Unit 3 Review PDF

This unit begins by exploring the significant historical figure Thomas Paine’s ideologies that convinced many colonists they had moved into an American Revolutionary Era. Lesson activities will evaluate the cultural and economic divisions within the colonies, offering a more nuanced view of the v...

This unit begins by exploring the significant historical figure Thomas Paine’s ideologies that convinced many colonists they had moved into an American Revolutionary Era. Lesson activities will evaluate the cultural and economic divisions within the colonies, offering a more nuanced view of the various economic and social interests at work during the revolutionary period. Colonial groups had widely diverging visions for — and experiences of —the society in which they lived. These divergent local and world views translated directly into their respective interpretations of the Revolution. The lower class, comprising the majority of the colonists, hoped to secure some social mobility as well as some protection from the wealthy elite. The wealthier, however, saw in the Revolution an opportunity to enhance their own position in society once the British power structure was dismantled. Another important ideology spread widely throughout the North American Colonies. Whig political philosophy held that people banded together to form governments to protect their liberty and property. Citizens sacrificed some of their liberty and property (agreeing to forego certain behaviors and to pay taxes) to ensure that the rest of their liberty and property were safe. Good governments were created for and by the people but, in this Whig philosophy, all governments were subject to corruption as individuals or factions (political groups or parties) tried to hoard power for themselves. As a remedy for this, citizens must cultivate virtue — a deep and all-encompassing ethics and morality that would prevent corruption. At the end of the American Revolutionary War, colonists could truly call themselves Americans instead of British subjects. The Founders faced the daunting task of creating a new government authority and developing a new national identity. The Founders often thought of the Revolutionary Era as having been fought long and hard to get rid of one tyrant and his corrupt regime. They knew many Americans were determined not to empower another centralizing authority. Those working at the state level drafting state constitutions and those crafting the Articles of Confederation — the United States’ first constitution — weren’t about to let another tyrant undo all their hard work. Consequently, the Founders created a constitution that was decentralized and severely limited executive authority, finalized in 1777. However, dissatisfaction with the Articles of Confederation amongst the nation’s elite — wealthy merchants in the north and rich enslavers in the south — led to an attempt to replace the original constitution with another that reined in what they perceived to be the first constitution’s democratic shortcomings. Indeed, the United States Constitution was, in many ways, an attempt to create a political environment that was more conducive to federal growth of power and stability (finalized in 1787 and ratified in 1788). The new Constitution’s ratification was a difficult feat to accomplish as two major political factions, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, passionately argued why or why not the U.S. government should be centralized (dominant over state power). Many Americans assume that the political divide between those who support a strong federal government and those who favor a small, decentralized government is a modern-day development. It is important to understand that this debate is in the country’s political DNA. Between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, we see the emergence of a unique American trajectory that will shape the nation's political history, and undoubtedly impact the social and economic themes within United States history, as well.  The unit will end with examining the struggles faced by the young nation after Anti-Federalist President Thomas Jefferson peacefully assumed political power from Federalist President John Adams. President Jefferson was a strict constructionist of the United States Constitution. He strongly believed that he could only utilize powers specifically granted by the Constitution. He questioned his executive authority to purchase the Louisiana Territory from France for many reasons. However, the economic and national security benefits that would occur from the territory acquisition overshadowed the probable political risks of the land deal. It is important to note that provisions of the Purchase Treaty would require that all those living within the Louisiana Territory become American citizens except Native Americans, and no Indigenous Nation was included in the negotiation process. As students will learn when diving into the unit’s lessons, Jefferson would experience conflicting beliefs about centralized power and his duties as a president. His legacy will be explored specifically in how he stayed true and strayed away from his principles while president... a pattern many future U.S. Presidents would experience during their own terms. Before you start your reading for this unit, take a look at the unit’s Focus Question (FQ). This question will emphasize a theme related to the unit and guide you to recognize the significance of the history being studied. Each lesson is connected to the unit’s FQ and is part of a network of connections that can be used to answer the question. Each lesson’s Essential Question (EQ) will summarize each day’s lesson. As you read, try to identify information and evidence that can help you answer each question. When you find key passages, note the page numbers and sources, so that you can access this information easily later for studying and assessments. FOCUS QUESTION: To what extent did the American Revolution result in a genuine democracy? ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: Citation Directions: Review these questions before completing the reading Directions: Note page assigned Before Class. numbers and sources from the textbook Lesson 3.1 According to the assigned chapters in OpenStax U.S. History, what ideas, events, or movements led to the American Revolution and how revolutionary would the new American nation be? Lesson 3.2 How did the rhetoric of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense convince so many colonists it was necessary to sever ties with Britain? Lesson 3.3 How can researching the American Revolutionary War be challenging on the internet? What steps do researchers need to take when researching information online to create engaging historical narratives? Lesson 3.4 In the study of history, conflicts are often distilled to winners and losers. This can gloss over various subtleties that should be further examined. How revolutionary was the American Revolution, and for who specifically would be included and excluded from the benefits of winning the war? Lesson 3.5 Explain why the Articles of Confederation proved too weak to meet the needs of the 13 new states. Describe at least two examples of how the U.S. Constitution addresses those weaknesses. Are there any shortcomings of the Constitution? Lesson 3.6 When the new U.S. Constitution was offered for ratification two sides manifested, those who opposed it and those who supported it. How did Anti-federalists and Federalists differ in their perspectives on the new constitution and how valid were their positions?  Lesson 3.7 The ideals of leaders are often tested as they exercise their judgment in decision-making. How did Thomas Jefferson fare in keeping true to his Anti-Federalist/Republican beliefs when they came into conflict with political realities as president? PART 2: INTRODUCTORY TERMS AND IDEAS These terms are especially helpful in preparing for your Pre-Unit 3 Quiz, so read all assignments for Lesson 3.1. Write the definition, time period and/or date, and historical significance of each term in the space provided and connect each term to a course Big Idea (American Identities, Reform and Renewal, Self and Society, Labor and Technology, America in the World). The time period and dates will help you to construct historical chronologies in Part 4 of this guide. Please note that you may use a printed copy of Part 2 of the study guide while taking the Pre-Unit 3 Quiz. Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Read OpenStax U.S. History "Chapter 5: Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774" Introduction Section 5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts o Terms to study within the subsections “THE TEA ACT OF 1773“ and “COLONIAL PROTEST: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEA” The Tea Act of In 1773, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act. This law let America in 1773 the British East India Company sell tea directly to the American the World colonies without having to pay certain taxes. This made the tea cheaper for the colonists, but it also hurt the colonial merchants who usually sold it. The British government did this to help the struggling East India Company and to keep control over the tea trade in the colonies. The Colonists’ American Response to In 1773, the colonists got mad about the Tea Act. They refused Identities, the 1773 Tea to buy British tea, stopped it from being delivered, and threw a Reform and Act big protest called the Boston Tea Party. They dressed up as Renewal *include info about Native Americans boarded British ships, and threw all the tea the boycott, preventing cargo into the Boston Harbor to show how upset they were about unloading, and the the Tea Act. Boston Tea Party o Terms to study within the subsection “PARLIAMENT RESPONDS: THE COERCIVE ACTS” Massachusetts The Massachusetts Assembly was a significant group in the Self and Assembly early days of America. It was in charge of making laws in the Society Massachusetts Bay area. It stood up against British rules, especially when the British tried to control the tea trade in 1773. The assembly's actions helped increase the problems between the American colonies and Britain. Prime Minister America in Lord North Lord North was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 the World to 1782, which included the time of the American Revolutionary War. He made decisions that upset the American colonies, like passing the Tea Act of 1773 and the Coercive Acts. These actions contributed to the growing anger and opposition in the colonies. The Coercive The Coercive Acts, also called the Intolerable Acts by the Reform and Acts colonists, were a bunch of colonists' rules made by the British Renewal *include descriptions government because they were upset about the Boston Tea of each Act and its impact