Questions and Answers - US History

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21) Explain the rebellions in Massachusetts and New York after the Glorious Revolution in 1688.

In 1686, the former Duke of York combined New York, New Jersey and New England into the Dominion in order to facilitate the illegal trading activities. Sir Andros was appointed as governor. When King James II was still in power, he removed all the colonial legislative powers so that Andros could rule with absolute power. His rule was highly unpopular in Massachusetts and when the word of the Glorious Revolution reached Boston in 1688, a mob that had been organized by political officials arrested Andros and restored to their pre-dominion state. Uprisings also started in New York, where an angry mob seized Fort James and wanted to await the arrival of William and Mary in New York. This and the Massachusetts incident were part of the Leisler’s Rebellion. Leisler was elected as governor of New York from 1689-1691 after these series of unrest.

(22) Explain Peter Zenger’s trial and how it led to freedom of the press in the colonies.

Peter Zenger was an immigrant who had come to America from Germany to become an apprentice printer under the guidance of William Bradford. In 1733, New York Colonial Governor William Cosby prosecuted the acting governor Rip Van Dam and removed Chief Justice Lewis Morris from the courts. This controversy led to the political opposition of many groups. The people in favor of Cosby set up their own paper in defense. When he had become the editor for this New York Weekly Journal, he was accused of writing false information about some of the colonial officials. His papers were burned and he was put on trail charged with “seditious libel”. His lawyer Andrew Hamilton argued in defense that Zenger’s writings were not arbitrary defaming of Cosby unless they were false. After having proven them to be true, the judges reached the verdict of not guilty. His trail proved to be a victory for justifying the rights to press and speech. The right to the freedom of press was cited by the protesters against the Stamp Act.

(23) Explain the Salem Witch trials.

In the village of Salem, or present day Danver, Massachusetts, a group of girls were accused of practicing witchcraft as well as being possessed by the Devil. This controversy rose largely from the overly religious community. The irregular behavior of these girls convinced the leading Puritan pastor, Reverend Matther to begin a series of witch hunts.

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