History Topic 3: The American Revolution

What did the government of Great Britain have in common with most colonial governments?

A two-house legislature

Identify some of the unintended consequences of the Albany Plan of Union

Acknowledging the tendency of royal colonial governors to override colonial legislatures and pursue unpopular policies, the Albany Plan gave the Grand Council greater relative authority. The plan also allowed the new government to levy taxes for its own support.

How were groups such as Indians, women, and African Americans affected by the 1783 Treaty of Paris?

American Indians were surprised that the British abandoned them after the 1783 Treaty of Paris. The treaty mostly ignored the American Indians, which didn't protect that from the dangers of Americans expanding westward, and future treaties would force the American Indians to give up their land, and so the revolution catastrophized them. Women still had few political rights, but they gained some after they won respect for their conception as "republican mothers". Women such as Abigail Adams and Judith Sargeant Murray helped bring about the right for women to speak out on difficulties of raising healthy children. African Americans started to accept slavery as "natural", until the Patriot governor of New Jersey confessed slavery to be "utterly inconsistent" with Christian principles, calling for slaves to demand freedom.

Summarize how the wars and their outcomes change the relationship between Britain and her North American colonies.

As a result of the French and Indian War, and despite the British Proclamation, British relations with the colonists deteriorated steadily from 1752.

Explain why fighting broke out to begin the American Revolution and the response of the Second Continental Congress

British soldiers began the march to Concord, where militias from Concord and the nearby town of Lincoln were waiting. After the British found and destroyed rebel weapons caches, they squared off against the colonial forces at the North Bridge. The Second Continental Congress met on May 10, 1775, to plan further responses if the British government had not repealed or modified the acts; however, the American Revolutionary War had already started by that time with the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the Congress was called upon to take charge of the war effort.

Why did Thomas Paine encourage the development of a republic in the colonies?

Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government.

The purpose of the Second Continental Congress's "Olive Branch Petition" was to do what?

Confirm their loyalty to the king

Analyze the impact of Thomas Paine's Common Sense

Credited with uniting average citizens and political leaders behind the idea of independence, "Common Sense" played a remarkable role in transforming a colonial squabble into the American Revolution. At the time Paine wrote "Common Sense," most colonists considered themselves to be aggrieved Britons.

Explain the relationship among the British colonists, the French, and the American Indians in the mid-eighteenth century

During the mid-18th century, the French and British and American Indians' relations grew more and more tense, with land disputes rising with the Ohio Company. This devolved into the Seven Years' War.

What did the Governor of Virginia award in 1749? Why were the French and the Indians upset?

He awarded a large land grant to the Ohio Company, but they were upset because it went against their deal of the land.

When did the actual fighting begin during the Seven Years War?

It began in 1754 when the British colonists, led by George Washington, tried to destroy the French Ft. Duquesne, which proved unsuccessful.

What was the greatest British victory of the war?

It came in September 1759 when the British defeated the French at the Plains of Abraham near Quebec. Montreal surrendered the next year.

How did the Declaration of Independence draw on Enlightenment ideas to argue for Colonial Independence

It did so by stressing the importance of a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that all men are created equal, and that the people have the right to overthrow an oppressive government.

What was the significance of the Battle of Yorktown?

It left the British with little reason to continue fighting an expensive war.

What did the Proclamation of 1763 do?

It reserved land west of the Appalachian Mountains for the Indians, and forbade the colonists from going into it.

Why did the tide begin to turn in favor of the British during the Seven Years War?

It turned in 1759 after the British finally captured Ft. Duquesne, Ft. Ticonderoga, and Ft. Louisbourg.

Which nation was Britain's chief rival in North America during the 18th century? Why?

It was France, since France was more sparsely populated and they were trying to seize control of the Ohio River Valley, which Britain was also trying to seize control of.

What was Pontiac's Rebellion?

It was an armed revolt by the Natives planned against the British forces, which ultimately failed. The Natives did, however, manage to capture Detroit and kill many settlers.

What was the significance of the Battle of Trenton?

It was the Continental Army's first major victory.

Who was a central figure in the French and Indian War, and why were they so important?

James Wolfe was Britain's most celebrated military hero of the 18th century. His victory over the French at Quebec in 1759 resulted in the unification of Canada and the American colonies under the British crown.