Party and all the trouble in Massachusetts. These rules were 1774 meant to show that Britain was in charge and punish Massachusetts for not following them. Section 5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity o Terms to study within this section include: The First America in Continental The First Continental Congress was a really important event in the world Congress American history. It was the first time that representatives from twelve of the thirteen American colonies got together to September 5 discuss how to deal with the unfair laws that the British through October government had enacted. This meeting set the stage for the 26, 1774 colonies to work together to oppose British control. The Suffolk These documents were important results of the First American Resolves, The Continental Congress. The Suffolk Resolves laid out a plan to Identities Declaration and resist the Intolerable Acts, while The Declaration and Resolves Resolves, and called for the repeal of harsh laws and suggested a pact to the ”Petition of stop buying and selling British goods. The "Petition of Congress Congress to the to the King" also voiced the colonies' complaints and King” suggested that they should be able to control their own militias. The First List of The people at the First Continental Congress stopped some Self and Un-American activities like horse races, cockfights, and the theater because Society Activities they thought these things would make it harder to stand up to 1774 the British. They wanted to make sure that America had its own identity separate from Britain. Read OpenStax U.S. History "Chapter 6: America’s War for Independence, 1775-1783" Introduction o Terms to study within the introductory paragraphs Loyalists and During the American Revolutionary War, there were two main Patriots groups of people. The Loyalists were American colonists who stayed loyal to the British King, while the Patriots were the ones who fought 1775-1783 against British control. This division between Loyalists and Patriots had a big impact on the American Revolution and what happened during the war. Section 6.1 Britain’s Law-and-Order Strategy and Its Consequences o Terms to study within the subsection “COMMON SENSE” Common Sense "Common Sense" was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine to Reform and & Thomas convince people that it was a good idea for the American Renewal Paine colonies to become independent from Britain. A lot of people 1776 read it and it helped change their minds to support independence. Republicanism American and Popular Republicanism is a political ideology that highlights the Identities Sovereignty significance of being a good citizen and working together for the benefit of everyone, while popular sovereignty emphasizes that the government gets its power from the agreement of its people. These ideas played a big role in shaping the beliefs of the early United States. o Terms to study within the subsection “THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE” The The Declaration of Independence was an official document America in Declaration of that announced the Thirteen Colonies' decision to break away the World Independence from British rule. It explained the idea that everyone has basic rights and listed the complaints against King George III. July 4, 1776 Thomas Thomas Jefferson played a key role in creating the United Self and Jefferson States and wrote the Declaration of Independence. He also Society late 18th and served as the third President of the United States and believed early 19th in protecting people's rights and keeping the government's centuries power in check. Read OpenStax U.S. History "Chapter 7: Creating Republican Governments, 1776-1790" Introduction Section 7.3 Debating Democracy o Terms to study within the subsection “THE STATE CONSTITUTIONS” John Adams John Adams played a key role in shaping the United States *include his ideas government. He was influenced by new ideas about how about government governments should work and believed in dividing power within the government to prevent any one person or group from becoming too powerful. Adams' ideas helped shape the early political system of the new United States. The 1776 The 1776 Pennsylvania Constitution made it easier for more Pennsylvania people to vote by getting rid of the requirement to own Constitution property in order to vote. This was a big step towards including more people in the democratic process. The 1784 New The 1784 New Hampshire Constitution allowed small towns Hampshire and villages to send representatives to the state government, Constitution giving more people a say in how they were governed. The 1776 The 1776 Maryland Constitution limited who could hold Maryland government office to wealthy planters, showing the tensions Constitution between different social and economic groups in early American society. The 1778 The 1778 South Carolina Constitution made it so that only South Carolina wealthy people could hold high government offices, Constitution highlighting how money influenced who could be involved in politics. The 1780 The 1780 Massachusetts Constitution was created because Massachusetts some people were worried about having too much democracy. Constitution It set up a system of government with two groups making laws and a strong governor with the power to say no to new laws. o Terms to study within the subsection “THE ARTICLES OF THE CONFEDERATION” The Articles of The Articles of Confederation set up the first national Confederation government of the United States. It had some good parts, but *include the powers also had problems, like not being able to collect taxes or the national government did and control trade with other countries. did not have The Northwest The Northwest Ordinances set up a way for new states to be Ordinances of created and for the United States to grow. They also made 1784, 1785, & rules about who could own land and said that there could be 1787, and the no slavery in this part of the country. Northwest Territory PART 3: ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND SIGNIFICANT TERMS Now it’s your turn! Choose your own key terms based on the lesson EQs below, adding your own definitions, time periods and/or dates, and historical significance, but you will need more than the spaces provided. Think of these terms as evidence you can use to build strong historical arguments, which will help you complete your assignments and exams for this course. At the end of each lesson, write your own summary response to each lesson’s broad question. Lesson 3.2: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense Essential Question: How did the rhetoric of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense convince so many colonists it was necessary to sever ties with Britain? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Rhetoric The art of effective speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques. In the context of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, rhetoric refers to the persuasive language and arguments used to convince colonists of the necessity of independence. Colonists The inhabitants of the 13 American colonies who were subject to British rule prior to the American Revolution. Understanding the perspectives and experiences of the  colonists is crucial in analyzing the impact of Common Sense on their attitudes toward independence. The state of being free from control or influence of others. In Independence the context of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, independence refers to the idea of the American colonies breaking away from British rule and establishing self-governance. The collective opinion of the general public on a particular Public Opinion issue or situation. Common Sense played a significant role in shaping public opinion by presenting compelling arguments for independence and challenging existing attitudes towards British rule. Summary Response to Lesson Question: Thomas Paine's Common Sense was a very important pamphlet that convinced a lot of people living in the American colonies that it was really important to break away from Britain and become independent. Paine used really strong arguments and convincing language to change a lot of people's minds, and this had a big effect on the American Revolution. It just shows how powerful communication can be in shaping big historical events and movements. Lesson 3.3: The American Revolution Essential Question: How can researching the American Revolutionary War be challenging on the internet? What steps do researchers need to take when researching information online to create engaging historical narratives? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Propaganda Propaganda refers to biased or misleading information used to promote a particular political cause or point of view. During the American Revolutionary War, both the Patriots and the Loyalists used propaganda to sway public opinion and garner support for their respective causes. Understanding the role of propaganda is crucial for interpreting historical sources from this period and recognizing the challenges of discerning truth from manipulation. Loyalists Loyalists, also known as Tories, were American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the Revolutionary War. Understanding the perspectives and experiences of Loyalists is essential for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and challenges inherent in researching the American Revolutionary War. Their stories provide valuable insights into the diverse ideological and political landscape of the time. Battle of The Battle of Saratoga fought in 1777, was a significant Saratoga turning point in the Revolutionary War. The American victory at Saratoga convinced the French to openly support the American cause, leading to a formal alliance between the United States and France. This alliance played a crucial role in the ultimate success of the American Revolution. Researching the Battle of Saratoga and its impact on the war requires careful consideration of various historical accounts and perspectives. Summary Response to Lesson Question: Studying the American Revolutionary War can be tricky because there is a lot of one-sided information, many different original sources, and various opinions from people who lived during that time. To tell interesting stories about history, researchers need to carefully look at information that tries to persuade people, use original sources, think about the perspectives of people who were loyal to the British, study important events like the Battle of Saratoga, learn about key moments in diplomacy like the Treaty of Paris, and understand how the Continental Congress worked. By dealing with these challenges and bringing together evidence from many different angles, researchers can create really interesting stories that show how complex and important the Revolutionary War was. Lesson 3.4: Who Won the American Revolution? Essential Question: In the study of history, conflicts are often distilled to winners and losers. This can gloss over various subtleties that should be further examined. How revolutionary was the American Revolution, and who would be included and excluded from the benefits of winning the war? