Information Flashcards
Tea Act
May 1773: Tea Act passed by parliment allowed British East India Company to sell tea tax free to colonies
Made their tea cheaper to boost sales and increase revenue
However, cut American tea importers in Britain out of Business.
Created a monopoly by banning other tea companies from selling to the American colonies
Boston Tea Party
Night of Dec. 16: Members of the “Sons of Liberty” boarded 3 British East India ships dressed as Native Americans
Threw 342 chests holding 45 tons of tea worth over 1 million dollars into the sea
No one was hurt and no other property was damaged or looted
Boston Port Act
Blocked all ships from Boston Harbour except those carrying food, fuel + supplies for the army until:
- Bostonians repaid for the tea destroyed during the tea party
- King satisfied colonists would follow the law + British ships could trade safely
Massachusetts Government Act + Act for the Impartial Administration of Justice
Replaced elected Massachusetts council with one appointed by the king and restricted town meetings to once a year
Allowed governor of Massachusetts to elect judges + sheriffs without the approval of the council
Governor could move trials to different colonies/Britain
Undermined respective democracies in colonies + the right to free trials
Quartering Act
Allowed army commanders to request better accommodations for soldiers in the colonies
Soldiers can be quartered in “uninhabited houses, out-houses and other buildings” owned by colonists
Quartered at the colonist’s expense
Placed soldiers in close proximity to colonists to be more easily controlled
Quebec Act
Extended the borders of Quebec to the Ohio River
Legalised “the free Excersise of the Religion of the Church of Rome” (i.e. Catholicism)
Colonists wanted to settle that land + saw the legislation of Catholicism as a threat to the protestant religion
Stamp Act
March 1765: British Parliment passed Stamp Act designed to pay for the 10,000 new British troops in the colonies
Placed a tax on documents including legal contracts. newspapers + even playing cards
Amount of Tax ( 1.5 shillings - 10 Euros) = 1/3 Stamp Tax in Britain
Paid in British Sterling ( which was rare in America) than colonial currencies
Anyone violating the Stamp Act would be tried in Vice-Admiralty courts which had no juries
Boston Massacre
5 March 1770: British sentry struck 13 y.o apprentice Edward Garrick in the face with his musket
A crowd of 50 Bostonians attacked the soldier, throwing objects and threatening him
British commander sent seven soldiers to assist the soldier, who were also attacked by the mob
By this time the mob had grow to 300-400 people
Soldiers fired into the crowd, killing 3 men + wounding 8 others, two of whom who died later
1st Continental Congress
5 Sep - 26 Oct: held to present a united response to the Coercive Acts
Delegates from 12 of 13 colonies met in Philadelphia
Began discussing fromation of Continental Association
Called for an end to British imports from Dec 1774 + exports to Britain in Sep. 1775
Inspectors would check ships entering and leaving ports + forced colonists to sign documents pledging loyalty
Would bind economies more closely + present united opposition to the British
Agreed to meet for 2nd Congress next year if Britain didn’t meet their demands
Significance of the 1st Continental Congress
Widespread resistance to British Rule
Militia started arming, people openly defied laws, newspapers published anti-British articles
Formation of Continental Association lead to effective boycott of British imports into America
1775: Imports from Britain dropped by 97% compared with the previous year
First successful attempt to unite colonies economically + politically
Show the extent in which colonists were angered by Coercive Acts + Taxation without Representation
Townshend Acts
Altlhough Stamp Act was repealed, the British were determined to raise more revenue from the colonies
1767: Townshend Acts imposed import taxes on porcelain, glass, paper, lead + tea
Essential commodities that colonists were unable to produce or source themeselves
Revenue would pay salaries of colonial governors + judges, ensuring govt officials were loyal to Britain
Colonies responded by organising boycotts of British goods + began harrasing tax commisionors
1768: In order to quell the growing resistance, British troops occupied Boston
Stamp Act Congress
Oct 1765: Stamp Act Congress held in New York including 27 delegates from 9 colonies
Published the “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” arguing that only colonial governments could raise taxes in America
Colonists were not able to vote for the British government + colonial governments could raise taxes in America
Therefore, colonists were being taxed without their consent ( “Taxation without Representation”)
New England
colonies of Conneticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts + Rhode Island
Established by Purtians fleeing persecution in England= very religious + intolerant of non-puritans
Homogenous, english, protestant population living in small villages led by religious leaders
Social life revolved around church; religious rules + customs heavily enforced
Poor, rocky soi + cooler climate made farming difficult
Economy based on fishing, logging + trade
Middle Colonies
colonies of Delaware, New York, New Jersey + Pennsylvania
Included the former colonies of New Sweden ( Delaware) + New Amsterdam ( New York)
Prescence of Dutch, German colonists = more religiously tolerant + ethnically diverse than New England
Larger rivers+ fertile soil mean economy focused on small family farms growing grain
cooler climate = unsuited to larger plantations, slaves uncommon but still present
Location of Larger cities like New York + Pennsylvania = centres of trade + industry
Ruled by elected councils made up of wealthy merchants and landowners
Southern Colonies
colonies of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina + Georgia
Much smaller settler population than northern colonies, living on isolated plantations.
Economy= based on large plantations worked by enslaved Africans, over 40,000 slaves by 1710
Warm and rainy subtropical climate= perfect for growing cash crops like tobacco, cotton + indigo
Needed large labour force that couldn’t be provided by small European population
Political system dominated by wealthy landowning + slave owning planting class
