The Loss of the American Colonies 1770-1783

Question 1

How many slaves were there in the American colonies?

Answer 1

They made up 67% of the population of South Carolina and 40% of the population of Virginia, Maryland and Georgia.

Question 2

What was the role of Governors in the colonies?

Answer 2

They could veto acts passed by the colonial assembly, summon and dissolve assemblies, appoint and dismiss judges and officials and nominate members of the upper colonial house. They usually stayed in office around 5 years and were appointed by the British Crown.

Question 3

What was the council and how was it undemocratic?

Answer 3

It was appointed by the governor from the colonial elite and acted as a court of appeal and as advisors to the governor.

Question 4

What was the colonial assembly?

Answer 4

It initiated money bills and represented provincial communities. They could pass laws for the colonies and controlled the salary of the governor although the laws they passed could be vetoed by the Governor or the Privy Council in London. Most of those elected were from social elites.

Question 5

How high was the franchise?

Answer 5

Property holding males could vote, meaning the franchise varied from 80%-50% compared to only 15% in Britain. Women and slaves could not vote but this was normal for the time.

Question 6

What policy did Britain tend to follow in regards to the colonies?

Answer 6

Salutary neglect where the colonies were largely left to their own devices. Only 5% of the 8500 colonial measures between 1691 and 1775 were disallowed by Britain.

Question 7

What were the Navigation Acts?

Answer 7

Acts passed by Britain in 1651 which tightened British control over trade between Britain, the colonies and the rest of the world. Trade had to be conducted through British ships and it established control of fishing rights.

Question 8

What was the mercantile system?

Answer 8

Governments attempted to export more than they imported to improve their balance of trade and increase their wealth. This was often done through the use of tariffs. The colonies produced raw materials for the mother country and provided a market for its exports. Britain took steps to stop the colonies trading with other countries which limited colonies’ profits.

Question 9

What are some examples of the mercantile system?

Answer 9

Tobacco from Jamestown had to be shipped to England first where it was taxed before it could be sent on and sold elsewhere. The Iron Act 1750 forbade trade in colonial iron outside the British Empire.

Question 10

What was the Stamp Act?

Answer 10

It was introduced in 1765 and imposed stamps (requiring taxes to be paid) on almost all written or printed material in the colonies. The taxes were relatively low and would be spent entirely on the colonies.

Question 11

What opposition was there to the Stamp Act?

Answer 11

There were boycotts of British goods, street protests and attacks on officers and buildings. It was viewed as a violation of the principle of no taxation without representation and it was clear that only military action could enforce the tax collection. In March 1766 the Stamp Act was repealed.

Question 12

What were the political consequences of the Seven Years War?

Answer 12

Government needed to be provided for the 80,000 citizens of French Canada who were now part of the British empire. There were also religious issues and a vast change from rule by the French republic compared to the British monarchy.

Question 13

What were the financial consequences of the Seven Years War?

Answer 13

British national debt increased from £75 million to £133 million and the cost to maintain borders increased from £70,000 to £350,000. This was the main reason for taxation of the colonies.

Question 14

What were the security consequences of the Seven Years War?

Answer 14

The new territories had many hostile French and Indian inhabitants and it was estimated that Britain would need 10,000 troops to provide peace and security.

Question 15

Why did the colonists oppose British taxation?

Answer 15

-They thought Britain was trying to extend their power illegally through this and viewed it as an exercise in tyranny.
-They thought the money raised should be spent locally not on an army which would only suppress the colonists.
-They disliked British authority and demanded ‘no taxation without representation’.

Question 16

What was the Enlightenment?

Answer 16

A period in the late 17th-18th century where traditional values about science, religion, political rights and human relations were challenged. Many new works were written and read by American colonists.

Question 17

How did ideology cause the War of Independence?

Answer 17

Values like non-conformity, freedom and skepticism became important and this is a key reason why the colonists stood up against the British rule and attempts at taxation.

Question 18

What were the Townshend Duties?