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Women in the Women played various roles during the American American Revolution, including as nurses, spies, and supporters of the Revolution patriot cause. Their contributions were significant in sustaining the revolutionary movement and shaping the early American society. - Time Period: American Revolution (1775-1783) African Americans in the African Americans participated in the American Revolution American on both the British and American sides. Their involvement Revolution raised questions about freedom and equality, and their actions contributed to the discourse on slavery and liberty in the newly formed United States. Native Americans in the Native American tribes were divided in their loyalties during American the American Revolution, with some supporting the British Revolution and others aligning with the Patriots. The war's outcome had significant implications for Native American land and autonomy. Impact of the American The American Revolution raised debates about the Revolution on institution of slavery and its compatibility with the ideals of Slavery liberty and independence. It set in motion discussions and movements that would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery in the United States. Summary Response to Lesson Question: The American Revolution was indeed revolutionary in its impact on various aspects of American society. It not only led to political independence but also sparked discussions about freedom, equality, and rights for different groups, including women, African Americans, and Native Americans. The war's winners and losers extended beyond the battlefield, shaping the trajectory of the United States and its ongoing pursuit of inclusive democracy and societal progress. Lesson 3.5: The Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution Essential Question: Explain why the Articles of Confederation proved too weak to meet the needs of the 13 new states. Describe at least two examples of how the U.S. Constitution addresses those weaknesses. Are there any shortcomings of the Constitution? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea State Constitution Refers to the fundamental law of a state that sets out its government's framework and principal functions. State constitutions are supreme and must not contradict the U.S. Constitution. An example is the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, which influenced the crafting of the U.S. Constitution. House of Representatives The lower house of the United States Congress has the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an electoral college tie. The establishment of the House of Representatives was a response to the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which lacked a strong federal legislature. shays rebellion An armed uprising in Massachusetts (1786-1787) led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays. It was caused by economic hardship and the enforcement of tax collections. The rebellion exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of  Confederation in dealing with domestic uprisings and highlighted the need for a stronger national government. ⅗ compromise A constitutional agreement during the 1787 Constitutional Convention determined how enslaved individuals would be counted for representation and taxation purposes. Each enslaved person would count as three-fifths of a free person. This compromise addressed the issue of how to count the enslaved population in the apportionment of representatives and taxation, but it also perpetuated the institution of slavery. Summary Response to Lesson Question: The first plan for how the United States would be run, called the Articles of Confederation, didn't work well because it didn't give enough power to the central government, couldn't control trade between states, and had trouble getting money. So, the U.S. Constitution was written to fix these problems. It set up a two-part Congress, gave more power to the national government, and made rules for trade and taxes. However, the Constitution also had some problems, like not dealing with slavery and not protecting individual rights enough. So, the Bill of Rights was added to fix those issues. Lesson 3.6: Federalists and Anti-Federalists Essential Question: When the new U.S. Constitution was offered for ratification two sides manifested, those who opposed it and those who supported it. How did Anti-Federalists and Federalists differ in their perspectives on the new Constitution and how valid were their positions? Terms Definition and Significance Course Big *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Idea The formal approval of the U.S. Constitution by Ratification the states. It involved debates and votes in state conventions, highlighting differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Compromises were made, leading to the adoption of the Constitution with the promise of a Bill of Rights. Centralized Power Centralized power refers to authority and decision-making at the national level, as opposed to decentralized power held by individual states. This debate shaped the principles of federalism in the U.S. government. Individual liberties Individual liberties include rights and freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, and protection against government intrusion. The Anti-Federalists emphasized the importance of protecting individual liberties, which influenced the inclusion of specific rights in the Bill of Rights and the broader concept of civil liberties in the United States. Summary Response to Lesson Question: The Federalists and Anti-Federalists had different views on the new U.S. Constitution. The Federalists wanted a strong central government and supported the Constitution, while the Anti-Federalists were concerned about too much power being held by the central government and wanted a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties. The compromises they reached, like adding the Bill of Rights, helped shape the basic rules of the U.S. government. Lesson 3.7: Jeffersonian Vision and the Louisiana Purchase Essential Question: The ideals of leaders are often tested as they exercise their judgment in decision-making. How did Thomas Jefferson fare in keeping true to his Anti-Federalist/Republican beliefs when they came into conflict with political realities as president? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Louisiana Purchase The United States acquired the Louisiana Territory from France, doubling the size of the country. This significant land deal was a major success for President Thomas Jefferson, despite conflicting with his strict interpretation of the Constitution as an anti-Federalist/Republican. Strict Constructionism The Constitution should be interpreted narrowly, with the federal government only possessing powers explicitly granted by the document. Jefferson, as an Anti-Federalist/Republican, adhered to this philosophy, but its application was challenged by the Louisiana Purchase, requiring him to navigate a potential conflict of principles and practicality.. Embargo Act of 1807 Enacted under Jefferson's presidency, the Embargo Act aimed to pressure Britain and France by prohibiting American ships from trading in foreign ports. However, the act had detrimental effects on the American economy, illustrating the challenges of reconciling Anti-Federalist/Republican principles with practical foreign policy decisions. Westward Expansion The movement of settlers and the acquisition of new territories beyond the original U.S. borders. This expansion presented Jefferson with the challenge of  upholding Anti-Federalist/Republican principles while addressing the practical realities of governing and integrating new lands into the United States. Summary Response to Lesson Question: Thomas Jefferson faced significant challenges in maintaining his Anti-Federalist/Republican beliefs while navigating the practical realities of governance during his presidency. The Louisiana Purchase, the Embargo Act of 1807, and the broader issue of westward expansion tested Jefferson's commitment to strict constructionism and decentralized government. These events highlighted the complexities of translating ideological principles into effective governance and left a lasting legacy on American politics.  PART 4: CHRONOLOGY This is the section of your study guide where you put it all together! Making connections is the absolute best way to discover and understand historical relationships, and to build the knowledge that will help you write thoughtful historical essays. Use the timeline template or draw your own on a separate sheet of paper. Include major events and the date they happened. Use the Choice Menu below to design your timeline. CHOICE MENU Thematic Timeline Turning Point Timeline Design a thematic timeline that identifies Focus on a turning point that you social, political, economic, or regional recognize as an important moment in the ideas, events, and connections. era you’re studying; include events, ideas, people, connections that occurred before and after a turning point. Prediction Timeline Focus Question Timeline Forecast what’s coming up next by Answer the FQ by including events, ideas, describing three events you think will people, etc. that are connected to it, write happen. Provide a brief overview as to a 1-2 sentence summary explaining your why you’ve made these predictions. answer using the evidence you included on your timeline. Before you start your reading for this unit, take a look at the unit’s Focus Question (FQ). This question will emphasize a theme related to the unit and guide you to recognize the significance of the history being studied. Each lesson is connected to the unit’s FQ and is part of a network of connections that can be used to answer the question. Each lesson’s Essential Question (EQ) will summarize each day’s lesson. As you read, try to identify information and evidence that can help you answer each question. When you find key passages, note the page numbers and sources, so that you can access this information easily later for studying and assessments. FOCUS QUESTION: To what extent did the American Revolution result in a genuine democracy? ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: Citation Directions: Review these questions before completing the reading Directions: Note page assigned Before Class. numbers and sources from the textbook Lesson 3.1 According to the assigned chapters in OpenStax U.S. History, what ideas, events, or movements led to the American Revolution and how revolutionary would the new American nation be? Lesson 3.2 How did the rhetoric of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense convince so many colonists it was necessary to sever ties with Britain? Lesson 3.3 How can researching the American Revolutionary War be challenging on the internet? What steps do researchers need to take when researching information online to create engaging historical narratives?  Lesson 3.4 In the study of history, conflicts are often distilled to winners and losers. This can gloss over various subtleties that should be further examined. How revolutionary was the American Revolution, and for who specifically would be included and excluded from the benefits of winning the war? Lesson 3.5 Explain why the Articles of Confederation proved too weak to meet the needs of the 13 new states. Describe at least two examples of how the U.S. Constitution addresses those weaknesses. Are there any shortcomings of the Constitution? Lesson 3.6 When the new U.S. Constitution was offered for ratification two sides manifested, those who opposed it and those who supported it. How did Anti-federalists and Federalists differ in their perspectives on the new constitution and how valid were their positions? Lesson 3.7 The ideals of leaders are often tested as they exercise their judgment in decision-making. How did Thomas Jefferson fare in keeping true to his Anti-Federalist/Republican beliefs when they came into conflict with political realities as president? PART 2: INTRODUCTORY TERMS AND IDEAS These terms are especially helpful in preparing for your Pre-Unit 3 Quiz, so read all assignments for Lesson 3.1. Write the definition, time period and/or date, and historical significance of each term in the space provided and connect each term to a course Big Idea (American Identities, Reform and Renewal, Self and Society, Labor and Technology, America in the World). The time period and dates will help you to construct historical chronologies in Part 4 of this guide. Please note that you may use a printed copy of Part 2 of the study guide while taking the Pre-Unit 3 Quiz. Terms Definition and Significance Course  *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Read OpenStax U.S. History "Chapter 5: Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774" Introduction Section 5.4 The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts o Terms to study within the subsections “THE TEA ACT OF 1773“ and “COLONIAL PROTEST: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEA” The Tea Act of In 1773, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act. This law let America in 1773 the British East India Company sell tea directly to the American the World colonies without having to pay certain taxes. This made the tea cheaper for the colonists, but it also hurt the colonial merchants who usually sold it. The British government did this to help the struggling East India Company and to keep control over the tea trade in the colonies. The Colonists’ American Response to In 1773, the colonists got mad about the Tea Act. They refused Identities, the 1773 Tea to buy British tea, stopped it from being delivered, and threw a Reform and Act big protest called the Boston Tea Party. They dressed up as Renewal *include info about Native Americans boarded British ships, and threw all the tea the boycott, preventing cargo into the Boston Harbor to show how upset they were about unloading, and the the Tea Act. Boston Tea Party o Terms to study within the subsection “PARLIAMENT RESPONDS: THE COERCIVE ACTS” Massachusetts The Massachusetts Assembly was a significant group in the Self and Assembly early days of America. It was in charge of making laws in the Society Massachusetts Bay area. It stood up against British rules, especially when the British tried to control the tea trade in 1773. The assembly's actions helped increase the problems between the American colonies and Britain. Prime Minister America in Lord North Lord North was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 the World to 1782, which included the time of the American Revolutionary War. He made decisions that upset the American colonies, like passing the Tea Act of 1773 and the Coercive Acts. These actions contributed to the growing anger and opposition in the colonies. The Coercive The Coercive Acts, also called the Intolerable Acts by the Reform and Acts colonists, were a bunch of colonists' rules made by the British Renewal *include descriptions government because they were upset about the Boston Tea of each Act and its impact Party and all the trouble in Massachusetts. These rules were 1774 meant to show that Britain was in charge and punish Massachusetts for not following them. Section 5.5 Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity o Terms to study within this section include: The First America in Continental The First Continental Congress was a really important event in the world Congress American history. It was the first time that representatives from twelve of the thirteen American colonies got together to September 5 discuss how to deal with the unfair laws that the British through October government had enacted. This meeting set the stage for the 26, 1774 colonies to work together to oppose British control. The Suffolk These documents were important results of the First American Resolves, The Continental Congress. The Suffolk Resolves laid out a plan to Identities Declaration and resist the Intolerable Acts, while The Declaration and Resolves Resolves, and called for the repeal of harsh laws and suggested a pact to the ”Petition of stop buying and selling British goods. The "Petition of Congress Congress to the to the King" also voiced the colonies' complaints and King” suggested that they should be able to control their own militias. The First List of The people at the First Continental Congress stopped some Self and Un-American activities like horse races, cockfights, and the theater because Society Activities they thought these things would make it harder to stand up to 1774 the British. They wanted to make sure that America had its own identity separate from Britain. Read OpenStax U.S. History "Chapter 6: America’s War for Independence, 1775-1783" Introduction o Terms to study within the introductory paragraphs Loyalists and During the American Revolutionary War, there were two main Patriots groups of people. The Loyalists were American colonists who stayed loyal to the British King, while the Patriots were the ones who fought 1775-1783 against British control. This division between Loyalists and Patriots had a big impact on the American Revolution and what happened during the war. Section 6.1 Britain’s Law-and-Order Strategy and Its Consequences o Terms to study within the subsection “COMMON SENSE” Common Sense "Common Sense" was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine to Reform and & Thomas convince people that it was a good idea for the American Renewal Paine colonies to become independent from Britain. A lot of people 1776 read it and it helped change their minds to support independence. Republicanism American and Popular Republicanism is a political ideology that highlights the Identities Sovereignty significance of being a good citizen and working together for the benefit of everyone, while popular sovereignty emphasizes that the government gets its power from the agreement of its people. These ideas played a big role in shaping the beliefs of the early United States. o Terms to study within the subsection “THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE” The The Declaration of Independence was an official document America in Declaration of that announced the Thirteen Colonies' decision to break away the World Independence from British rule. It explained the idea that everyone has basic rights and listed the complaints against King George III. July 4, 1776 Thomas Thomas Jefferson played a key role in creating the United Self and Jefferson States and wrote the Declaration of Independence. He also Society late 18th and served as the third President of the United States and believed early 19th in protecting people's rights and keeping the government's centuries power in check. Read OpenStax U.S. History "Chapter 7: Creating Republican Governments, 1776-1790" Introduction  Section 7.3 Debating Democracy o Terms to study within the subsection “THE STATE CONSTITUTIONS” John Adams John Adams played a key role in shaping the United States *include his ideas government. He was influenced by new ideas about how about government governments should work and believed in dividing power within the government to prevent any one person or group from becoming too powerful. Adams' ideas helped shape the early political system of the new United States. The 1776 The 1776 Pennsylvania Constitution made it easier for more Pennsylvania people to vote by getting rid of the requirement to own Constitution property in order to vote. This was a big step towards including more people in the democratic process. The 1784 New The 1784 New Hampshire Constitution allowed small towns Hampshire and villages to send representatives to the state government, Constitution giving more people a say in how they were governed. The 1776 The 1776 Maryland Constitution limited who could hold Maryland government office to wealthy planters, showing the tensions Constitution between different social and economic groups in early American society. The 1778 The 1778 South Carolina Constitution made it so that only South Carolina wealthy people could hold high government offices, Constitution highlighting how money influenced who could be involved in politics. The 1780 The 1780 Massachusetts Constitution was created because Massachusetts some people were worried about having too much democracy. Constitution It set up a system of government with two groups making laws and a strong governor with the power to say no to new laws. o Terms to study within the subsection “THE ARTICLES OF THE CONFEDERATION” The Articles of The Articles of Confederation set up the first national Confederation government of the United States. It had some good parts, but *include the powers also had problems, like not being able to collect taxes or the national government did and control trade with other countries. did not have The Northwest The Northwest Ordinances set up a way for new states to be Ordinances of created and for the United States to grow. They also made 1784, 1785, & rules about who could own land and said that there could be 1787, and the no slavery in this part of the country. Northwest Territory PART 3: ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND SIGNIFICANT TERMS Now it’s your turn! Choose your own key terms based on the lesson EQs below, adding your own definitions, time periods and/or dates, and historical significance, but you will need more than the spaces provided. Think of these terms as evidence you can use to build strong historical arguments, which will help you complete your assignments and exams for this course. At the end of each lesson, write your own summary response to each lesson’s broad question. Lesson 3.2: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense Essential Question: How did the rhetoric of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense convince so many colonists it was necessary to sever ties with Britain? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Rhetoric The art of effective speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques. In the context of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, rhetoric refers to  the persuasive language and arguments used to convince colonists of the necessity of independence. Colonists The inhabitants of the 13 American colonies who were subject to British rule prior to the American Revolution. Understanding the perspectives and experiences of the colonists is crucial in analyzing the impact of Common Sense on their attitudes toward independence. The state of being free from control or influence of others. In Independence the context of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, independence refers to the idea of the American colonies breaking away from British rule and establishing self-governance. The collective opinion of the general public on a particular Public Opinion issue or situation. Common Sense played a significant role in shaping public opinion by presenting compelling arguments for independence and challenging existing attitudes towards British rule. Summary Response to Lesson Question: Thomas Paine's Common Sense was a very important pamphlet that convinced a lot of people living in the American colonies that it was really important to break away from Britain and become independent. Paine used really strong arguments and convincing language to change a lot of people's minds, and this had a big effect on the American Revolution. It just shows how powerful communication can be in shaping big historical events and movements. Lesson 3.3: The American Revolution Essential Question: How can researching the American Revolutionary War be challenging on the internet? What steps do researchers need to take when researching information online to create engaging historical narratives? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Propaganda Propaganda refers to biased or misleading information used to promote a particular political cause or point of view. During the American Revolutionary War, both the Patriots and the Loyalists used propaganda to sway public opinion and garner support for their respective causes. Understanding the role of propaganda is crucial for interpreting historical sources from this period and recognizing the challenges of discerning truth from manipulation. Loyalists Loyalists, also known as Tories, were American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the Revolutionary War. Understanding the perspectives and experiences of Loyalists is essential for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and challenges inherent in researching the American Revolutionary War. Their stories provide valuable insights into the diverse ideological and political landscape of the time. Battle of The Battle of Saratoga fought in 1777, was a significant Saratoga turning point in the Revolutionary War. The American victory at Saratoga convinced the French to openly support the American cause, leading to a formal alliance between the United States and France. This alliance played a crucial role in the ultimate success of the American Revolution.  Researching the Battle of Saratoga and its impact on the war requires careful consideration of various historical accounts and perspectives. Summary Response to Lesson Question: Studying the American Revolutionary War can be tricky because there is a lot of one-sided information, many different original sources, and various opinions from people who lived during that time. To tell interesting stories about history, researchers need to carefully look at information that tries to persuade people, use original sources, think about the perspectives of people who were loyal to the British, study important events like the Battle of Saratoga, learn about key moments in diplomacy like the Treaty of Paris, and understand how the Continental Congress worked. By dealing with these challenges and bringing together evidence from many different angles, researchers can create really interesting stories that show how complex and important the Revolutionary War was. Lesson 3.4: Who Won the American Revolution? Essential Question: In the study of history, conflicts are often distilled to winners and losers. This can gloss over various subtleties that should be further examined. How revolutionary was the American Revolution, and who would be included and excluded from the benefits of winning the war? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Women in the Women played various roles during the American American Revolution, including as nurses, spies, and supporters of the Revolution patriot cause. Their contributions were significant in sustaining the revolutionary movement and shaping the early American society. - Time Period: American Revolution (1775-1783) African Americans in the African Americans participated in the American Revolution American on both the British and American sides. Their involvement Revolution raised questions about freedom and equality, and their actions contributed to the discourse on slavery and liberty in the newly formed United States. Native Americans in the Native American tribes were divided in their loyalties during American the American Revolution, with some supporting the British Revolution and others aligning with the Patriots. The war's outcome had significant implications for Native American land and autonomy. Impact of the American The American Revolution raised debates about the Revolution on institution of slavery and its compatibility with the ideals of Slavery liberty and independence. It set in motion discussions and movements that would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery in the United States. Summary Response to Lesson Question: The American Revolution was indeed revolutionary in its impact on various aspects of American society. It not only led to political independence but also sparked discussions about freedom, equality, and rights for different groups, including women, African Americans, and Native Americans. The war's winners and losers extended beyond the battlefield, shaping the trajectory of the United States and its ongoing pursuit of inclusive democracy and societal progress. Lesson 3.5: The Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution Essential Question: Explain why the Articles of Confederation proved too weak to meet the needs of the 13 new states. Describe at least two examples of how the U.S. Constitution addresses those weaknesses. Are there any shortcomings of the Constitution? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea State Constitution Refers to the fundamental law of a state that sets out its government's framework and principal functions. State constitutions are supreme and must not contradict the U.S. Constitution. An example is the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, which influenced the crafting of the U.S. Constitution. House of Representatives The lower house of the United States Congress has the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an electoral college tie. The establishment of the House of Representatives was a response to the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which lacked a strong federal legislature. shays rebellion An armed uprising in Massachusetts (1786-1787) led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays. It was caused by economic hardship and the enforcement of tax collections. The rebellion exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation in dealing with domestic uprisings and highlighted the need for a stronger national government. ⅗ compromise A constitutional agreement during the 1787 Constitutional Convention determined how enslaved individuals would be counted for representation and taxation purposes. Each enslaved person would count as three-fifths of a free person. This compromise addressed the issue of how to count the enslaved population in the apportionment of representatives and taxation, but it also perpetuated the institution of slavery. Summary Response to Lesson Question: The first plan for how the United States would be run, called the Articles of Confederation, didn't work well because it didn't give enough power to the central government, couldn't control trade between states, and had trouble getting money. So, the U.S. Constitution was written to fix these problems. It set up a two-part Congress, gave more power to the national government, and made rules for trade and taxes. However, the Constitution also had some problems, like not dealing with slavery and not protecting individual rights enough. So, the Bill of Rights was added to fix those issues. Lesson 3.6: Federalists and Anti-Federalists Essential Question: When the new U.S. Constitution was offered for ratification two sides manifested, those who opposed it and those who supported it. How did Anti-Federalists and Federalists differ in their perspectives on the new Constitution and how valid were their positions? Terms Definition and Significance Course Big *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Idea The formal approval of the U.S. Constitution by Ratification the states. It involved debates and votes in state conventions, highlighting differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Compromises were made, leading to the adoption of the Constitution with the promise of a Bill of Rights. Centralized Power Centralized power refers to authority and decision-making at the national level, as opposed to decentralized power held by individual states. This debate shaped the principles of federalism in the U.S. government. Individual liberties Individual liberties include rights and freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, and protection against government intrusion. The Anti-Federalists emphasized the importance of protecting individual liberties, which influenced the inclusion of specific rights in the Bill of Rights and the broader concept of civil liberties in the United States. Summary Response to Lesson Question: The Federalists and Anti-Federalists had different views on the new U.S. Constitution. The Federalists wanted a strong central government and supported the Constitution, while