The American Revolution and Enlightenment

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the Enlightenment philosophers, parliamentary tax acts, key military campaigns, and foundational political concepts of the American Revolutionary War.

Sugar Act

A British revenue law that removed the right to a trial by jury for suspected smugglers and was designed specifically to raise revenue for the British Crown rather than simply regulate trade.

Baron de Montesquieu

The Enlightenment philosopher who advocated for the separation of powers into distinct government branches that provide checks and balances.

Stamp Act

A British tax law requiring a one-penny tax on all printed paper documents in the colonies, which was repealed after only one year.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The Enlightenment philosopher who argued that man was naturally good and that a just government free of inequality must be guided by the general will.

John Adams

The American Founding Father and lawyer who defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre to guarantee due process was upheld.

Voltaire

The Enlightenment philosopher whose defense of freedom of speech is epitomized by the quote, 'I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to death your right to say it.'

Intolerable Acts

A series of punitive laws enacted by the British Parliament specifically to discipline and punish Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party.

Adam Smith

The Enlightenment economic philosopher who advocated for the free market system and authored The Wealth of Nations.

Currency Act

A British law that prohibited the American colonies from issuing paper money and mandated that trade debts be paid in gold and silver.

Salutary Neglect

The unofficial British Crown policy of loosely enforcing parliamentary regulations, thereby allowing the American colonies to govern themselves.

Yeoman Farmers

Small independent landowners who comprised the majority of the population in the American colonies.

Battle of Quebec

The pivotal battle of the French and Indian War that sealed the defeat of New France and secured British dominance over North America.

Proclamation Line of 1763

A royal decree by King George III prohibiting British colonists from purchasing land or settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Deism

An Enlightenment philosophical belief that God created the universe with natural laws but does not intervene directly in human affairs.

Friedrich von Steuben

A Prussian military officer who trained and drilled the Continental Army, instilling essential military discipline and organization.

Valley Forge

The winter camp where the Continental Army suffered hardships but underwent rigorous training that enabled them to fight British regulars toe-to-toe.

Battle of Saratoga

The decisive 1777 military victory that proved American forces could defeat the British, convincing foreign powers such as France to openly ally with the United States.

Battle of Yorktown

The 1781 siege where British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered his army to George Washington, effectively concluding major military operations in the Revolutionary War.

Lord Dunmore's Proclamation

A British directive offering freedom to enslaved people and indentured servants belonging to Patriots if they escaped and joined the British armed forces.

Marquis de Lafayette

A young French aristocrat and military officer who played an instrumental role in securing French diplomatic support and military resources for the American cause.

Sullivan's Campaign

A 1779 Continental Army offensive that waged total war against the Iroquois Confederacy by burning villages and destroying food stores.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The formal peace treaty between the United States and Great Britain that officially ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized American sovereignty.

The American Crisis

A collection of inspiring essays by Thomas Paine, written in December 1776, aimed at bolstering troop morale and encouraging soldiers to overcome short enlistments.

Freemasons

A fraternal organization that played a major role in diffusing Enlightenment philosophy and ideals across Europe and 18th-century America.

Guerrilla Warfare

A combat strategy involving unconventional, hit-and-run tactics carried out by small forces against a larger, traditional enemy force.

Francis Marion

The South Carolina Continental officer and militia leader known as the 'Swamp Fox' for his effective use of guerrilla tactics against the British.

Paxton Boys

A vigilante group composed predominantly of Scots-Irish frontiersmen who launched violent raids against Native Americans in Pennsylvania in 1763.

Siege of Gibraltar

The largest engagement of the American Revolutionary War by number of combatants, fought between British forces and a combined Franco-Spanish fleet.

Unalienable Rights

Inherent human rights defined in the Declaration of Independence—including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—that cannot be repealed or surrendered to a government.