American Revolution Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is the mercantile economic system?
A system that cannot trade with any other country
This system emphasizes self-sufficiency and trade within a nation.
What was the purpose of the Stamp Act?
To redeem costs incurred by Britain after the Seven Years War by imposing greater taxation on the colonies
The tax was imposed on all printed materials.
What did the Stamp Act require colonists to do?
Buy all their paper from the UK bearing the official stamp
This requirement was met with significant resistance from the colonists.
What political idea emerged from the colonists’ response to the Stamp Act?
No taxation without representation
This idea emphasized the colonists’ demand for a say in taxation matters.
What actions did the colonists take in response to the Stamp Act?
Refused to pay the tax, attacked stamp men, and burned paper
These actions were part of a larger resistance movement against British taxation.
What was the Stamp Act Congress?
A gathering of colonists to debate and discuss their response to the Stamp Act
This was a unified effort to confront British policies.
What was the outcome of the Stamp Act Congress?
The British repealed the Stamp Act but issued the Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act asserted British authority over the colonies.
What did the Townshend Act of 1767 impose taxes on?
Paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea
This act led to boycotts and smuggling among the colonists.
What was the significance of tea to the colonists during the Townshend Act?
Tea was extremely important, leading to organized boycotts of British goods
Many merchants sought to smuggle in goods to avoid taxes.
What event is known as the Boston Massacre?
An incident on March 5, 1770, where British soldiers killed five colonists
The confrontation escalated from a small argument.
What did Thomas Paine argue was the cause of the American Revolution?
The want for independence, not taxation
This perspective shifted the focus from economic issues to the desire for self-governance.
What happened during the Boston Tea Party of 1773?
Bostonians threw approximately 342 wooden chests of tea into the harbor
This was a direct protest against British taxation.
What were the Intolerable Acts?
Five acts issued by the British government as punishment for the Boston Tea Party
These acts included closing Boston port and altering Massachusetts’ government.
What was one consequence of the Intolerable Acts?
Closure of the Boston port until the cost of the tea was paid
This act severely impacted the local economy.
What power was transferred to a British governor as part of the Intolerable Acts?
The government of Massachusetts was taken away
This was part of a broader effort to assert British control over the colonies.
True or False: The Intolerable Acts allowed British officials to be tried in England.
True
This provision was seen as a way to protect British officials from colonial justice.
Fill in the blank: The colonists were forced to ______ British soldiers as part of the Intolerable Acts.
house
This requirement further inflamed colonial resentment against British rule.
