French and Indian War, Colonial Resistance, and Enlightenment Influence

French and Indian War (Seven Years' War)

A conflict (1754-1763) between Britain and France in North America, with Native American allies on both sides; Britain won, gaining large amounts of land but also heavy debt.

Albany Congress/Albany Plan of Union

A 1754 meeting of colonial delegates to coordinate defense against the French; Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan to unite the colonies, but it was rejected.

Benjamin Franklin

Colonial leader, inventor, and diplomat; he proposed the Albany Plan, helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris (1783), and was a major figure in the American Revolution.

Peace (Treaty) of Paris, 1763

The treaty ending the French and Indian War; France gave up most of its North American territory, Britain gained Canada and Florida, and Spain gained Louisiana.

Pontiac's Rebellion

A Native American uprising (1763) led by Ottawa chief Pontiac against British forts and settlers in the Great Lakes region, caused by dissatisfaction with British policies.

Proclamation of 1763/Proclamation Line

Issued by Britain after Pontiac's Rebellion; forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to avoid conflict with Natives.

Virtual Representation

The British argument that Parliament represented all British subjects—even colonists who did not elect members.

Sugar Act, 1764

A British law taxing imported sugar and molasses; aimed to raise revenue and enforce trade regulations.

Vice Admiralty Courts

British courts without juries that tried smuggling and trade violation cases, seen as unfair by colonists.

Quartering Act, 1765

Required colonists to house and supply British soldiers stationed in the colonies.

Stamp Act, 1765

A tax on printed materials like newspapers and legal documents; sparked widespread protest in the colonies.

Patrick Henry

A Virginia politician known for fiery speeches against British taxes and for saying 'Give me liberty, or give me death!'

Stamp Act Congress

A 1765 meeting of delegates from nine colonies who petitioned against the Stamp Act, asserting 'no taxation without representation.'

Sons of Liberty

A secret group of colonists who organized protests and sometimes violent actions against British taxes and officials.

Declaratory Act, 1766

Passed when the Stamp Act was repealed; stated that Parliament still had the right to tax and legislate for the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever.'

Townshend Acts, 1767

Taxes on imported goods such as glass, paper, paint, and tea; led to boycotts and protests.

Writ of Assistance

General search warrants allowing British officials to search colonial homes and businesses for smuggled goods.

John Dickinson/Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania

Essays written in 1767-68 arguing that Parliament could regulate trade but not tax the colonies without consent.

Samuel Adams

Radical patriot leader in Massachusetts, organizer of protests and Committees of Correspondence, helped spark resistance to British rule.

Boston Massacre, 1770

An incident where British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, killing five; used as propaganda against Britain.

Committees of Correspondence

Local groups formed in the colonies to share information and organize resistance against British policies.

Tea Act, 1773

Law giving the struggling British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies; seen as a trick to get colonists to accept taxation.

Boston Tea Party, 1773

Protest where colonists disguised as Native Americans dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

Coercive Acts, 1774 (Intolerable Acts)

Harsh laws passed to punish Boston for the Tea Party, including closing the harbor and reducing self-government.

Quebec Act, 1774

Extended Quebec's territory into the Ohio Valley and allowed Catholicism; angered colonists who saw it as a threat.

Deism

Enlightenment belief that God created the world but does not interfere; emphasized reason, morality, and natural laws.

Thomas Paine / Common Sense

Pamphlet published in 1776 that urged independence from Britain, using simple language to inspire colonists.

John Locke / Social Contract / Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Enlightenment philosophers; Locke argued for natural rights (life, liberty, property) and that governments rule by consent. Rousseau expanded on the idea of a social contract where people agree to form governments for the common good.