Unit 2 Study Guide

Honors U.S. History

Unit 2 Study Guide: Chapters 4 and 5- The Revolutionary Era and Forming a New Government

Ch. 4, Sect. 1- The Stirrings of Rebellion

-       Why did Britain impose new taxes on the colonies?

-       What was the Stamp Act?

-       Who led the protests against the Stamp Act? Who were the Sons of Liberty? Leader? Goals?

-       What were the Townshend Acts?

-       What is meant by the term, “No taxation without representation?”

-       What happened at the 1770 Boston Massacre? Why did John Adams defend the British?

-       How did John Adams plan his masterful defense?

-       Identify the 4 intolerable acts in response to the Boston Tea Party

-       Why were the battles of Lexington and Concord significant?

-       What was decided at the First Continental Congress?

Ch. 4, Sect. 2- Issues Behind the Revolution

-       What was decided at the Second Continental Congress?

-       Identify the Olive Branch Petition.  What was it? Who initiated it?

-       Who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?

-       Identify the 3 parts of the Declaration of Independence after the preamble

-       Loyalists vs. Patriots: who were they?

-       Why did Thomas Paine write Common Sense?

Ch. 4, Sect. 3- Struggling Toward Saratoga

-       British and American strengths and weaknesses

Ch. 4, Sect.4- Winning the War

-       What were the points decided at the Treaty of Paris to end the Revolutionary War?

-       Why did America win the war?

Identify:

-       John Adams, Sam Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Dickinson, Caesar Rodney, Captain Preston, Abigail Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine

 Ch. 5- Shaping a New Nation

Section 1 Experimenting with Confederation

-       Articles of Confederation; background and weaknesses

Section 2 Drafting the Constitution

-       James Madison

-       New Jersey Plan vs Virginia Plan

-       Great Compromise

-       Three Fifths Compromise

-       3 branches

-       checks and balances

-       role of electoral college

Section 3 Ratifying the Constitution

-       Federalists vs Antifederalists

-       The Bill of Rights

-       Powers of legislative branch, executive branch and judicial branch

-       How does one become president?