8th Grade Study Guide Semester Final
Chapter 5 Time Line
1760
1763
Proclamation
of 1763
1764
Parliament
Passes Sugar
Act
1765
Parliament
enacts Stamp
Act
1767
Townshend
Acts tax
colonial
imports
1770
Advantages of Proclamation of 1763
British government controlled westward movement
Conflict with Native Americans is avoided
Slows colonists from moving away from the colonies on the coast (Britain’s more important markets and investments
were on the coasts)
British Officials could protect their interests in the fur trade which made them a lot of money
How did the colonists interpret this? List the ways that explain how colonists felt about the Proclamation of 1763.
How did Great Britain’s financial problems complicate its relationship with the colonies?
Sugar Act
Passed by Parliament in 1764
It lowered the tax on molasses imported by the Colonists
It was supposed to convince the colonists to pay the tax instead of smuggling
Officers were allowed to seize goods from smugglers without going to court (no due process which means that there
was no fair trial by jury or get the chance to face a judge)
2
Writs of Assistance were passed 3 years after the Sugar Act in 1767—these allowed customs officers to search for take
smuggled goods from any location.
How did the colonists feel about the Stamp Act? Explain what the reaction of the colonists were to this act?
Stamp Act
Passed by Parliament in 1765
It was another effort by Britain to raise money
The tax was on all printed material in the colonies and it affected everyone in the colonies
Parliament interfered in colonial affairs by taxing the colonies directly
It taxed the colonists without their consent
Parliament ignored the colonial tradition of self-government
List all of the materials that were taxed under the Stamp Act. What was the reaction of the colonies to this act? Explain
what resulted by Britain passing this act. Who were the key players in what actions the colonists took against this
particular law?
Sons of Liberty
Samuel Adams founder
Took to the streets to protest
1765 the group burned effigies (rag dolls representing tax collectors)
Raided and destroyed homes of royal officials
Believed that only Americans had the right to tax Americans
How did the acts of the Sons of Liberty express the views of the colonists? Were the measures taken by this organization
effective towards their cause?
3
Stamp Act Congress
Nine colonies created the Stamp Act Congress
Met in New York to draft a petition to the king and Parliament
Believed and stated that only colonists had the right to tax colonists in their own assemblies
Boycotted British and European goods
Signed non-importation agreements
Explain what the purpose of signing non-importation agreements was. How was boycotting the British and Europe going
to help the colonists.
Townshend Acts
Passed in 1767
Was an effort by the British to avoid problems of taxing the colonies directly
Taxed imported goods instead
Taxes would have to be paid at the port
Taxes would be imposed on glass, tea paper and lead
Taxes were on items that were not produced by the colonists (colonists didn’t make the items)
What reaction did the colonists have to the Townshend Acts? What was the result? What actions did they take against it?
Daughters of Liberty
Gave the women a role in protesting the British tax laws
Women also participated in boycott of British goods
Produced homemade goods to encourage colonists to buy “American”
How did the women in the Daughters of Liberty encourage American pride? How were the measures taken by the Sons
of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty similar? How were they different?
4
1770
Boston
Massacre
takes place
1772
1773
Samuel Adams Boston Tea
sets up a
Party occurs
committee of
correspondence
1774
Parliament
passes the
Intolerable
Acts
1776
This chart represents How American colonists’ loyalty and happiness with Britain through a 4-year span of Britain passing
the new taxes. The more unhappy the colonists get, the more they are ready to be independent.
Colonists' Happy to be British Chart
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
1763
1764
1765
Happiness Factor
Tea Crisis
Colonists felt that the British were a threat to liberty
1767
5
British East India Company was facing financial ruin—they had no money
Parliament passed Tea Act in 1773
This act gave the company the right to ship tea to the colonies without paying most of the taxes usually placed on tea.
It also allowed the company to bypass colonial merchants and sell its tea directly to shopkeepers at a low price
The East India Company tea was cheaper than colonial tea and they had financial advantage—they could make more
money than the colonies
How did this lead to the Boston Tea Party? Who were the important players in the Boston Tea Party? What happened
after the Boston Tea Party?
The Intolerable Acts
King George realized that he was losing control of the colonies
The king and parliament vowed to punish the colonies in Boston
Parliament passed the Coercive Acts
The Coercive Acts closed Boston Harbor until the ruined tea was paid for
This prevented the arrival of food and other supplies
The law banned town meetings
The law banned forms of self-government in New England
Forced Bostonians to shelter British soldiers in their homes
How did the other colonies help the Boston Colony after the British passed the Intolerable Acts?
Quebec Act
Gave the French Catholics Religious freedom
Set up a permanent government for Quebec
Provision gave Quebec the area west of the Appalachians and north of the Ohio River
This ignored the colonists’ claims to the area (won in the French/Indian War)
How did the colonies react to the Quebec Act? Why did the colonials react this way?
6
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson was selected to write it
The main purpose was to declare freedom from England
It included ideas from English philosopher John Locke
John Locke believed that people were born with certain natural rights; the right to life, liberty, and property; that people
formed governments to protect these rights and that a government interfering with these rights might rightfully be
overthrown.
The Declaration of Independence had 4 sections: The Preamble-which is the introduction, The next 2sections list the
rights the colonist believed they should have and their complaints against Britain; The Final section proclaims the
existence of the new nation.
States: that “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
States that the government exists to protect these rights—if the government is faulty, the people have the right to alter
or abolish it and to institute new Government
Accuses and charges the King and Parliament with “imposing taxes on us without our consent, and cutting off colonial
trade with all parts of the world.”
Under the List of Grievances Quartering troops is listed
Shay’s Rebellion
American Farmers were not able to sell their goods
They could not pay the requests for money that the states levied to meet Revolutionary War debts (they couldn’t help
the country pay for the revolution that they had just won)
State officials would take away the farmer’s lands and throw the farmers into jail
Farmers viewed the new government as just another form of tyranny
Farmers wanted government to issue paper money and make new policies to relieve debtors
Farmers lashed out in 1786. They forced the courts in Massachusetts to close so that the judges could not confiscate
(take away) their lands.
Daniel Shays was the leader of the rebellion
4 rebels were killed
7
THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
How did Shay’s Rebellion reflect on the Articles of Confederation? Explain the weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation.
Chapter 8 pp. 257-262
THE CONSTITUTION
Questions to answer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Who is Montesquieu? How did he influence the Constitution?
What are the three branches of government? What does each do?
What Articles of the Constitution are the branches of government listed?
What are the Bill of Rights of the Constitution? List them.
Who were the antifederalists and what were their beliefs?
What were the first two political parties to emerge and why were they formed?
CHAPTER 10 pp.308
1. Who was Eli Whitney?
2. Who benefited from the Cotton Gin?