History

What did the Townshend Acts tax?

The Townshend Acts places taxes on imported lead, glass, paper, and tea.

What events led to the fighting at Lexington?

The colonial militias had stored weapons in order to prepare for war. The British soldiers attempted to seize these munitions. This led to the famous ride of Paul Revers, who rode to warn the countryside along with William Dawes and Samuel Prescott. Prescott is the only one who made it all the way to Concord. The colonists his the weapons.

What would the Loyalists say about British taxation on the colonies?

They supported Great Britain and wanted to remain a part of the British Empire. They thought the benefits for outweighed the disadvantages. Many colonists had close ties to England and thought is was wrong to revolt. The Sons of Liberty and other Patriots persecuted many of these loyalists.

What would the Patriots say about British taxation on the colonies?

They supported the colonies and wanted to break away from the British Empire. They though they shouldn't have to pay taxes because they are used to being independent. The colonies also did not have representation themselves and take away any type of independence the colonies had.

Social Contract

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.

Identify the Intolerable Acts and what they did.

1. Closed down Boston Harbor- Economic impact 2. Removed Massachusetts's charter- Government impact 3. Trials of Colonial Officials moved to England- Judicial impact 4. Colonists must quarter (give shelter and food) to soldiers- impact on personal property

What was the early result of the Revolutionary War at Dorchester Heights?

Although the colonists had lost control of Boston, Henry Knox transported the cannons from Fort Ticonderoga during the winter of 1775-1776. In March 1776, Washington used these cannons on Dorchester Heights to take back Boston from the British. The colonists had succeeded in retaking Boston.

Why did the Boston Massacre occur?

An argument early in the day between a soldier and a colonist got worse after the soldier struck the colonist. A crowd started to gather and soon there were 300-400 protesting colonists. Some colonists began to throw snowballs at the soldiers and one soldier fired his gun after he slipped and fell. The other soldiers fired into the crowd and five colonists were killed. This occurred on March 5, 1770.

What was the early result of the Revolutionary War at Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill?

At the Battle of Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill, the colonists pushed back two British assaults, but they eventually ran out of supplies. The British won the battle, but they had lost many men in the process (1,000 British compared to 400 for the colonists). The colonists had done well defending the hill but they did not have enough supplies to last.

What last ditch effort at a peaceful solution did they make?

At the same time, the 2nd Continental Congress did not break away from Britain. They drafted the "Olive Branch Petition," which was a request to peace to King George lll. By the time it arrived, the fighting had gone on too long and the petition was rejected.

Why would the British tax these specific goods?

Because many of these goods were manufactured goods, they had to be imported from Britain. The British Government would therefore get more taxes on these kinds of goods.

How did the colonists react to the Sugar Act?

Colonists started to boycott British goods and formed the Committees of Correspondence to communicate with one another. Also smuggling continues although the British tried to eliminate it. This led to the British eventually repealing the Sugar Act.

Did the Loyalists see the taxes as fair or unfair?

Fair

What was the early result of the Revolutionary War at Fort Ticonderoga?

In May, Colonel Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen and his "Green Mountain Boys" led a joint mission to capture the British Fort Ticonderoga located in northern New York. They captured the fort without killing anyone, and they seized the British supplies, including cannons.

How did the colonists react to the Stamp Act?

In addition to boycotts, the Sons of Liberty were formed in cities like Boston and New York.

Writs of Assistance

It was part of the Townshend Acts. It said that the customs officers could inspect a ship's cargo without giving a reason. Colonists protested that the Writs violated their rights as British citizens.

Why did Thomas Paine's Common Sense have such a tremendous influence in the colonies?

It was written simply so that almost all the colonists could read it and understand it.

What was the message of Common Sense?

It made the case for Revolution and Independence from Britain. He argued against monarchies and argued for governments run by people, which was a new idea at the time. Many colonists would not imagine life without a king, but Paine made this idea become more realistic and possible to British colonies.

What was the immediate impact of the Declaration if Independence?

It means that the colonies were official in rebellion versus Great Britain and it also created the United States of America. It also meant that colonists needed to join sides: Whether they would be Patriots or Loyalists. Over 50,000 of loyalists fled the United States during the years of the Revolution.

Natural Rights

Rights that everyone should have, such as "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

Why were the Townshend Acts enormously unpopular?

The British tax collectors and soldiers used "writs of assistance" to search for smuggled goods.

How did ideas from the Enlightenment influence the writing of the Declaration of independence?

