British America

Question	Answer
The Importance of Slavery (personal)	Many felt that they wanted to run away as their lives were unbearable and laws were strengthened in favour of the owners
Importance - economic	-tobacco was grown in west Africa so slaves had experience of its production - it provided a source of workers who would work hard at repetitive tasks all day. by 1760 80 million pound of tobacco was produced -rice plantation owners became very rich -slave owners became very rich, pushing up the price of land. poor found it hard to compete with the rich. -slaves brought with them knowledge of rice crop so could teach plantation owners
Importance - social	-Forced labour meant that white plantation owners could grow rice in the swamps without having to live there -in the mixed economies in the north and south slaves weren't the main source of labour -white colonists feared rebellion as there was a lot of slaves with no hope and few rights -slave labour was cheaper so this made it hard for labourers to get work -slaves made up about 35% of the population in Chesapeake. by 1720 they outnumbered the free population in south carolina
Slaves in the colonies	-most slaves in new England (north) worked in urban areas as sailors -most slaves in the middle colonies did highly skilled jobs -most were in the south as this was where all the rice and tobacco plantations and therefore the most profit was. 67% of the pop in south Carolina were salves
Florida's decision to protect runaway slaves	Florida was a Spanish colony and in 1733 the king promised to free any slaves that went to the Spanish colonies, converted to Catholicism and worked as an indentured servant or labourer. in 1738 the indentured period was no longer required. -inspired more slaves and by 1738 100 slaves had run away and set up their own town called Mose which they protected with their own militia.
Reactions to the kings promise	slaves - grateful and relieved as they wouldn't be in dire conditions anymore British government - annoyed and threatened. would see it as a direct attack on their power. their economy largely depends on slaves so they would lose money and power and be worried about society falling apart. Spanish king - would be happy as they got free labour for 4 years until 1738 and there would be more catholics in their country. also good for the economy as slaves have a lot of skills. whote colonists in south Carolina - relieved and happy as the number of slaves would decrease so theyd feel less threatened. there would be more jobs available too but theyd also be worried as it encouraged rebellion
Why did slaves suffer so much in british America?	-in 1714 a law was passed in SC meaning there was a death penalty for an attack on a white person by a slave, seen as second class citizens. - militia groups were formed to capture, return and punish fugitive slaves. - made them scared to run away. -1733 Spanish king thing. could have a fresh start - 1738. no indenture period. immediate new life -the town of mose showed slaves that they could have good lives and be free
what did the negro act of 1740 do?	fine slave owners if they couldnt control their slaves or treated them well. also blocked owners from giving their slaves freedom.
what were the long term causes for the stono rebellion?	-slaves outnumbered the free population in south Carolina. -south Carolina was close to florida and freedom offered by spain had been done so since 1693 -slaves had more responsibility in south Carolina as owners lived away so controlled the plantations.
and the short term?	-1793 many slaves died from yellow fever so those that hadn't had to work harder to make up for it -many colonists were off fighting in a war with spain so couldn't chase them -29 sept 1739 made it compulsory for free men to carry guns on a sunday (when rebellions were more likely as slaves had time off)
What was the stono rebellion?	-sunday 9 sept 1739 around 20 slaves stole guns from hutchensons store and killed the two owners -they headed for south florida and beat drums to attract the tension of other slaves and around 100 joined. they killed over 20 white people and set fire to several plantations. -they were spotted by the colony's lieutenant governor who quickly gathered a local militia. -the rebels stopped near Edisto river to wait for more slaves to join them but were attacked by the militia at 4pm. most were killed but around 30 managed to escape. -those who were killed had their heads severed and stuck on mileposts around south Carolina. -most of the escaped slaves were captured by 15 sept but the remaining ones were captured over the next 3 years. none reached florida. -the captured slaves were brutally executed e.g. being tied up in chains, hung up and being left to be eaten by birds and animals.
the slave code of 1740	- tightened up restrictions on slaves to prevent them from rebelling e.g. could no longer be granted freedom. -improved how they were treated to stop them from wanting to rebel. owners faced fines if their slaves rebelled or if they treated them badly. -increased the free population so slaves were no longer the majority. buying slaves was very highly taxed. the government use this money to persuade Europeans to migrate.
