40 Questions
What was the outcome of the situation of need and greed for the colonists?
They started engaging in smuggling activities.
Where did most customs appointees live?
In England
What were the 'writs of assistance'?
General search warrants
When did the writs of assistance set to expire?
On April 25, 1761
What happened to the writs of assistance when the king died?
They were renewed
Who challenged the legality of issuing new writs?
A group of 63 colonial merchants
Where did the trial against the writs take place?
In Boston
What was the main issue with the writs of assistance?
They put the holders above the law
What was the primary reason for the War of American Independence?
To gain independence from colonial rule
Who emphasized the decolonization aspect of the War of American Independence in a speech?
President Barack Obama
What commodity increase in price served as a tipping-point for the American Revolution?
Both sugar and tea
What was the primary purpose of the Molasses Act of 1733?
To prevent trade with the French sugar islands
What was the essential element in the economies of the colonists?
Molasses
Why could the British West Indies not produce enough molasses for the colonists?
They were unable to meet the demand
What was the duty imposed on molasses purchased from outside Britain's island economies?
Six pence
What was the relationship between the United States and Britain after the American Revolution?
Estranged and distant
What was the name of the commercial enterprise established by Beaumarchais in 1776?
Roderigue Hortalez and Company
How much money did the French and Spanish crowns each contribute to Beaumarchais's company?
1 million livres
What was the main source of the Continental Army's gunpowder in the first years of the War of Independence?
Beaumarchais's company
When were the two treaties between France and the United States signed?
February 6, 1778
What was the main purpose of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce?
To establish trade agreements
What was the second condition of the second treaty?
That neither country would conclude a truce or peace without the other's consent
What was the name of the Frenchman who played a significant role in the American Revolution?
The Marquis de Lafayette
Where did the Marquis de Lafayette meet the Duke of Gloucester in 1776?
At Metz
What territories did France regain as a result of the American War of Independence?
Senegal and Tobago
Who wrote a defense of the French Revolution in response to Edmund Burke's criticism?
Thomas Paine
What was the title of Thomas Paine's book that defended the French Revolution?
The Rights of Man
What was Edmund Burke's criticism of the French Revolution?
It threatened tradition and heredity
What was the price Spain paid to join France and declare war on Great Britain?
A promise to help her recover Gibraltar and Minorca
Who wrote a famous criticism of the nobility, which inspired American rebels?
Beaumarchais
What was the title of Edmund Burke's book that criticized the French Revolution?
Reflections on the French Revolution
Who was the target of Thomas Paine's criticism in his book The Rights of Man?
Edmund Burke
What was the result of the treaty of cession between France and the United States in 1803?
The United States more than doubled its territory
How much did the United States pay for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803?
60 million francs or circa $11.5 million
What was the goal of the transcontinental journey entrusted to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark?
To find a good route to the Pacific Ocean
What was the impact of the Napoleonic Wars on the relationship between Great Britain and the United States?
It added confusion to the relationship
Why did the British frigate, the Leopold, open fire on the American frigate, the Chesapeake, in 1807?
The Chesapeake was suspected of harboring British naval deserters
What was the significance of the American neutral flag during the Napoleonic Wars?
It served French interests as the United States was a refuge for French maritime commerce
What was the impact of the cultural ties between the United States and Great Britain during the Napoleonic Wars?
It induced most Americans to take sides with the British
What was the outcome of the Louisiana Purchase in terms of French territorial holds on North America?
The French were eliminated from further territorial holds on North America
Study Notes
The American War of Independence
- The War of American Independence was a war of decolonization, a fact emphasized by President Barack Obama in his Cairo speech of June 4, 2009
- The war was sparked by an increase in the price of commodities, particularly sugar (molasses) and tea, which led to resentment towards the British
The Molasses Act of 1733
- The British imposed a duty of six pence on molasses purchased from outside Britain's island economies
- This duty was set prohibitively high to prevent trade with the French sugar islands
- As a result, colonists engaged in smuggling, which was faced with little opposition due to poorly paid colonial deputies who could be bribed
Writs of Assistance
- The British cracked down on smuggling through the enforcement of writs of assistance, which were general search warrants
- Writs of assistance were semi-permanent, limitless in their duration, and could be assigned to others
- Searchers operating under writs of assistance were above the law, unaccountable, and could search anywhere without specifying what was suspected
The Trial of 1761
- In response to the death of King George II, 63 colonial merchants in Massachusetts, represented by James Otis Jr., challenged the legality of issuing new writs of assistance
- The trial took place on February 24, 1761, in the Superior Court of Massachusetts
French-American Relations
- In 1776, the French established a commercial enterprise, Roderigue Hortalez and Company, which secretly funded the American Revolution
- France recognized the United States and offered trade concessions through the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1778
- The French also guaranteed the United States' possessions in America and bound themselves to seek neither Canada nor other British possessions on the mainland of North America
The Marquis de Lafayette and French Support
- The Marquis de Lafayette played a key role in the American War of Independence
- The French provided significant financial and military aid to the American rebels, including muskets, cannons, gunpowder, and other supplies
The French Revolution and American Admiration
- The French Revolution broke out in 1789, and American rebels felt intellectual admiration for the French
- Thomas Paine wrote a defense of the French Revolution, "The Rights of Man," in 1791-1792, in response to Edmund Burke's challenge to the revolution's legitimacy
Explore the War of American Independence as a war of decolonization, with a focus on President Obama's Cairo speech and the ideals of the republic.
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