AP US History, 2014
School Office: 765-7337
Summer Assignment #1 (This part counts for both APUSH and AP Language) - Read and
annotate The Light and the Glory, by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, ISBN # 978-080073271-4 (available at Amazon.com – you may get the hard-back or paper back. Make
sure you do NOT get the children’s version).
The book has about 500 pages, but it is written like a novel, and it will be much more enjoyable
than the history textbook I must give you.
This book is not and does not claim to be a history text, but it does tell a part of the story
of America. Like any other book, including textbooks, it has a bias. Bias in itself is not a bad
thing, but it is important that you understand what that bias is. We will discuss the bias in this
book in class, and you will be exposed to several other interpretations of America’s past in
various books and excerpts – this is part of studying in an Advanced Placement course.
I want you to read this book because it is interesting, because it goes into details about
specific events that I believe are crucial in American history, and because it will give you a
baseline from which to make your own judgments about historical interpretation. It also gives
you a clear chronological account of America’s early history – from Columbus’ discovery of the
New World through the American Revolution, all of which we will cover in the first quarter of
school.
What to Do : Read and annotate - highlight, underline, circle, write notes in the margins – the
entire book. The point of this assignment is to give you a roadmap of where we are going – this
covers 75% of what we will study in the first quarter. This is a readable book and you should
enjoy it, and hopefully, as we study each era in more detail in class, you will remember what
you’ve read. Do not worry if you don’t understand something – just put a question mark next to
it. As with anything we read, when you come to a word you don’t know, look it up! I like to
write the definitions in the margins of the book, because it seems that I am always looking up the
same words repeatedly. Turn in your book on the first full day of class – 75 points.
A few explanations and instructions about annotation:
1. First, annotate simply means mark it - circle or underline important terms, events, people, and
places; define words that you don't know; write notes in the margins. Using a pencil is
probably best, although some like to use highlighters.
2. You must write in this book! Therefore you must purchase your own copy. I know this
goes against everything you’ve been taught – if it really bothers you to write in a book – get
a used copy. Use the front and back cover "blank" spaces - on the back cover of my copy
I have a chart tracing the ancestors of Timothy Dwight and Aaron Burr. These two
men have nothing in common - except that they were both grandsons of Jonathan
Edwards! (You may not understand the irony of this - but it will become clear to you
as you learn about them all).
3. Don’t just highlight or underline – it won’t help you when you need to find something – write
little notes in the margins. I am looking to see that you have actively engaged in the
text - that you are thinking as you are reading. I've included in this packet a copy of
two pages from my book as an example. I do not expect your annotations to be as
detailed as mine - this is just an example.
4. You will turn in your book the first full day of class in August - I will check your
annotation - for a grade - 75 points. We will also have classroom discussions where you
will be expected to contribute to the conversation.
5. I realize that this annotation thing is probably new to you. Don't agonize over it, but do, as
you read, look for the "Who, what, where, when, why and how" of each chapter.
Here is a breakdown of the chapters in The Light and the Glory and the corresponding
chapters in American Pageant (which is the text you will get the first day of school) and
the AMSCO Review text.
The Light and the
Glory
Chapters 1 - 3
American Pageant
AMSCO
Topic/Time Frame
Chapter 1
Chapter 4
Chapter 1 - focus on
pages 13 - 23
Chapter 2
Chapters 5 - 12
Chapters 3 and 4
Chapters 2 - 3
Chapter 13
Chapter 5
Chapters 2 - 3
Chapters 14 - 18
Chapters 6, 7, and 8
Chapters 4 - 5
French and Spanish
Exploration
Virginia/Jamestown
(1607) Chesapeake Virginia and
Maryland; Carolinas
and Georgia
Puritan New
England (1620 1700)
Great Awakening
(1730s-1740s)
Revolutionary Era
(roughly 1750s to
1800)
Chapters 2 - 3
Purchase a copy of:
United States History; Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination.
Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach.
New York: AMSCO, 2010. (Catalog # R785P); ISBN # 978-1-56765-660-2
You may purchase this book directly from the publisher at 1-866-902-6726. The cost
from the publisher is about $20.00 plus 8% shipping, and it will take 5 to 7 business days to reach
you (unless you pay extra for faster shipping). My students have found it online for much less.
You can find it new and used online. Make sure you get the 2010 edition.
