Albany
Plan of Union: Proposed by Benjamin Franklin, the plan was to establish an
intercolonial union to manage defense and the affairs of Indians.
It proposed the development of a new government which consisted of a
president-general, who was appointed by the crown, and a Grand Council which
would create general laws. This
plan was rejected because the colonists feared a loss of
autonomy.
Seven
Years War/French and Indian War: An extended conflict between England and
France (with Spain often allied with France) that extended across the
globe. The Seven Years’ War in
America was known as the French and Indian War. It ended with the British victorious at
the Treaty of Paris in 1763. This
war strengthened the unity among the colonies.
Proclamation
of 1763: Designated the region
west of the crest of the Appalachian Mountains as Indian country.
Colonists had to obtain permission from the crown to be able to purchase
any of this land. This decision
enraged the colonists, who had just fought a war to gain land from the
French. Many colonists simply
moved into the region anyway.
Pontiac’s
Rebellion: An Indian visionary, known as Neolin (known by English as the
Delaware Prophet) preached that the Indians had been corrupted by European
influence. He encouraged them to
relinquish European technology and prepare for a holy war with the English. Chief Pontiac of the Ottowa tribe
coordinated attacks on western British forts, and succeeded in sacking 8 of
them. However, the attacks were
unable to take any of the major British forts, so the rebellion ended in a
stalemate.
Virtual
representation: When the colonists complained about not having
representation in British elections, the British argued that they had virtual
representation. The British held
that, since there were people in Britain who didn’t vote that were still
represented by officials, the same should apply for the colonies.
Daniel Dulany rejected this theory and argued for actual
representation.
Stamp
Act Congress: A 1765 meeting of delegates from 9 colonies in New York City
which agreed that Britain had no right to tax the colonists, arguing that
taxation required representation.
The delegates also agreed to stop importing goods from Britain until the
taxes were repealed, but took a moderate stance and discouraged
radicals.
Declaratory
Acts: Gave Britain full legal authority over
America.
Boston
Massacre: A British soldier was denied a job in 1770.
He called his friends, the situation got out of hand, and a small riot
ensued. The British soldiers fired
into the crowd, killing 5, the first of which was Crispus Attucks.
This event became infamous and further inflamed tensions between the
colonists and the British.
Committees
of Correspondence: Groups created by Americans to encourage the sharing of
information (primarily British actions) and cooperation among colonies. The first of these was created by the
Virginia House of Burgesses.
1st Continental Congress: A meeting of delegates in Philadelphia in 1774, including Samuel and
John Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry.
The general feeling of the group was to avoid war and to use economic
coercion. It passed Declaration
and Reserves, arguing that the British were violating colonial rights and
calling for nonimportation practices.
It also called for Committees of Observation and
Safety, which took over the functions of a local government (organized militia,
oversaw extralegal courts, formed colonial conventions).
2nd Continental Congress: A meeting in Philadelphia in 1775 with representatives from all
colonies except Georgia (heavily dependent on British subsidies because it was a
new colony, but later joined).
Because the common people had an enthusiasm for war, the meeting focused
primarily on defense. Because it
lacked the funds to raise an army, it designated the colonial forces currently
at Boston as the Continental Army, and it was decided unanimously that George
Washington was to command the army.
The congress also sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III,
which was later rejected.
It appointed commissioners to negotiate with the
Indians to keep them out of the conflict and reinstated Benjamin Franklin as
postmaster general (had been fired for leaking a letter from Governor
Hutchinson).
Battle
of Bunker Hill: In 1775, the British fought the Americans near Boston at
Breed’s Hill. The British
eventually succeeded in defeating the Americans (Americans – 140 dead, British–
226 dead). This event prompted
King George III to declare the Americans in a state of open
rebellion.
Richard
Henry Lee: He was a member of the first committee of correspondence, but is
most influential for proposing a vote on independence to the Second Continental
Congress. The resulting vote ended
in favor of independence from Britain after a few months of debate, and led to
the creation of the Declaration of Independence.
George
Washington: He was unanimously chosen to lead the makeshift Continental Army
for America, despite his loss at the beginning of the Seven Years War, and
served without salary.
Battle
of Quebec: Led by General Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold (American)
in 1775, the initial assault on this British city failed.
The siege was broken shortly after by British reinforcements, and the
Americans were forced out of Canada.
Treaty
of Paris, 1763: Signed at the Conclusion of the Seven Years’War, it forced
French to cede all its American possessions to Britain, with the exception of
Louisiana, which went to Spain.