Why did people believe there was a conspiracy in new York?	- fear of slave rebellion had increased after the stono rebellion and 20% of new York were slaves which was high for middle colonies. -because of war of Jenkins ear in 1739 the fear of catholics that were also colonists rising up and helping spain take over new York increased. -many poor white people had suffered badly during the hash winter of 1740-41 so people feared they would join the black slaves and revolt.
the new York conspiracy (1741)	-feb. three slaves rob the home of a merchant and coins are stolen. three slaves are accused of theft and a white family are accused of handling stolen goods by mary burton, an irish indentured slave and are put on trial. -18 march 1741 fort goerge, the home of the governor, was set on fire. the leaders of ny were convinced that it was part of a further plot to destroy the city as they believed the evidence of mary burton who claimed to have overheard the plotters. -events soon spiralled out of control and many poor white people, slaves and catholics were arrested and put on trial. after being offered a pardon if they gave more info they confessed and accused other people, who did the same. by early august around 150 people had been put on trial. -by the time they came to an end 31 slaves and 4 whites had been hanged. a further 72 slaves had been deported due top their apparent part in the conspiracy. -action was also taken to restrict the movement of black people in the colony. there was a law against black people fetching water from a well that wasn't the nearest one
continued	a restriction on horseback riding, meaning that black people weren't allowed to do so on sundays at that was their day off so there was thought to be a higher chance of rebellion. -these measures seemed to calm new York as when the fired restarted in 1742 the conspiracy trials didn't restart.
what did the stono rebellion lead to	the negro act, which led to the new York conspiracy
customs officials	-to tax goods on imports and exports to make money off trade -was meant to supervise the loading and unloading of ships. they had certain powers of arrest e.g. "writs of assistance" which let them search for illegal goods. -led to absent officials as the roles were given to important men who in turn sent poorly paid deputies. the job was too big for one person and most officers sympathised with traders so there was a lack of control. -it strained relationships between Britain and the colonies as they weren't enforcing the laws made by Britain.
hat act 1732	-beaver fur was very valuable and the colonies were making a lot of profit from it so Britain wanted some of it -reduced the number of people who could work and train as hat makers. also restricted the number of people who could buy hats from each other in the colonies so the colonists paid 4x more to buy hats from England. -took the hat trade out of the americans hands and into the British's. also forced people out of work. -led to the colonists hating Britain as they lost money and business opportunities.
molasses act 1733	-introduced to make more money from trade ($8000 to $40000 straight after it passed). -made it more expensive to buy molasses from foreign colonies so they had to buy it from the british colonies in the west indes. -smuggling increased and the amount raised fell rapidly as the 1730s went on. smuggled by french and spanish colonies to avoid tax. rum trade under threat but was saved by smugglers. -angered manufacturers who thought that they would go out of business. british stopped enforcing it as strictly as it lost more money than it raised.
the great awakening 1730-50	-offered people a new type of Protestantism. revivalist preachers e.g. johnathan edwards and george whitefield attracted massive crowds and inspired many people to renew and deepen their christian faith
what were the social impacts of the religious awakening	-50,000 more people joined churches -divided society. most supporters were lower class and its opponents were colonial leaders and wealthy leaders. -improved the status of women. some were encouraged to preach or hold prayer meetings -there was the conversion of black people and native americans e.g. the Narragansett tribe from rhode island
political?	-moved power away from the original church and into the hands of people like Methodists and baptists -gave people the confidence to question traditional ideas and figures of authority -open air meetings were used as a method to discuss political ideas -emphasised the role of the individual which sugested they could decide their own future
religious?	-some joined newer Christian groups e.g. Methodists or baptists -the energy that preachers put into sermons made people more enthusiastic for religion. -less people attended the traditional churches
what was the enlightenment?	a philosophical movement that caused these thnkers to question many previously accepted ideas and to challenege traditional ideas and try to understand things
what were the main ideas of the enlightenment?	-religious tolerence -universal education -belief in scientific progress to prove things were true -individual freedom. people were responsible for their own actions -the importance of the individual. everyone had rights and the government had to protect these or could be removed if not
what was the significance of the enlightenment?	-people began to question the role of the king and british parliament -some began to question the role of the church in society and some even about traditional ideas about god himself -there was an increase n religious tolerance emphasis on education growth in newspaper and pamphlets meant news spread and communication improved between the colonies in BA
emphasis on education	-the number of schools and colleges increased. by 1755 in 10 years the number of colleges in british America had doubled. -new England the the middle colonies already had some free schools and this spread to the southern colonies. by 1750 Virginia had 10 free schools -there was an increase in private schools -more schools in small towns in new England. -all this allowed society to become more educated and challenge traditional views
the emphasis on practical knowledge	-schools began to offer new practical subjects e.g. science and navigation. however it was only available for boys and the curriculum for other groups was more restricted -wealthy girls could have private tutors who focused on needlework and french. -poor boys and girls could go to free schools which offered basic numeracy and literacy -divide between poor and rich especially girls
growth of newspapers	-most of the growth happened in boston who had 4 newspapers by 1760 -helped by the expansion of post offices. 65 offices by 1770 -better communication throughout BA. -pamphlets were relatively cheap and reached wide audience and included religious sermons, biographies of criminals and reports of often fake medical treatments
the growth of libraries	-by 1760 there was 20 in british America -there was traditional books, fiction and practical books -allowed ideas of the enlightenment to spread to the middle class and allowed more adults to become more educated and to challenge traditional ideas.