Summer Assignment #2
AMSCO Review Text
Due: First full class day
Our first unit covers roughly 1492 to 1763. In the AMSCO Book*, read Chapters One
through three (pages 1 to 59) and answer the 10 multiple choice questions at the end of
each chapter - Put just the answers (letter - a,b,c,d,e) on one sheet of paper as follows
(20points each chapter - total: 60 points):
Your Name
APUSH - AMSCO Homework
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
DATE
*This is the format for turning in multiple choice question homework all year.
Each chapter includes excerpts of primary documents and essay writing tips; get
in the habit of reading this information carefully. The Introduction gives you an
explanation of the May exam.
- Use the attached Unit 1 IDs (1492 to 1783) as you read - highlight the terms in AMSCO as
you read about them. One of the things you'll notice about college-level texts is that key terms
are not in bold. You have to find them. One text may define a term without stating its name, or it
may name the term without defining it. I'm giving you the terms to help you. You will be
quizzed on the terms, but you are expected to learn the terms on your own and then use what you
know about them to answer questions. The questions will seldom ask you to define the terms;
they assume you know the terms.
The point of these assignments is to give you an opportunity to start reading AP level material
without the added pressure of all of your other schoolwork. Although this is a narrative account,
it will seem incredibly hard at first - there are lots of vocabulary words that you may not know.
Please stick with it. If you take the opportunity to learn the new words as you encounter them,
not only will this reading get easier, but your English courses will too. The reading for this class
will stretch you, but after you've done it for a while your brain will adjust to the higher level.
As you read the Marshall book and the textbooks, make note of what you learn about:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
The differences between Spanish, French, Dutch, and British settlements
The differences between the 3 regions of English settlers in the New World North (New England) v. South v. the Middle (or the Atlantic States)
The role of Women
The role of religion
Relationships with Native Americans
 Immigrants/Slaves
The individual versus community
The Rule of Law
Here are the actual essay (called Free Response) questions from past APUSH exams dealing with
this early time period. I've highlighted (in bold) what you are being asked to do, as well as the
specific references so that you will see that a familiarity with the material will allow you to
answer any of these questions. I do not want you to answer any of these (aren't you glad?). I
just want you to read them and consider them as you read. We will go over these when
class begins - you will get to read scored student responses. You may write out an answer
to ONE of these for a grade, we’ll think about that later. RELAX!
2000 - Analyze the cultural and economic responses of TWO of the following groups to the
Indians of North America before 1750:
British
French
Spanish
2001 - How did economic, geographic, and social factors encourage the growth of slavery as an
important part of the economy of the southern colonies between 1607 and 1775?
2001 - (Form B) - Analyze the impact of the Atlantic trade routes established in the mid-1600s
on economic development in the British North American colonies. Consider the period 1650 to
1750.
2003 (Form B) - Compare the ways in which TWO of the following reflected tensions in
colonial society:
Bacon's Rebellion (1676)
Pueblo Revolt (1680)
Salem Witchcraft Trials (1692)
Stono Rebellion (1739)
*Note - you need to know what all four of these events were
2005 - Compare and contrast the ways in which economic development affected politics in
Massachusetts and Virginia in the period from 1607 to 1750.
*Note - whenever you see a reference to Massachusetts (or New England) and
Virginia, this is a question about the differences between the North and the South.
Massachusetts - Pilgrims - Plymouth Rock; Puritans, Massachusetts Bay Colony
Virginia - Jamestown
2005 - (Form B) "Geography was a primary factor in shaping the development of the British
Colonies in North America." Assess the validity of this statement for the 1600s.
2006 - Analyze the differences between the Spanish settlements in the southwest and the
English colonies in New England in the 17th century (1600s) in terms of TWO of the
following:
Politics
Religion
Economic Development
2008 - Early encounters between American Indians and European colonists led to a
variety of relationships among the different cultures. Analyze how the actions taken by
BOTH American Indians and European colonists shaped those relationships in TWO of
the following regions. Confine your answer to the 1600s.
New England
Chesapeake
Spanish Southwest
New York and New France
2010 (Form B) Evaluate the influence of religion on the development of colonial society in
TWO of the following regions:
The Spanish Southwest
New England
New France
2011 - Analyze the origins and development of slavery in Britain's North American colonies
in the period 1607 to 1776
2011 (Form B) - Compare and contrast the British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in
North America between 1680 and 1763.