Spain also ceded Florida to England in exchange for its previous
Caribbean possessions.
John
Peter Zenger: He was charged with libel when he published stories
criticizing political leaders, but was later acquitted.
This was a major step in the freedom of speech and the freedom of the
press in America.
Stamp
Act: Passed by Parliament in 1765, this act required the purchase of special
embossed paper for official papers, such as newspapers, legal documents, and
licenses for people in America.
This caused a crisis in America, as high taxes from the British had
already reduced many to poverty.
It was repealed in 1766 as a result of successful nonimportation
campaigns by the Americans.
Nonimportation
agreements: A strategy used by the Americans when they believed the British
would cede to their wishes by no other method. The Americans would organize among all
classes an agreement not to import certain commodities from Britain. This technique had its greatest effect
when the British agreed to repeal the Stamp Act.
Townshend
Acts: Also known as the Revenue Acts, these acts placed duties on major
commodities such as paper, tea, paint, and glass.
They were implemented by Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of Exchequer
for England, in an attempt to ease the massive debt caused by the Seven Years
War.
Tea
Act: Passed by Parliament in 1773, this legislation was designed to help the
East India Company, which was nearing bankruptcy, to return to its former
prosperity. This act imposed no
new taxes, but the colonists, still frustrated from previous acts, saw it as an
attempt to justify their unfair taxes.
This eventually led to the Boston Tea
Party.
Intolerable
Acts: Also known as the Coercive Acts, these were designed to punish
Massachusetts for its rebellious behavior (the primary motive was the Boston Tea
Party). These acts consisted of
the Boston Port Bill, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Quartering Act, the
Administration of Justice Act, and the Quebec Act.
Lexington
and Concord: The British (under General Gage) had dispatched a force of 700
men to confiscate a store of American ammunition at Concord.
The Americans found out, and Paul Revere and William Dawes were
dispatched to warn the minutemen that the English were coming.
An unorganized force of 70 minutemen gathered at Lexington, and 8 were
killed in the following skirmish.
The British proceeded to burn a few weapons at Concord, but Americans
mistook the burning weapons for burning houses and attacked the British in great
numbers. The British lost 73
soldiers before reinforcements could arrive.
Olive
Branch Petition: The Second Continental Congress sent this message to King
George III in 1775 begging that the conflict not lead to war.
After the King witnessed the Battle of Bunker Hill, he refused this
petition, claiming the Americans to be in a state of open
rebellion.
Declaration
of Independence: Drafted by a committee consisting of John Adams, Thomas
Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston, this
document represented America’s decision to be independent of England.
William
Pitt: He was the Prime Minister of Great Britain and a proponent of English
expansion in the Americas. He was
influential in the British conquest of Canada, and enjoyed a moderate reputation
in America. He took ill in 1767
and was forced to resign his position to Charles
Townshend.
Ft.
Duquesne: This fort was a
major foothold of the French in the Ohio River Valley.
General Edward Braddock was sent to capture this fort for Britain with
two Irish regiments, but was defeated by a smaller number of French and
Indians.
Edward
Braddock: This general was sent to capture this fort for Britain with two
Irish regiments, but was defeated by a smaller number of French and
Indians.
Paxton
Boys: Enraged by verdict of the Proclamation of 1763 granting Indians the
right to lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, this group of backcountry
settlers killed 20 Indians. When
colonial authorities tried to arrest them, 600 more backcountry men marched to
Philadelphia to protest, but violent conflict was
avoided.
Sugar
Act: Proposed by George Grenville (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and enacted
in 1764 by Parliament, this was designed to raise English revenue from America
by placing a duty on sugar that was imported into the colonies and further
restricting colonial trade.
Sam
Adams: He composed a letter of propaganda (Massachusetts Circulatory Letter)
designed to denounce the Townshend Acts, which was condemned by the British but
accepted by several colonies. He
also led a meeting, giving the signal for the start of the Boston Tea
Party. He was a member of the
First Continental Congress.
Sons
of Liberty: Formed in response to the Stamp Act, these were organizations
that engaged in moderate forms of protest, such as circulating pamphlets and
only turned to crowds as a last resort.
These groups had limited political goals in comparison to American
radicals.
Boston
Tea Party: In protest of the Tea Act, a group of colonists disguised as
Indians boarded a British ship and emptied 10,000 pounds worth of tea into
Boston Harbor. This act was emulated in other colonies, but the one in Boston
had the greatest effect on the British, and led to the implementation of the
Intolerable Acts.
