AR+Responses+to+essential+questions

//__Why is the French and Indian War a major turning point between British and colonial relations? Cite specific examples focusing specifically the economical and social aspects of the period. (1763-1774) Due Thursday 2nd Period.__//

Between 1763 and 1774 the British and Colonial relations had changed drastically as the colonists realized their own identity. **__The Colonists finally realized that they wanted independence from Britain once the War was over and they were left with nothing to gain from it.__** All of the repurcussions of the War, including the different laws passed, and King George finally showing some leadership within the colonies caused the colonists to have some tension with the British. Once the French and Indian War was finally over, King George created the Proclamation of 1763. This Proclamation tried to inhibit the colonists from crossing the Appalachian mountains and they did not agree with this at all. The crown didn't want to spend any more money for expansion and was trying to force the settlers to stay only on the far East coast. This caused the colonists to feel contempt for the monarchy and the fact that they were trying to limit the expansion and settling of North America. The Writs of Assistance and Geroge Greenville's program tried to make the colonists pay for the debts, that England had gotten from the war, through taxes. The Writs of Assistance made it impossible for the settlers to trade with anyone but England and the colonists hated it. They tried to smuggle things from other countries, such as the West Indies, but were also stopped, searched and seized without any preamble. The colonists wanted to trade with countries other than England and were sick of paying taxes for their products and only giving money to the British Monarchy. George Greenville's program was also a major program that caused the relationship between the colonists and Britain to deteriorate. The Americans were forced to buy sugar only from England and were taxed for it so the English didn't have to pay so much for the debt. Also things like the Currency Act and the Quartering Act made the colonists dislike the English more and more for interfering with their affairs. The colonists were beginning to realize that they no longer wanted to be ruled by the British monarchy and wanted to have free trade without taxes from their home country.

//__(2) Justify the actions of the American colonists in declaring and fighting for their independence. Essential Question Due Thursday 2nd period. 9/24/09__//

In 1776, when America declared their Independence through the writing of the Declaration of Independence, they had good reasons to break free from the bonds binding them to England. **__The colonists had finally banded together over one common enemy and we're trying to gain independence because England was controlling their every move.__** From the laws and acts that were passed, to the taxes that were forced on the colonists, they knew that the only thing to do was to break away from their mother country. The Coercive Acts were one of the many good reasons why America broke away from England. These acts pushed the colonies over the edge, they were known as the "Intolerable Acts" for a reason. The fact that they closed Boston Port was a good reason to fight for independence, but there was even more reasons. The Massachusetts charter was taken away and Boston was put under marshal law. All of the Americans had to listen to everything the officers said and hardly had any freedom at all. A new quartering act was also put in place, which angered the colonists even more. They hated the first quartering act and this was a huge reason for them to hate England even more. They were forced to do things they didn't want to and had to submit to officers taking their homes away from them and eating all their food. The Administration Act was the last straw for the settlers, any officer that commited a crime was sent back to England and tried there. The officers weren't under any type of colonial law and could even get away with murder if they wanted to. All of these Acts pushed the settlers over the edge, especially since they had begun to deteriorate their relationship with Britain. Ever since the French and Indian war, tensions between England and America grew until the colonists realized that the acts being passed were not in their best interest and they needed independence.

//__Essential Question- Was the Revolution of 1800 truly a Revolution?__//

According to Thomas Jefferson the Revolution of 1800 was truly a revolution. He believed that the revolution of 1800 was "as real a revolution in the principles of our government as of that in 1776". **Although Jefferson believed this it is said that the revolution of 1800 was only the country being re-exposed to the Democratic-Republican viewpoint and that political party being restored into the central government.** Once Thomas Jefferson had been elected president, many other Democratic-Republicans gained positions in government offices. This caused the laws of the country to be changed to reflect their viewpoints and certain acts made by the Federalists to be removed. Thomas Jefferson restored the Democratic-Republican viewpoint to the laws in the country and the citizens were taking advantage. The Americans were now seeing a return of the spirit of Revolution. Thomas Jefferson believed in the country being extremely democratic and that people should have individual and state rights. That spirit of revolution had been dampened by the Federalists when they had been in office. So basically, the Revolution of 1800 was only a revolution in the eyes of Thomas Jefferson, to everyone else it was just a restoration of the viewpoints that he represented.