2012 - Analyze the effect of the French and Indian War and its aftermath on the relationship
between Great Britain and the British colonies. Confine your response to the period
from 1754 to 1776
So, as you can see, the chance that you will have an essay on this era is highly likely. Keep this
and every piece of paper I give you all year. Think of it as putting your own review book
together. Please feel free to email me over the summer with any questions or concerns.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES HISTORY
Sources: Some of these identifications were given to me by another AP teacher, and some of
them come from apstudent.com. I have modified many of them, so essentially this is a joint
effort.
IDENTIFICATIONS: Units 1 and 2 (1620 to 1783)
Don’t panic – we cover this material in the first Nine Weeks – you will not be tested on this
right away – you will be, eventually; this is just a source for you to use with your summer
reading
Exploration
Christopher Columbus: Spanish explorer who, with the backing of Ferdinand V and Isabella I,
discovered the North American continent on October 12,1492. Though he was originally seeking
a westward route to India, his fleet of ships consisting of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria
reached the island of Hispaniola, which he claimed for Spain.
Juan Ponce de Leon: Spanish explorer who discovered the present day state of Florida in 1512.
Following up on reports of a fountain of youth, he sailed from his colony in Puerto Rico to the
eastern shore of Florida where his party was attacked by natives and he was mortally wounded
before retreating to Cuba.
Encomiendas: Grants that give a person the right to take labor in the form of slaves or any type
of homage from a designated group of Indians. Christopher Columbus began this practice in
Hispaniola.
Colombian Exchange: The exchange of biological organisms between continents. The diseases
brought to the American continent that helped to nearly destroy the native populations is one
example of that exchange. Besides disease, many plants and animals have been brought to new
environments with varying consequences.
Virginia and the Southern Colonies
Joint stock company: A company made up of a group of shareholders. Each shareholder
contributes some money to the company and receives some share of the company’s profits and
debts.
Virginia: purpose, problems, failures, successes: Virginia was formed by the Virginia Company
as a profit-earning venture. Starvation was the major problem; about 90% of the colonists died
the first year, many of the survivors left, and the company had trouble attracting new colonists.
They offered private land ownership in the colony to attract settlers, but the Virginia Company
eventually went bankrupt and the colony went to the crown. Virginia did not become a
successful colony until the colonists started growing and exporting tobacco.
•Jamestown: The first successful settlement in the Virginia colony founded in 1607. Harsh
conditions nearly destroyed the colony but in 1610 supplies arrived with a new wave of settlers.
The settlement became part of the Virginia Company of London in 1620. The population
remained low due to lack of supplies until agriculture was solidly established. Jamestown grew
to be a prosperous shipping port when John Rolfe introduced tobacco as a major export and
cash crop.
Headright system: Headrights were parcels of land consisting of about 50 acres which were
given to colonists who brought indentured servants into America. They were used by the
Virginia Company to attract more colonists.
John Smith: Helped found and govern Jamestown. His leadership and strict discipline brought
structure and stability and helped the Virginia colony get through the difficult first winter. As a
member of the governing council of Virginia he was chosen to replace the previous president in
1608. Smith is credited with organizing trade with the Powhatan Confederacy and leading the
colony through its roughest years.
Starving time: The period early in any settlement’s development when food and supplies are
scarce due to lack of preparation, unfamiliarity with the surroundings, weather, and inability to
successfully grow crops. The starving time usually cost a large percentage of the settlers’ lives
and lasted for the first few years.
John Rolfe, tobacco: He was one of the English settlers at Jamestown (and he married
Pocahontas). He discovered how to successfully grow tobacco in Virginia and cure it for export,
which made Virginia an economically successful colony.
Slavery begins: 1619 - The first African slaves in America arrive in the Virginia colony.
House of Burgesses: 1619 - The Virginia House of Burgesses was formed; this was the first
legislative body in colonial America. Later other colonies would adopt houses of burgesses. A
regular assembly of elected representatives was established in 1619 and further developed in
the Virginia colony in the 1630s. The House of Burgesses was split into two chambers in 1650,
creating the House of Burgesses and the Governors Council. The House was a bicameral
legislature that was a model for our congress.
Indentured servants: People who promised their lives as servants in order to get to the colonies.
The servants, who were usually white, worked for a certain amount of time to pay off their debt.
This practice led to social tensions with such eruptions as Bacon’s Rebellion and was eventually
replaced by race slavery.
Cavaliers: In the English Civil War (1642-1649), these were the troops loyal to Charles II. Their
opponents were the Roundheads, loyal to Parliament and Oliver Cromwell.
