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| In 1755 the British expelled the French from Arcadia (Canada) who would not swear an oath of allegiance. They moved south to Louisiana, another French possession and became known as Cajun. The word is a derivation of Arcadian. |
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| Rum would be taken to Africa and bartered for slaves; slaves would be taken to the West Indies and bartered for molasses; molasses would be taken to New England and so the cycle would be repeated. |
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| The favored economic policy of most European nations between 1500-1800. It was based upon the belief that economic security comes from exporting more than is imported. |
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| French and Indian War (1756-1763) |
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| Known as the Seven Years’ War in Europe, it was, perhaps the first global conflict. In the North American continent Britain and France fought for control of the Ohio Valley and Canada. The Algonquians, allied with the French and the Mohawks. Other tribes of the Iroquois Nation allied with the British. Britain won, and gained control of all of the remaining French possessions in Canada, as well as India. Spain, which had allied with France, ceded Florida to Britain, but received Louisiana in return. |
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| The British called a meeting during the French and Indian War, to be held in Albany. Only seven colonies sent representatives. Franklin presented a plan for unified colonial government, which would operate under the authority of the British government. The plan as accepted by the delegates but rejected by the states. |
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| Signed at the end of the French and Indian War (Seven Years’ War) and made the British the strongest influence on the North American continent. British gained all French territory as well as Spanish Florida. French land west of the Mississippi became part of New Spain. |
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| Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763-4) |
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| An Indian led by an Ottawa chief named Pontiac. They opposed British expansion into the western Ohio Valley and began destroying British forts in the area. The attacks ended when Pontiac was killed, but warned the British government about the cost and difficulty of keeping the peace on the frontier. Led to the Proclamation of 1763. |
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| British government proclamation that prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. Those settlers already in violation were required to move back east. Settlers looking for land soon ignored the order. |
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| The Virginia House of Burgesses passed a series of resolutions inspired by Patrick Henry condemning the British government for its taxes and other policies. The main idea was that the colonials were entitled to all the rights of Englishmen and could only be taxed by their own representatives. Other colonies quickly followed the lead of Virginia. |
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| Stamp Act Congress (1765) |
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| - Delegates from 9 colonies met in New York in October 1765. They petitioned George III for relief and asked Parliament to repeal the |
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| Radical group of colonists formed in 1765 after the Stamp Act. They incited riots and burned the customs houses where the stamped British paper was kept. After the repeal of the Stamp Act, many of the local chapters formed the Committees of Correspondence, which continued to promote opposition to British policies towards the colonies. The leaders included Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. |
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| On March 4, 1770, a group of colonials started throwing rocks and snowballs at some British soldiers. Some soldiers panicked and fired their muskets at the mob killing a few colonials. John Adams defended the accused soldiers in court. |
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| The British customs ship Gaspée ran aground near Providence while looking for smugglers. Colonials boarded the ship, removed the crew, and burned the ship. Colonial outrage led to the widespread formation of Committees of Correspondence. |
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| Committees of Correspondence |
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| They started at the urging of Sam Adams after the Gaspée Incident. The first committee was formed in Massachusetts in 1772, but soon other states formed their own committees. The committees exchanged information and organized protests against British trade regulations. |
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| Three ships carrying tea that belonged to the East India Company moored at Boston harbor in 1773. Sam Adams ordered colonials to dress as Indians, board the ships, and throw the tea into the harbor. Over 300 chests of tea, which were subject to import duty (Tea Tax), were thrown into Boston harbor and ruined. This event led to the passing of the Intolerable Acts. |
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| The British government closed Boston harbor to all trade except that which was needed to prevent starvation. The act was in retaliation for the Boston Tea Party and was designed to make the colonials pay for the tea. |
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| Resolution passed in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, that stated the Intolerable Acts were unconstitutional and called disobedience, ordered taxes to be paid to colonial governments instead of the royal government, and prepared local militias. The First Continental Congress approved the resolution in 1774. |
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| First Continental Congress (1774) |
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| Fifty-five delegates from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia. They agreed that Parliament had a right to regulate external affairs, but not the internal affairs of the colony. A Continental Association was formed to boycott British goods imported into the colonies. |
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| Created by the First Continental Congress and in response to the Intolerable Acts, it enforced the non-importation of British goods by empowering local Committees of Vigilance in each colony to fine or arrest violators. It was meant to pressure Britain to repeal the Coercive Acts. The Association also encouraged colonies to trade with each other at a fair price. |
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| Second Continental Congress |
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| It met in 1775 and lasted throughout the war. Representatives from all the colonies met in Philadelphia and drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence, which justified the Revolutionary War and declared that the colonies should be independent of Britain. They also adopted the Articles of Confederation (1777). |
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| Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) (1775) |
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| The first major battle of the Revolutionary War. The Continental Army fortified Breed’s Hill and looked down on the British. British general Gage led two unsuccessful attempts to take this hill, before he finally seized it with the third assault after the rebels ran out of gunpowder. The British, who refused to be beaten, suffered massive losses and lost any hope for a quick victory against the colonies. The battle was named after nearby Bunker Hill. |
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| Olive Branch Petition (1775) |
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| Written by John Dickinson it was the final attempt at reconciliation between the colonies and Britain. It was directed to George III and endorsed by the first Continental Congress. The colonies agreed to be loyal to the British government if their grievances (repealed the Coercive Acts, ended the taxation without representation policies) were heard. Arriving in Britain at the same time as news of the Battle of Bunker Hill, it was rejected by Parliament. |
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| Anti-monarchical article written by Thomas Paine and published anonymously on January 1, 1776. The pamphlet encouraged the colonies to seek independence. It stated that the colonies were being exploited by Britain and that King George III was a villain. |
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| Two Treatise of Civil Government (1690) |
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| Written by Locke, government is created to protect life, liberty, and property. In America the word property was replaced with happiness. |
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| Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution (1776) |
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| Stated that the colonies should be independent from Britain. It was adopted by Congress and was the first step towards independence. |
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| Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) |
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| Based on the ideas of the Enlightenment it declared people had an alienable right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It also recognized the compact theory of government. The Second Continental Congress accepted the declaration on July 4, 1776, making the colonies independent from Britain. |
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| Saratoga (October 17, 1777) |
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| Victory for the Americans in this battle was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. After Saratoga the French sent aid to the Americans and the French navy prevented the British from landing supplies. |
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| The last battle of the Revolutionary War. The British commander Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis was trapped at Yorktown on his way back to New York. The French navy, led by Admiral de Grasse, blocked their escape and the possibility of British reinforcements. After a series of battles, Cornwallis surrendered to the Continental Army on October 19, 1781. |
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| This treaty ended the Revolutionary War and recognized the independence of the American colonies. |
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