Download Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

MONDAY 10/5
Republicanism: just society where citizens willingly subordinated their
private selfish interests to the common goal; power flowed from the
people themselves
“Radical Whigs”: group derived from one of the dominate political
parties in England (the other is Torries) who warned citizens to be on
guard against corruption. British political writers John Trenchard and
Thomas Gordon wrote prolifically in the weekly Independent Whig about
the Crown and Parliament becoming too powerful and encroaching on
the liberty of the people (TYRANNY!)
Navigation Acts: A series of British regulations which taxed goods
imported by the colonies from places other than Britain, or otherwise
sought to control and regulate colonial trade. 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.
Question of the Day
The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West, 1770
(Source: Wikimedia Commons--public domain)
Which of the following statements about the French & Indian War are
accurate?
I. The British national debt greatly increased as a result of fighting the war
II. The French gained a great deal of territory at the 1763 Peace of Paris
negotiations
III. Indian tribes were divided in their loyalties, with some assisting the French and
others the British
IV. Following the war, the British implemented several new colonial policies,
including restricting the westward settlements of American colonists
(A) I, II, and IV only
(B) I, III, and IV only
(C) I and III only
(D) I and IV only
(E) all of the statements are true
What Is the Answer?
(B) I, III, and IV only
Explanation:
The French & Indian War, known as the Seven Years' War in Europe,
pitted British and French forces against one another in battles along
the Ohio River Valley, New England, and in Canada. Some Indian
tribes, such as the Huron, allied themselves with the French while
others, including the Mohawks, assisted the British. France gave up
almost all of its North American possessions at the conclusion of the
war and while the British gained considerable territory, they also
acquired a huge debt and a growing sense that the American colonies
should pay for their own defense.
Vocabulary/Chapter 7:
TUESDAY 10/6
“enumerated” products: Products that American muserchants
must ship exclusively to Britain, even though prices might be
better elsewhere. The first article enumerated was tobacco in
1621. Subsequent enumerated products included sugar, tobacco,
indigo, rice and molasses, naval stores, including tar, pitch, rosin,
and masts, hides and skins, whale fins, and raw silk. Such
legislation aimed to prevent important products from reaching
European markets except by way of England. .
Bills of exchange: credit slips that British manufacturers, West
Indian planters, and American merchants used to trade among
themselves in the 18th century.
Question of the Day
General Braddock's Death at the Battle of Monongahela
Source: Wikipedia Commons (public domain)
One significant result of the French and Indian War was
(A) the end of Indian threats to settlers in the Ohio
River Valley
(B) a centralized French system of governance in
place of the laissez faire approach of the British
(C) an increase in the British national debt
(D) a decrease in interest in colonial settlement in
western areas
(E) an increase in the power of the French navy
What Is the Answer?
(C) an increase in the British national debt
Explanation:
The French and Indian War (known as the Seven Years'
War in Europe) between the British and the French lasted
from 1754 to 1763. It resulted in a large number of British
troops being deployed in the American colonies. The
British built up an enormous debt in fighting the war. This
required an increase in British taxes and led some in
Parliament to advocate internal colonial taxes, such as the
1765 Stamp Act, which helped stir American resentment of
British control.
Vocabulary/Chapter 7:
WEDNESDAY 10/7
Writs of Assistance—part of the Townshend Acts
Search warrants issued by the British government;
allowed officials to search houses and ships for
smuggled goods, and to enlist colonials to help them
search. The writs could be used anywhere, anytime, as
often as desired rather than a judge’s warrant permitting
a search only of a specifically named property. The
officials did not need to prove that there was reasonable
cause to believe that the person subject to the search
had committed a crime or might have possession of
contraband before getting a writ or searching a house.
The writs were protested by the colonies.
Vice-admiralty courts—merchants accused of violating the Sugar
Act and all customs offenses would be tried by maritime
tribunals composed only of a judge and not by local commonlaw juries.
Question of the Day
The Center of British Mercantilism, London, 1700
Image Source: Wikipedia Commons (public domain)
The British policy of mercantilism in the 18th Century did not
contain which of the following premises?