Bacon’s Rebellion: 1676 - Nathaniel Bacon and other western Virginia settlers were angry at
Virginia Governor Berkley for trying to appease Native Americans who attacked the western
settlements. The frontiersmen formed an army, with Bacon as its leader, which defeated the
Indians and then marched on Jamestown and burned the city. The rebellion ended suddenly
when Bacon died of an illness
Culpeper’s Rebellion: Rebellion against the colonial government in Carolina in 1677. The
rebellion was led by John Culpeper and was directed against the government’s acceptance of
English trade laws. The rebellion succeeded in disposing the governor and placing Culpeper in
his position, but he was removed in 1679.
Georgia: reasons, successes: 1733 - Georgia was formed as a buffer between the Carolinas and
Spanish-held Florida. It was a military-style colony, but also served as a haven for the poor,
criminals, and persecuted Protestants.
James Oglethorpe: Oglethorpe was the Founder and governor of the Georgia colony. He ran a
tightly-disciplined, military-like colony. Slaves, alcohol, and Catholicism were forbidden in his
colony. Many colonists felt that Oglethorpe was a dictator, and that (along with the colonist’s
dissatisfaction over not being allowed to own slaves) caused the colony to break down and
Oglethorpe to lose his position as governor.
Carolinas: 1665 - Charles II granted this land to pay off a debt to some supporters. They
instituted headrights and a representative government to attract colonists. The southern region
of the Carolinas grew rich off its ties to the sugar islands, while the poorer northern region was
composed mainly of farmers. The conflicts between the regions eventually led to the colony
being split into North and South Carolina.
John Locke, Fundamental Constitution: Locke was a British political theorist who wrote the
Fundamental Constitution for the Carolinas colony, but it was never put into effect. The
constitution would have set up a feudalistic government headed by an aristocracy which owned
most of the land.
Charleston: 1690 - The first permanent settlement in the Carolinas, named in honor of King
Charles II. Much of the population was Huguenot (French Protestant) refugees.
Staple crops in the South: Tobacco was grown in Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. Rice
was grown in South Carolina and Georgia. Indigo was grown in South Carolina.
New England Colonies
Mayflower Compact, 1620: The first agreement for self-government in America. It was signed
by the 41 men on the Mayflower and set up a government for the Plymouth colony in
Massachusetts. This group is known as the Pilgrims.
William Bradford: Bradford was the second governor of the Plymouth colony, 1621-1657. He
developed private land ownership and helped colonists get out of debt. He helped the colony
survive droughts, crop failures, and Indian attacks. He wrote The History of Plimoth Plantation.
Pilgrims and Puritans contrasted: The Pilgrims were separatists who believed that the Church
of England could not be reformed. Separatist groups were illegal in England, so the Pilgrims left
England. First they settled in Leyden, Holland, and later traveled to America and settled in
Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Puritans were non-separatists who wished to adopt reforms to
purify the Church of England. They received a right to settle in the Massachusetts Bay area from
the King of England. Plymouth Colony would later be absorbed into the larger Massachusetts
Bay Colony.
Congregational Church, Cambridge Platform: The Congregational Church was founded by
separatists who felt that the Church of England retained too many Roman Catholic beliefs and
practices. The Pilgrims were members of the Congregational Church. The Cambridge Platform
stressed morality over church dogma.
Church of England (Anglican Church): The national church of England, founded by King Henry
VIII when the Roman Catholic Church refused to recognize Henry’s divorce.
Calvinism: Protestant sect founded by John Calvin. Emphasized a strong moral code and
believed in predestination (the idea that God decided whether or not a person would be saved
as soon as they were born). Calvinists supported constitutional representative government and
the separation of church and state.
Massachusetts Bay Colony: 1628-1630 - King Charles gave the Puritans a right to settle and
govern a colony in the Massachusetts Bay area. The colony established political freedom and a
representative government.
Cambridge Agreement: 1629 - The Puritan stockholders of the Massachusetts Bay Company
agreed to immigrate to New England on the condition that they would have control of the
government of the colony.
Puritan migration: Many Puritans emigrated from England to America in the 1630s and 1640s.
During this time, the population of the Massachusetts Bay colony grew to ten times its earlier
population.
John Winthrop (1588-1649), his beliefs: He became the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay
colony, and served in that capacity from 1630 through 1649. A Puritan with strong religious
beliefs. He opposed total democracy, believing the colony was best governed by a small group
of skillful leaders. He helped organize the New England Confederation in 1643 and served as its
first president.