Answer 18

New duties imposed on glass, china, lead, paint, paper and tea in 1767.

Question 19

What opposition was there to the Townshend Duties?

Answer 19

They were highly suspicious of the successive British attempts at taxation. The Massachusetts Assembly denounced the duties and sent a letter urging resistance to it. 7 other colonies endorsed the letter and this was the furthest the assemblies had gone in presenting formal protest. The New York Assembly also refused to pay for quartering of British troops. Britain increased military presence in Boston from 1768.

Question 20

What happened as a result of the Townshend Duties?

Answer 20

By late 1969, every colony except New Hampshire had organisations pledged to boycott British goods. Ordinary colonists joined in on this, e.g. housewives stopped serving British tea. This increased the unity of the colonists and confirmed their independent identity.

Question 21

What happened in the Boston Massacre?

Answer 21

Tensions grew after the killing of a boy and a battle at a rope factory in 1770. British soldiers then shot at rioters outside a customs house, killing 5 Bostonians.

Question 22

What was the significance of the Boston Massacre?

Answer 22

Boston was one of the largest cities in the colonies and there were weekly riots against taxation on imports. There was outcry after the massacre and it was widely accepted that Britain had gone too far, which also increased the unity of the colonies. Britain ultimately repealed all duties except those on tea.

Question 23

What were Committees of Correspondence?

Answer 23

Committees which collected and communicated grievances. By February 1774, every colony except North Carolina and Pennsylvania had its own committee, which were systems of news dissemination that the British couldn’t control. The colonies were more united than ever before.

Question 24

What is some evidence that tensions had become very serious by 1770?

Answer 24

-Relations between British officials and colonial assemblies had broken down
-Radical activists won more publicity and support like Sam Adams
-The Sons of Liberty gained members and became better organised and more confident
-Strong ideological response e.g. Letters of a Pennsylvania Farmer was published in 1768 by an assembly member strongly arguing against the principle of taxation without consent

Question 25

What is some evidence that tensions were not very serious by 1770?

Answer 25

-Significant numbers of loyalists (around 20%)
-Those actively resisting never exceeded 45% of the population
-Colonies were generally disunited with a virtual civil war in the Carolina’s in the early 1770s
-Years of relative calm 1770-1773
-Even colonists who were angry at British rule mostly wanted reform, not independence

Question 26

What was the Tea Act?

Answer 26

Introduced in 1773, it granted the East India Company the right to export tea directly to the colonies. Americans would pay duties on this tea.

Question 27

What was the colonial reaction to the Tea Act?

Answer 27

It was greeted as another attempt to tax Americans illegally. The Committees of Correspondence condemned the Act and encouraged boycotts and civil disobedience. Tea sent to Philadelphia and New York was rejected and sent back and tea landed in Charleston but was not offered for sale. The Boston Tea Party also took place.

Question 28

What was the Boston Tea Party?

Answer 28

On 16th December 1773, the Sons of Liberty boarded tea ships arriving in Boston and threw the cargoes, worth about £10,000 into the sea. This was seen as a clear challenge to British authority.

Question 29

What powers did the Coercive Acts 1774 give?

Answer 29

-Port of Boston was closed
-The Royal Governor could appoint and remove officials and permission had to be given for town meetings
-Quartering Act gave broader authority to military commanders seeking lodging for their troops
-Transfer of some murder trials to England

Question 30

What did the colonial assemblies do as a result of the Coercive Acts?

Answer 30

They continued to meet in defiance of British law. They met together for the first time in September 1774 as the Continental Congress which supported the radicals. It called upon Massachusetts to arm for defence and proclaimed the right of each colony to determine its own need for troops. As a result, military action in Boston began in 1775 and on 7th February 1775, Britain declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion.

Question 31

What did the Committees of Correspondence do as a result of the Coercive Acts?

Answer 31

They became Committees of Safety and the day to day running of America largely passed into the Committees’ hands by early 1775.