How did American Indians in the Great Lakes area respond to the British defeat of the French?

Many groups formed an alliance and attacked the British.

What was the key economic theory of the British Empire during the 18th century? How did it work?

Mercantilism was the idea that the government should regulate the economy in order to increase national power.

The creation of a Continental Army was to support what?

New England's struggle against the British troops

Describe what important decisions were made by the colonists in 1776

On July 4, 1776, the Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, which for the first time asserted the colonies' intention to be fully independent of the mother country. The Congress established itself as the central governing authority under the Articles of Confederation, which remained in force until 1788.

Describe the methods the colonists use to protest British taxes

One of them was intellectual argument, where the colonists argued that government is a social contract, and they advocated natural rights including life, liberty, and property. Another was the economic argument, where they argued that daughters of liberty wore homespun clothing only, and that non-importation agreements called for boycott of goods from Britain. The final one was violent argument, where the colonists tarred and feathered tax collectors, and mobs would destroy the governor's home and assault the royal officials.

The colonists used John Locke's idea that a "social contract" exists between a government and its citizens to justify what?

Protesting the British government's tax policies

The Townshend Acts were passed in 1767 in order to do what?

Raise revenue after the repeal of the Stamp Act.

Which of the following factors contributed to the Patriots' success in winning the Revolutionary War?

Some British actions, such as hiring Hessian soldiers, cost them support among the colonists.

What was done in order to maintain peace with the British after the Americans won their Independence by militarily defeating the British?

The 1783 Treaty of Paris was signed by U.S. and British Representatives, ending the War of the American Revolution. Based on a 1782 preliminary treaty, the agreement recognized U.S. independence and granted the U.S. significant western territory.

The British Parliament passed the Coercive Acts in response to what?

The Boston Tea Party

How did the colonists' views of political representation and rights differ from those of the British government?

The British government defended Parliamentary Sovereignty because it gave them supreme authority over the colonies. Parliament and American colonists differed in belief in representation due to belief that Parliament represented political interest of everyone who lived under the British Empire.

Analyze the causes and effects of Pontiac's Rebellion

The British refused to give supplies to the Native Americans after they replaced the French. They started settling in Native American land and treated them harshly. Many were killed and smallpox broke out among the Natives.

July 4th, 1776 was the date that when what happened?

The Declaration of Independence was approved

Describe the causes and major events of the French and Indian War

The French and Indian War began over the specific issue of whether the upper Ohio River Valley was a part of the British Empire, and therefore open for trade and settlement by Virginians and Pennsylvanians, or part of the French Empire.

Describe the Loyalists view of the Patriots

The Loyalists were colonists of the American revolutionary period who supported, and stayed loyal, to the British monarchy. Patriots were colonists who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution.

What was the significance of the Battle of Bunker Hill?

The Patriots showed they could fight British troops on their own terms.

How did the ideas of the Enlightenment influence Colonial protests against British taxes?

The Revolutionary War was partly caused by the Enlightenment. People started getting the idea that the King didn't have the right to rule, and the colonists were getting frustrated with the taxes. Some of the ideas in the Declaration of Independence also originated from the Enlightenment.

Why did the British feel justified in passing the sugar and Stamp Acts, and why did colonists feel justified in objecting to these laws?

The Stamp Act of 1765 was a tax to help the British pay for the French and Indian War. The British felt they were well justified in charging this tax because the colonies were receiving the benefit of the British troops and needed to help pay for the expense. The colonists didn't feel the same.

What was the purpose of the Townshend Acts, and how did the colonists respond?

The Townshend Acts would use the revenue raised by the duties to pay the salaries of colonial governors and judges, ensuring the loyalty of America's governmental officials to the British Crown. However, these policies prompted colonies to take action by boycotting British goods.

What ended the Seven Years War, and how did that end the war?

The Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the war, making France give up all its territories in mainland North America, effectively ending all foreign military threat to the British colonies there.

On which issue did many Patriots and Loyalists agree?

The new taxes levied on the colonists were unjust

What was the First Continental Congress, and what did it accomplish?

The primary accomplishment of the First Continental Congress was a compact among the colonies to boycott British goods beginning on December 1st 1774 unless Parliament rescinds the Coercive Acts.