Why was Benjamin Franklin important as a writer?	-was a newspaper editor for the Pennsylvania gazette and produced 'poor Richard's almanac' which included useful info and was becoming valued by enlightenment thinkers. most homes had one -provided ordinary people with practical skills and gave bf a powerful voice and he encouraged a broad range of philanthropic schemes
a philanthropist?	-set up the 'union fire company' which gave people fire insurance and taught them how to deal with fires. built street paving, cleaning and lighting schemes. founded a city hospital for poor people. set up libraries -helped to spread new ideas in education through his work. more people educated, safer streets and more people have access to medical help.
a scientist?	-created the 'lightning rod' which helped protect buildings from lightning damage. created bifocal spectacles that helped people who were short and long sighted. created the four sided lamp that was used for street lighting -lightning rods and street lights are still used today. lasting impact. safer streets and buildings. more people can see and read
What was the Treaty of Paris 1763 (ended the French Indian War)?	-the French gave land from the east of Mississippi , inc Canada, to Britain. land to the west of it went to spain. the Spanish gave florida to Britain. in the west indes Britain gave some islands to france and cuba to spain. gaine some islands from france.
significance of the treaty of paris	-increased britains power and wealth as they had more territory and settlers e.g. the French people in Canada -france no longer a major power in north America. colonists no longer feared French attacks and felt less dependant on Britain. colonists had more access to profitable fur trade with native americans. said people no longer had protection from france
what was the proclamation act of 1763?	-made Quebec, east and west florida british colonies -removed the limit on trading licenses with the native americans -fixed a proclamation line which banned colonists from settling further to the west, leaving ohio country for the native americans
what was the significance of the treaty of paris	-colonists have more land on which to settle -improved relations slightly between the british and native americans but Pontiacs rebellion continued and many colonists ignored the proclamation line and settled in ohio coutry anyway -increased trade between colonists and native americans but a lot of the time tribes were cheated so this increased tensions further
impact of the French indian war - relationships	-british soldiers outranked colonial ones which annoyed them -most british officers were from the upper classes which colonial ones were not, creating class divides -british soldiers were badly paid which damaged morale and made them want to go home -british soldiers looked down on colonial ones. colonial soldiers did more training but believed they were treated unfairly
economy	-smuggling increased which reduced customs revenue and angered the british -the war was expensive and the british were mostly paying for it and this angered them because most of them would never visit the colonies -british govt. investigated ways to increase the amont of money they got from the colonies to pay off debts
british control	-the increase in colonies gave them more independence and they printed more paper money which the british didn't like so forced them to stop. -some colonial assemblies tried to appoint paying judges but the british stopped this before it started. -many colonists detested the proclamation line and ignored it. about 10000 settl
What was Pontiac's Rebellion? 1763-66	-settlers were allowed to spread west into land that had been set aside for native americans. also british troops stayed at many posts that they had agreed to leave, causing the native americans to worry -400 native American leaders met at a council with Pontiac as their leader and set up an alliance of the northern tribes against the british. -so they attacked british forts and had captured all forts and posts in ohio country by the end of 1763. they also attacked the frontiers and killed over 2000 colonists. -these attacks came as a surprise so the british began to deploy 'germ warfare'. during the peace negotiations blankets and handkerchiefs infected with smallpox were given to the native americans -after the rebellion the policy of gift giving was reinstated and trade restrictions were lifted. a proclamation issued limited the number of colonists in the far west. but they also left 10,000 british troops in the colonies
continued	-the action taken after the rebellion caused further damage between the colonists and Britain as they british believed the colonists did very little to protect themselves. also the colonists on the frontier were angry that they could no longer expand west due to the agreement with the native americans
what was the sugar act and its consequences?1764	-tax was reduced to stop smuggling and also products such as rum and sugar from foreign countries were banned. it was strictly enforced with 20 royal navy ships sent to stop smugglers, making their lives difficult -any smugglers were sent to court and didn't have the right to a proper jury. if they decided the smuggler was guilty they would receive 5% of the smuggler's goods. the chances of a non guilty verdict were very slim. -protest messages were sent from across the colonies and james Otis wrote 'no taxation without representation' which would later be used in many protests about tax in the following years. -because the colonial assemblies had not agreed to the tax, many people refused to pay and customs officers struggled to collect