Question 32

How was the Boston Tea Party a key turning point in British/ colonial relations?

Answer 32

-Forced Britain to take harsh action through the Coercive Acts
-Ended the years of calm
-Led to British preparation for war
-Led to the creation of Continental Congress
-Britain changed tact and decided to keep taxation (I.e a turning point in British reaction)

Question 33

What happened at the Battles of Lexington and Concord?

Answer 33

In April 1775, 700 British soldiers were sent to seize colonists’ weapon stores. Colonists’ militia fought back and revolution was spreading to the whole population. The first shot of the American War of Independence was fired and 269 British soldiers were killed or wounded.

Question 34

When was the Second Continental Congress formed and what did it do?

Answer 34

It was formed May-July 1775 and decided it must adopt a national army led by George Washington.

Question 35

What was the British reaction to the Second Continental Congress forming?

Answer 35

They sent over more troops, largely quartered in Boston.

Question 36

Why was George Washington appointed as patriot leader in June 1775?

Answer 36

He was Virginian which helped to involve the Southern colonies in the revolution. They had generally not got involved so far so this appointment created unity among the colonies.

Question 37

What happened at the Battle of Bunker Hill?

Answer 37

In June 1775, advancing British soldiers were mowed down by colonists who fired at them from the top of Bunker Hill. Britain ultimately took Bunker Hill when the colonists ran out of ammunition and fled. However, Britain assumed they would win easily but they ended up losing 1/3 of their troops showing the Americans could show some resistance. This was the first real battle of the revolution.

Question 38

What was the Olive Branch Petition?

Answer 38

A final attempt at peace by the colonists in 1775 after the Battle of Bunker Hill but it was rejected by George III who didn’t trust the colonists as too much British blood had already been spilled.

Question 39

What was the significance of the publication of Common Sense in January 1776?

Answer 39

It called for a declaration of independence and became the greatest bestseller the country had ever known, spreading everywhere to ordinary people and being read aloud throughout America. The simple language used showed that ordinary people could get involved in government.

Question 40

When was the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 40

On 4th July 1776 and it set out that the colonies were independent from England.

Question 41

What were the key aspects of the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 41

-One man from each state was included in the committee which drafted the constitution
-Minimal power given to a central executive body
-Congress could declare war, issue money and regulate the post but it could not impose taxes, this power was reserved by the states
-Congressmen were elected annually and couldn’t be elected more than 3 times in every 6 years

Question 42

What happened at Saratoga?

Answer 42

This saw the first rebel defeat of the British and took place in October 1777. The plan was to lead a force of British soldiers, Hessian mercenaries, native Americans, Canadians and loyalists to meet the main British troops stationed around New York. However, General Burgoyne and his troops were surrounded at Saratoga and the 5895 troops were imprisoned until 1783.

Question 43

Why were the British defeated at Saratoga?

Answer 43

General Burgoyne was encumbered by his own massive baggage train and there was no coordination with Clinton or Howe’s forces who were pursuing different objectives.

Question 44

When did France and Spain enter the War of Independence?

Answer 44

France allied with the Americans in June 1778, motivated by their long term British rivalry, the possibility of regaining territory lost in the Seven Years War and persuaded by Benjamin Franklin. Spain entered the war in June 1779 as an ally of France.

Question 45

Why was foreign intervention in the war significant?

Answer 45

For Britain, defeat of the French became more important than holding onto the colonies and there was also the possibility of an attack at home. Until 1778, 65% of the British army and 41% of the navy was in America which fell to 20% and 13% respectively by 1780.

Question 46

How did foreign powers contribute to the war effort?

Answer 46

France sent over troops, money, supplies and trained the patriots to be better fighters. French troops formed part of the attacking force on Yorktown in 1781 and by 1781, Spanish forced had cleared British troops from the Mississippi Valley. The Netherlands also gave the colonies a loan in 1781.

Question 47

Why was Yorktown important to the British?