Quebec
Act: Established a permanent royal government for French territory acquired
during the Seven Years War. It also
effectively established Roman Catholicism as the state religion in Quebec. The act authorized the practice of
feudal land tenure in the communities along the St. Lawrence River.
Common
Sense: Written by Thomas Paine, this was the most influential book of
the Revolutionary Era. Its most
important effect was the shape popular thinking in favor of independence from
England. Paine placed most of the
blame for the colonists’ oppression on King George III.
This book sold over 100,000 copies.
Thomas
Paine: Author of Common
Sense.
Questions
1. In what ways did the Seven Years’ War lay the groundwork for the American
Revolution? Why was it so important for New Englanders and Westerners that the French threat in Canada and the frontier be removed?
The Seven Years’ war promoted unity among the colonies: the colonies were
originally unorganized and were unable to coordinate an effective resistance,
but when they banded together they were able to overcome the Indians. Since the colonies now felt unified,
they were able to further distinguish themselves from England.
The French were allied with various Indian tribes, which made them a
formidable power in Canada and the frontier regions.
For England to expand further into North America, the French threat had
to be eliminated in both Canada (to expand north) and the Ohio River Valley (to
expand west).
2. How did Americans perceive British actions?
Why were they convinced that the British were engaged in a conspiracy to
deprive them of their liberties?
Americans perceived many of England’s actions, such as their high taxes,
as an attempt to deprive them of their liberties.
During this time, most colonists had adopted a republican attitude, which
warned against the growing threat to liberty of unchecked power and held that a
just society is one that gives the greatest liberty to individuals and limits
the power of the government. The
British implementation of high taxes and, later, the Stamp Act and Sugar Act,
also contributed to the general discontent felt by the Americans toward the
British.
3. Why
did the British start taxing Americans?
Why did they believe their actions were
legitimate?
The primary motivation for the taxation of the Americans was the huge
debt that had been caused by the Seven Years’ War.
The cost of maintaining troops in America also added to this debt. They believed their actions were
justified because the citizens of Britain were also being heavily taxed, and the
colonies were a part of the British empire.
4. What
kinds of steps did Americans take to resist British authority?
Why did they take those kinds of steps?
One of the first kinds of steps the Americans took was the forming of
organizations, both official, such as the Stamp Act Congress, and unofficial,
such as the Liberty Boys. One of
the most effective strategies in resisting British authority was the
implementation of nonimportation movements, in which Americans stopped importing
British goods until their demands were met. This strategy led to the repeal of the
Stamp Act. The Americans also
sometimes turned to violence to resist the British, as was the case with the
Battle of Bunker Hill. The Boston
Tea Party was another form of resistance employed by Americans and emulated in
other colonies. The Americans felt
that their rights were being violated by the excessive taxation of the British,
when they had no representation in the British government.
Since the British would not heed their demands, they employed these
strategies to get their way.
5. Why
was it so difficult to build a unified response across the various
colonies?
There was no overarching government that the all of the colonies adhered
to. Also, many of the colonies had
different viewpoints on certain issues, and often could not agree on a plan of
action. Therefore, the First and
Second Continental Congresses were formed to make major decisions such as
whether or not to go to war with Britain.
6. Why
did it take Americans so long to push for independence?
Why did they finally take that step?
The Americans (especially those of the First Continental Congress) wanted
to avoid war at all costs, especially if the same result could be achieved
without bloodshed. Common
Sense, by Thomas Paine, was one of the most influential books of the
Revolutionary era in that it inspired many of the common people with ideals and
goals of independence. Many prior
conflicts, such as the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Boston Massacre, and the
Boston Tea Party, as well as the Stamp, Sugar, and Intolerable Acts also
contributed to the public opinion that America should pursue an avenue of
independence. The delegates at the
Second Continental Congress realized this, and after a vote, decided to draft
the Declaration of Independence and defy the
British.
7. What
does the phrase point of no return mean to you? Identify the point in colonial-British
relations between 1760 and 1776 and explain why you picked that
event/date.
The point of no return is a certain point where there is no going back on
the decision to do something. I
believe that the Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773) was the point of no return
for the American Revolution because this was the first instance of nearly
outright rebellion against the British.
The Intolerable Acts that followed could only lead to war, as both sides
became enraged and inspired for war.
