AP US History

• Britain's debt after the Seven Years War increased drastically, leading to an increase in taxes for British citizens and the American colonists.
• Smugglers, those who tried to evade these taxes, faced harsh punishments and some of these punishments even came to colonial America and were entered servants.
• After the Seven Years War, there was an increase in Britain's military in America to prevent Native American rebellions like Pontiac's rebellion and enforce the Proclamation line of 1763.
• George Grenville in Great Britain was trying to solve the debt crisis by passing many acts, including the Currency Act of 1764 which prohibited colonies from using paper money due to high inflation.
• The Sugar Act of 1764 was a tax that replaced the outdated molasses tax and many colonists got around this by smuggling.
• In 1763, the end of salutary neglect led to Britain taking a more hands-on approach in taxation, and smugglers were tried in courts called Vice admirality courts or's admirality courts.
• The Stamp Act angered virtually every single colonist as it affected almost everybody and violators would also be tried in the vice admirality courts.
• The Quartering Act stated that colonists were required to feed and house British troops.
• The Sons of Liberty, a group of colonial leaders, formed to protest the Stamp Act and they believed that only Colonial Representatives could tax the colonists not Parliament.
• Colonists were not against all taxes, they were against Parliament taxes because they did not have a say in it.
• The colonists compared themselves to Slaves since they did not give consent to British laws.
• The Continental Association was a group that encouraged a third boycott against British goods.
• Fighting began to spread throughout the colonies and in the South, Britain promised to free slaves that were loyalist or would fight on behalf of the loyalist side, anchoring many slave owners in the South and strengthening the Patriot cause in the South.
• Georgia sent representatives to have their Grievances redressed and they favor boycott grievances redressed.
• Southern Planters began to fear about the impacts that the Continental Association might have on them.
• King George III was not interested in going back to the days of salutary neglect and the Olive Branch Petition was rejected.
• The Declaration of Independence was issued in July of 1776 and is inspired by common sense and the ideas from the Enlightenment and Jefferson and other writers wrote about the belief that the power rests with the people not the government.
• Patriots were those calling for boycotts and even some were calling for Independence.
• Thomas Payne's common sense, written in January 1776, accused King George III of several wrongdoings and urged America to declare independence.
• Loyalists and neutrals existed during this time, with some estimates suggesting that as many as 20% of colonists were considered loyalists or those that were loyal to Britain.
• The first battles of the Revolutionary War occurred in 1775 in Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, also known as the shot heard around the world.
• Many Virginia farmers were in debt to British merchants and they were afraid that Britain would come down harsh on them like they did in Massachusetts.
• Sam Adams, a Patriot leader, was accused of serving his own interest rather than what would be best for the colonists due to his wealth.
• The Second Continental Congress, a continuation of the first one, met in May of 1775 and appointed George Washington as the head of the colonial army.
• The Committees of Correspondence were assemblies created for colonial leaders to communicate with one another.
• Boston was a hotbed for colonial activity and the British sent troops there.
• Most colonists during the period leading up to the American Revolution did not want independence, they just wanted to return to the good old days of salutary neglect.
• Charles Townsen, a supporter of the British, was not sympathetic to the colonists and wanted to assert his authority.
• The East India Company, a trading company in debt, was bailed out by the Tea Act.
• A Homespun movement developed where women made clothing for their families to wear.
• The Townshend Acts were a tax on paper, paint, glass, and tea.
• The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766 due to its economic impact.
• The Proclamation line of 1763, which was supposed to be temporary, began to be viewed as more permanent by the colonists.
• The Boston Massacre occurred when unemployed colonists upset that British soldiers were taking jobs threw rocks and snowballs at the soldiers, resulting in four colonists dead.
• The colonists boycotted the Townshend Acts and had them overturned.
• The Boston Tea Party was led by the Sons of Liberty and involved the dumping of 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor.
• The Declaratory Act stated that Parliament could pass any law they wish, regardless of the future.
• During the period leading up to the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin and James Otis were advocating for the repeal of the Stamp Act.
• The Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, were passed in response to the Boston Tea Party and included measures such as closing the Boston Harbor until the damages were repaid, voiding the Massachusetts Charter, and outlawing town hall meetings.
• The Daughters of Liberty, a group similar to the Sons of Liberty, committed to a non-importation agreement and refused to buy British goods.