Answer 47

Following Saratoga, Britain moved their forces south where they believed there to be more loyalists. Clinton’s assault on Charleston in 1780 was successful but British control in 1781 relied on their ability to control Chesapeake Bay and keep Yorktown linked to New York by sea.

Question 48

Why was Cornwallis forced to surrender at Yorktown?

Answer 48

Washington was able to lead a force of 16,000 American and French troops into the Yorktown peninsula and lay siege to the British for 3 weeks while France held control of the bay. The south was not as loyalist as Britain hoped, France’s ability to hold the ports was better than expected and Cornwallis was left to fight the southern campaign with just 4000 men.

Question 49

When was the surrender at Yorktown?

Answer 49

19th October 1781

Question 50

How did American strengths and leadership cause the loss of American colonies?

Answer 50

-Washington’s control of the army kept the revolution going against stronger British forces
-Washington’s leadership united the colonies, getting the south involved in the revolution
-Franklin’s role in involving the French was significant
-Rebels recaptured lost land as soon as British troops moved on, making it very hard for Britain to control America

Question 51

How is the role of American strengths and leadership in causing the loss of colonies limited?

Answer 51

-America’s first victory in the war was not until 1777
-Army was unskilled and lacked weapons especially compared to Britain

Question 52

How did the support of the French and Spanish cause the loss of American colonies?

Answer 52

-France sent crucial resources to America as well as troops and commanders which could train the American forces
-France played a key role in Yorktown, stopping the British from accessing supplies or escaping
-By 1781, Spanish forces had cleared Britain from Mississippi Valley
-Acted as a turning point where Britain changed its focus to France rather than maintaining the colonies seen in the decrease in British forces in America

Question 53

How was the support of France and Spain limited in causing the loss of colonies?

Answer 53

-Fewer than 10,000 French troops in America and these were largely inactive until 1781

Question 54

How did British mistakes and poor leadership cause the loss of American colonies?

Answer 54

-George III was so strongly supporting his government that it turned many colonists against him
-British generals refused to cooperate leading to defeats at Saratoga and Yorktown
-Britain didn’t send enough troops and underestimated the ability of the Americans to fight back

Question 55

How was the role of British mistakes and poor leadership limited in causing the loss of colonies?

Answer 55

-Britain had a strong army and navy and the first defeat wasn’t until 1777
-Colonists posed little threat to British forces until France and Spain got involved

Question 56

When did peace talks take place?

Answer 56

They commenced in April 1782 and the Peace of Paris was signed by Britain, the USA, France, Spain and Holland on 3rd September 1783.

Question 57

What were the main clauses of the Peace of Paris?

Answer 57

The recognition of American independence and its new boundaries and the division of imperial possessions between Britain, France and Spain. America was able to achieve very favourable terms because of their strong negotiating team and the British concern to cement reasonable relations with America to split the alliance with France and create a possible future ally against France.

Question 58

What were the political effects of the loss of American colonies?

Answer 58

Lord North resigned in 1782 and a coalition government was formed. William Pitt then won a decisive election victory in 1784 and remained Prime Minister until 1801. The Association Movement became popular with demands for constitutional reform in Britain although this died down after the Gordon Riots of 1780.

Question 59

What were the economic effects of the loss of American colonies?

Answer 59

By 1783, the national debt was £232 million and taxes had to be raised to pay for this. Trade was seriously disrupted and stock and land prices plummeted. However, wartime industry had thrived and trade soon recovered, doubling between Britain and Europe by 1792.

Question 60

What were the diplomatic effects of the loss of American colonies?

Answer 60

Britain’s diplomatic power was soon restored and Britain was able to play a key role in the French revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Question 61

What were the effects on the British Empire from the loss of American colonies?

Answer 61

Britain retained Canada and land in the Caribbean, Africa and India. It then began to expand in these regions, which became the Second British Empire, the largest in world history. However, Britain was forced to make substantial concessions to Ireland such as better religious equality and full legislative rights to the Irish Assembly.