Term
| Briefly describe the Second Hundred Years War |
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Definition
-Between 1689 and 1749, Britain and France fought three wars
-In North America, the American colonies fought the French and their Indian allies on the frontier in these wars
-Since Britain’s resources were tied down in Europe in these conflicts, the colonies received little aid from the mother country |
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Term
| Briefly the Age of Limited Warfare |
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Definition
-Armies were small and made up of professionals who fought for pay, thus making them very expensive
-generals tried to win victories by outmaneuvering the enemy, rather than risking battle.
-battles were rare, and although they were bloody for the soldiers, civilians were relatively unaffected. |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Albany Congress and the Plan of the Union |
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Definition
-war broke in 1745, so colonies sent delegates to Albany, NY to discuss common defense
-approved a document written by Benjamin Franklin promoting a substructure of government
-Crown probably would have rejected it
-first step toward unified government |
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Term
| Briefly describe Braddock's Defeat |
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Definition
-In July 1755, a mixed force of British soldiers and Virginia recruits set out to attack Fort Duquesne
-ambushed and defeated by smaller group of Indians and French
-British Commander, Braddock, was killed
-Washington stepped up and showed great courage rallying the troops |
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Term
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Definition
-1757 British Prime Minister
-focuses on winning war in North America against French
-concentrated on the following:
1. expelling French from NA
2. buying American support by stimulating the economy
3. treating colonists as equals in war effort |
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Term
| Briefly describe the 1763 Treaty of Paris |
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Definition
-ended the French and Indian War
-Spain got land west of Miss. River
-Britain got land east of Miss. River and islands in Caribbean
-French empire came to an end |
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Term
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Definition
-crowned in 1760
-wanted to play a more active role as the monarch
-viewed colonists are second class citizens
-forced William Pitt out of office |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Proclamation Line of 1763? |
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Definition
-limited colonial settlement to east of Appalachian Mtns
-major point of contention |
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Term
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Definition
-1765
-one pence tax on all official documents |
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Term
| What was the Stamp Act Congress? |
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Definition
-riots broke out in Boston and New York due to Stamp Act
-James Otis and Sam Adams organized "Sons of Liberty" to protest
-Oct 7, 1765 delegates met in New York to articulate their grievances against Britain
-"No taxation without representation" |
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Term
| What was the Philosophy of Colonial Protest? |
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Definition
-Britain could impose external taxes (tariffs) but not internal taxes without colonial representation in Parliament
-the concepts of "liberty" and "property" were interrelated
-owning property gave a person freedom and rights
-power being exerted by Britain could lead to more taxes, etc |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Sons of Liberty |
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Definition
-James Otis and Sam Adams organized "Sons of Liberty" to protest the Stamp Act
-established “Committees of Correspondence” to communicate with patriot leaders in other colonies |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Townshend Acts |
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Definition
-1767, Charles Townshend
-taxes on glass, lead, paper, and tea
-Vice Admiralty courts reactivated
-New York Assembly dissovled |
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Term
| Describe the Boston Massacre |
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Definition
-protest of the Townshend Acts
-March 5, 1770
-Bostonians aggravated British soldiers
-soldiers fired into the crowd killing 5 and wounding 6
-all but two were acquitted of the murder charges by John Adams |
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Term
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Definition
-organized Sons of Liberty
-prominent Bostonian leader |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Boston Tea Party |
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Definition
-Dec 16 1773
-colonists prevented East India Tea Company from docking ships
-colonists boarded ships and dumped 342 cases of tea
-other colonies followed suit
-lead to Coercive Acts |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Coercive/Intolerable Acts |
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Definition
-1774
-response to Boston Tea Party as punishment to Bostonians
-Boston port was closed til tea was paid for
-Mass gov't was dissolved
-New quartering act
-lead to the First Continental Congress |
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Term
| Briefly describe the events that occurred at Lexington and Concord |
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Definition
-Committee of Safety was launched
-Feb, 1775 Mass declared in state of rebellion
-April 18-19, 1775 700 British troops sent to seize weapons at Concord
-at Lexington, 70 militia were gathered
-shot was fired and eight militia were killed
-British pushed on to Concord, but a full battle broke out causing the British to head back to Boston
-British were ambushed along the way back, and 273 were killed
-by nightfall a New England army laid siege on Boston
-START OF THE WAR |
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Term
