The American Revolution: Causes and Key Events

Glorious Revolution

1688 event that influenced colonial governance.

Salutary Neglect

British hands-off policy towards American colonies.

Old Whigs

Group favoring authoritarian imperial governance.

Patriot Whigs

Group advocating trade-based imperial governance.

Great Awakening

Religious revival emphasizing spirituality in colonies.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement promoting reason and individual rights.

Seven Years' War

Conflict between British and French forces globally.

Proclamation Act of 1763

Limited colonial expansion to prevent Native conflicts.

Sugar Act

1764 law reducing molasses tax to curb smuggling.

Currency Act

1764 law restricting colonial paper money printing.

Stamp Act

Tax on legal documents and printed materials.

Boston Massacre

1770 incident escalating tensions between colonists and British.

Boston Tea Party

1773 protest against British tea tax.

Coercive Acts

1774 laws punishing Massachusetts for Boston Tea Party.

George III

King of Great Britain during American Revolution.

Tories

Political faction supporting British authority in colonies.

Vice-Admiralty Courts

Courts for trying smugglers without juries.

Taxation Measures

Policies implemented to offset British national debt.

East India Company

British trading company involved in colonial taxation.

Colonial Assemblies

Local governing bodies claiming power like Parliament.

Political Identity

Unique sense of governance developed by colonists.

Natural Law

Philosophical principle influencing Enlightenment thought.

Empiricism

Knowledge based on observation and experience.

Liberty

Fundamental right emphasized during Enlightenment.

Constitutional Government

System limiting government power through laws.

Fraternity

Sense of brotherhood among colonists during revolution.

George Grenville

Chief author of Grenville Acts, 1764-1765.

Grenville Acts

Collective name for Sugar, Currency, and Stamp Acts.

Sugar Act

1764 act imposing taxes on sugar imports.

Currency Act

1764 act restricting colonial paper money issuance.

Stamp Act

1765 act requiring tax stamps on printed materials.

Samuel Adams

Key advocate for boycotting British goods.

Taxation without Representation

Colonial grievance over lack of legislative input.

Virginia Resolves

Legislative protest asserting colonial rights, May 1765.

Stamp Act Congress

1765 meeting of nine colonies in New York.

Declaration of Rights and Grievances

Document asserting colonial rights, issued by Congress.

Full Representation

Colonial demand for equal representation in Parliament.

Boycotts

Colonial merchants' protest against British goods.

Public Outcry

Widespread colonial dissatisfaction with British restrictions.

Sons of Liberty

Radical group organizing protests against British policies.

Riots

Violent protests against British officials and policies.

Andrew Oliver

Stamp distributor targeted in protests, burned in effigy.

Thomas Hutchinson

Lieutenant Governor whose home was destroyed by protesters.

Repeal of Stamp Act

February 1766, successful colonial protest outcome.

Declaratory Act

Act asserting Parliament's authority over colonies post-repeal.

Political Domestic Sphere

Women and men displayed political positions through consumerism.

Teapot, Stamp Act Repeal'd

1786 artifact celebrating repeal of the Stamp Act.

Tarring and Feathering

Violent protest tactic used against British officials.

Philip Dawe

Artist depicting Sons of Liberty's violent protests.

Boston's Commissioner of Customs

Target of tarring and feathering in 1774.

Petitions

Formal requests to British government expressing colonial discontent.

Legislative Means

Formal protests by colonial elites against British acts.

Economic Impact

Colonial economies affected by Currency Act restrictions.

Public Violence

Extreme protests that spread across the colonies.

Egregious Taxation

Colonial term for unfair British tax policies.

Declaratory Act

Parliament's right to impose taxes on colonies.

Townshend Acts

1767 laws taxing imported goods like tea.

Custom Duties

Taxes on specific imported items, not direct taxes.

American Board of Customs Commissioners

Agency to enforce customs duties and compliance.

Vice-Admiralty Trials

Courts for trying smugglers without juries.

Revenue from Customs Seizures

Funds used to pay customs officials and governors.

Charles Townshend

Chancellor of the Exchequer, creator of Townshend Acts.

Seven Years' War

Conflict leading to British debt and colonial taxation.

John Dickinson

Colonial writer opposing Declaratory Act and taxation.

Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania

Dickinson's argument against special duties as taxes.

Boycotts of British Goods

Colonial resistance strategy against British taxation.

Women's Role in Boycotts

Organized spinning clubs and subscription lists.

Homespun Clothes

Symbol of patriotism and resistance in colonies.

Committees of Correspondence

Groups to spread news and coordinate protests.

Boston Massacre

1770 confrontation leading to civilian deaths.

British Troops in Boston

Stationed to enforce compliance and maintain peace.

March 5, 1770

Date of the Boston Massacre incident.

Private Hugh White

British sentry involved in the Boston Massacre.

Captain Thomas Preston

Officer who responded to the Boston Massacre.

Crispus Attucks

First casualty of the Boston Massacre.

Indictment for Murder

Charges against Preston and soldiers after the massacre.

Montgomery and Kilroy

Soldiers found guilty of manslaughter in the massacre.

Thumb Branding

Punishment for soldiers convicted of manslaughter.

Not Guilty Verdict

Outcome for Preston and other soldiers in trial.

Colonial Unity

Strengthened through non-importation and non-consumption efforts.

Patriotic Action

Public demonstrations and resistance against British policies.

Spinning Clubs

Women's groups producing clothing to support boycotts.

Resistance to Taxes

Colonial opposition to British taxation policies.

Custom House Incident

Site of the Boston Massacre confrontation.

Boston Massacre

Incident on March 5, 1770, leading to colonial outrage.

Paul Revere

Silversmith who created Boston Massacre propaganda.

Tea Act

1773 law allowing direct tea sales to colonies.

East India Company

Company struggling financially, pivotal in tea trade.

Boston Tea Party

1773 protest against Tea Act, tea dumped in harbor.

Intolerable Acts

1774 laws punishing colonies for Boston Tea Party.

Coercive Acts

British laws aimed at suppressing colonial dissent.

Boston Port Act

Closed Boston Harbor as punishment for protests.

Massachusetts Government Act

Dissolved local assembly, increased British control.

Administration of Justice Act

Allowed royal officials to be tried in Britain.

Quartering Act

Required colonists to house British troops.

Declaratory Act

Asserted British authority over colonies, worsening relations.

Sons of Liberty

Group opposing British taxation, led by Samuel Adams.

Samuel Adams

Leader of the Sons of Liberty, key revolutionary.

John Adams

Lawyer who defended soldiers in Boston Massacre.

Regulating Act

1773 act placing East India Company under control.