Module 3 Notes PDF

3.1 KEY CONCEPTS What problems did the Seven Years War/French & Indian War cause for Great Britain? The biggest problem for England was the debt, Britain's debt jumped from the troops. The colonists didnt belive they should pay for the aftermath of the war or troops. **Sign...

3.1 KEY CONCEPTS What problems did the Seven Years War/French & Indian War cause for Great Britain? The biggest problem for England was the debt, Britain's debt jumped from the troops. The colonists didnt belive they should pay for the aftermath of the war or troops. **Significance: The economic consequences of the war were to shape the future of the colonies and bring about the birth of the United States. What were the fundamental beliefs of the Real Whigs? What were the Real Whigs’ warnings? Beliefs: Powerful government was dangerous, Governments headed by monarchs were dangerous, and standing armies were dangerous. Warnings: a corrupt government might destroy adequate representation, a corrupt government might impose unjust taxes, or replace jury rials with arbitrary proceedings What was the significance of the Stamp Act? It was the first internal direct tax on the colonies From the colonists’ perspective, what were the problems with the Stamp Act? Revenue measure of a broad scope, stamps had to be paid for in sterling(british currency rather than colonial currency), violators could be tried in vice-admiralty courts(british courts), and colonial tradition of self imposed taxation. What was the significance of Parliament’s Declaratory Act? Tax and pass laws “in all cases whatsoever” TERMS: Virtual Representation: where the colonist would elect representatives to look out for their specific interests Actual Representation: representatives were elected by a broader group but still seen as representing everyone's interests. Salutary Neglect: the British policy of letting the colonies ignore most of the British Laws  Sugar Act: parliament passed new taxes on imports on sugar, wine, coffee, and other commodities(increased taxes). Intended to raise money for Britain. Currency Act: made it illegal for the colonies to issue paper money. Had to pay in Gold or Silver instead. Stamp Act: It was the first internal direct tax on the colonies Vice-Admiralty Courts: ​courts without a jury in the colonies which were granted local jurisdiction Stamp Act Congress: A meeting of delegations from many of the colonies Declaration of Rights and Grievances: (a document written by the Stamp Act Congress) It declared that taxes imposed on British colonists without their formal consent were unconstitutional. Declaratory Act: asserted parliament's rights to tax and pass laws for england's American colonies in all cases. PEOPLE: King George III: Helped solve the issue of debt from the 7 years war. Known as immature and a bad judge of character. King during the American Revolution. Prime Minister George Grenville: Also helped solve the debt issue. He believed that the American colonies should be more tightly controlled by the British government. Real Whigs: Believed it was the duty of ordinary people to be alert and careful  James Otis, Jr., The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved: One of the first people to take a stand against British laws imposed on the colonists. “Taxation without representation is tyranny” Patrick Henry: known for “Give me liberty or give me death”. Also offered a number of proposals to the Virginia House of Burgesses. He was not looking for independence and wanted the same rights as the English. Sons of Liberty: (An intercolonial association) created to control the mods or lower class so they wouldn't get out of hand. Lord Rockingham: Led the Rockingham Whigs. He repealed the Stamp Act and modified the Sugar Act. EVENTS: Virginia House of Burgesses’ action against the Stamp Act: After news of the successful passage of the Stamp Act reached the colonies, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed resolutions denying the British Parliament's authority to tax the colonies. 3.2 KEY CONCEPTS: How did the Townshend Duties differ from the Navigation Acts? They were levied on items imported into the colonies from Great Britain (instead of foreign countries) & they were designed to raise money to pay the salaries of royal officials in the colonies What were the provisions of the Coercive Acts (aka: Intolerable Acts)? TERMS: Committees of Correspondence: (created by Samuel Adams) a network of communication among the colonies to spread the resistance movement)  East India Company Coercive Acts (aka: Intolerable Acts) leaders in Parliament responded with a set of four measures designed to punish Massachusetts, commonly known at the Coercive Acts Boston Port Act shut down Boston Harbor until the East India Company was repaid. Administration of Justice Act allowed the royal governor to unilaterally move any trial of a crown officer out of Massachusetts, a change designed to prevent hostile Massachusetts juries from deciding these cases. Massachusetts Government Act placed the colonial government under the direct control of crown officials and made traditional town meetings subject to the governor’s approval. Quebec Act ** RENAMED TO THE INTOLERABLE ACT*** expanded the boundaries of Quebec westward and extended religious tolerance to Roman Catholics in the province. Quartering Act encompassed all the colonies and allowed British troops to be housed in occupied buildings. PEOPLE: Charles Townshend/Townshend Duties: Chancellor of the Exchequer Taxes on glass, paper and tea. Lord North: (New prime minister) convinced parliament that charging colonists duties on goods that came from England was a really bad policy. He believed the Townshend duties should be repealed. Samuel Adams: Part of the Boston Tea Party EVENTS: Building on the protest Daughters of Liberty and women’s protests against the Townshend Duties: of the 1765 Stamp Act by the Daughters of Liberty, the non-importation movement of 1767–1768 mobilized women as political actors. (supported and promoted the boycott of British goods. Women resumed spinning bees and again found substitutes for British tea and other goods. Many colonial merchants signed non-importation agreements, and the Daughters of Liberty urged colonial women to shop only with those merchants) Boston Massacre: a crowd of Bostonians from many walks of life started throwing snowballs, rocks, and sticks at the British soldiers guarding the customs house. In the resulting scuffle, some soldiers, goaded by the mob who hectored the soldiers as “lobster backs” (the reference to lobster equated the soldiers with bottom feeders, i.e., aquatic animals that feed on the lowest organisms in the food chain), fired into the crowd, killing five people. Boston Tea Party: intended to save the British East India from bankruptcy. The ship (Dartmouth) had to be unloaded and the taxes had to be paid within 24 hours or else the government would confiscate the tea. 3.3 KEY CONCEPTS: What tasks did the delegates to the Continental Congress face as they gathered in Philadelphia beginning in September 1774? 