the Anti-Federalists were concerned about too much power being held by the central government and wanted a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties. The compromises they reached, like adding the Bill of Rights, helped shape the basic rules of the U.S. government. Lesson 3.7: Jeffersonian Vision and the Louisiana Purchase Essential Question: The ideals of leaders are often tested as they exercise their judgment in decision-making. How did Thomas Jefferson fare in keeping true to his Anti-Federalist/Republican beliefs when they came into conflict with political realities as president? Terms Definition and Significance Course *Include Time Period and/or Date(s) Big Idea Louisiana Purchase The United States acquired the Louisiana Territory from France, doubling the size of the country. This significant land deal was a major success for President Thomas Jefferson, despite conflicting with his strict interpretation of the Constitution as an anti-Federalist/Republican. Strict Constructionism The Constitution should be interpreted narrowly, with the federal government only possessing powers explicitly granted by the document. Jefferson, as an Anti-Federalist/Republican, adhered to this philosophy, but its application was challenged by the Louisiana Purchase, requiring him to navigate a potential conflict of principles and practicality.. Embargo Act of 1807 Enacted under Jefferson's presidency, the Embargo Act aimed to pressure Britain and France by prohibiting American ships from trading in foreign ports. However, the act had detrimental effects on the American economy, illustrating the challenges of reconciling  Anti-Federalist/Republican principles with practical foreign policy decisions. Westward Expansion The movement of settlers and the acquisition of new territories beyond the original U.S. borders. This expansion presented Jefferson with the challenge of upholding Anti-Federalist/Republican principles while addressing the practical realities of governing and integrating new lands into the United States. Summary Response to Lesson Question: Thomas Jefferson faced significant challenges in maintaining his Anti-Federalist/Republican beliefs while navigating the practical realities of governance during his presidency. The Louisiana Purchase, the Embargo Act of 1807, and the broader issue of westward expansion tested Jefferson's commitment to strict constructionism and decentralized government. These events highlighted the complexities of translating ideological principles into effective governance and left a lasting legacy on American politics. Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Describe the socio-political environment in the colonies in the early 1770s Explain the purpose of the Tea Act of 1773 and discuss colonial reactions to it Identify and describe the Coercive Acts The Tea Act of 1773 triggered a reaction with far more significant consequences than either the 1765 Stamp Act or the 1767 Townshend Acts. Colonists who had joined in protest against those earlier acts renewed their efforts in 1773. They understood that Parliament had again asserted its right to impose taxes without representation, and they feared the Tea Act was designed to seduce them into conceding this important principle by lowering the price of tea to the point that colonists might abandon their scruples. They also deeply resented the East India Company’s monopoly on the sale of tea in the American colonies; this resentment sprang from the knowledge that some members of Parliament had invested heavily in the company. SMOLDERING RESENTMENT Even after the partial repeal of the Townshend duties, however, suspicion of Parliament’s intentions remained high. This was especially true in port cities like Boston and New York, where British customs agents were a daily irritant and reminder of British power. In public houses and squares, people met and discussed politics. Philosopher John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government, published almost a century earlier, influenced political thought about the role of government to protect life, liberty, and property. The Sons of Liberty issued propaganda ensuring that colonists remained aware when Parliament overreached itself. Violence continued to break out on occasion, as in 1772, when Rhode Island colonists boarded and burned the British revenue ship Gaspée in Narragansett Bay (Figure 5.12). Colonists had attacked or burned British customs ships in the past, but after the Gaspée Affair, the British government convened a Royal Commission of Inquiry. This Commission had the authority to remove the colonists, who were charged with treason, to Great Britain for trial. Some colonial protestors saw this new ability as another example of the overreach of British power. Figure 5.12 This 1883 engraving, which appeared in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, depicts the burning of the Gaspée. This attack provoked the British government to convene a Royal Commission of Inquiry; some regarded the Commission as an example of excessive British power and control over the colonies. Samuel Adams, along with Joseph Warren and James Otis, re-formed the Boston Committee of Correspondence, which functioned as a form of shadow government, to address the fear of British overreach. Soon towns all over Massachusetts had formed their own committees, and many other colonies followed suit. These committees, which had between seven and eight thousand members in all, identified enemies of the movement and communicated the news of the day. Sometimes they provided a version of events that differed from royal interpretations, and slowly, the committees began to supplant royal governments as sources of information. They later formed the backbone of communication among the colonies in the rebellion against the Tea Act, and eventually in the revolt against the British crown. THE TEA ACT OF 1773 Parliament did not enact the Tea Act of 1773 in order to punish the colonists, assert parliamentary power, or even raise revenues. Rather, the act was a straightforward order of economic protectionism for a British tea firm, the East India Company, that was on the verge of bankruptcy. In the colonies, tea was the one remaining consumer good subject to the hated Townshend duties. Protest leaders and their followers still avoided British tea, drinking smuggled Dutch tea as a sign of patriotism. The Tea Act of 1773 gave the British East India Company the ability to export its tea directly to the colonies without paying import or export duties and without using middlemen in either Great Britain or the colonies. Even with the Townshend tax, the act would allow the East India Company to sell its tea at lower prices than the smuggled Dutch tea, thus undercutting the smuggling trade. This act was unwelcome to those in British North America who had grown displeased with the pattern of imperial measures. By granting a monopoly to the East India Company, the act not only cut out colonial merchants who would otherwise sell the tea themselves; it also reduced their profits from smuggled foreign tea. These merchants were among the most powerful and influential people in the colonies, so their dissatisfaction carried some weight. Moreover, because the tea tax that the Townshend Acts imposed remained in place, tea had intense power to symbolize the idea of “no taxation without representation.” COLONIAL PROTEST: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEA The 1773 act reignited the worst fears among the colonists. To the Sons and Daughters of Liberty and those who followed them, the act appeared to be proof positive that a handful of corrupt members of Parliament were violating the British Constitution. Veterans of the protest movement had grown accustomed to interpreting British actions in the worst possible light, so the 1773 act appeared to be part of a large conspiracy against liberty. As they had done to protest earlier acts and taxes, colonists responded to the Tea Act with a boycott. The Committees of Correspondence helped to coordinate resistance in all of the colonial port cities, so up and down the East Coast, British tea-carrying ships were unable to come to shore and unload their wares. In Charlestown, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York, the equivalent of millions of dollars’ worth of tea was held hostage, either locked in storage warehouses or rotting in the holds of ships as they were forced to sail back to Great Britain. In Boston, Thomas Hutchinson, now the royal governor of Massachusetts, vowed that radicals like Samuel Adams would not keep the ships from unloading their cargo. He urged the merchants who would have accepted the tea from the ships to stand their ground and receive the tea once it had been unloaded. When the Dartmouth sailed into Boston Harbor in November 1773, it had twenty days to unload its cargo of tea and pay the duty before it had to return to Great Britain. Two more ships, the Eleanor and the Beaver, followed soon after. Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty tried to keep the captains of the ships from paying the duties and posted groups around the ships to make sure the tea would not be unloaded. On December 16, just as the Dartmouth’s deadline approached, townspeople gathered at the Old South Meeting House determined to take action. From this gathering, a group of Sons of Liberty and their followers approached the three ships. Some were disguised as Mohawks. Protected by a crowd of spectators, they systematically dumped all the tea into the harbor, destroying goods worth almost $1 million in today’s dollars, a very significant loss. This act soon inspired further acts of resistance up and down the East Coast. However, not all colonists, and not even all Patriots, supported the dumping of the tea. The wholesale destruction of property shocked people on both sides of the Atlantic. CLICK AND EXPLORE To learn more about the Boston Tea Party, explore the extensive resources in the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum collection of articles, photos, and video. At the museum itself, you can board replicas of the Eleanor and the Beaver and experience a recreation of the dumping of the tea. PARLIAMENT RESPONDS: THE COERCIVE ACTS In London, response to the destruction of the tea was swift and strong. The violent destruction of property infuriated King George III and the prime minister, Lord North (Figure 5.13), who insisted the loss be repaid. Though some American merchants put forward a proposal for restitution, the Massachusetts Assembly refused to make payments. Massachusetts’s resistance to British authority united different factions in Great Britain against the colonies. North had lost patience with the unruly British subjects in Boston. He declared: “The Americans have tarred and feathered your subjects, plundered your merchants, burnt