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The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited Anglo-American colonists from settling on lands west of the Appalachian Mountains acquired from the French. It was put into place because of the fear of Native violence and hostile Frenchmen in the area, the possibility of another war, and the threat the new territory posed to mercantilism. The colonists ignored the act and settled past the border, though, because they wanted better land and disagreed with the proclamation. -
The Sugar Act tightened customs enforcement and increased taxes. This act was put into place to stop smuggling happening in the colonies. The colonists resented this act and wrote about it in pamphlets, newspapers, etc. The colonists wrote about "No Taxation Without Representation," because they felt as if they weren't being represented in government enough. -
The Currency Act prohibited the colonists from printing money. The government imposed the act because colonial currency was highly inflationary. The colonists were extremely upset about this act, because they were in debt, and this act made it harder to pay it off. -
The Stamp Act imposed a tax on all colonial documents, but no English ones. The English government did this to offset sums necessary for maintenance. Many colonists refused to pay this tax because they believed the English had no right to impose an internal tax. -
The Quartering Act forced colonial legislatures to house and accommodate English soldiers during times of peace. The government thought this was necessary because the British troops needed a place to stay while defending the colonies. There was no uproar from the colonists, but they did believe it was another way for England to tax them without consent, and they resented it because they did not want to pay more and house soldiers in their colony. -
The Declaratory Act better secured the dependency of the king's colonies upon Britain. The government put the act into place to keep the colonies under British rule, which displeased and outraged the colonists. They were outraged because they had reason to believe that there would be more acts to follow. -
The Townshend Revenue Act placed taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. The government thought this was necessary because they felt the need to regulate the colonies even more than they had already been. The colonists reacted extremely negatively to the act, because they felt as if they were too regulated by the British. -
The Boston Massacre started when a few young boys were teasing a British soldier, Hugh White, who then hit one of them over the head with his musket. These colonists began to get angry, and so they threw snowballs and sticks at the officer. Backup came, and suddenly it escalated. The soldiers were firing at the Patriots, and the streets were soon flooded with people. 5 people died that night, and several more were injured. Captain Preston and his men were put on trial, but were found innocent. -
The Boston Tea Party happened in 1773, when the Dartmouth, an English ship carrying barrels of tea, docked in the Boston Port. On December 16th, colonists snuck onto the Dartmouth disguised as Native Americans (to show that they were with America, not England), and hurled barrels of tea into the harbor in protest. Some people attempted to take the tea for themselves, but those who did were immediately punished. -
Port Act- closed Boston Ports, MA Gov. Act- revoked MA charter, forced MA under British rule, Admin. Justice Act- didn't let colonists hold trial on British officials, Quartering Act- British governors could be housed in colonies. British did this because colonists were too rebellious and wanted to make an example of MA. The other colonies were horrified, so they sent MA supplies and questioned Britain's tyranny because they were afraid it would happen to them too. -
The Tea Act reduced the tax on imported British tea so English merchants could get an unfair advantage. The American colonists condemned the act and boycotted tea, even throwing barrels full of tea into the Boston Harbor in an event known as the Boston Tea Party. The colonists did this because they were tired of the British constantly getting an advantage or upper hand. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. Tensions were incredibly high in the colonies leading up to the war, and so everyone was wary. The British were sent to Concord to intercept a hidden store of colonial weapons. Paul Revere, Sybil Luddington, and others, sounded the alarm and made sure defenses were set up. The Americans wanted to protect their artillery, and they ended up winning, with only 93 casualties. The British had 300 casualties. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill was extremely important because whoever controlled Bunker Hill controlled the roads and Boston Harbor. The colonists desperately wanted to prevent the British from taking control of the Harbor, but they accidentally took Breed's Hill, which was smaller. It was an extremely bloody fight that ended in 311 colonial casualties and 1,054 British casualties. In the end, however, the English took control of the peninsula and won the battle. -