what was the stamp act and its consequences? 1765	- a number of documents e.g. newspapers had to be printed on a special type of paper that cost more. it interfered with everyday life -if you avoided it then you didn't have the right to a fair trial made up by colonists but instead had to have a trial by british royal appointees -meetings took place between different colonies who all agreed it was unfair at the stamp act congress -there was violent mob action. one3 group threatened the stamp tax collector Andrew oliver by burning a model (effigy) of him as they marched through the streets before burning his house and smashing his windows -a group called 'sons of liberty' organised demonstrations and riots and stopped buying british goods. this hurt british businesses and they became angry with the british govt. -as a result there was only one stamp tax collector and even he was forced to resign. the stamp act was repealed by the british -in celebration, the colonists of new York constructed a liberty pole as a symbol of resistance against Britain's attempts to tax them.
continued	it towered above the rooftops of new York and was just outside the upper barracks which was where many british troops were
the Paxton boys	-a vigilante group of local militia set up in july 1763. members of the group took action to deal with Pontiac's rebellion as they believed the Pennsylvania authorities weren't doing enough to stop native American attacks. -in dec over 5o Paxton boys murdered 6 native americans in the conestoga tribe. they were peaceful and hadn't taken part in the rebellion. they then travelled to Lancaster jail and kidnapped and murdered a further 14 of them -in 1764 they marched to Philadelphia to murder more native americans who had fled there in fear of them. they were stopped at gametown by Benjamin franklin, militia and politicians. they persuaded them to in return for more protection on the frontier and amnesty for the murders
what was the impact of the Paxton boys?	-created fear of 'mob rule' in Pennsylvania -made peace talks to end the rebellion more difficult -showed that authorities couldn't control their settlers. -showed that the proclamation line was ineffective -raised a lot of support from people who lived on the frontier
the boston massacre (1770)	-revenue act 1767. Britain added customs duties to tea, lead, glass, paper and paint. the American board of customs commissioners was set up in boston to supervise collection. -colonists responded with protests from the assemblies and another boycott of british goods. in boston, mobs attacked the new customs officials. to keep control, 4000 british troops were sent in -by 1770 all duties imposed by the revenue act, except for on tea, had been cancelled. however, tensions in boston remained very high. -5 march 1770; an angry crowd threw snowballs, icicles and oyster shells at the troops outside the customs house in boston. when one soldier fired his musket, others thought they had been given the order to fire and shot the crowd. four colonists were killed, one died later and 8 were injured -the british withdrew their troops from the city
what did the press do?	-released an image with angry looking troops in a military line and uniform, a dog having survived suggesting they valued its life more, the customs hall named 'butcher's hall' and a whitewashed dead colonists to evoke more sympathy and also anger against the british
Boston Tea Party	-around 60 men disguised as native americans broke into 3 ships and threw 342 chests of tea into the sea. millions of pounds worth (£10000). -british reaction; horrified and angered because it damaged trade and was a symbol of defiance against the british govt. -colonist reaction; thought they were right todo it and were pleased -damaged relationships and caused the british to punish the colonists. not just those involved, but all of them
intolerable acts	-punished all of the colonies. put curfews on their ports an shut their own government down. limited their freedom. soldiers could also stay in people's homes and they stopped supplies from reaching boston -british thought they were doing the right thing -colonists angry at the british. bostonians tried to boycott british goods. other colonists sympathised and sent supplies during the blockade of 1774 -damaged relationships further. colonists wanted to retaliate and want their own rights
first continental congress	-colonists met to coordinate actins. 55 delegates meet. they made three agreements: declaration of rights and grievances, the continental association and the committees of observation and inspection -british angry and horrified -colonists felt justified. hatred of Britain. -2 govts competing for control so there was violence. april 1775 british troops were sent in. 73 british and 49 colonists killed. first shots of war fired
