Exam Two
The War of 1812 was a conflict between the Britain and the US. Following the conflict, the US declared war on June 18th, 1812. This war resulted in the Napoleonic Wars that caused the Great Britain to partake on measures that aggravated the United States Ward (Hickey 13). Some reasons for the war include blocking the US from international trade, impressment by the Royal Navy, British violation of maritime rights and the British support of Native American hostility (Hickey 13). Britain lost the war to America. The war of 1812 fostered a great sense of patriotism among the Americans.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was a great man in American history since he was the second Vice President of the US in (1707-1801). He was later elected as the President of the US in 1801, and he served up to 1809. He was an advocate of liberty and a spokesman for democracy. He wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. He believed that everyone has equal rights regardless of the wealth they have, their social status or even birth (Ching 14). He also believed that it is the Government’s duty to serve the people.
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty is a secret society, which is thought to have formed in Boston, 1765. It composed of a group of rebellious Americans who had a sole goal of undermining the British rule. They are known for protesting against the Stamp Act of 1765 since they believed in no taxation without representation. The society was later dissolved after the Stamp Act was revoked, although it was disbanded it still played a significant role in fighting for the rights of Americans and paved way for more similar societies to be formed (Lagos, Lagos and Walker 19).
French-Indian War
The French-Indian War took place in 1754-1763. It was a war between the British America and New France. Both sides had the support of the military and their parent colonies which are France and Great Britain. This war was mainly caused by frontier tensions since both sides wanted to increase their scope of influence. The war was expensive for the British. They wanted to impose taxes on colonialists; this escalated rebellion, and it resulted in a full wing war on independence (Pederson 17). The Treaty of Paris ended the war in 1763.
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre took place on 5th March 1770. British soldiers fired a volley of shots which killed three people on the spot and two others due to wounds, among them was Crispus Attucks. Thomas Preston was the British captain in charge at that time; he was arrested and accused of manslaughter. The Boston Massacre is an important event in American history since it helps influence the public on the cause of patriotism (Fradin 3).
James Madison
James Madison was a great man and the fourth President of the US 1809-1817. He aided in the ratification of the Constitution through writing and is hailed as the ‘Father of the Constitution.’ He is a significant figure in American History since he enacted the first revenue legislation and helped in framing the Bill of Rights (Brookhiser 2). He left office in 1817 and died in 1836, leaving the county a letter; ‘Advice to my Country’.
George III
George III was King of England and Ireland in 1760. He is the longest-serving monarch after Queen Victoria. He led England to successful resistance to Napoleonic France. He also presided over the loss of the American Revolution. He later suffered mental illness ad blindness until his death (Canon 4).
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, who later became the first Vice President of the US 1789-1797 and in 1797-1801, he became the second President of the US. He helped negotiate the treaty of peace during the revolutionary war. He arranged treaties of commerce with some European nations. He was devoted to the right to counsel and the protection of innocence. He left the presidency for his farm in Quince and later died in 1826 (Elston 5).
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine was an American political activist, a writer, and a pamphleteer. Most of his work was published during the American Revolution. He had inspiring messages in most of his writing because of his intellect and great criticism. He had a great vision for the society, and he campaigned against slavery (Paine 14). His work influenced public opinion; through that, he paved the way for the Declaration of Independence.
Shay’s Rebellion
The Shay’s rebellion is the term use to refer to a series of protests by an armed uprising in Springfield, Massachusetts. The rebellion is named after its leader David Shays (Szatmary 80). It was mostly composed of farmers who protested against state and local tax enforcements and judgments for debts. The rebellion ended in 1787 during winter when Benjamin Lincoln crushed the rebels. It led to the fleeing of David Shay’s and others to Rhodes Island and Vermont.
Virginia Plan
Virginia Plan was a proposal by Virginia delegates led by Edmond Randolph, who was governor at that time, and it was drafted by James Madison in 1787 (Catron 13). Its primary aim was to protect the interests of the new government, which was considered federally higher than under the Articles of Confederation that was deemed to have a weak federal control.
Henry Clay
Henry Clay was an American lawyer, and he played a crucial role in American National Politics. He was the leader of the Whig Party and was a presidential aspirant five times of which he was unsuccessful in all instances. He encouraged participation of US in War of 1812. He influenced many political leaders with his ideology. In the 1950s, he was named one of the five greatest senators of all time.
Part 2
Many events happened between 1763 and 1775 led to the American Revolution. In 1763, the British had emerged from the Seven year’s War, and they had no funds, hence the imposed high taxes on the colonists. In 1764, the Currency Act was passed, which discouraged the use of currency in paper form; this caused difficulties for colonists to pay taxes and debts. In 1765, the Stamp Act was passed; it entailed taxing of all printed materials, and the Americans were expected to remit their taxes straight to British Government and not to the local government. The Stamp Act was abolished in 1766, and the same day, the Declaratory Act was passed by Parliament; it that stated that the British government had the overall power to enact all the laws that govern the colonies of America in all cases. In 1767, the Townshend Revenue Act was passed where more materials like paints, tea glass, and lead were taxed. In 1769, merchants in Philadelphia agreed to boycott British trade goods (Hinkhouse 9).
In 1770, violence erupted between the Sons of Liberty and British soldiers. In the same year, the Boston massacre occurred. In 1772, there was a proclamation to self-rule of colonies. In 1773, the Tea Act took effect; it would result in monopolizing the tea market in British East India, bypassing intermediaries and, therefore, underselling to the American merchants. In the same year was the Boston Tea Party where about 342 crates of teas were poured in the harbor. In 1774, the Quebec Act was passed as a measure that undermines self-rule by the British. In 1775, there was an open rebellion amongst the colonists, enforced by the coercive Act by Governor Gage. These historical events contributed in one way or another to the American Revolution.
Works Cited
Brookhiser, Richard. James Madison. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2011. Print.
Cannon, John. George Iii. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.
Catron, Rhonda K. "The Virginia Plan for Dual Enrollment: A Historical Perspective." Inquiry 2.1 (1998): 13-21.
Ching, Jacqueline. Thomas Jefferson. New York: Dk Publishing, 2009. Print.
Elston, Heidi M. D. John Adams. Edina, Minn: ABDO, 2009. Print.
Fradin, Dennis B. The Boston Massacre. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009. Print.
Hickey, Donald R. The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2012. Print.
Hinkhouse, Fred Junkin. The preliminaries of the American Revolution as seen in the English press, 1763-1775. Octagon Books, 1969. Print.
Lagos, Alexander, Joseph Lagos, and Steve Walker. The Sons of Liberty. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2010. Print.
Pederson, Charles E. The French & Indian War. Edina, Minn: ABDO, 2010. Print.
Paine, Thomas. Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution. Waiheke Island: Floating Press, 2010. Internet resource.
Szatmary, David P. Shays' Rebellion: The Making of an Agrarian Insurrection. Univ of Massachusetts Press, 1980.