your ships, denied all obedience to your laws and authority; yet so clement and so long forbearing has our conduct been that it is incumbent on us now to take a different course. Whatever may be the consequences, we must risk something; if we do not, all is over.” Both Parliament and the king agreed that Massachusetts should be forced to both pay for the tea and yield to British authority. Figure 5.13 Lord North, seen here in Portrait of Frederick North, Lord North (1773–1774), painted by Nathaniel Dance, was prime minister at the time of the destruction of the tea and insisted that Massachusetts make good on the loss. In early 1774, leaders in Parliament responded with a set of four measures designed to punish Massachusetts, commonly known at the Coercive Acts. The Boston Port Act shut down Boston Harbor until the East India Company was repaid. The 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. The 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. This act was especially infuriating to John Adams and others who emphasized the time-honored rule of law. They saw this part of the Coercive Acts as striking at the heart of fair and equitable justice. Finally, the Quartering Act encompassed all the colonies and allowed British troops to be housed in occupied buildings. At the same time, Parliament also passed the Quebec Act, which expanded the boundaries of Quebec westward and extended religious tolerance to Roman Catholics in the province. For many Protestant colonists, especially Congregationalists in New England, this forced tolerance of Catholicism was the most objectionable provision of the act. Additionally, expanding the boundaries of Quebec raised troubling questions for many colonists who eyed the West, hoping to expand the boundaries of their provinces. The Quebec Act appeared gratuitous, a slap in the face to colonists already angered by the Coercive Acts. American Patriots renamed the Coercive and Quebec measures the Intolerable Acts. Some in London also thought the acts went too far; see the cartoon “The Able Doctor, or America Swallowing the Bitter Draught” (Figure 5.14) for one British view of what Parliament was doing to the colonies. Meanwhile, punishments designed to hurt only one colony (Massachusetts, in this case) had the effect of mobilizing all the colonies to its side. The Committees of Correspondence had already been active in coordinating an approach to the Tea Act. Now the talk would turn to these new, intolerable assaults on the colonists’ rights as British subjects. Figure 5.14 The artist of “The Able Doctor, or America Swallowing the Bitter Draught” (London Magazine, May 1, 1774) targets select members of Parliament as the perpetrators of a devilish scheme to overturn the constitution; this is why Mother Britannia weeps. Note that this cartoon came from a British publication; Great Britain was not united in support of Parliament’s policies toward the American colonies. Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Describe the state of affairs between the colonies and the home government in 1774  Explain the purpose and results of the First Continental Congress Disaffection—the loss of affection toward the home government—had reached new levels by 1774. Many colonists viewed the Intolerable Acts as a turning point; they now felt they had to take action. The result was the First Continental Congress, a direct challenge to Lord North and British authority in the colonies. Still, it would be a mistake to assume there was a groundswell of support for separating from the British Empire and creating a new, independent nation. Strong ties still bound the Empire together, and colonists did not agree about the proper response. Loyalists tended to be property holders, established residents who feared the loss of their property. To them the protests seemed to promise nothing but mob rule, and the violence and disorder they provoked were shocking. On both sides of the Atlantic, opinions varied. After the passage of the Intolerable Acts in 1774, the Committees of Correspondence and the Sons of Liberty went straight to work, spreading warnings about how the acts would affect the liberty of all colonists, not just urban merchants and laborers. The Massachusetts Government Act had shut down the colonial government there, but resistance-minded colonists began meeting in extralegal assemblies. One of these assemblies, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, passed the Suffolk Resolves in September 1774, which laid out a plan of resistance to the Intolerable Acts. Meanwhile, the First Continental Congress was convening to discuss how to respond to the acts themselves. The First Continental Congress was made up of elected representatives of twelve of the thirteen American colonies. (Georgia’s royal governor blocked the move to send representatives from that colony, an indication of the continued strength of the royal government despite the crisis.) The representatives met in Philadelphia from September 5 through October 26, 1774, and at first they did not agree at all about the appropriate response to the Intolerable Acts. Joseph Galloway of Pennsylvania argued for a conciliatory approach; he proposed that an elected Grand Council in America, like the Parliament in Great Britain, should be paired with a royally appointed President General, who would represent the authority of the Crown. More radical factions argued for a move toward separation from the Crown. In the end, 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. In the Declaration and Resolves, adopted on October 14, the colonists demanded the repeal of all repressive acts passed since 1773 and agreed to a non-importation, non-exportation, and non-consumption pact against all British goods until the acts were repealed. In the “Petition of Congress to the King” on October 24, the delegates adopted a further recommendation of the Suffolk Resolves and proposed that the colonies raise and regulate their own militias. The representatives at the First Continental Congress created a Continental Association to ensure that the full boycott was enforced across all the colonies. The Continental Association served as an umbrella group for colonial and local committees of observation and inspection. By taking these steps, the First Continental Congress established a governing network in opposition to royal authority. CLICK AND EXPLORE Visit the Massachusetts Historical Society to see a digitized copy and read the transcript of the First Continental Congress’s petition to King George. DEFINING AMERICAN The First List of Un-American Activities In her book Toward A More Perfect Union: Virtue and the Formation of American Republics, historian Ann Fairfax Withington explores actions the delegates to the First Continental Congress took during the weeks they were together. Along with their efforts to bring about the repeal of the Intolerable Acts, the delegates also banned certain activities they believed would undermine their fight against what they saw as British corruption. In particular, the delegates prohibited horse races, cockfights, the theater, and elaborate funerals. The reasons for these prohibitions provide insight into the state of affairs in 1774. Both horse races and cockfights encouraged gambling and, for the delegates, gambling threatened to prevent the unity of action and purpose they desired. In addition, cockfighting appeared immoral and corrupt because the roosters were fitted with razors and fought to the death (Figure 5.15). Figure 5.15 Cockfights, as depicted in The Cockpit (1759) by British artist and engraver William Hogarth, were among the entertainments the First Continental Congress sought to outlaw, considering them un-American. The ban on the theater aimed to do away with another corrupt British practice. Critics had long believed that theatrical performances drained money from working people. Moreover, they argued, theatergoers learned to lie and deceive from what they saw on stage. The delegates felt banning the theater would demonstrate their resolve to act honestly and without pretence in their fight against corruption. Finally, eighteenth-century mourning practices often required lavish spending on luxury items and even the employment of professional mourners who, for a price, would shed tears at the grave. Prohibiting these practices reflected the idea that luxury bred corruption, and the First Continental Congress wanted to demonstrate that the colonists would do without British vices. Congress emphasized the need to be frugal and self-sufficient when confronted with corruption. The First Continental Congress banned all four activities—horse races, cockfights, the theater, and elaborate funerals—and entrusted the Continental Association with enforcement. Rejecting what they saw as corruption coming from Great Britain, the delegates were also identifying themselves as standing apart from their British relatives. They cast themselves as virtuous defenders of liberty against a corrupt Parliament. In the Declaration and Resolves and the Petition of Congress to the King, the delegates to the First Continental Congress refer to George III as “Most Gracious Sovereign” and to themselves as “inhabitants of the English colonies in North America” or “inhabitants of British America,” indicating that they still considered themselves British subjects of the king, not American citizens. At the same time, however, they were slowly moving away from British authority, creating their own de facto government in the First Continental Congress. One of the provisions of the Congress was that it meet again in one year to mark its progress; the Congress was becoming an elected government. Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Explain how Great Britain’s response to the destruction of a British shipment of tea in Boston Harbor in 1773 set the stage for the Revolution Describe the beginnings of the American Revolution Figure 6.2 Great Britain pursued a policy of law and order when dealing with the crises in the colonies in the late 1760s and 1770s. Relations between the British and many American Patriots worsened over the decade, culminating in an unruly mob destroying a fortune in tea by dumping it into Boston Harbor in December 1773 as a protest against British tax laws. The harsh British response to this act in 1774, which included sending British troops to Boston and closing Boston Harbor, caused tensions and resentments to escalate further. The British tried to disarm the insurgents in Massachusetts by confiscating their weapons and ammunition and arresting the leaders of the patriotic movement. However, this effort faltered on April 19, when Massachusetts militias and British troops fired on each other as British troops marched to Lexington and Concord, an event immortalized by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson as the “shot heard round the world.” The American Revolution had begun. ON THE EVE OF REVOLUTION The decade from 1763 to 1774 was a difficult one for the British Empire. Although Great Britain had defeated the French in the French and Indian War, the debt from that conflict remained a stubborn and seemingly unsolvable problem for both Great Britain and the colonies. Great Britain tried various methods of raising revenue on both sides of the Atlantic to manage the enormous debt, including instituting a tax on tea and other goods sold to the colonies by British companies, but many subjects resisted these taxes. In the colonies, Patriot groups like the Sons of Liberty led boycotts of British goods and took violent measures that stymied British officials. Boston proved to be the epicenter of protest. In December 1773, a group of Patriots protested the Tea Act passed that year—which, among other provisions, gave the East India Company a monopoly on tea—by boarding British tea ships docked in Boston Harbor and dumping tea worth over $1 million (in current prices) into the water. The destruction of the tea radically escalated the crisis between Great Britain and the American colonies. When the Massachusetts Assembly refused to pay for the tea, Parliament enacted a series of laws called the Coercive Acts, which some colonists called the Intolerable Acts. Parliament designed these laws, which closed the port of Boston, limited the meetings of the colonial assembly, and disbanded all town meetings, to punish Massachusetts and bring the colony into line. However, many British Americans in other colonies were troubled and angered by Parliament’s response to Massachusetts. In September and October 1774, all the colonies except Georgia participated in the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The Congress advocated a boycott of all British goods and established the Continental Association to enforce local adherence to the boycott. The Association supplanted royal control and shaped resistance to Great Britain. AMERICANA Joining the Boycott Many British colonists in Virginia, as in the other colonies, disapproved of the destruction of the tea in Boston Harbor. However, after the passage of the Coercive Acts, the Virginia House of Burgesses declared its solidarity with Massachusetts by encouraging Virginians to observe a day of fasting and prayer on May 24 in sympathy with the people of Boston. Almost immediately thereafter, Virginia’s colonial governor dissolved the House of Burgesses, but many of its members met again in secret on May 30 and adopted a resolution stating that “the Colony of Virginia will concur with the other Colonies in such Measures as shall be judged most effectual for the preservation of the Common Rights and Liberty of British America.” After the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Virginia’s Committee of Safety ensured that all merchants signed the non-importation agreements that the Congress had proposed. This British cartoon (Figure 6.3) shows a Virginian signing the Continental Association boycott agreement. Figure 6.3 In “The Alternative of Williams-Burg” (1775), a merchant has to sign a non-importation agreement or risk being covered with the tar and feathers suspended behind him. Note the tar and feathers hanging from the gallows in the background of this image and the demeanor of the people surrounding the signer. What is the message of this engraving? Where are the sympathies of the artist? What is the meaning of the title “The Alternative of Williams-Burg?” In an effort to restore law and order in Boston, the British dispatched General Thomas Gage to the New England seaport. He arrived in Boston in May 1774 as the new royal governor of the Province of Massachusetts, accompanied by several regiments of British troops. As in 1768, the British again occupied the town. Massachusetts delegates met in a Provincial Congress and published the Suffolk Resolves, which officially rejected the Coercive Acts and called for the raising of colonial militias to take military action if needed. The Suffolk Resolves signaled the overthrow of the royal government in Massachusetts. Both the British and the rebels in New England began to prepare for conflict by turning their attention to supplies of weapons and gunpowder. General Gage stationed thirty-five hundred troops in Boston, and from there he ordered periodic raids on towns where guns and gunpowder were stockpiled, hoping to impose law and order by seizing them. As Boston became the headquarters of British military operations, many residents fled the city. Gage’s actions led to the formation of local rebel militias that were able to mobilize in a minute’s time. These minutemen, many of whom were veterans of the French and Indian War, played an important role in the war for independence. In one instance, General Gage seized munitions in Cambridge and Charlestown, but when he arrived to do the same in Salem, his troops were met by a large crowd of minutemen and had to leave empty-handed. In New Hampshire, minutemen took over Fort William and Mary and confiscated weapons and cannons there. New England readied for war. THE OUTBREAK OF FIGHTING Throughout late 1774 and into 1775, tensions in New England continued to mount. General Gage knew that a powder magazine was stored in Concord, Massachusetts, and on April 19, 1775, he ordered troops to seize these munitions. Instructions from London called for the arrest of rebel leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Hoping for secrecy, his troops left Boston under cover of darkness, but riders from Boston let the militias know of the British plans. (Paul Revere was one of these riders, but the British captured him and he never finished his ride. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow memorialized Revere in his 1860 poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” incorrectly implying that he made it all the way to Concord.) Minutemen met the British troops and skirmished with them, first at Lexington and then at Concord (Figure 6.4). The British retreated to Boston, enduring ambushes from several other militias along the way. Over four thousand militiamen took part in these skirmishes with British soldiers. Seventy-three British soldiers and forty-nine Patriots died during the British retreat to Boston. The famous confrontation is the basis for Emerson’s “Concord Hymn” (1836), which begins with the description of the “shot heard round the world.” Although propagandists on both sides pointed fingers, it remains unclear who fired that shot. Figure 6.4 Amos Doolittle was an American printmaker who volunteered to fight against the British. His engravings of the battles of Lexington and Concord—such as this detail from The Battle of Lexington, April 19th 1775—are the only contemporary American visual records of the events there. After the battles of Lexington and Concord, New England fully mobilized for war. Thousands of militias from towns throughout New England marched to Boston, and soon the city was besieged by a sea of rebel forces (Figure 6.5). In May 1775, Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold led a group of rebels against Fort Ticonderoga in New York. They succeeded in capturing the fort, and cannons from Ticonderoga were brought to Massachusetts and used to bolster the Siege of Boston. Figure 6.5 This 1779 map shows details of the British and Patriot troops in and around Boston, Massachusetts, at the beginning of the war. In June, General Gage resolved to take Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill, the high ground across the Charles River from Boston, a strategic site that gave the rebel militias an advantage since they could train their cannons on the British. In the Battle of Bunker Hill (Figure 6.6), on June 17, the British launched three assaults on the hills, gaining control only after the rebels ran out of ammunition. British losses were very high—over two hundred were killed and eight hundred wounded—and, despite his victory, General Gage was unable to break the colonial forces’ siege of the city. In August, King George III declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion. Parliament and many in Great Britain agreed with their king. Meanwhile, the British forces in Boston found themselves in a terrible predicament, isolated in the city and with no control over the countryside. Figure 6.6 The British cartoon “Bunkers Hill or America’s Head Dress” (a) depicts the initial rebellion as an elaborate colonial coiffure. The illustration pokes fun at both the colonial rebellion and the overdone hairstyles for women that had made their way from France and Britain to the American colonies. Despite gaining control of the high ground after the colonial militias ran out of ammunition, General Thomas Gage (b), shown here in a painting made in 1768–1769 by John Singleton Copley, was unable to break the siege of the city. In the end, General George Washington, commander in chief of the Continental Army since June 15, 1775, used the Fort Ticonderoga cannons to force the evacuation of the British from Boston. Washington had positioned these cannons on the hills overlooking both the fortified positions of the British and Boston Harbor, where the British supply ships were anchored. The British could not return fire on the colonial positions because they could not elevate their cannons. They soon realized that they were in an untenable position and had to withdraw from Boston. On March 17, 1776, the British evacuated their troops to Halifax, Nova Scotia, ending the nearly year-long siege. By the time the British withdrew from Boston, fighting had broken out in other colonies as well. In May 1775, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina issued the Mecklenburg Resolves, stating that a rebellion against Great Britain had begun, that colonists did not owe any further allegiance to Great Britain, and that governing authority had now passed to the Continental Congress. The resolves also called upon the formation of militias to be under the control of the Continental Congress. Loyalists and Patriots clashed in North Carolina in February 1776 at the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge. In Virginia, the royal governor, Lord Dunmore, raised Loyalist forces to combat the rebel colonists and also tried to use the large enslaved population to put down the rebellion. In November 1775, he issued a decree, known as Dunmore’s Proclamation, promising freedom to enslaved people and indentured servants of rebels who remained loyal to the king and who pledged to fight with the Loyalists against the insurgents. Dunmore’s Proclamation exposed serious problems for both the Patriot cause and for the British. In order for the British to put down the rebellion, they needed the support of Virginia’s landowners, many of whom enslaved people.