The Declaration of Independence was a document written by the colonists, for the colonists, British Crown, and whole world. The Declaration of Independence declared that the colonists were free from British rule and an independent nation. It stated why they were leaving the British and called King George a tyrant many times. It is now celebrated throughout the USA on July 4th, the date it was written. -
The Battle of Trenton was lead by Colonel Johann Rall on the British side and General George Washington on the American side. The US won in this battle with only 5 casualties, while the British had 900. The Heissans attempted to escape but they were captured and killed by the US. The Battle of Trenton was important because they taught Washington battle strategies and boosted US morale. -
The Battles of Saratoga, NY took place on September 19 1777 and October 7, 1777. General John Burgoyne was leading the British army and General Horatio Gates (who replaced Philip Schuyler) lead the US army with Benedict Arnold as his lieutenant. Burgoyne was trying to invade Albany from Canada, but the US won the battles and stopped him. This battle damaged British wealth and got France to recognize the US and ally with them. -
The Battle at Valley Forge was lead by General George Washington on the US side and General Friedrich Von Steuben for the British. Valley Forge actually wasn't a battle at all. It was the US winter encampment, and there were 2,000 total deaths due to bad weather. The fighting could not commence because of the bad conditions. -
This battle was the final battle of the American Revolution. It was lead by General George Washington and his right hand man, Alexander Hamilton, for the Americans. British General Charles Cornwallis lead the redcoats. The US won, with 389 deaths. The British had 8,589. Cornwallis waved a white handkerchief to end the battle, and the war. -
The Treaty of Paris was written by John Adams, John Jay, and Benjamin Franklin. It was 10 pages long and officially ended the war and pronounced the US its own nation. It gained the US more land for a better economy, it separated the US and Britain, and it ended the Revolution. -
Westward Expansion was a phenomenon in the U.S. driven by Manifest Destiny, the belief that people had the God-given right to claim the West. It brought the nation together because most, if not all people believed in this idea, and the nation as a whole was excited to claim their land, showing nationalism. Many territories were acquired, like the Mexican Cession, OR Territory, LA Purchase, and more. Westward Expansion opened the doors for innovation and discovery, and strengthened the nation.
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The 3/5 Compromise came to be after a dispute between the North and South, which shows sectionalism because both sections were just looking out for their best interests. The South wanted their slaves to count towards their population in Congress so they'd get more votes, while the North wanted the slaves to count for taxes, as the South had many. The 3/5 Compromise stated that 3/5 of the slave population would be counted for votes, and no new slaves were to be imported into the U.S. after 1808. -
When the federal government tried to place a task on distilled spirits, the southern states and Pennsylvania were not happy. The people of Pennsylvania attacked the home of a tax collector and protested violently during the Whiskey Rebellion. Washington tried to reason with them, but when they wouldn't listen, he called his militia and personally escorted them to settle the protestors. Just by seeing the army, the people of Pennsylvania stopped, and that ended The Whiskey Rebellion. -
The 10th Amendment states that powers not given to the federal government in the Constitution were to be left to the states to handle. The Southerners felt threatened by the federal government and decided to challenge the fact that there was nothing in the Constitution about slavery, looking out for their section instead of their country. They believed that slavery was a state matter, and argued that the federal government was trying to strip the states of their power. -
France began to attack the U.S. ships, and in 1797, President Adams sent 3 Americans to negotiate peace with the French. The French foreign minister refused to show up and sent 3 representatives, known as X, Y, and Z, instead. They demanded money to speak to the minister, and the Americans were insulted. When word got out, a lot of Federalists wanted war with France because they believed that they were not going to change. -
American citizens worried about European immigrants that might side with the French, so they put the Alien and Sedition Acts into place. The Alien Act states that the president can imprison or deport anyone without a citizenship considered to be a threat to the country. The Sedition Act stated that it was a crime to speak or publish any false, scandalous, or malicious criticism or information about the government. -
Democratic-Republicans thought the Alien and Sedition Acts were an abuse of federal power and unconstitutional because they interfered with the states' constitutional rights. The Kentucky Resolution insisted states could nullify federal laws thy thought unconstitutional. The resolutions didn't change the law, but it showed the federal government could be challenged. -
