The Road to Independence & Declaration Quiz

Chapter 5 & 6: The Road to Independence and the Declaration

• British debt increased after the French and Indian War, leading to taxes on colonists (Stamp Act, Townshend Acts).
• Colonist resistance sparked, including the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party.
• Subsequent Intolerable Acts fueled anger, leading to the First and Second Continental Congresses.
• Lexington and Concord marked the start of open conflict.
• The Declaration of Independence declared the colonies' right to self-governance.
• It justified rebellion based on natural rights and consent of the governed.
• Republicanism was a political philosophy supporting civic virtue and opposing monarchy.
• It promoted liberty for free men, but excluded enslaved people, women and Native Americans.
• The new nation faced internal challenges like a weak central government under the Articles of Confederation, economic instability and lack of national unity.
• External threats and Native American conflicts posed further challenges.

Chapter 7: The Constitution and Its Formation

• Economic instability and the Articles of Confederation's failure led to calls for stronger central government.
• Delegates including Washington, Madison, Hamilton and Franklin attended a Constitutional Convention.
• The Constitution established three branches: Legislative (Congress), Executive (President), and Judicial (Supreme Court).
• Checks and balances and slavery compromises were integral parts of the Constitution's formation.
• The Bill of Rights (first ten amendments) protected individual liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial.

Chapter 8: Early Republic Policies

• Washington's foreign policy focused on U.S. neutrality in European conflicts, as reflected in the Neutrality Proclamation.
• Washington's domestic policy prioritized financial stability through Hamilton's programs (including a national bank).
• Hamilton's treasury policies aimed to consolidate national economic standing and promote manufacturing.
• John Adams's presidency involved managing tensions with France (XYZ Affair).
• Internal conflict over national versus state power emerged through differing views of the role of government (Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans).
• These divisions marked the rise of first political parties in the U.S.

Chapter 9: The Early 19th Century

• Monroe Doctrine (1823) warned European powers against interfering in the Americas.
• The Era of Good Feelings represented a period of political unity.
• Internal tensions over slavery grew with the Missouri Compromise and the debate over expanding slavery into new Western territories.
• The market revolution, fueled by innovations like the cotton gin and steam engines, drastically transformed the economy and created demand for enslaved labor.
• Cultural shifts included changes in women's roles, the rise of abolitionism, and evolving conditions for free blacks and the working class.

Chapter 10: Jacksonian America

• Jackson's domestic policies focused on the Spoils System and forced Native American removal (Trail of Tears).
• Political changes included expansion of suffrage for white men.
• The rise of the Whig and Democrat parties marked significant political evolution in the U.S..

Chapter 11: Slavery

• The economic dependence of the South on enslaved labor fueled moral and political debates.
• Resistance movements like the Underground Railroad and slave revolts challenged the system.

Chapter 12: Antebellum Reform Movements

• Movements like abolitionism, women's rights, temperance, and prison reform gained significant focus.
• Leaders like Frederick Douglass and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were key figures in these initiatives.

Chapter 13: Road to the Civil War

• Texas's independence and annexation led to conflict with Mexico (Mexican-American War).
• Territorial expansion, particularly the California Gold Rush, intensified debates over slavery.
• The Compromise of 1850 attempted to address the issue but failed to prevent further conflict.
• The Dred Scott decision further polarized the nation on slavery.
• Lincoln's election in 1860 triggered Southern secession, leading to the Civil War.

Test your knowledge on Chapter 5 and 6, which cover the American colonies' journey to independence. Explore significant events such as the Boston Massacre, the Declaration of Independence, and the political philosophies that shaped the new nation. Understand the internal and external challenges faced once independence was declared.