American Revolution vocabulary

John Locke

English philosopher who argued that governments should protect citizens' life, liberty and property, and that people should give their consent for any laws placed upon them.

Pontiac's War

Led by Neolin and Pontiac, AI rebellion that tried to push the British back to the Atlantic Ocean. Failed, but the British started using the middle ground tactics and started giving gifts -- 1763

Proclamation of 1763

Tried to prevent colonists from encroaching upon AI lands by saying that colonists couldn't move west of the Appalachian mountains.

Stamp Act

Passed by George Grenville's government, it imposed taxes on most legal documents in the colonies and on newspapers; the colonists did not like this -- 1765

Townshend Acts

Imposed taxes on tea, paper, glass, lead, and paint. Led to more nonimportation agreements. Repealed in 1770 except for the tea tax -- 1767

Sons of Liberty

Group in colonial cities, especially Boston, who organized sometimes violent resistance to British policies. Used peer pressure to make sure people didn't accept British policies. Involved in the Boston Tea Party -- 1765-1775

Boston Massacre

Confrontation between British soldiers and colonists in March 1770. Five colonists were killed and people were shocked at the violence.

Committees of Correspondence

Groups formed in each colony the exchanged ideas and information about what the British were doing to the colonies -- helped bring the colonists together -- 1772-1775

Tea Act

British tried to grant a monopoly on the tea trade to the British East Indian company that would cut out the colonial middlemen. Colonists threw the Boston Tea Party to show their displeasure -- 1773

Coercive/Intolerable Acts

Acts passed after the Boston Tea Party -- closed the port of Boston until tea was paid for, restricted town meetings in Massachusetts, and allowed the army to live among civilians -- 1774

First Continental Congress

Met in Philadelphia to organize resistance against the Coercive Acts. Petitioned the king and created the Association to enforce nonimportation -- 1774

Lexington & Concord

First battles of the American Revolution. The British wanted to destroy weapons that were in Concord, but the colonists confronted them at Lexington and drove them away from Concord -- 1775

2nd Continental Congress

Organized the colonial army and offered the Olive Branch Petition. It also approved the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation -- 1775-1781

Declaration of Independence

Justified independence to the rest of the world. Inspired by John Locke and condemned King George III -- 1776

George Washington

Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, won battles at Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown.

Battle of Trenton

Important American victory as it propped up sagging patriot morale. Washington surprised Hessian (German) troops on Christmas and took them prisoner. 1776

Saratoga

Turning point in the Revolutionary War as American forces stopped a British force from Canada that was trying to go to Albany, New York. This victory helped bring the French into the war on the side of the Americas -- 1777

French Alliance

After the battle of Saratoga, the French signed an alliance with the colonists and agreed to fight until the colonists got their independence. The French supplies were necessary to win the war -- 1778

Loyalists

People in the 13 colonies who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolutionary War.

Yorktown

Last major battle of the Revolutionary War. The American and French armies and the French Navy trapped Lord Cornwallis here and forced him to surrender -- 1781

Treaty of Paris 1783

Ends the Revolutionary War and gives the U.S. all the land to the Mississippi River and rights to fish off Newfoundland. The Americans still had to pay off their pre-war debts -- 1783

French and Indian war

Ranged from 1754-1763 and was the last of a series of wars fought between Great Britain and her allies and France and her allies.

Treaty of Paris 1763

Happened in 1763 and ended the French and Indian war and forced the French to turn over it's control of Canada to Great Britain.

Proclamation of 1763

Was an attempt to end the Americans settlement beyond the Appalachian mountains.

Stamp Act of 1765

This tax was collected on every document or newspaper printed or used in the colonies.

Committee of correspondence

This committee was made to communicate with the other colonies.

Sons of Liberty

Was organized by Samuel Adams to protest the Stamp Act

Intolerable Acts

Were designed to make an example of Massachusetts and hopefully stop the growing resistance to British authority.

Daughters of Liberty

Organized by the women of Boston and we're instrumental in maintaining the American boycott of British goods.

Common sense

Was published by Thomas Paine in January 1776. This short work helped to persuade many who were undecided to support the cause of independence.

Colony

A territory owned and run by another country.

King George III

King of England during the American Revolution.

Stamp Act (1765)

British tax in America on wills, licences and other documents

No Taxation without Representation

Slogan shouted by Americans angry at the British as they had to pay tax but had no say in how the country was run.

Townshend Acts

British taxes in America on items such as glass, paint & paper.

Boston Massacre

The shooting dead of 5 Americans protesting against British taxes.

Tea Act

British law that made American companies pay tax on tea but not British ones.

Boston Tea Party

Protest by Americans in 1773 whereby they threw tea from British ships into the sea.

First Continental Congress (1774)

Meeting of the 13 American colonies to discuss how they would deal with the British.

Second Continental Congress (1775)

Second meeting of the 13 American colonies where their army was created.

American Continental Army

Army of the American colonists led by George Washington who fought the British.

George Washington

Commander of the American Continental Army and first president of the USA.

Declaration of Independence

Document in which the Americans set out their beliefs and aims for independence.

Valley Forge

American army camp where many soldiers died from the freezing weather and lack of supplies.

General Cornwallis

Commander of the British army.

Yorktown

Last battle of the war of independence in 1789 where the British surrendered.

War of Independence (1775-1783)

War fought by American colonists for independence from Britain.

Was does repeal mean?

To take away, remove

Tax on various household items such as paper, glass, lead, silk, and tea.

Townshend Acts

Colonists had to provide food, housing, blankets, candles, etc. for the British soldiers.

Quartering Acts

Colonists did not feel they should be paying taxes to a government that was not hearing their voice. This is called?

No taxation without representation

A rioting mob confronted British soldiers at the Boston Customs House this becomes the?

Boston Massacre

Stamp Act of 1765

This tax was collected on every document or newspaper printed or used in the colonies.

Committee of correspondence

This committee was made to communicate with the other colonies.

Stamp Act Congress

This was created to draft formal petitions of protest to parliament.

Sons of Liberty

Was organized by Samuel Adams to protest the law.

Intolerable Acts

Were designed to make an example of Massachusetts and hopefully quell the growing resistance throughout to British authority.

Daughters of Liberty

Organized by the women of Boston and we're instrumental in maintaining the American boycott of British goods.

Common sense

Was published by Thomas Paine in January 1776. This short work helped to persuade many who were undecided to support the cause of independence.