Causes of the American Revolution and Revolutionary Ideas & Figures

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the major acts, events, principles, and figures of the American Revolution.

Sugar Act (1764)

Tax on sugar and molasses; aimed at raising revenue for Britain.

Stamp Act (1765)

Required colonists to pay for an official stamp on paper goods.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxes on imports like glass, paint, and tea.

Tea Act (1773)

Gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies.

Boston Massacre (1770)

British soldiers killed five colonists during a confrontation; used as Patriot propaganda.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Protest against the Tea Act; colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

"Shot Heard 'Round the World" (1775)

First shots of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord.

Patriots

Colonists who supported independence.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to Britain.

"No Taxation Without Representation"

Principle where colonists insisted that only their elected assemblies could tax them, not Parliament as they didn't represent them. Fueled protests against the Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, and Tea Act.

Common Sense (1776)

Pamphlet by Thomas Paine urging colonists to break from Britain.

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

Final major battle of the Revolution; British surrender to American and French forces.

articles of confederation (1781-1789)

first US government; weak central authority, no power to tax

shay’s rebellion

an armed uprising in western massachusetts by indebted farmers and revolutionary war veterans protesting aggressive state tax and debt collection. it exposed the severe weaknesses of the articles of confederation and proved that the young united states needed a strong central government.

ratification of the constitution

replaced articles, established stronger federal government

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

Acquired new territory from France, doubling the size of the U.S.

the era of good feelings

a period in the early 1800s marked by national unity, political harmony, and reduced partisan conflict following the war of 1812

War of 1812 (1812-1815)

Conflict involving the United States and Britain; resulted in the affirmation of American sovereignty.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Stated that Missouri would enter as a slave state, maintaining the balance between free and slave states.

antebellum period

era before the civil war, marked by reform movements and rising tensions over slavery

mexican american war

us gained territory in the southwest, intensified debate over slavery

Compromise of 1850

Attempted to ease the tensions between slave and free states, including provisions like California entering as a free state.

popular sovereignty

idea that territories should vote to decide slavery status

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Allowed territories to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty, leading to violent conflict.

bleeding kansas

violent clashes between pro and anti slavery settlers in kansas

election of abraham lincoln

his victory led southern states to begin seceding: seen as threat to slavery