American revolution: 1: definitions

Mercantilism

Economic theory - exporting more goods than importing to increase national wealth. Colonies were expected to supply raw materials to the mother country and serve as markets for its manufactured goods.

Colonial Charter

A legal document granted by the British monarch to individuals, companies or groups to establish a colony, specifying the colony's geographic boundaries and how it would be governed.

Proprietary colonies

Granted by the British crown to one or more proprietors who had full governing rights. Examples- Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Corporate colonies

Colonies established and governed by joint-stock companies or other corporate entities under charters granted by the British Monarch. Examples include Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Enumerated goods/commodities

Specific colonial products that, under the Navigation Acts, could only be shipped to England or English colonies. Examples include tobacco, sugar and cotton.

Navigation acts

A series of British laws that regulated colonial trade to benefit England. They required that certain goods be shipped only in English ships and that trade with other nations be conducted through England.

Privy council

A body of advisers to the British monarch, which played a role in colonial administration by reviewing colonial laws and hearing appeals.

Salutary Neglect

A British policy of loosely enforcing colonial regulations, allowing the colonies considerable freedom to pursue economic and political interests.

Sinecures

Government positions that required little or no work but provided a salary or other benefits, often granted as political favours.

New England

A region in the northeastern United States comprising the colonies of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island, known for its Puritan roots, small farming, fishing, and trade.

Middle Colonies

Colonies located between New England and the southern colonies, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Known for diverse populations, fertile soil, and mixed economies of farming and commerce.

Southern Colonies

Colonies located in the southeastern United States, including Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Characterised by plantation agriculture, primarily producing tobacco, rice and indigo, and a heavy reliance on slave labour.

Tidewater

Coastal plain regions of the southern colonies with fertile soil where large plantations and wealthy landowners were concentrated.

Backcountry

Frontier regions extending from the Appalachian mountains to the Mississippi River, inhabited by small farmers, hunters and fur traders.

The Great Awakening

A series of religious revivals in the 1730s and 1740s that swept through the American colonies, emphasising individual piety and challenging established church authorities.

The Enlightenment

17th and 18th centuries emphasising reason, science, and individual rights, influencing political and philosophical thought in the colonies

Colonial assembly

Elected legislative bodies in the colonies that represented the colonists, controlled local taxation, and managed local affairs.

Colonial governors

Authority over administration, law enforcement and the implementation of colonial policies

Colonial militia

Armed forces composed of colonist volunteers who defended their communities and supported British regular troops.

War of the Austrian Succession

1740-1748 European conflict over the succession to the Austrian throne, with extensions involving Britain and France fighting in North America

The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

1748. Ends the War of the Austrian succession, restores pre-war boundaries, fails to resolve colonial disputes.

Louisbourg

French fortress on Cape Breton Island, captured by British forces in 1745 and again in 1758 (Amherst), playing a significant role in colonial conflicts.

The Seven Year's War

1756-1763, a global conflict between major European powers, with significant battles in North America known as the French and Indian war.

The French and Indian war

1754-1763, the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War, involving British and Colonial forces vs French and First Nation allies.

Albany Congress

1754. Meeting of colonial representatives in Albany, New York, aiming to coordinate defence against French threats and negotiate alliances with Native tribes. It resulted with Benjamin Franklin's plan of union, which was ultimately rejected.

Fort Duquesne

A French fort at the confluence of the allegheny and monogahela rivers, in present day Pittsburgh, pivotal in early skirmishes of French Indian war.

William Pitt the Elder

British Secretary of State who led Britain during the latter half of the Seven Years’ War, known for his strategies that focused on North America and support for colonial militias

Battle of Jumonville Glen

1754, The opening battle of the French and Indian War, where George Washington’s forces attacked a French scouting party, igniting broader conflict

General Braddock

British officer whose expedition to capture Fort Duquesne ended in a disastrous defeat in 1755, highlighting early British military failures

Lord Jeffrey Amherst

British general who captured key French positions, including Louisbourg and Montreal, contributing to British victories in the French and Indian War

Fort Ticonderoga

A strategically important fort on Lake Champlain, captured by the British in 1759, giving them control over the route to Canada

Lord Loudon

British commander-in-chief in North America during the early years of the French and Indian War, criticized for his cautious strategies and eventual replacement by more aggressive leaders

Admiral Hawke

British admiral known for his naval victory at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, which helped secure British naval dominance

General Wolfe

British general who led the successful assault on Quebec, culminating in the Battle on the Plains of Abraham

Quiberon Bay

A naval battle in 1759 where Admiral Hawke’s fleet defeated the French, preventing reinforcements and supplies from reaching New France

Battle of Quebec (Plains of Abraham)

1759, decisive battle in the French and Indian War where British forces under General Wolfe defeated the French, leading to the fall of Quebec and ultimately British control over Canada

War of the Austrian Succession dates

1740-1748

Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle date

1748

Two years Louisbourg was captured by British in

1745 and 1758

Albany Congress date

1754

The French-Indian (or Seven Years’) War date

1756-1763

Battle of Jumonville Glen year

1754

General Braddock defeat at Fort Duquesne year

1755

Britain captured Quebec year

1759

Britain captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain year

1759

Battle of Quiberon Bay year

1759

Battle of Quebec (Plains of Abraham) year

1759

Accession of George III year

1760

Peace of Paris (that ends Seven Years’ War) year

1763