The Embargo Act was a response by the Congress and Thomas Jefferson to increase tensions between the U.S., Britain, and France during the Napoleonic Wars. Britain and France were blocking the U.S. from trading with other European nations, so the U.S. attempted to pressure them into giving their neutral trading rights back. The Embargo Act prohibited American ships from leaving port for any foreign destination and cut of trade with the world. The act hurt British, French, and American economies. -
The British and French were in a war, and so the British would steal American ships and sailors and force them to work for the Royal Navy. The Americans had tried peaceful solutions, but none of them worked, and so the idea of a war was brought up. Democratic-Republicans wanted a war, Federalists did not. However, fighting the British would have been indirectly aiding the French and therefore Napoleon Buonaparte. -
McCulloch v. Maryland was a trial that took place over whether or not there should be a national bank. Maryland didn't think so, and so they attempted to close the Baltimore branch of the bank, and decided to tax the bank. McCulloch, the owner of the Baltimore branch, refused to pay. Maryland won but the case was appealed and sent to the Supreme Court, where McCulloch won. It was decided that since the federal government could tax, borrow, and coin money, a national bank could be formed. -
When Missouri was added, the North was upset because it offset the balance of slave versus free states. This was only one of many disputes between the North and South about territory and the institution of slavery. Maine was then added to the U.S. as a free state to maintain the balance. To solve the issue of the rest of the LA territory, the 36º 30º line was created, states north of the line being free while states south of the line could vote on whether or not they had slavery. -
The Monroe Doctrine was a policy statement written by President James Monroe stating that any attempt at European colonization in the Western Hemisphere would be considered a hostile attack on the U.S. and that the U.S. would not interfere in any European affairs. Europe tried to re-colonize the Americas, and the Americas fought back. -
Turner led a slave revolt that scarred the nation. He was an enslaved preacher who thought he had visions from God, who told him to end slavery & kill whites. Turner & 6 others killed their owners while they were asleep. In 1 night, 60 slaves killed 55-65 whites. The revolt ended Aug. 28, & Turner lasted until Oct. before he was caught. This made Southerners tighten their grip on slaves, & it proved to Northerners that without freedom, chaos would ensue. This event divided the 2 sides further. -
Douglass was born in 1818. He was sold to a BAL family, where his mistress taught him to write. After some failed escapes, Douglass got to MA on Sept. 7, 1838. He joined the abolitionist movement after he read the Liberator. Garrison, the author, went to a seminar where he heard Douglass speak & hired him as an agent. He published a paper, The North Star, & a best-selling memoir in the U.S. and U.K. He sided with the North & fought the South's ideals, aiding in the country's sectional divide. -
The Compromise of 1850 was agreed to after another dispute between the North and South about slavery. After the U.S. added the Mexican Cession and OR Territory, there was much debate about which states would be free. In the compromise, CA became a free state, and there was popular sovereignty in UT and NM, which meant that those states could decide by voting. The fugitive slave law was passed to please Southerners, the D.C. slave trade was banned, and TX became smaller to please Northerners. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act split the territories of KS and NE, and it allowed for popular sovereignty in those areas. NE was okay with the bill being passed, but KS was furious. Pro and anti slavery activists all came into KS to try to sway the vote. It became incredibly violent, and the event is now known as Bleeding Kansas. This was a driving factor for the Civil War, for the Kansas-Nebraska Act grew tensions between the North and South even further, both sections only looking out for themselves. -
Scott was a slave with many owners. 1 brought him to a free state for a time. He was sold to Irene Sanford, who he offered $300 to for his freedom. She denied, so he filed for a case in the MO court, lost, and took it to the Supreme Court. He lost, only 2 out of 9 justices voting for him, being Northerners. Justice Taney called the MO Compromise unlawful, decrying the case. Northern protests ensued, yet the South accepted the ruling. This decision wounded the nation further, leading to the war. -
Harper's Ferry, VA was a rare Southern industrial town, home to the U.S. armory. John Brown, an abolitionist, with 18 other men, raided the armory, trying to steal weapons and end slavery. However, they were caught by townsmen and the military before they could finish. Harper's Ferry unfortunately became a victim of the "brother's war," where citizens of the town had to choose to align with the North or South. Harper's Ferry hurt the nation, and pitted the 2 sides against each other more. -
Before the election of 1860, SC left the U.S. 10 more Southern states followed to create the Confederate States of America. President Buchanan didn't agree, yet he didn't stop the states from seceding. Military still remained in the South. Some reasons for Southern secession include the divide between the North and South about slavery, and the sectional differences between the 2 sides were just too great for them to work cohesively.