second continental congress	-representations from every colony. started to act as a national government. the ted money, set up an army and also a committee for foreign relations. -king rejected the petition and the colonists were seen as rebels -colonists made preparations for war and there was no longer any loyalty to the king -conflict escalated and the colonists began fighting the british for independence
The Fight	Battle of Bunker Hill 1775 -british take control of boston after forcing american army to withdraw. but suffered heavy losses due to poor battle plans and thus abandoned it a year later
The Fight	Battle of Long Island 1776 -british secure control of new York and use it as their headquarters. Washington driven out and 300 americans killed and 1100 wounded or captured but he largely manages to keep the 9000 body of his army through strategic retreat as the british didn't follow up their retreat
The Fight	Battle of Brandywine Creek 1777 -American army survives battle with the british but lose Philadelphia after Washington fails to stop british march. he retreats to Morristown for the winter where he looks after his troops and arranges smallpox inoculations for them. but british abandon philadelphia in 1778
The Fight	Battle of Bemis Heights and surrender at Saratoga 1777 -british general burgyrne planned to march british troops, native American allies and 30,000 hired german troops from Canada to the colonies. hoped that the show of force would divide the colonies and end the war. but they struggled to travel more thanm a mile a day due to forests and 30 carts full of possessions. through strict discipline Washington ensured order and respect in his armies. the americans were able to block the British's path and he was unable to defeat them so was forced to surrender. in response to the humiliation the british appealed for peace and tried to but the americans refused and the british commander in chief William howe was forced to resign. the French began to support the americans and sent around £48 million worth of supplies and weapons and took a central role in planning campaigns
The Fight	Siege of Charleston 1780 -British capture Charleston and force the surrendur of 25,000 americans, leading to the loss of a huge amount of weapons and supplies. Washington tried to maintain support by paying civilians for more support and giving receipts when seizing property. many neutral civilians supported the rebels and have respect for Washington. but the native americans and germans the british hired only scared civilians with violent behaviour.
The Fight	Siege of Yorktown 1781 -leader of the british gained successes but exhausted his 7200 troops. took them to Yorktown and set up a naval base there and waited for supplies to arrive from new York, which they never did. this is because the French admiral arrived with 20 ships and blocked access to Yorktown. this led to the british being vulnerable. in sept. 17000 American and French soldiers began an attack and in oct the leader of the british surrendered. when the news was received in Britain enthusiasm for the war disappeared and parliament voted to end the war and negotiate the end.
the treaty of paris 1783	-florida returned to spain -france regained some Caribbean islands and some land in india -Britain agreed to withdraw their troops and acknowledge the independence of the usa. -usa agreed that british debts should be repaid and former colonists who had supported the british should get their property back. Britain kept Gibraltar, the Bahamas and canada
Consequences of the war of independence - colonies	-Treaty of Paris terms were generous as Britain wanted to continue trading with the colonies. -by dec 1783 most of the troops had been withdrawn -the usa was strong as they had a lot of land so the French didn't like the treaty as they preferred a weak usa.
consequences of the war of independence: loyalists	-2.5 million white colonists faced threats ad attacks. tried to claim £10 million from the british in compensation but only received £3 million. -those who moved to new colonies faced upheaval, but each white male colonist was given 300 acre plots and new towns were set up by the governor in Canada. -some black former slave colonists were given land too, but less than the white settlers. -0many people struggled to survive the first winter of resettling in tenets and older settlers and loyalists didn't get on.
consequences of the war of independence: native americans	-treaty of paris didn't mention them so they were worried. they also had sided with the british in the war but had no protection in the treaty. -forced to accept blame for the war to repair relations with americans as the americans saw them as enemies. -fighting continued on the boarders of ohio country -usa forced to sign treaties with them which gave them some land. -many left their land as refugees to other countries as they were unsafe without foreign support
consequences of the war of independence: slaves	-declaration of independence said 'all men are created equal' but some slaves weren't free. -each individual colony got to decide if slaves were free or not. e.g. in massachusettes slaves were freed but in Pennsylvania slavery continued. -many people argued that freedom and liberty meant that they had the right to own people and property. others in Virginia argued that slaves weren't part of society so they weren't 'equal men'.

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