US HISTORY

Sons of Liberty

Radical Patriots in Boston who organized protests against British taxes, including the Boston Tea Party.

General Gage

British commander in North America who enforced the Intolerable Acts and sent troops to Lexington and Concord.

General Burgoyne

British general whose defeat and surrender at the Battle of Saratoga marked the turning point of the war.

Patriots

American colonists who fought for complete independence from Great Britain.

George Washington

Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and later the first President of the United States.

John Adams

Massachusetts Patriot lawyer, advocate for independence, and Continental Congress delegate.

Loyalists / Tories

American colonists who remained loyal to King George III and Great Britain during the war.

Thomas Jefferson

Founding Father and primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

Sam Adams

Patriot leader and founder of the Sons of Liberty who spearheaded Boston resistance.

Thomas Paine

Author of Common Sense, a pamphlet arguing logically for complete independence from Britain.

Federalists

Supporters of the U.S. Constitution who favored a strong national central government.

Paul Revere

Boston silversmith and Son of Liberty famous for his Midnight Ride warning minutemen of British forces.

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas on natural rights heavily inspired the Declaration of Independence.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared strong central power and demanded a Bill of Rights.

King George III

Monarch of Great Britain before and during the American Revolutionary War.

Mercenaries (Hessians)

Paid German soldiers hired by the British Crown to fight against the American colonists.

Ohio River Valley / Fort Duquesne

Contested frontier region whose territorial disputes sparked the French and Indian War.

Battle of Lexington and Concord

The first military clashes of the Revolutionary War, known as the Shot Heard Round the World.

Battle of Saratoga

The turning point of the war; American victory convinced France to form an alliance against Britain.

Battle of Yorktown

The final major military battle of the Revolutionary War where Cornwallis surrendered to combined forces.

Boston

The primary epicenter of colonial resistance against British taxation policies.

Battle of Trenton

Surprise attack on Christmas night following Washington's icy Delaware River crossing that boosted American morale.

Valley Forge

Winter encampment in Pennsylvania (1777-1778) where Washington's army endured hardships and gained military training.

Philadelphia

City where the First and Second Continental Congresses and Constitutional Convention met.

French & Indian War

Conflict between Britain and France over territory that left Britain in massive debt, ending salutary neglect.

Peace of Paris (1763)

Treaty ending the French and Indian War; surrender of French North American territories east of the Mississippi to Britain.

Proclamation of 1763

British decree banning colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent Indian conflicts.

Sugar Act

1764 British tax on imported sugar and molasses, signaling an end to salutary neglect.

Declaratory Acts and Townshend Acts

British laws asserting absolute power over colonies and imposing import duties on everyday goods.

Boston Massacre

1770 conflict where British soldiers fired into a crowd of harassment in Boston, killing 5 colonists.

Committees of Correspondence

Colonial communication network established to coordinate political resistance against British policies.

Boston Tea Party

1773 Sons of Liberty protest dumping British East India Company tea into Boston Harbor to protest Tea Act.

Intolerable Acts

Harsh British punitive laws punishing Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party by closing Boston Harbor and imposing martial law.

First Continental Congress

1774 meeting of delegates from 12 colonies in response to the Intolerable Acts to coordinate a unified boycott.

Second Continental Congress

Colonial governing body during the war that organized the army, chose Washington as commander, and declared independence.

Olive Branch Petition

Final colonial attempt at peace sent to King George III pledging loyalty, which the King rejected.

Common Sense

Fiery political pamphlet by Thomas Paine persuading colonists to pursue total independence from monarchy.

Declaration of Independence

Formal document written by Thomas Jefferson asserting natural rights and declaring 13 free sovereign states.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Peace agreement ending the Revolutionary War; Britain recognized complete American independence.

Articles of Confederation

America's weak first national constitution with no power to tax or enforce laws, leading to economic trouble.

Shays' Rebellion

1786 uprising of indebted Massachusetts farmers that highlighted the critical weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Great Compromise

Constitutional agreement creating a bicameral legislature: House of Reps (population-based) and Senate (equal representation).

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement counting three-fifths of enslaved populations for congressional representation and direct taxation.

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, added to protect individual liberties and secure Anti-Federalist support.

Continental Army Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: High morale, home knowledge, Washington's leadership, French alliance. Weaknesses: Lack of supplies, money, and training.

Redcoats Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: Well-trained professional military, world-class Navy, strong finances. Weaknesses: Far distance, unfamiliar terrain, low public support.