1) Define their grievances against Great Britain 2) Develop a plan for resistance 3) make military preparations for a possible attack against Boston 4) Decide what their relationship with England would be What were Congress’ two primary accomplishments? 1) Drafted the Articles of Association (served as an agreement to boycott british goods) 2) Establish 2nd continental congress & set meeting ** Goal: change British policy & preserve relationship with Britain Why was what happened at Lexington in April 1775 significant? “The shot heard around the world” was the start of the American Revolution. The American colonists were beginning a struggle. What was the significance of the American Prohibitory Act? Essentially declared war on King Geroge III colonies. How did Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense lay the groundwork for the American Revolution? Suggested the colonists should establish a republic, a government of the people, by the people and for the people. ** It was an important pamphlet because it opened public debate over the issue of independence and moved the American colonists more towards independence. TERMS: Articles of Association Olive Branch Petition: drafted to give King George III and Parliament a choice. End armed resistance if they king would withdraw the troops and get rid of the intolerable acts. American Prohibitory Act: Declaration of Independence: drafted by Thomas Jerfferson. PEOPLE: General Thomas Gage: sent his troops (the Grenadiers) to capture military supplies in Concord Paul Revere: rode from Massachusetts to Philadelphia with the Suffolk Resolves, which became the basis of the Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress George Washington/Continental Army: commander of Continental Army King George III: blamed for the slave trade in the Declaration which was later removed before signing Thomas Paine/Common Sense: Opened debate over independence. Richard Henry Lee: introduced a resolution to the second continental congress that said “these colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states” (vote for independence) Thomas Jefferson: part of the 5 committee people and had the primary responsibility to draft the document. Their charge was to draft a document that stated the reason why the colonists would declare independence. John Adams (July 2): part of the 5 committee people Abigail Adams (advocate for women’s rights): wanted John Adams to include womans rights into the Declaration but he did not add them John Hancock: First to sign the sheet of parchment (the declaration). EVENTS: First Continental Congress: a direct challenge to Lord North and British authority in the colonies “Shot heard ‘round the world”: happened in Concord, MA. 8 colonist died and 10 others were wounded. *** this was the beginning of the American Revolution. Lexington & Concord Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill): The colonists established defensive forts and the British set out to capture the peninsula. Although the British took the hill, they suffered about 1,096 casualties (more than any battle) Second Continental Congress: became America's first governance. Issues two important documents 1) Declaration of the causes and necessity of Taking Up Arms & 2) the Olive Branch Petition Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms: the reason to why they were fighting great Britain 3.4 KEY CONCEPTS: Explain why, for the colonists, the military situation was more important than forming a government in 1776. Because one disastrous battle could end the entire bid for independence.  Compare and contrast the strategic strengths and weaknesses of the British government and American colonists at the onset of the American Revolution. British Strengths: well trained troops, A huge government, and atlantic logistics British weaknesses: conventional military methods would not work, the colonists commitment to independence Colonists weaknesses: lack of money, lack of proper uniforms, lack of military experience, and lack of support What did the British assume about the fight against the colonists at the beginning of the war? 1) Conducting a police action against unruly mobs 2) The British soldiers would overwhelm the colonial soldiers 3) A clear cut military victory would automatically cause the colonists to be loyal again Why did France join the American colonists in their struggle against the British? The victory of the colonists at Saratoga had King Louis XVI realize the English colonists were a formidable and a serious force. TERMS: Valley Forge: was a low point for the American forces. A lack of supplies weakened the men, and disease took a heavy toll Treaty of Amity and Commerce: Treaty of Alliance: PEOPLE: Tories: British loyalists George Washington: General William Howe: wanted negotiation more than victory because he was the peace commissioner for the colonies. He had 2 mistakes: 1) his troops treated the civilians roughly. 2) he scattered his troops across central New Jersey in small units which were easy to attack Marquis de Lafayette: arrived in America in 1777 as a volunteer and served as Washington’s aide-de-camp. King Louis XVI: EVENTS: Battle of Trenton: (night of christmas) The american victory helped boost the colonists morale. Battle of Saratoga: split the New England colonies from the rest of the colonies & seize Philadelphia. The British commander surrendered his army and military supplies to the continental army.  