principles.

How did John Locke's ideas influence the American Enlightenment?

His rejection of divine right and the idea of government by the governed are foundations of American Revolutionary thought John Locke originally wrote 'Two Treatises of Government' in which he asserts that monarchies do not have a divine right to rule, and governments exist through the consent of the governed. His second ideal on self government is a key belief of American Government.

How did the first Great Awakening help pave the way for the American Revolution?

It encouraged colonists to oppose establishment thinking. The Awakening fueled social reform by challenging the social establishment in several ways.

Which of the following is correct regarding the Declaration of Independence?

It identified the purpose of American government The Declaration of Independence didn't start the Revolutionary War, it didn't establish the government in the United States, and it isn't exactly a legally binding document. But it refocused the Americans' goal in the war, it identified the purpose of American government, and it altered the course of history.

How did the principle of the consent of the governed impact the Declaration of Independence?

It was an integral part of the Declaration and it meant common people have to allow their rulers to have any authority over them. This outrageous concept basically means common people have to allow their rulers to have any authority over them. The Declaration of Independence, founded on the principle of the consent of the governed, was an unthinkable insult, a feisty and defiant disrespect of established authority.

Why was it unusual that the first draft of the Declaration opposed slavery?

Jefferson himself owned hundreds of slaves, but still, the first draft of the Declaration of Independence blamed the King for maintaining a market where men are bought and sold.

Why did the British begin taxing the colonies in the 1760s and 1770s?

Parliament wanted the colonies to pay the cost of the French and Indian War. Parliament felt that the American colonists -- who benefited most from the French defeat -- should pay for the high cost of war.

What territorial protection measure for Native Americans did the success of the American Revolution destroy?

Proclamation of 1763 The Proclamation of 1763 had hemmed in European expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains. With the American victory, the mountains and the land west of it were now open to colonial settlement.

Which of the following is FALSE about both Puritanism and the Awakening?

Puritanism focused on inward changes in the heart, while the Awakening emphasized outward actions as proof of salvation. True to the values of the Enlightenment, the Awakening emphasized human decision in matters of religion and morality. It respected each individual's feelings and emotions. In stark contrast to Puritanism, which emphasized outward actions as proof of salvation, the Great Awakening focused on inward changes in the Christian's heart.

Which of the following did NOT shift public opinion within the Colonies toward independence?

Similar revolutions in France and Haiti Congress endorsed overthrowing existing royal governments in 1776.

Which of the following did NOT influence Enlightenment thinking?

The Cultural Revolution The Renaissance reawakened the knowledge of science, art, music, and literature that had been lost during the Middle Ages. A surge in literacy spurred a Scientific Revolution and shifted the focus from the Divine to reason and logic. The Reformation further questioned the old world order and role of the church. These culminated in an era known as the 'Age of Reason', or Enlightenment.

In which region of America was the Second Great Awakening most influential?

The frontier of western New York The movement was especially influential on the western frontier of New York, which was called the 'Burned-Over District' after the fire of religious revival burned so intently there.

How does the content of the preamble of the Declaration of Independence differ from that of the grievances?

The grievances list examples of the king's tyranny, while the preamble states the functions of government as the Founding Fathers saw them. The preamble serves as an introduction and acknowledges that the world probably wants to know why the colonies would separate themselves. The grievances give examples of the King's tyranny and then list ways the colonists had tried to compromise.

How did colonists who were still loyal to the British crown react to the creation of the new country?

They moved to Canada. Many British loyalists chose to move to British Canada rather than live under the new regime.

Which of the following ended the American Revolution and recognized American independence?

Treaty of Paris The 1763 Treaty of Paris recognized American independence and sent shock waves through late eighteenth-century western Europe.

Which of the following is NOT a British government measure which angered colonists prior to the American Revolution?

Treaty of Paris The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended fighting between France and Great Britain, but the treaty itself contained little that directly affected the American colonists.

The political upheaval in Great Britain immediately following the American Revolution led to the institution of a reform-minded Parliament in 1783 led by _____.

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger's reform-minded government wrested further control over Parliament from the king and assumed control of India from the East India Company.