AP U.S. History: The American Revolution and the Decision for Independence

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, events, figures, military strategies, and societal impacts of the American Revolution based on lecture unit objectives 3.4 through 3.6.

First Continental Congress

A September 1774 meeting in Philadelphia called to respond to the British Acts, seek reconciliation with Great Britain, protect colonial rights, and enforce a boycott of British goods without advocating for war.

Olive Branch Petition

A petition issued by the Continental Congress in July 1775 as a final attempt at peace and reconciliation with King George III, which the King rejected in August 1775 before declaring the colonies in open rebellion.

Second Continental Congress

The colonial legislative body that met after the outbreak of armed conflict at Lexington and Concord to organize a war plan, eventually voting for independence on July 2, 1776, and approving the Declaration of Independence.

Committee of Five

The drafting committee appointed by the Continental Congress to compose the Declaration of Independence, consisting of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

The formal document signed on July 4, 1776, intended to justify American separation from England, state that government exists to protect its citizens, and affirm principles of democratic ideals, natural rights, and individual liberty.

Abigail Adams

The wife of John Adams who in March 1776 urged him to 'remember the ladies' in forming new laws and avoid putting unlimited power in the hands of husbands, representing an early step in advocating for women's equal rights.

Patriots (Whigs)

Colonists who supported American independence from Great Britain, representing approximately $40\%$ of the colonial population during the war.

Loyalists (Tories)

Colonists who opposed American independence out of fear that it would breed anarchy, representing approximately $20\%$ of the population and facing severe mistreatment and property confiscation.

War of Attrition

The American military strategy centered on exhausting the British army and exploiting England's long supply lines, operating under the principle that colonials only needed to wear down the British rather than achieve absolute military defeat.

Divide and Conquer Strategy

The British military plan aimed at separating the colonies between North and South, blockading ports, using Loyalist allies, and encouraging slave revolts to subdue the rebellion.

Continental Army

The regular military force commanded by George Washington that relied on guerrilla tactics, defended territory without engaging in all-out war, and stood as the central symbol of the republican cause.

Mercy Otis Warren

An influential colonial writer who used political satires and propaganda to promote the Patriot cause and support the American Revolution.

Battle of Saratoga (1777)

A major American victory considered the military turning point of the Revolution, which convinced France to openly ally with the United States, recognize American independence, and give up territorial claims in North America.

Valley Forge (1777–1778)

The Pennsylvania winter encampment where George Washington's Continental Army suffered through extreme cold and near starvation while remaining unified as a fighting force.

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

The decisive final campaign in Virginia where General Cornwallis was trapped between the Continental Army and the French navy, resulting in his surrender on October 19, 1781, and effectively ending the war.

Republican Motherhood

The post-Revolutionary belief that women held the civic duty of instilling republican virtues like liberty and natural rights into their children, which expanded female educational opportunities and founded women's academies.

The Cult of Domesticity

The nineteenth-century doctrine of 'separate spheres' defining female roles at home, which, when linked to educational advancements and the Second Great Awakening, helped spark the Suffragette movement.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The peace agreement negotiated by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay that secured full American independence, Atlantic fishing rights, troop withdrawals, and all territory east of the Mississippi River between Canada and Florida.