Plan of Union: Proposed by Benjamin Franklin, the plan was to establish an
intercolonial union to manage defense and the affairs of Indians.
It proposed the development of a new government which consisted of a
president-general, who was appointed by the crown, and a Grand Council which
would create general laws. This
plan was rejected because the colonists feared a loss of
autonomy.
Seven
Years War/French and Indian War: An extended conflict between England and
France (with Spain often allied with France) that extended across the
globe. The Seven Years’ War in
America was known as the French and Indian War. It ended with the British victorious at
the Treaty of Paris in 1763. This
war strengthened the unity among the colonies.
Proclamation
of 1763: Designated the region
west of the crest of the Appalachian Mountains as Indian country.
Colonists had to obtain permission from the crown to be able to purchase
any of this land. This decision
enraged the colonists, who had just fought a war to gain land from the
French. Many colonists simply
moved into the region anyway.
Pontiac’s
Rebellion: An Indian visionary, known as Neolin (known by English as the
Delaware Prophet) preached that the Indians had been corrupted by European
influence. He encouraged them to
relinquish European technology and prepare for a holy war with the English. Chief Pontiac of the Ottowa tribe
coordinated attacks on western British forts, and succeeded in sacking 8 of
them. However, the attacks were
unable to take any of the major British forts, so the rebellion ended in a
stalemate.
Virtual
representation: When the colonists complained about not having
representation in British elections, the British argued that they had virtual
representation. The British held
that, since there were people in Britain who didn’t vote that were still
represented by officials, the same should apply for the colonies.
Daniel Dulany rejected this theory and argued for actual
representation.
Stamp
Act Congress: A 1765 meeting of delegates from 9 colonies in New York City
which agreed that Britain had no right to tax the colonists, arguing that
taxation required representation.
The delegates also agreed to stop importing goods from Britain until the
taxes were repealed, but took a moderate stance and discouraged
radicals.
Declaratory
Acts: Gave Britain full legal authority over
America.
Boston
Massacre: A British soldier was denied a job in 1770.
He called his friends, the situation got out of hand, and a small riot
ensued. The British soldiers fired
into the crowd, killing 5, the first of which was Crispus Attucks.
This event became infamous and further inflamed tensions between the
colonists and the British.
Committees
of Correspondence: Groups created by Americans to encourage the sharing of
information (primarily British actions) and cooperation among colonies. The first of these was created by the
Virginia House of Burgesses.
1st Continental Congress: A meeting of delegates in Philadelphia in 1774, including Samuel and
John Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry.
The general feeling of the group was to avoid war and to use economic
coercion. It passed Declaration
and Reserves, arguing that the British were violating colonial rights and
calling for nonimportation practices.
It also called for Committees of Observation and
Safety, which took over the functions of a local government (organized militia,
oversaw extralegal courts, formed colonial conventions).
2nd Continental Congress: A meeting in Philadelphia in 1775 with representatives from all
colonies except Georgia (heavily dependent on British subsidies because it was a
new colony, but later joined).
Because the common people had an enthusiasm for war, the meeting focused
primarily on defense. Because it
lacked the funds to raise an army, it designated the colonial forces currently
at Boston as the Continental Army, and it was decided unanimously that George
Washington was to command the army.
The congress also sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III,
which was later rejected.
It appointed commissioners to negotiate with the
Indians to keep them out of the conflict and reinstated Benjamin Franklin as
postmaster general (had been fired for leaking a letter from Governor
Hutchinson).
Battle
of Bunker Hill: In 1775, the British fought the Americans near Boston at
Breed’s Hill. The British
eventually succeeded in defeating the Americans (Americans – 140 dead, British–
226 dead). This event prompted
King George III to declare the Americans in a state of open
rebellion.
Richard
Henry Lee: He was a member of the first committee of correspondence, but is
most influential for proposing a vote on independence to the Second Continental
Congress. The resulting vote ended
in favor of independence from Britain after a few months of debate, and led to
the creation of the Declaration of Independence.
George
Washington: He was unanimously chosen to lead the makeshift Continental Army
for America, despite his loss at the beginning of the Seven Years War, and
served without salary.
Battle
of Quebec: Led by General Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold (American)
in 1775, the initial assault on this British city failed.
The siege was broken shortly after by British reinforcements, and the
Americans were forced out of Canada.
Treaty
of Paris, 1763: Signed at the Conclusion of the Seven Years’War, it forced
French to cede all its American possessions to Britain, with the exception of
Louisiana, which went to Spain.