The Declaration was based upon the ideas of a "Social Contract" - That the government and the people it governs had an agreement to work for the benefit of both. If the government was acting corrupt, then the people has the right to revolt because their "Natural Rights" were being violated.

Explain the importance of the First Continental Congress.

The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies on September 1774. (Georgia was absent because they were considered a "convict colony" and were very far away from the others.

Explain how some Patriots used "propaganda" following the Boston Massacre?

The Patriots began to call this incident the "Boston Massacre." They blamed the soldiers for shooting into the crowd. They used propaganda to use this incident as an example of terrible British actions, so that more people would join the protest against the British.

How did the consequence of the French & Indian War start the colonies on the path towards Revolution?

The Proclamation of 1763 made many colonists angry, because they could not settle in the territory that they had just "won" during the French & Indian War. Many colonists ignored this ruling and this started the trend of not listening to British law or paying British taxes. The French & Indian War also put the British Government in debt, almost doubling from 72 million pounds to 132 million pounds. In order to pay off this debt, and pay for the soldiers stationed in the colonists, the British Parliament began to tax the colonies.

Explain the different methods used by the Sons of Liberty to protest the British taxes.

The Sons of Liberty were a more radical group of Patriots who used violence acts such as vandalizing homes, tarring and feathering, and destruction of property in addition to organizing boycotts.

What was the Stamp Act?

The Stamp Act (1765) placed a tax on most paper products such as newspaper, legal documents, playing cards, etc.

Who did the Stamp Act affect?

The Stamp Act affected almost all of the colonists, who were angry about having to pay taxes on everyday goods.

What was the Sugar Act?

The Sugar Act (1764) put a tax on imported sugar.

How did the British respond to continued colonial protests over the Townshend Acts?

The colonists boycotted and formed the "Daughters of Liberty," while the Sons of Liberty continued to protest and vandalize homes. Rather than repealing the Townshend Acts right away, the British sent more troops to the colonists in order to collect the taxes and stop smuggling.

What events led to the fighting at Concord?

The colonists met the British Regulars at Lexington and Concord, where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired. Nobody knows who fired the "Shot Heard Round the World." The colonists were easily defeated at Lexington, but they did harass the British all the way back to Boston during the Battle of Concord.

Explain the reasons behind the Boston Tea Party and describe the events of the night.

The colonists were angry over the Tea Tax, and the fact that the British East India Company would have a monopoly over tea, which would hurt colonial merchants and traders. This made the colonists fear that the British would slowly take over and the colonists would lose any type of independence. The Tea Party was an organized destruction of 324 chests of tea in the Boston Harbor. Some colonists dressed as Indians to disguise themselves.

Describe the British reaction to the "Declaration of Resolves."

The delegates debated on what their reaction to the British taxes should be. They decided to continue the boycotts but also publish the "Declaration of Resolves," an attempt to fix things with England and come to peace. This was rejected by the British King George lll.

How did the second Continental Congress prepare for war?

They organized the Continental Army and places George Washington in charge. This Continental Army defined the colonies against the British soldiers.

What happened to the soldiers involved in the "massacre"?

The soldiers ended up being tried, and only 2 of them were convicted on a lower change of "manslaughter." They were defended by future President John Adams.

Why were they named the "Intolerable" acts?

These acts were nicknamed the "Intolerable" acts because they were so harsh on the colonists. They served as a warning to the colonies not to mess with Britain, but all it did was anger the colonies even more and lead towards the First Continental Congress.

That was the result of the British actions towards the colonists boycotting the Townshend Acts?

This led to increased tensions between colonists and British soldiers, which led up to the Boston Massacre.

Who did the Sugar Act mainly impact?

This mainly affected wealthy merchants and traders because they were the ones who paid the tax.

Did the Patriots see the taxes as fair or unfair?

Unfair

What is propaganda?

When you deliberately misuse facts in order to convince people of a certain perspective.

What groups were ignored or not considered in the Declaration of Independence?

Women were not given rights, and the Declaration of Independence did not address them. at this time, women were not granted the same rights as men. The original writing of the Declaration of Independence included a part that criticized slavery. This was removed after southern delegates protested. Slavery was legal in all the colonies, and it remained hypocritical that the USA promotes liberty and freedom from oppression, while enslaving a large percent of their population.

Committees of Correspondence

• Committees of Correspondence, organized by patriot leader Samuel Adams, was a system of communication between patriot leaders in New England and throughout the colonies. They provided the organization necessary to unite the colonies in opposition to Parliament. The committees sent delegates to the First Continental Congress.