What three tactics did colonists use to protest British taxes

The three strategies that the colonists used to protest British taxes are intellectual protest, economic boycotts, and violent intimidation.

What did classical liberals believe?

They believed that the government's main task was to protect citizens' natural rights.

Describe the colonists political heritage

They cherished their rights as Englishmen such as the due process of law, freedom of the press, trial by jury, and protection from foreign attack. They were quite democratic. Most colonies had elected assemblies. These charters outlined individual rights. Colonial assemblies controlled royal governors by withholding their salaries if displeased. Most males could vote for their assemblies, but none could vote for members of Parliament.

What were some reasons loyalists oppose the Patriots cause?

They didn't like the taxes, oaths of allegiance, or militia drafts that were demanded by the patriots to support the war. They opposed it because they felt that resistance could lead to a deadly war that Britain would win anyway.

What was the greatest advantage the French had over the British in the late seventeenth century in North America?

They had support from most American Indian groups.

Where did the majority of the French colonists live? Where were they beginning to explore?

They mostly lived near the St. Lawrence River Valley and were moving into the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys.

What did Britain receive for its victory in the Seven Years War?

They received Canada, Florida, and that's it.

How did the British respond to Pontiac's Rebellion?

They responded with the Proclamation Line of 1763, which forbid westward settlement of the Appalachian Mountains and reserved it for the Indians.

Why were the American colonists angry over the British proclamation? Did they listen to the British?

They were angry because they had just finished fighting a war to let them into that territory, and they did not listen to the British and began to settle there against British will.

The main objection the colonists had to British taxation was what?

They were not represented in the British Parliament

How successful were the early British colonial attacks on the French?

They were not too successful since George Washington had to abandon Ft. Necessity in 1755 after he had lost 1/3 of his men, and failed to attack Ft. Duquesne, killing General Braddock and 2/3 of his forces.

What made the Coercive Acts intolerable to the colonists?

They were punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party. The laws were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their defiance in the Tea Party protest in reaction to changes in taxation by the British government.

Who were the real losers in the war? Why?

They were the Native Americans, since they were stuck with the harsh rule of the British, and the open threat that their land could get stolen.

Explain the colonists reaction to new taxes

They weren't represented in Parliament, so they objected to "Taxation without representation." The ones who opposed British taxes called themselves Patriots. Protest were organized by associations known as the Son of Liberty.

How were the battles of Lexington and Concord a turning point in the relations between the colonies and Britain?

This battle marked a significant turning point because open military conflict had made reconciliation between Britain and the colonies all the more unlikely.

What did Republicanism initially mean? How did its meaning change in the colonies?

This initially meant supporting a government without a king. This changed after they believed property-owning citizens had "virtue."

Why is American colonists getting angry at Britain foreshadowing for the American Revolution?

This is because the colonists are starting to ignore the laws in place by the British Parliament.

What was the first clash between the French and British?

This took place in 1754 where Gorge Washington

Why were colonies an excellent way to pursue mercantilism?

This was because they both produced raw materials and bought back finished goods made from those raw materials.

Why were the French interested in forming alliances with the Native Americans living in these newly explored regions?

This was because they wanted to dominate the fur and deerskin trades, which had proved problematic.

What was the Expulsion?

This was the kicking out, and killing of, the 11,000 French Acadians (the survivors became Cajuns) after the British had taken control of Nova Scotia.

The greatest shift in colonial opinion towards independence and a republican government came after the publication of a book by who?

Thomas Paine

Assess why Congress declared independence and the ideas underlying the Declaration of Independence

Thomas Paine wrote a book (Common Sense) in favor of independence, and he proposed a radical course of action for the colonies: independence from Britain, republican state governments, and a union of the new states. Congress selected a committee to draft a document declaring American independence and explaining the reason for it, they voted to be free and approved the Declaration of Independence.

What was the main reason that the French built Fort Duquesne?

To keep the British away from the Ohio River valley

What were the two most profitable trade goods during this time? What did they both rely on?

Tobacco and sugar, both of them relied on slave labor.

What effect did the outcome of the Revolutionary War have on American Indians?

Treaties between Patriots and American Indians following the war resulted in loss of land for many groups of Indians.