Questions and Answers
What was the Stamp Act?
A law that taxed printed goods, including playing cards, documents, and newspapers.
What was the purpose of the Stamp Act Congress?
To protest the Stamp Act and adopt a declaration of rights.
What did the Declaration of Rights and Grievances declare?
That taxes imposed without formal consent were unconstitutional.
What is the Declaratory Act?
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What were the Townshend Acts?
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What does 'taxation without representation' mean?
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British responded to colonists' rage from Townshend Acts by staging ________ redcoats in Boston.
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What happened during the Boston Massacre?
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Rhode Islanders attacked a _____________________________ following the Boston Massacre.
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What were the Committees of Correspondence?
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What was the Tea Act?
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What were the Intolerable Acts?
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What was the Boston Tea Party?
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What was the First Continental Congress?
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What significant event is associated with Lexington and Concord?
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Who ordered troops to go to Concord?
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The Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress is also known as the _____________________________.
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Who rode to warn of the approaching redcoats?
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What are Minutemen?
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What were the consequences when king's troops reached Lexington?
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The British marched to Concord to only find empty ______________.
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When the British began to return to Boston, the minutemen ______________ the British.
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Study Notes
Stamp Act and Colonial Response
- The Stamp Act (1765) imposed a tax on printed goods such as playing cards, documents, and newspapers.
- The Stamp Act Congress formed to protest the Act, showcasing colonial unity, and adopted a declaration of rights.
- The Declaration of Rights and Grievances (Oct 14, 1765) asserted that taxes imposed without consent were unconstitutional and affirmed colonists' rights, including trial by jury.
Legislative Developments
- The Declaratory Act (1766) established that Parliament had authority to legislate and tax the colonies "in all cases whatsoever," following the repeal of the Stamp Act.
- The Townshend Acts (1767) introduced taxes on leads, glass, paint, and tea, escalating tensions with the colonies.
Revolutionary Sentiment
- The phrase "taxation without representation" encapsulated colonial frustration over being taxed without the ability to vote in Parliament.
- Approximately 2000 British soldiers were stationed in Boston as a response to colonial protests.
Boston Massacre and Its Aftermath
- The Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770) involved a confrontation between colonists and British soldiers, resulting in five colonist deaths and heightened anti-British sentiments.
- Following the incident, political tensions temporarily eased until a subsequent confrontation involving a British customs ship.
Organized Resistance
- Committees of Correspondence were established as a response to King George III's attempts to try colonists in England, fostering communication among the colonies.
- The Tea Act (1773) permitted the British East India Company to sell tea directly to colonies, inciting anger among colonial merchants and accusations of rights violations.
Intolerable Acts
- The Intolerable Acts (1774) responded to the Boston Tea Party, enforcing harsh measures such as closing Boston Harbor and allowing soldiers to quarter in private homes, leading to martial law.
Key Events Leading to War
- The Boston Tea Party (1773) saw colonists protest by dumping tea into the harbor, escalating tensions further.
- The First Continental Congress convened to address grievances with Britain and discuss prospects for independence.
Outbreak of Hostilities
- The battles of Lexington and Concord (1775) marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War, famously described as "the shot heard round the world."
- General Gage dispatched troops to Concord, where Paul Revere and others alerted colonial leaders of the approaching redcoats.
Militia and Skirmishes
- Minutemen were members of local militias ready to fight on short notice, crucial during the early skirmishes of the war.
- At Lexington, British troops initially ordered minutemen to disperse, resulting in eight killed and ten wounded.
Aftermath of Concord
- The British advance to Concord found their intended arsenal empty, leading to a tactical shift.
- The retreating British faced fierce resistance from minutemen, who engaged them effectively.
Key Figures
- John Adams was a prominent advocate for colonial rights and independence during this tumultuous period.
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