American Revolution Past Paper PDF

1. What were the advantages/disadvantages of both the British and Colonists during the American Revolution? What were some reasons for the Colonial victory in the American Revolution? Colonial advantages British advantages Home field - motivatio...

1. What were the advantages/disadvantages of both the British and Colonists during the American Revolution? What were some reasons for the Colonial victory in the American Revolution? Colonial advantages British advantages Home field - motivation to protect their Professional large army, navy (more home important) Guerilla tactics/defense - attack when Better military training nobody expects it, it is inconvenient for the others, at night, winter Rifle - used for hunting, accurate shot Resources/money, Technology/weapons ⅔ support/compliance ⅓ support (southern aristocrats) Ally - French - money from them, loans, Ally - Native Americans donations Colonial disadvantages British disadvantages Lack of Professional Army Distance and Communication Not enough funding, struggles Unfamiliar Terrain Divisions Among Colonists Not enough Public Support, the war was unpopular Reasons for Colonial Victory British Overextension - they were spread out across the globe and did too many things at once, not enough control and focus on American colonies French Support - The French provided critical military and financial support, especially after the American victory at Saratoga Washington’s Leadership: Washington was able to keep the army together and win key victories British Exhaustion - the war was long and it cost a lot of money, public didn’t like the war 2. What were the Articles of Confederation? Why did they fail? The first constitution of the United states, adopted in 1781, They established a loose confederation of states, with a weak central government Limited power of national government, states were sovereign, no executive branch Congress could not enact and collect taxes, congress could not regulate interstate or foreign trade, regardless of population each state had only one vote in congress, ⅔ majority, 9/13 states needed to pass any law 3. What were some of the issues in creating the Constitution? How did James Madison attempt to solve these problems? Key problems Representation of states - smaller ones wanted same representation as bigger states, larger states wanted representation to be based on population Slavery - how to count enslaved people for representation and taxation Separation of powers - how to have a strong central government but still having limits so it doesn’t result in tyranny State vs. Federal Authority - tension between those who wanted a federal government and those who wanted to keep the rights of the states James Madison’s solutions The Virginia Plan - favored by large states, created central government with a bicameral legislature based on population The New Jersey Plan - favored by small states, unicameral legislature with equal representation The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise) - Madison helped to broker a compromise between these two plans, leading to the bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives (population-based) and Senate (equal representation) Three-Fifths Compromise - an enslaved person would count as ⅗ of a free person for purpose of representation and taxation Separation of Powers - advocated for creating three branches of government (executive, judistical, legislative) with checks and balances so no branch could become too powerful 4. What did Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton disagree over? What was decided? How does their debate continue through American history? Disagreements Role of government ❖ Hamilton - strong central government, need for a national bank, strong financial system to foster economic development ❖ Jefferson - championed states’ rights and an agrarian-based economy, fear of strong central government would lead to tyranny Economic policy ❖ Hamilton - national bank, stabilization of the economy, issue a uniform currency ❖ Jefferson - opposed this, saying it is unconstitutional and favored wealthy elite over farmers Foreign policy ❖ Hamilton - pro-British, favoring strong commercial ties with Britain ❖ Jefferson - pro-French, U.S. should support France in revolutionary struggles What was decided The bank of the United States was created (Hamilton’s play), with a constitutional interpretation favoring the implied powers of Congress. Hamilton’s financial plan would be accepted in exchange for the capital being moved to the Potomac river (Washington D.C.) Continued debate  Debate over federal and states’ rights, foreign policy, the role of government in economy 5. What were some of the successes and failures of the first 6 presidents? a. Washington - 2 terms, Virginia, no party Successes Set many precedents for the presidency (e.g., two-term limit, executive authority, neutrality in foreign wars). Successfully navigated nation’s early economic challenges, including the formation of a national bank Failures Struggled with nation’s growing political divisions, particularly the rise of political parties Challenging to keep neutrality in foreign relations b. Adams - 1 term, Massachusetts, federalist Successes Maintained American neutrality during conflict between France and Britain Preserved the nation’s independence during a turbulent period Failures Alien and sedition acts were seen as an overreach of power and hurt his popularity Failure to resolve issues with France and leading to the “Quasi-war” (didn’t happen) c. Jefferson - 2 terms, Virginia, democratic-republican Successes The Louisiana purchase (1803) - doubled the size of the US, opened up west territories Promoted agrarian economy, reduced national debt Failures The Embargo act of 1807 - harmed the U.S. economy by halting trade with Britain and France Struggled with maintaining consistent foreign policy approach d. Madison Successes Led the nation during the war of 1812, preserved national pride and independence Played a key role in drafting the US constitution Failures The war of 1812 was costly and unpopular, didn’t fully solve conflicts with Britain e. Monroe Successes The Monroe Doctrine (1823), which warned European nations against further colonization in the Americas Era of Good Feelings, a period of national unity. Failures Struggled with internal divisions over slavery and westward expansion The Missouri Compromise (1820) did not permanently resolve the slavery issue f. Quincy Adams Successes:  As Secretary of State, he negotiated key treaties, including the Adams-Onís Treaty, which acquired Florida from Spain Advocated for internal improvements and modernization. Failures: Faced significant opposition in Congress and struggled to pass his agenda. His presidency was marred by the “Corrupt Bargain” and bitter political rivalry, especially with Andrew Jackson.