Battle for Philadelphia: 3.5 KEY CONCEPTS: What was the result of the Treaty (Peace) of Paris for: It confirmed the existence of the USA and independence for the colonists. the American Colonists? Fled into Indian lands. Native Americans? Not all but many Indian tribes supported the British.British abandoned them. No Native American representatives at the Paris Peace Conference. Great Britain? France? France got debt and didn't want the US to be too powerful. Spain? Got Florida from Great Britain. Limited US expansion Explain the three points of significance of the American Revolution as discussed in lecture. (Ended 176 years of British Colonial rule) 1) Americans began to expand geographically 2) Manifested Destiny 3) expanded their vision of the world (began trading with india and china) and created the USA TERMS: Yorktown, Virginia: a base that was established by Cornwallis. Treaty (Peace) of Paris (1783): It confirmed the existence of the USA and independence for the colonists. PEOPLE: Lord Cornwallis: given command of British forces in virginia and led them on raids. King George III: demanded that the colonies be brought to obedience 3.6 KEY CONCEPTS: Explain the five major problems discussed in lecture that the United States faced in the immediate aftermath of the American Revolution. Post war inflation, soldiers were owed money, lack of unity, states printing their own money, & disagreements about land ownership. Whether or not they contained a formal bill of rights, most state constitutions guaranteed citizens what four fundamental rights? Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to a fair trial, and the right to consent of taxation What powers did the Articles of Confederation grant the federal government (Congress)? - Declare war & make peace - Make treaties - Settle disputes between states - Borrow and print money - Ask the states for money for defense and wellfare. What were the provisions of the Articles of Confederation in relation to the states? - Each state had one vote - Each state was sovereign, independent and free - Any powers that the Articles did not give Congress belonged to the states Why was the government of the young United States under the Articles of Confederation weak? - No power to impose taxes - No power to enforce its authorities Explain why Shays’ Rebellion helped Congress realize that it needed to reform the Articles of Confederation. After the farmers advocated for lower taxes, It caused the upper classes in the young United States to question what might happen next. They questioned if the Articles of Confederation was strong enough for the new government. How did Native Americans respond when Congress opened the Northwest Territory to settlement by white settlers? Why? They were furious because they weren't invited to Paris to negotiate the Peace of Paris and had no say in that Great Britain gave away their territory. They banded together to discourage whites from settling above the Ohio River. TERMS: State constitutional conventions & bills of rights Articles of Confederation: provided the legal basis of the Confederation Congress’ power. Northwest Ordinance: significant because it established the precedent by which the United States would extend into the West: by the admission of new states rather than the expansion of existing states. Nationalism: loyalty and devotion to a nation. (Pride in your nation) PEOPLE: Daniel Shays/Shays’ Rebellion: an example of the struggle between debtors and creditors. Farmers were hit the hardest due to them being the backbone of the American economy. Made it illegal for creditors to foreclose on their farms. The legislators sided with the creditors unfortunately. The farmers continued to advocate for lower taxes EVENTS: Second Continental Congress: 3.7 KEY CONCEPTS: Summarize the debate over representation in Congress as embodied in the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, and the Great Compromise. the Virginia Plan: Proposed the creation of a system of mutual checks & balances so that the various branches of the government could keep an eye on one another The New Jersey plan: smaller states proposed that the congress would consist of only 1 house and each state would have an equal vote in it. Also proposed that the government would have the power to levy taxes. The Great Compromise: offered a bicameral legislature (two house legislature) with proportional representation, and equal representation in the senate. Explain the essential structure of the U.S. government created under the Constitution. Contrast the positions of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists concerning the U.S. Constitution. TERMS: U.S. Constitution Checks and balances Bicameral legislature Proportional representation Three-Fifths Compromise Electoral College Federalists Anti-Federalists: argued that the Constitution would consolidate all power in a national government, robbing the states of the power to make their own decisions Federalist Papers: These were first published in New York and subsequently republished elsewhere in the United States. Bill of Rights PEOPLE: Edmund Randolph/Virginia Plan  James Madison: (wrote The Federalist Papers.) advocated a meeting of states to address the widespread economic problems that plagued the new nation. put forward a proposition known as the Virginia Plan, which called for a strong national government that could overturn state laws William Paterson/New Jersey Plan: introduced a New Jersey Plan to counter Madison’s scheme, proposing that all states have equal votes in a unicameral national legislature. He also addressed the economic problems of the day by calling for the Congress to have the power to regulate commerce, to raise revenue though taxes on imports and through postage, and to enforce Congressional requisitions from the states. Roger Sherman/Great Compromise: offered a compromise to break the deadlock over the thorny question of representation. he Great Compromise, outlined a different bicameral legislature in which the upper house, the Senate, would have equal representation for all states; each state would be represented by two senators chosen by the state legislatures. John Jay: A federalist Alexander Hamilton: a federalist George Mason Patrick Henry John Hancock