S.S. Chapter 4-6 Vocabulary

subsistence farming

farming in which only enough food to feed one's family is produced

Triangular Trade

A three way system of trade during 1600-1800s Africa sent slaves to America, America sent Raw Materials to Europe, and Europe sent Guns and Rum to Africa

cash crop

a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower.

surplus

A situation in which quantity supplied is greater than quantity demanded

Slave Codes

Laws that controlled the lives of enslaved African Americans and denied them basic rights.

export

to carry out of the country

import

to carry into the country

Navigation Acts

Laws that governed trade between England and its colonies. Colonists were required to ship certain products exclusively to England. These acts made colonists very angry because they were forbidden from trading with other countries.

Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions.

Militia

A group of civilians trained to fight in emergencies

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army

Albany Plan of Union

plan proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 that aimed to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes; the plan was turned down by the colonies and the Crown

Resolution

End of the story where loose ends are tied up

Boycott

A group's refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization in protest against its policies

Patrick Henry

a leader of the American Revolution and a famous orator who spoke out against British rule of the American colonies (1736-1799)

Samuel Adams

American Revolutionary leader and patriot, Founder of the Sons of Liberty and one of the most vocal patriots for independence; signed the Declaration of Independence

Sugar Act

law passed by the British Parliament setting taxes on molasses and sugar imported by the colonies

Proclamation of 1763

A proclamation from the British government which forbade British colonists from settling west of the Appalacian Mountains, and which required any settlers already living west of the mountains to move back east.

Stamp Act

1765; law that taxed printed goods, including: playing cards, documents, newspapers, etc.

The Townshend Acts

A tax that the British Parliament passed in 1767 that was placed on leads, glass, paint and tea

Propaganda

Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause.

Boston Massacre

The first bloodshed of the American Revolution (1770), as British guards at the Boston Customs House opened fire on a crowd killing five Americans

Tea Act

1773 act which eliminated import tariffs on tea entering England and allowed the British East India Company to sell directly to consumers rather than through merchants. Led to the Boston Tea Party.

The Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)

Laws passed by British Parliament in 1774 to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. Closed Boston Harbor, suspended Massachusetts' self-government, allowed quartering of British soldiers, and restricted town meetings. Led to increased tensions and further fueled the push for American independence.

*Names given by colonists to the Quebec Act (1774) and to a series of acts by the British in response to the Boston Tea Party

*Closed the Port of Boston to all trade until citizens paid for the lost tea

*Increased the power of Massachusetts' Royal governor at the expense of the legislature

*Allowed Royal officials accused of crimes in Massachusetts to be tried elsewhere

Continental Congress

The legislative assembly composed of delegates from the rebel colonies who met during and after the American Revolution

Minutemen

Member of a militia during the American Revolution who could be ready to fight in sixty seconds

Lexington and Concord

first battles of the Revolutionary War

Bunker Hill

(June 17, 1775) Site of a battle early in the Revolutionary War. This battle contested control of two hills (Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill) overlooking Boston Harbor. The British captured the hills after the Americans ran-out of ammunition. "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes!" Battle implied that Americans could fight the British if they had sufficient supplies.

Continental Army

the American army during the American Revolution

Olive Branch Petition

On July 8, 1775, the colonies made a final offer of peace to Britain, agreeing to be loyal to the British government if it addressed their grievances (repealed the Coercive Acts, ended the taxation without representation policies). It was rejected by Parliament, which in December 1775 passed the American Prohibitory Act forbidding all further trade with the colonies.

Declaration of Independence

the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain

Loyalists

American colonists who remained loyal to Britain and opposed the war for independence

Patriots

American colonists who were determined to fight the British until American independence was won

General John Burgoyne

British general appointed by King George III to crush the rebel forces; 1777, subordinate of Howe, lead invading force down Hudson from Canada to Alabany; was present at the Battle of Saratoga and Battle of Yorktown

Smallpox Inoculation

the practice of vaccinating people so that they do not come down the smallpox.

Winter at Valley Forge

Washington and troops were low on supplies, food, and clothing. Because it was a harsh winter, 1/5 of soldiers died.

Guerrilla Warfare

A hit-and-run technique used in fighting a war; fighting by small bands of warriors using tactics such as sudden ambushes

Battle of Yorktown

Last major battle of the Revolutionary War. Cornwallis and his troops were trapped in the Chesapeake Bay by the French fleet. He was sandwiched between the French navy and the American army. He surrendered October 19, 1781.

Treaty of Paris 1783

This treaty ended the Revolutionary War, recognized the independence of the American colonies, and granted the colonies the territory from the southern border of Canada to the northern border of Florida, and from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River