Discontent in the British Colonies

Discontent in the British Colonies

• The Act of Union joined Scotland and Wales to England.
• In the early 18th century, Englishmen, Scotsmen, Welshmen, and Americans sailed under the British flag.
• Britain aimed to recoup costs from the Seven Years' War by taxing colonists.
• The Sugar Act imposed extra taxes on sugar and molasses unless imported from Britain.
• The Stamp Act taxed newspapers, pamphlets, dice, cards, and legal documents.
• Colonists were required to quarter British troops (provide lodging and food).
• General Assemblies were meetings of colony leaders.
• Patrick Henry opposed the British acts.
• Henry's primary argument was that colonists lacked representation in Parliament.
• King George III repealed some acts but maintained the tea tax.
• The Boston Massacre involved British soldiers firing on a crowd, killing colonists.
• The Boston Tea Party involved colonists dumping tea into Boston Harbor.
• The Continental Congress sought removal of British troops, reopening of the port, and repeal of taxes.
• Patrick Henry famously declared, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
• Minutemen were ready-to-fight colonists.
• On April 18, 1775, British troops marched to Concord to seize weapons.
• Paul Revere and William Dawes warned colonists of the British advance.
• The battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the war.
• The Second Continental Congress appointed George Washington commander of the Continental Army.
• The Battle of Bunker Hill occurred on June 17, 1775.
• Thomas Paine, in "Common Sense," advocated for complete separation from England.
• Rhode Island was the first colony to declare independence (May 1776).
• The Continental Congress drafted the Declaration of Independence.
• Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration.
• Britain responded to American independence with an attack using 30,000 men.
• Washington's army crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night, 1776.
• France, the Netherlands, and Spain joined the American cause in 1778.
• The British were cornered at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781.
• The British surrendered to Americans in 1781, playing "The World Turned Upside Down."
• Britain recognized American independence in 1783.

The American Constitution

• Thirteen American colonies became states.
• A constitution establishes a country's governing rules.
• States disagreed on issues like river use, money types, foreign treaties, navies, and debt repayment.
• Colonists feared a repeating of British rule in a federal government.
• The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia.
• The delegates created a government divided into two houses (Senate and House of Representatives).
• The two houses together constituted Congress.
• Congress creates laws, declares war, and negotiates treaties.
• Congress's laws are subject to presidential veto.
• The President belongs to the executive branch.
• The judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court.
• The Constitution outlines the governance rules.
• Nine states needed to ratify the Constitution.
• The Bill of Rights listed unchallengeable citizen protections.
• Freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and bearing arms are examples of Bill of Rights protections.

Explore the growing discontent in the British colonies that led to revolutionary sentiments. This quiz covers key events, acts, and figures such as the Stamp Act, Boston Massacre, and Patrick Henry's arguments against British taxation. Test your knowledge on how these developments shaped the American Revolution.