Spain also ceded Florida to England in exchange for its previous
Caribbean possessions.
John
Peter Zenger: He was charged with libel when he published stories
criticizing political leaders, but was later acquitted.
This was a major step in the freedom of speech and the freedom of the
press in America.
Stamp
Act: Passed by Parliament in 1765, this act required the purchase of special
embossed paper for official papers, such as newspapers, legal documents, and
licenses for people in America.
This caused a crisis in America, as high taxes from the British had
already reduced many to poverty.
It was repealed in 1766 as a result of successful nonimportation
campaigns by the Americans.
Nonimportation
agreements: A strategy used by the Americans when they believed the British
would cede to their wishes by no other method. The Americans would organize among all
classes an agreement not to import certain commodities from Britain. This technique had its greatest effect
when the British agreed to repeal the Stamp Act.
Townshend
Acts: Also known as the Revenue Acts, these acts placed duties on major
commodities such as paper, tea, paint, and glass.
They were implemented by Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of Exchequer
for England, in an attempt to ease the massive debt caused by the Seven Years
War.
Tea
Act: Passed by Parliament in 1773, this legislation was designed to help the
East India Company, which was nearing bankruptcy, to return to its former
prosperity. This act imposed no
new taxes, but the colonists, still frustrated from previous acts, saw it as an
attempt to justify their unfair taxes.
This eventually led to the Boston Tea
Party.
Intolerable
Acts: Also known as the Coercive Acts, these were designed to punish
Massachusetts for its rebellious behavior (the primary motive was the Boston Tea
Party). These acts consisted of
the Boston Port Bill, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Quartering Act, the
Administration of Justice Act, and the Quebec Act.
Lexington
and Concord: The British (under General Gage) had dispatched a force of 700
men to confiscate a store of American ammunition at Concord.
The Americans found out, and Paul Revere and William Dawes were
dispatched to warn the minutemen that the English were coming.
An unorganized force of 70 minutemen gathered at Lexington, and 8 were
killed in the following skirmish.
The British proceeded to burn a few weapons at Concord, but Americans
mistook the burning weapons for burning houses and attacked the British in great
numbers. The British lost 73
soldiers before reinforcements could arrive.
Olive
Branch Petition: The Second Continental Congress sent this message to King
George III in 1775 begging that the conflict not lead to war.
After the King witnessed the Battle of Bunker Hill, he refused this
petition, claiming the Americans to be in a state of open
rebellion.
Declaration
of Independence: Drafted by a committee consisting of John Adams, Thomas
Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston, this
document represented America’s decision to be independent of England.
William
Pitt: He was the Prime Minister of Great Britain and a proponent of English
expansion in the Americas. He was
influential in the British conquest of Canada, and enjoyed a moderate reputation
in America. He took ill in 1767
and was forced to resign his position to Charles
Townshend.
Ft.
Duquesne: This fort was a
major foothold of the French in the Ohio River Valley.
General Edward Braddock was sent to capture this fort for Britain with
two Irish regiments, but was defeated by a smaller number of French and
Indians.
Edward
Braddock: This general was sent to capture this fort for Britain with two
Irish regiments, but was defeated by a smaller number of French and
Indians.
Paxton
Boys: Enraged by verdict of the Proclamation of 1763 granting Indians the
right to lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, this group of backcountry
settlers killed 20 Indians. When
colonial authorities tried to arrest them, 600 more backcountry men marched to
Philadelphia to protest, but violent conflict was
avoided.
Sugar
Act: Proposed by George Grenville (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and enacted
in 1764 by Parliament, this was designed to raise English revenue from America
by placing a duty on sugar that was imported into the colonies and further
restricting colonial trade.
Sam
Adams: He composed a letter of propaganda (Massachusetts Circulatory Letter)
designed to denounce the Townshend Acts, which was condemned by the British but
accepted by several colonies. He
also led a meeting, giving the signal for the start of the Boston Tea
Party. He was a member of the
First Continental Congress.
Sons
of Liberty: Formed in response to the Stamp Act, these were organizations
that engaged in moderate forms of protest, such as circulating pamphlets and
only turned to crowds as a last resort.
These groups had limited political goals in comparison to American
radicals.
Boston
Tea Party: In protest of the Tea Act, a group of colonists disguised as
Indians boarded a British ship and emptied 10,000 pounds worth of tea into
Boston Harbor. This act was emulated in other colonies, but the one in Boston
had the greatest effect on the British, and led to the implementation of the
Intolerable Acts.