Contrast Puritan colonies with others: Puritan colonies were self-governed, with each town
having its own government which led the people in strict accordance with Puritan beliefs. Only
those members of the congregation who had achieved grace and were full church members
(called the "elect," or "saints") could vote and hold public office. Other colonies had different
styles of government and were more open to different beliefs.
Covenant theology: Puritan teachings emphasized the biblical covenants: God’s covenants with
Adam and with Noah, the covenant of grace between God and man through Christ.
Voting granted to church members – 1631: The Massachusetts general court passed an act to
limit voting rights to church members.
Anne Hutchinson, Antinomianism: She preached the idea that God communicated directly to
individuals instead of through the church elders. She also taught antinomianism, the belief that
the Gospel frees Christians from required obedience to laws. She was forced to leave
Massachusetts in 1637. Her followers (the Antinomianists) founded the colony of New
Hampshire in 1639.
Roger Williams, Rhode Island: 1635 - He left the Massachusetts colony and purchased the land
from a neighboring Indian tribe to found the colony of Rhode Island. Rhode Island was the only
colony at that time to offer complete religious freedom. Note – your summer reading (Marshall
and Manual) has an interesting interpretation on Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson – most
history textbooks treat these two as heroes...)
Harvard founded: 1636 - Founded by a grant form the Massachusetts general court by Puritans
with the purpose of educating men to preach the gospel just 16 years after coming to America –
education was very important to the Puritans and to New England in general.
Thomas Hooker: Hooker was a Puritan minister and one of the founders of Hartford, Ct. He is
called "the father of American democracy" because he said that people have a right to choose
their magistrates. The Light and the Glory talks about Hooker and Connecticut – pay
attention!
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: Set up a unified government for the towns of the
Connecticut area (Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield). This was the first constitution written
in America.
Saybrook Platform: It organized town churches into county associations which sent delegates
to the annual assembly which governed the colony of Connecticut.
New England Confederation: 1643 - Formed to provide for the defense of the four New
England colonies, and also acted as a court in disputes between colonies.
Massachusetts School Law, a/k/a The Old Deluder Act of 1647: This was the first public
education legislation in America. It declared that towns with 50 or more families had to hire a
schoolmaster and that towns with over 100 families had to found a grammar school.
Maryland Act of Toleration (Act of Religious Toleration), 1649: Ordered by Lord Baltimore
after a Protestant was made governor of Maryland at the demand of the colony's large
Protestant population. The act guaranteed religious freedom to all Christians.
King Philip’s War: 1675 - A series of battles in New Hampshire between the colonists and the
Wompanowogs, led by a chief known as King Philip. The war was started when the
Massachusetts government tried to assert court jurisdiction over the local Indians. The colonists
won with the help of the Mohawks, and this victory opened up additional Indian lands for
expansion (see Mary Rowlandson’s account of being taken captive)
Dominion of New England, 1686: The British government combined the colonies of
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut into a single province headed by
a royal governor (Andros). The Dominion ended in 1692, when the colonists revolted and drove
out Governor Andros.
Sir Edmond Andros: Andros was Governor of the Dominion of New England from 1686 until
1692, when the colonists rebelled and forced him to return to England.
Leisler’s Rebellion, 1689: When King James II was dethroned and replaced by King William of
the Netherlands, the colonists of New York rebelled and made Jacob Leiser, a militia officer,
governor of New York. Leisler was hanged for treason when royal authority was reinstated in
1691, but the representative assembly that he founded remained part of the government of
New York.
Half-way Covenant: The Half-way Covenant applied to those members of the Puritan colonies
who were the children of church members, but who hadn’t achieved grace themselves. The
covenant allowed them to participate in some church affairs.
Brattle Street Church: 1698 - Founded by Thomas Brattle. His church differed from the Puritans
in that it did not require people to prove that they had achieved grace in order to become full
church members.
Great Awakening (1739-1744): Puritanism had declined by the 1730s, and people were upset
about the decline in religious piety. The Great Awakening was a sudden outbreak of religious
fervor that swept through the colonies. One of the first events to unify the colonies. Jonathan
Edwards and George Whitefield helped begin this movement.
The Middle Colonies
Pennsylvania, William Penn: 1681- William Penn received a land grant from King Charles II,
and used it to form a colony that would provide a haven for Quakers. His colony, Pennsylvania,
allowed religious freedom; it was called a “Holy Experiment.”
