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hands-off approach by Great Britain; British policy of loosely enforcing laws and regulations in the American colonies, allowing them to govern themselves. -
Beginning in 1763 economic policy England followed when it came to the 13 colonies. England saw the colonies as a market for English goods wanted to get money (taxes) natural resources from the colonies. -
was Britain's first direct tax on American colonies, requiring stamps on all legal papers, newspapers, and playing cards to raise revenue for defense -
were British parliamentary laws requiring American colonists to house and supply British troops. They aimed to reduce military costs after the French and Indian War -
the Townshend Acts were a series of laws imposing duties on imported goods (glass, lead, paint, paper, tea) to pay for colonial administration and reinforce Parliament's authority over the American colonies -
British soldiers in Boston, Massachusetts, fired upon a crowd of colonists, killing five and wounding several others -
The Olive Branch Petition was a final attempt to avoid war with Britain. Written primarily by John Dickinson, it affirmed loyalty to King George III and asked for a halt in hostilities to negotiate peace, but the King refused to receive it. -
when American colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded three British ships (Dartmouth, Eleanor, Beaver) in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water -
were a series of four or five laws passed by the British Parliament in March–June 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the December 1773 Boston Tea Party. They closed Boston’s port, suspended its colonial government, allowed officials to be tried outside the colony, and housed troops. -
were the first military clashes of the American Revolutionary War, sparked by British troops marching to seize colonial military supplies in Concord, Massachusetts -
The Congress appointed George Washington as commander of the Continental Army, and authorized the raising of the army through conscription -
Paine collected moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government -
announcing the thirteen American colonies' separation from Great Britain. The document, largely written by Thomas Jefferson, justified this split, explaining the reasons for independence and establishing the U.S. as a sovereign nation. -
they established a weak central government, creating a "league of friendship" where states retained sovereignty. This system lasted until 1789, facing issues with taxation and enforcement. -
in Annapolis, Maryland, with twelve delegates from five states (NY, NJ, PA, DE, VA). It aimed to address interstate trade barriers under the weak Articles of Confederation but ultimately called for a broader convention to fix the federal government. -
led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays. Impoverished farmers and veterans protested against high taxes, debt imprisonment, and farm foreclosures, closing courts before attacking the Springfield arsenal in January 1787, which prompted calls for a stronger federal government. -
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation. Instead of revising them, 55 delegates from 12 states drafted a new U.S. Constitution, creating a stronger federal government with three branches.