(A) colonies should serve as sources of raw materials for
Britain
(B) colonies should be allowed to trade openly with other
European nations
(C) Britain's economic health was determined by the
amount of gold and silver in the nation's treasury
(D) colonies should serve as markets for Britains's
exports
(E) all trade between a foreign country and a colony
should be subject to British control
What Is the Answer?
(B) colonies should be allowed to trade openly with other European
nations
Explanation:
Mercantilism was the economic policy prevalent in Europe
in the 17th and 18th centuries. It supported the
development of policies that maintained a nation's
prosperity through trade regulation. Colonies were seen as
both sources of raw materials and as markets for exported
goods from Britain. Wealth was measured by the amount
of currency (gold and silver) in a nation's
treasury. Colonial trade was to be strictly controlled by
Britain. Mercantilist policies, such as the Navigation Acts,
led to resentment among the American colonists in the last
half of the 18th century.
THURSDAY 10/8
Vocabulary/Chapter 7:
Writs of Assistance
Search warrants issued by the British government. They
allowed officials to search houses and ships for smuggled
goods, and to enlist colonials to help them search. The writs
could be used anywhere, anytime, as often as desired. The
officials did not need to prove that there was reasonable
cause to believe that the person subject to the search had
committed a crime or might have possession of contraband
before getting a writ or searching a house. The writs were
protested by the colonies.
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.
Question of the Day
Pre-Revolutionary War American Colonies
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Many American colonists resented the Proclamation Line of
1763 because it
(A) favored New England over the Southern colonies
(B) prevented settlement in the area west of the
Appalachian Mountains
(C) allowed the Spanish to increase their presence in
the Southwest
(D) was seen as a limitation on navigation rights in the
seas
(E) increased the power of governors appointed by the
king
What Is the Answer?
(B) prevented settlement in the area west of the Appalachian
Mountains
Explanation:
Following their victory in the French & Indian War, the
British found themselves with a massive amount of
territory that had formerly been claimed by the French in
addition to huge debts accrued during the war. The
Proclamation of 1763 prevented American colonists from
moving west of the Appalachian Mountains. This caused
outrage in certain sections of colonial America, particularly
among those in the backcountry regions of the Southern
colonies.
FRIDAY 10/9
Board of Trade: Advisory body that supervised American colonial
affairs. Established in 1696 to replace the Lords of Trade (1675–96), it
examined colonial legislation to ensure maximum benefit to British trade
policies. The board nominated colonial governors, recommended laws
affecting the colonies to Parliament, and heard complaints from the
colonies about its administrators. It lacked executive or legislative
powers, but it became the primary colonial policy-making body of the
British government. It was abolished in 1782.
Gaspée Incident
In June, 1772, the British customs ship Gaspée ran around off the
colonial coast. When the British went ashore for help, colonials boarded
the ship and burned it. They were sent to Britain for trial. Colonial
outrage led to the widespread formation of Committees of
Correspondence.
Question of the Day
"Boston Tea Party,"
lithograph by Sarony & Major, 1846
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
The Boston Tea Party was followed closely by the
(A) Boston Massacre
(B) Tea Act
(C) midnight ride of Paul Revere
(D) passage of the Intolerable Acts by
Parliament
(E) "taxation without representation is tyranny"
speech by Patrick Henry
What Is the Answer?
(D) passage of the Intolerable Acts by Parliament
Explanation:
The Intolerable (or Coercive) Acts comprised Parliament's
response to the destruction of 342 chests of tea in
December 1773 by Bostonians in protest of the Tea Act. In
an attempt to support the British East India Tea Company
against foreign competitors, the Tea Act actually lowered
the cost of British tea, but to buy it meant that the colonists
were paying a tea tax. A group of colonists, led by the Sons
of Liberty, dressed as Indians, seized ships in Boston
Harbor, and threw the tea into the water. The Intolerable
Acts closed the port of Boston, moved trials to
Newfoundland, allowed for the quartering of British troops
in American homes, and extended the boundary of Quebec,
which was seen as a move to reduce the independence of
Massachusetts.