Liberal land laws in Pennsylvania: William Penn allowed anyone to immigrate to Pennsylvania,
in order to provide a haven for persecuted religions.
Holy experiment: William Penn’s term for the government of Pennsylvania, which was
supposed to serve everyone and provide freedom for all.
Frame of government: 1701 - The Charter of Liberties set up the government for the
Pennsylvania colony. It established representative government and allowed counties to form
their own colonies.
New York: Dutch, 1664 English: New York belonged to the Dutch, but King Charles II gave the
land to his brother, the Duke of York in 1664. When the British came to take the colony, the
Dutch, who hated their Governor Stuyvesant, quickly surrendered to them. The Dutch retook
the colony in 1673, but the British regained it in 1674.
Patron system: Patronships were offered to individuals who managed to build a settlement of
at least 50 people within 4 years. Few people were able to accomplish this.
Peter Stuyvesant: Stuyvesant was the governor of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam; he was
hated by the colonists. They surrendered the colony to the English on Sept. 8, 1664.
The start of independence
Molasses Act, 1733: British legislation that taxed all molasses, rum, and sugar that the colonies
imported from countries other than Britain and her colonies. The act angered the New England
colonies, which imported a lot of molasses from the Caribbean as part of the Triangular Trade.
The British had difficulty enforcing the tax; most colonial merchants ignored it.
John Peter Zenger trial (1735): Zenger published articles critical of British governor William
Cosby. He was taken to trial, but found not guilty. The trial set a precedent for freedom of the
press in the colonies.
Treaty of Paris, 1763: Treaty between Britain, France, and Spain, which ended the Seven Years
War (and the French and Indian War). France lost Canada, the land east of the Mississippi, some
Caribbean islands and India to Britain. France also gave New Orleans and the land west of the
Mississippi to Spain to compensate it for ceding Florida to the British.
Pontiac’s Rebellion, 1763: An Indian uprising after the French and Indian War, led by an Ottowa
chief named Pontiac. They opposed British expansion into the western Ohio Valley and began
destroying British forts in the area. The attacks ended when Pontiac was killed. The war was a
failure for the Indians in that it did not drive away the British, but the widespread uprising
prompted the British government to modify the policies that had provoked the conflict.
Proclamation of 1763: A proclamation from the British government which forbade British
colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, and which required any settlers
already living west of the mountains to move back east. While the Proclamation of 1763 did
improve England's relations with the Ohio Country natives, it greatly upset the colonists. The
whole reason they had supported the French & Indian War from 1756-1763 was to gain access
to land in the Ohio Country. By implementing the proclamation, England denied the colonists
this opportunity. Many colonists became convinced that England did not care about nor
understand the colonists' needs.
Navigation Acts: A series of British regulations designed to protect British shipping from
competition which taxed goods imported by the colonies from places other than Britain, or
otherwise sought to control and regulate colonial trade. The Acts said that British colonies could
only import goods if they were shipped on British-owned vessels and at least 3/4 of the ship’s
crew was British, which Increased British-colonial trade and tax revenues. The Navigation Acts
were reinstated after the French and Indian War because Britain needed to pay off debts
incurred during the war, and to pay the costs of maintaining a standing army in the colonies.
Sugar Act, 1764: Part of Prime Minister Grenville's revenue program, the act replaced the
Molasses Act of 1733, and actually lowered the tax on sugar and molasses (which the New
England colonies imported to make rum as part of the triangular trade) from 6 cents to 3 cents a
barrel, but for the first time adopted provisions that would insure that the tax was strictly
enforced; created the vice-admiralty courts; and made it illegal for the colonies to buy goods
from non-British Caribbean colonies.
Stamp Act, 1765: British legislation passed as part of Grenville's revenue measures which
required that all legal or official documents used in the colonies, such as wills, deeds and
contracts, had to be written on special, stamped British paper. It was so unpopular in the
colonies that it caused riots, and most of the stamped paper sent to the colonies from Britain
was burned by angry mobs. Because of this opposition, and the decline in British imports caused
by the non- importation movement, London merchants convinced Parliament to repeal the
Stamp Act in 1766.
Quartering Act, 1765: The Grenville government built up British troop strength in colonial North
America at the end of the French and Indian War to protect the colonies against threats posed
by remaining Frenchmen and Indians. In March 1765, Parliament passed the Quartering Act to
address the practical concerns of such a troop deployment. Under the terms of this legislation,
each colonial assembly was directed to provide for the basic needs of soldiers stationed within
its borders. Specified items included bedding, cooking utensils, firewood, beer or cider and
candles. This law was expanded in 1766 and required the assemblies to billet soldiers in taverns
and unoccupied houses. Repealed in 1770.
