From the French and Indian War to the American Revolution Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards identifying key terminology, historical figures, battles, acts, and political concepts from the French and Indian War through the American Revolution.

French and Indian War (1754–1763)

The North American part of the larger Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France, fought mainly over control of land and resources in the Ohio River Valley.

Land Cession

The formal transfer of territory from one country or government to another.

Proclamation of 1763

A British policy issued after the French and Indian War that prohibited American colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Enlightenment

An intellectual movement, also called the 'Age of Reason,' that emphasized reason, logic, scientific inquiry, individual rights, and questioning traditional authority.

John Locke

An influential Enlightenment thinker who argued that people possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and that government exists to protect those rights.

Baron de Montesquieu

An Enlightenment thinker who advocated for the separation of powers and dividing government authority.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

An Enlightenment thinker who emphasized popular sovereignty and the principle that government should reflect the will of the people.

Voltaire

An Enlightenment philosopher who advocated for freedom of speech, religious toleration, and criticism of government and religious authority.

First Great Awakening

A major religious revival movement in the American colonies during the 1730s and 1740s that emphasized personal faith, emotional conversion, and individual choice.

Zenger Trial

The legal trial of printer John Peter Zenger, whose acquittal for publishing criticisms of the colonial governor helped establish the principle of freedom of the press.

Sugar Act (1764)

A British law that placed duties on imported goods such as sugar and molasses to raise revenue and combat colonial smuggling.

Stamp Act (1765)

A controversial British tax placed directly on printed materials in the colonies, including newspapers, legal documents, licenses, and playing cards.

Sons of Liberty

A colonial resistance organization associated with Samuel Adams that opposed British policies using protests, boycotts, public demonstrations, and political organizing.

Samuel Adams

A Massachusetts revolutionary leader associated with the Sons of Liberty who strongly supported colonial resistance to British taxation.

Committees of Correspondence

Colonial communication networks used to share information about British actions and coordinate resistance across colonies.

Lexington and Concord

The first armed battles of the American Revolution in April 1775, fought when British troops marched to seize colonial military supplies.

Second Continental Congress

The assembly of colonial delegates meeting from May 1775 onward that created the Continental Army, chose George Washington as commander, and eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Battle of Bunker Hill

A bloody June 1775 battle on Breed's Hill that ended in a costly British victory, proving that colonial militia could fight effectively against regular army forces.

Common Sense

A widely read 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine that criticized monarchy, supported republicanism, and persuaded ordinary colonists to support American independence.

Declaration of Independence

The document adopted on July 4, 1776, announcing that the American colonies were formally separating from Great Britain.

Committee of Five

The group of five delegates—Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston—chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence.

Battle of Trenton

A surprise attack on Hessian troops led by George Washington on December 26, 1776, after crossing the Delaware River, which boosted American morale.

Battle of Saratoga

A major 1777 American military victory that served as the primary turning point of the Revolution by convincing France to form an open alliance with the United States.

Battle of Yorktown

The final major battle of the Revolution in 1781, where American and French forces trapped Lord Cornwallis, forcing his surrender.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The treaty that formally ended the American Revolution, recognizing the independence of the United States with boundaries reaching the Mississippi River.

Articles of Confederation

The first national governing constitution of the United States, which created a deliberately weak central government.

Natural Rights

Fundamental rights that individuals inherently possess simply by virtue of being human, such as life, liberty, and property.

Consent of the Governed

The political principle that a government derives its legitimate authority solely from the agreement of the people it governs.

Patriot

A colonist who supported the movement for American independence from Great Britain.

Loyalist

A colonist who remained loyal to Great Britain and opposed independence.