Quebec
Act: Established a permanent royal government for French territory acquired
during the Seven Years War. It also
effectively established Roman Catholicism as the state religion in Quebec. The act authorized the practice of
feudal land tenure in the communities along the St. Lawrence River.
Common
Sense: Written by Thomas Paine, this was the most influential book of
the Revolutionary Era. Its most
important effect was the shape popular thinking in favor of independence from
England. Paine placed most of the
blame for the colonists’ oppression on King George III.
This book sold over 100,000 copies.
Thomas
Paine: Author of Common
Sense.
Questions
1. In what ways did the Seven Years’ War lay the groundwork for the American
Revolution? Why was it so important for New Englanders and Westerners that the French threat in Canada and the frontier be removed?
The Seven Years’ war promoted unity among the colonies: the colonies were
originally unorganized and were unable to coordinate an effective resistance,
but when they banded together they were able to overcome the Indians. Since the colonies now felt unified,
they were able to further distinguish themselves from England.
The French were allied with various Indian tribes, which made them a
formidable power in Canada and the frontier regions.
For England to expand further into North America, the French threat had
to be eliminated in both Canada (to expand north) and the Ohio River Valley (to
expand west).
2. How did Americans perceive British actions?
Why were they convinced that the British were engaged in a conspiracy to
deprive them of their liberties?
Americans perceived many of England’s actions, such as their high taxes,
as an attempt to deprive them of their liberties.
During this time, most colonists had adopted a republican attitude, which
warned against the growing threat to liberty of unchecked power and held that a
just society is one that gives the greatest liberty to individuals and limits
the power of the government. The
British implementation of high taxes and, later, the Stamp Act and Sugar Act,
also contributed to the general discontent felt by the Americans toward the
British.
3. Why
did the British start taxing Americans?
Why did they believe their actions were
legitimate?
The primary motivation for the taxation of the Americans was the huge
debt that had been caused by the Seven Years’ War.
The cost of maintaining troops in America also added to this debt. They believed their actions were
justified because the citizens of Britain were also being heavily taxed, and the
colonies were a part of the British empire.
4. What
kinds of steps did Americans take to resist British authority?
Why did they take those kinds of steps?
One of the first kinds of steps the Americans took was the forming of
organizations, both official, such as the Stamp Act Congress, and unofficial,
such as the Liberty Boys. One of
the most effective strategies in resisting British authority was the
implementation of nonimportation movements, in which Americans stopped importing
British goods until their demands were met. This strategy led to the repeal of the
Stamp Act. The Americans also
sometimes turned to violence to resist the British, as was the case with the
Battle of Bunker Hill. The Boston
Tea Party was another form of resistance employed by Americans and emulated in
other colonies. The Americans felt
that their rights were being violated by the excessive taxation of the British,
when they had no representation in the British government.
Since the British would not heed their demands, they employed these
strategies to get their way.
5. Why
was it so difficult to build a unified response across the various
colonies?
There was no overarching government that the all of the colonies adhered
to. Also, many of the colonies had
different viewpoints on certain issues, and often could not agree on a plan of
action. Therefore, the First and
Second Continental Congresses were formed to make major decisions such as
whether or not to go to war with Britain.
6. Why
did it take Americans so long to push for independence?
Why did they finally take that step?
The Americans (especially those of the First Continental Congress) wanted
to avoid war at all costs, especially if the same result could be achieved
without bloodshed. Common
Sense, by Thomas Paine, was one of the most influential books of the
Revolutionary era in that it inspired many of the common people with ideals and
goals of independence. Many prior
conflicts, such as the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Boston Massacre, and the
Boston Tea Party, as well as the Stamp, Sugar, and Intolerable Acts also
contributed to the public opinion that America should pursue an avenue of
independence. The delegates at the
Second Continental Congress realized this, and after a vote, decided to draft
the Declaration of Independence and defy the
British.
7. What
does the phrase point of no return mean to you? Identify the point in colonial-British
relations between 1760 and 1776 and explain why you picked that
event/date.
The point of no return is a certain point where there is no going back on
the decision to do something. I
believe that the Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773) was the point of no return
for the American Revolution because this was the first instance of nearly
outright rebellion against the British.
The Intolerable Acts that followed could only lead to war, as both sides
became enraged and inspired for war.