Sons of Liberty: A radical political organization for colonial independence which formed in 1765
after the passage of the Stamp Act. They incited riots and burned the customs houses where the
stamped British paper was kept. After the repeal of the Stamp Act, many of the local chapters
formed the Committees of Correspondence which continued to promote opposition to British
policies towards the colonies. The Sons leaders included Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
Stamp Act Congress, 1765: Twenty-seven delegates from 9 colonies met from October 7-24,
1765, and drew up a list of declarations and petitions against the new taxes imposed on the
colonies.
Patrick Henry (1736-1799): An American orator and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses
who gave speeches against the British government and its policies urging the colonies to fight
for independence. In connection with a petition to declare a "state of defense" in Virginia in
1775, he gave his most famous speech which ends with the words, "Give me liberty or give me
death." Henry served as Governor of Virginia from 1776-1779 and 1784-1786, and was
instrumental in causing the Bill of Rights to be adopted as part of the U.S. Constitution.
Declaratory Act, 1766: Passed at the same time that the Stamp Act was repealed, the Act
declared that Parliament had the power to tax the colonies both internally and externally, and
had absolute power over the colonial legislatures.
Townshend Acts, reaction: Another series of revenue measures, passed by Townshend as
Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1767, they taxed quasi-luxury items imported into the colonies,
including paper, lead, tea, and paint. The colonial reaction was outrage and they instituted
another movement to stop importing British goods.
John Dickinson: Drafted a declaration of colonial rights and grievances, and also wrote the
series of "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania" in 1767 to protest the Townshend Acts.
Although an outspoken critic of British policies towards the colonies, Dickinson opposed the
Revolution, and, as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1776, refused to sign the
Declaration of Independence.
Sam Adams (1722-1803): A Massachusetts politician who was a radical fighter for colonial
independence. Helped organize the Sons of Liberty and the Non-Importation Commission, which
protested the Townshend Acts, and is believed to have led the Boston Tea Party. He served in
the Continental Congress throughout the Revolution, and served as Governor of Massachusetts
from 1794-1797.
Committees of Correspondence: These started as groups of private citizens in Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and New York who, in 1763, began circulating information about opposition to
British trade measures. The first government-organized committee appeared in Massachusetts
in 1764. Other colonies created their own committees in order to exchange information and
organize protests to British trade regulations. The Committees became particularly active
following the Gaspee Incident.
Boston Massacre, 1770: The Massacre was the 1770, pre-Revolutionary incident growing out of
the anger against the British troops sent to Boston to maintain order and to enforce the
Townshend Acts. The troops, constantly tormented by irresponsible gangs, finally on March 5,
1770, fired into a rioting crowd and killed five men: three on the spot, two of wounds later. The
funeral of the victims was the occasion for a great patriot demonstration. The British captain,
Thomas Preston, and his men were tried for murder, with Robert Treat Paine as prosecutor,
John Adams and Josiah Quincy as lawyers for the defense. Preston and six of his men were
acquitted; two others were found guilty of manslaughter, punished, and discharged from the
army.
Crispus Attucks (1723-1770): He was an African American and one of the colonials involved in
the Boston Massacre, and when the shooting started, he was the first to die. He became a
martyr.
John Adams: A Massachusetts attorney and politician who was a strong believer in colonial
independence. He argued against the Stamp Act and was involved in various patriot groups. As a
delegate from Massachusetts, he urged the Second Continental Congress to declare
independence. He helped draft and pass the Declaration of Independence. Adams later served
as the second President of the United States.
Boston Tea Party, 1773: British ships carrying tea sailed into Boston Harbor and refused to
leave until the colonials took their tea. Boston was boycotting the tea in protest of the Tea Act
and would not let the ships bring the tea ashore. Finally, on the night of December 16, 1773,
colonials disguised as Indians boarded the ships and threw the tea overboard. They did so
because they were afraid that Governor Hutchinson would secretly unload the tea because he
owned a share in the cargo.