| What were the advantages and disadvantages of the British army? |
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Definition
Advantages:
1. professional army
2. largest, powerful navy
3. gov't bureaucracy that could handle war
4. many Loyalists in colonies (Tories)
Disadvantages:
1. not familiar with geography
2. difficulties of supplying troops across Atlantic
3. treated all Americans as enemies
4. poor political and military leadership |
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Term
| What were the advantages and disadvantages of the American army? |
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Definition
Advantages:
1. fighting in own territory protecting their own homes
2. had experienced political leaders
3. militia was a means of control
4. 13 colonies were a huge area to conquer
Disadvantages
1. lack of supplies and resources
2. militia were poorly disciplined
3. no navy
4. no centralized gov't to coordinate war |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Battle of Bunker Hill |
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Definition
-June 1775
-Americans laid siege on Boston and established a position at Breed's Hill
-British commander, Gen William Howe decided to charge head on
-British take fort, but suffered heavy casualties
-demonstrated that the Americans were willing to fight |
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Term
| Briefly describe Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense" |
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Definition
-January 1776
-attacked monarchy and gave argument for Americans declaring independence
-tipped public favor toward independence |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Declaration of Independence |
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Definition
-June 1776, written by Thomas Jefferson
-laid out Enlightenment ideas and consisted of a list of grievances against the Crown
-slight alterations made, including slavery issue
-adopted on July 2 and finished on July 4
-did not make America a free country, but defined American goals and causes, giving the army purpose to fight |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Battle of Trenton |
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Definition
-Dec 1776
-Washington makes risky decision to cross the icy Delaware
-Americans catch the Hessians by surprise
-major turning point in the war |
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Term
| Briefly describe the significance of Valley Forge |
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Definition
-British captured Philadelphia and camped at Valley Forge for the winter of 1777
-there they faced food and clothing shortages
-German Baron Wilhelm Freidrich von Steuben trained the troops
-troops became stronger and better equipped |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Battles of Saratoga |
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Definition
-Sept/Oct 1777
-Gen Burgoyne marched south to meet Howe but Howe did not follow through
-Burgoyne's troops and elaborate train got tied down in the forest
-British were surrounded and Benedict Arnold led the charge that caused the British to surrender
-Americans captured 4000 troops and this was the major turning point in the war |
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Term
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Definition
-successful leader of Revolutionary forces
-felt his successes were not being recognized
-tried to turn over fort at West Point over to British
-plan failed so he fled for British lines
-Arnold’s status as a brave, able soldier made his treachery very traumatic |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Southern Strategy by the British |
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Definition
-after France declared war, British shifted efforts to the south
-they believed they could use the Loyalist support in the south
-captured Charleston in 1780 and Gen Cornwallis moved inland
-British tried to subdue Carolinas, victorious at Camden
-British wiped out at Cowpens, SC in Jan 1781
-British suffered heavy casualties in NC in March |
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Term
| Explain the Siege of Yorktown |
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Definition
-Cornwallis retreated to Yorktown with the protection of the navy
-French had wiped out British navy however
-When he arrived at Yorktown he was surrounded by the French navy and American troops
-British surrendered Oct 20, 1781 |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Treaty of Paris (1783) |
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Definition
-Sept 3, 1783
-John Jay, Ben Franklin, John Adams
-Britain recognized American independence
-US gained all territory east of Miss. River
-Americans gave up claims in Canada and Loyalist property |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Articles of Confederation |
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Definition
-written in 1777 and ratified in 1781
-loose confederation of independent states with weak central govt
-no executive branch
-Congress had no power to tax
-Congress exercised authority in diplomacy, Indian relations, and legislating policies for the western territories
-amendments had to be unanimous |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Northwest Ordinance |
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Definition
-1787, declared how states could enter union
-with 5000 voters, they could have a non voting representative
-with 60,000 they could apply for statehood |
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Term
| Briefly describe Shays Rebellion |
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Definition
-1786, western Mass
-state tried to raise taxes and confiscate mortgaged farms
-Daniel Shays led rebellion burning courthouse records
-militia eventually stopped rebellion
-sentenced to death but pardoned
-this was the spark that led to a change in national govt |
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Term
| Who was Alexander Hamilton? |
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Definition
-prominent Nationalist who opposed Articles of Confederation
-Washington's right hand man in the war
-extremely brilliant, yet vain
