AP U.S. History
Unit 2: Independence
Chapter 5 Study/Discussion Questions
THE TRIUMPH OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (125-128)
A Fragile Peace, 1750-1754
1) What was significant about the Albany Plan of Union?
2) Why did the Albany Plan of Union fail?
3) Where was the primary region of fighting between the French and British?
The Seven Years’ War in America, 1754-1760
1) What turned the tide for the British?
2) Why did the Iroquois and other Native American tribes join the British side?
3) What happened in the middle of the war that prompted so many colonial troops to fight in the
war?
The End of French North America, 1760-1763
1) What were the terms of the Treaty of Paris?
2) How were the Acadians affected by France’s loss of territory in North America?
IMPERIAL REVENUES AND REORGANIZATIONS, 1760-1766 (128-139)
Friction Among Allies, 1760-1763
1) What caused tensions between British generals and colonial troops?
2) How did colonists profit from the war?
3) How did the Native Americans react to Britain’s encroachment?
The Writs of Assistance, 1760-1761
1) Why was the writ of assistance unconstitutional?
2) Although he lost the case, What was James Otis able to accomplish?
The Sugar Act, 1764
1) Other than taxes, what did the colonists object to in the Sugar Act?
2) What were vice-admiralty courts? Why did the colonists not like them?
3) What later events in American history are partially due to the Sugar Act.?
The Stamp Act, 1765
1) Why was the Stamp Act different than previous taxes? How did that affect the colonists?
2) How did virtual representation affect the colonists?
3) Why did the colonies want to be represented more like Ireland?
Resisting the Stamp Act, 1765-1766
1) Why did the stamp act upset more people than the Sugar Act?
2) Why did the House of Burgesses not implement all of Patrick Henry’s proposals?
3) What caused groups like the Loyal Nine and the Sons of Liberty form?
The Declaratory Act, 1766
1) Why did many colonists remain loyal to the king and Parliament?
2) What was the misunderstanding of the Declaratory Act between Britain and colonial America?
Ideology, Religion and Resistance
1) What caused colonists to turn to religion and philosophy?
2) How were John Locke and ancient Greek and Roman philosophers similar?
3) What groups of people did stayed away from protesting?
RESISTANCE RESUMES, 1766-1770 (139-145)
Opposing the Quartering Act, 1766-1767
1) How do you think the history of the United States might have changed if William Pitt had not
died?
2) How did New York respond to the Quartering Act?
The Townshend Duties, 1767
1) Why did Townshend think that the Townshend Duties would not upset the colonists like the
Stamp Act had? Was he right?
2) What was Townshend’s ulterior motive in helping America bring in revenue?
3) Why did the Revenue Act not make money for Britain?
The Colonists’ Reaction, 1767-1769
1) Did Lord Hillsborough help the British cause? Explain.
2) What was John Dickinson’s argument in his essays?
“Wilkes and Liberty,” 1768-1770
1) Why were many British citizens upset with the Townshend Duties?
2) What caused the massacre of St. George’s Fields? What happened at it? What is significant about
it?
3) How did the colonists respond to John Wilkes?
Women & Colonial Resistance
1) How did colonial women affect the consumption of goods?
2) What role did spinning bees have on protesting British taxes?
Customs “Racketeering”, 1767-1768
1) How did revenue agents exploit the law?
2) What caused Boston citizens to retaliate to customs agents and informers in 1768?
3) What did the colonists think of the customs informers? How did they treat them?
THE DEEPENING CRISIS, 1770-1774 (145-149)
The Boston Massacre, 1770
1) What happened at the Boston Massacre
2) What did the rulings on the soldiers in the Boston Massacre show about colonial courts?
3) How did the deaths in the Boston Massacre motivate colonists?
Lord North’s Partial Retreat, 1770
1) How did colonists respond to the repeal of most of the Townshend duties?
2) Why were the charges on John Hancock dropped?
The Committees of Correspondence, 1772-1773
1) What were the committees of correspondence?
2) What was revealed in the letters from Governor Thomas Hutchinson to Benjamin Franklin?
Backcountry Tensions
1) Why was western land in demand?
2) What caused Lord Dunmore’s War?
3) Who were the Green Mountain Boys?
The Tea Act, 1773
1) How did Lord North try to save the East India Trading Company?
2) Why did the Tea Act alarm many Americans?
3) What happened at the Boston Tea Party?
TOWARD INDEPENDENCE, 1774-1776 (149-155)
Liberty for Black Americans
1) Who was James Somerset?
2) What did Lord Dunmore promise? Did it accomplish what he set out to do?
The Coercive Acts
1) Explain all four Coercive Acts.
2) Why was the third Coercive Act was called the “Murder Act”?
3) What did the colonists not like about the Quebec Act?
The First Continental Congress
1) What were the Suffolk Resolves?
2) What was significant about the Continental Association?
From Resistance to Rebellion
1) What happened at Lexington and Concord?
2) What was accomplished by the Second Continental Congress?
3) How did the British react to the Olive Branch Petition?
Common Sense
1) Why did some people want to reconcile with Britain?
2) What barrier did Thomas Paine’s Common Sense break down? How was that important?
Declaring Independence
1) What were some of the things used as inspiration for the Declaration of Independence?
2) Did the term “all men” really apply?
3) What did Jefferson argue gave the colonies a right to create their own government? Where did
this idea come from?