Coercive Acts / Intolerable Acts / Repressive Acts: All of these names refer to the same acts,
passed in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, and which included the Boston Port Act,
which shut down Boston Harbor; the Massachusetts Government Act, which disbanded the
Boston Assembly (but it soon reinstated itself); the Quartering Act, which required the colony to
provide provisions for British soldiers; and the Administration of Justice Act, which removed the
power of colonial courts to arrest royal officers.
Quebec Act, 1774: The Quebec Act, passed by Parliament, alarmed the colonies because it
nullified many of the Western claims of the coast colonies by extending the boundaries of the
province of Quebec to the Ohio River on the south and to the Mississippi River on the west. The
concessions in favor of the Roman Catholic Church also roused much resentment among
Protestants in the Thirteen Colonies as some colonials took it as a sign that Britain was planning
to impose Catholicism upon the colonies.
First Continental Congress, 1774: The First Continental Congress met to discuss their concerns
over Parliament's dissolutions of the New York (for refusing to pay to quarter troops),
Massachusetts (for the Boston Tea Party), and Virginia Assemblies. The First Continental
Congress rejected the plan for a unified colonial government, stated grievances against the
crown called the Declaration of Rights, resolved to prepare militias, and created the Continental
Association to enforce a new non-importation agreement through Committees of Vigilance. In
response, in February, 1775, Parliament declared the colonies to be in rebellion.
Lexington and Concord, 1775: The first military engagements of the Revolution, fought on April
19, 1775 within the towns of Lexington and Concord near Boston. The battles marked the
outbreak of open armed conflict between Britain and its thirteen colonies in North America. 700
British Army regulars, were ordered to capture and destroy military supplies that were
reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord. The first shots were fired just as the
sun was rising at Lexington. The militia was outnumbered and fell back. Other British colonists,
hours later at the North Bridge in Concord, fought and defeated three companies of the king's
troops. The outnumbered soldiers of the British Army fell back from the Minutemen after a
pitched battle in open territory. More Minutemen arrived soon thereafter and inflicted heavy
damage on the British regulars as they marched back towards Boston. The occupation of
surrounding areas by the Massachusetts Militia marked the beginning of the Siege of Boston.
Olive Branch Petition: On July 8, 1775, the colonies made a final offer of peace to Britain,
agreeing to be loyal to the British government if it addressed their grievances (repealed the
Coercive Acts, ended the taxation without representation policies). It was rejected by
Parliament, which in December 1775 passed the American Prohibitory Act forbidding all further
trade with the colonies.
Thomas Paine: Common Sense: A British citizen, he wrote Common Sense, published on
January 1, 1776, to encourage the colonies to seek independence. It spoke out against the unfair
treatment of the colonies by the British government and was instrumental in turning public
opinion in favor of the Revolution.
John Locke, Second Treatise of Government: He wrote that all human beings have a right to life,
liberty, and property and that government exist to protect those rights. He rejected the theory
of the Divine Right of the monarchy, and believed that government was based upon a "social
contract" that existed between a government and its people. If the government failed to uphold
its end of the contract by protecting those rights, the people could rebel and institute a new
government.
Declaration of Independence, 1776: An act of the Second Continental Congress, adopted on
July 4, 1776 which declared that the Thirteen British Colonies in North America were "Free and
Independent States" and that "all political connection between them and the State of Great
Britain” was dissolved. The document, explained the justifications for separation from the British
crown.
Battle of Saratoga, 1777: A decisive American victory resulting in the surrender of an entire
British army of 9,000 men invading New York from Canada. British General John Burgoyne
surrendered his entire army after being surrounded by much larger American militia forces. The
capture of an entire British army secured the northern American states from further attacks out
of Canada and prevented New England from being isolated. A major result was that France
entered the conflict on behalf of the Americans, thus dramatically improving the Americans'
chances in the war. The battle of Saratoga is commonly seen as the turning point of the
Revolution.
Battle of Cowpens, 1781: An overwhelming victory by American Revolutionary forces under
Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War.
It was a turning point in the reconquest of South Carolina from the British, part of a chain of
events leading to the Patriot victory at Yorktown.
Battle of Yorktown, 1781: Was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led
by General George Washington and French forces led by General Comte de Rochambeau over a
British Army commanded by General Lord Cornwallis. It proved to be the last major land battle
of the American Revolutionary War, as the surrender of Cornwallis’s army prompted the British
government to eventually negotiate an end to the conflict.
Treaty of Paris, 1783: This treaty ended the Revolutionary War, recognized the independence
of the American colonies, and granted the colonies the territory from the southern border of
Canada to the northern border of Florida, and from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River.