-had vision for US as future world power |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Constitutional Convention |
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Definition
-1787, Philadelphia
-55 delegates from all states
-led by Washington
-very secret and contentious
1. establishing stronger central govt
2. more executive/judicial balance
3. proportional representation in Congress |
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Term
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Definition
-protege of Jefferson
-created Virginia Plan
-also wrote Federalist Papers |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Virginia Plan |
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Definition
-new plan for national government drawn up by Madison
1. 3 equals branches
2. president
3. federal judges with life terms
4. two house legislature
5. federal govt could veto state laws |
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Term
| Briefly describe the New Jersey Plan |
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Definition
-designed by William Patterson of New Jersey
-favored smaller states
-maintained aspects of Articles of Confederation
-one house Congress with equal representation |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Connecticut Compromise |
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Definition
-proposed by Roger Sherman
-maintain 2 house system
-House of Reps based on population
-Senate based on equal representation |
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Term
| Explain the Checks and Balances system |
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Definition
-prevented 3 separate branches of govt from gaining too much power
-Executive: president
-Legislative: Congress
-Judicial: Supreme Courts |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Three-Fifths Compromise |
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Definition
-slave states wanted all slaves to be counted as one person for representation
-northern states argued that since they didn't have voting powers they should not be counted for representation
-they knew that slave states would dominate in Congress
-Pennsylvania's James Wilson suggested that each slave be counted as 3/5 |
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Term
| Who were the Anti-Federalists? |
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Definition
-older Revolutionaries such as Patrick Henry and Sam Adams
-opposed new constitution, thinking federal govt had too much power
-thought executive branch was too powerful and they wanted a Bill of Rights |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Federalist Papers |
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Definition
-October 1787 to August 1788
-series of 85 papers written to encourage the ratification of Constitution
-Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison
-No. 10 advocated for large, strong republic
-No. 51 explains need for separation of powers |
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Term
| Briefly describe the Bill of Rights |
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Definition
-1791
-first 10 amendments to the Constitution
-response to the Anti Federalist critics
-1st amendments gives basic freedoms (speech, religion, etc) |
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Term
| What was the 10th Amendment? |
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Definition
| -declared that all powers not designated in Constitution are given to the states or the people |
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Term
| What was "Loose and Strict Constructionism"? |
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Definition
Loose: gov't has implied power (Alexander Hamilton)
Strict: interpreting the Constitution according the letter (Jefferson) |
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Term
| Who was Thomas Jefferson? |
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Definition
-author of Declaration of Independence
-prominent leader of the early US (3rd President) |
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Term
| ESSAY: Describe George Washington's life and career and what factors made him a strong leader. |
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Definition
Life:
-born in 1732
-grew up with basic education as a second tier aristocrat
-brother Lawrence married into first tier Virginia family
-Lord Fairfax found favor in young George
-became a successful surveyor at an early age
-moved on to become successful major of Virginia militia
-started French and Indian War
-married Martha and became very wealthy
-head of Continental Army
-stepped down after war, gaining trust
-First President of US
Factors:
-strong and silent man with controlled temper
-had great common sense
-possessed honesty, integrity and humility
-embodied the American cause with his strength of character
-willing to learn from his mistakes |
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Term
| ESSAY: The Constitution: what were the issues debated, what compromises were made, how the Federalists won the debate over the Anti-Federalists |
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Definition
Issues:
-Representation
-Slavery
-Distribution of Power
Compromises:
-Connecticut Compromise (2 houses)
-3/5s Compromise
-Bill of Rights added
*The Federalists wrote the Federalists papers to convince the public and added Bill of Rights to satisfy Antis |
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Term
| ESSAY: The three most important battles/campaigns of the American Revolution and why. |
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Definition
Battle of Bunker Hill:
-British attacked the Americans straight on
-Americans eventually retreated but British suffered heavy casualties
Importance- showed that the Americans were not going to run and they were willing to fight
Battle of Trenton:
-Washington took huge risk in attacking the Hessians
-risk paid off as they captured the entire garrison
Importance-major turning point in the war as momentum shifted
Southern Campaign
-British decided to try and conquer South and use Torie strength
-suffered major defeats at Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse
Importance-British suffered major casualties they could not afford and eventually led to to surrender at Yorktown
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