U.S. I Unit 1: The American Revolution

Comprehensive vocabulary review flashcards covering the economic, intellectual, and cultural causes of the American Revolution, the French and Indian War, the end of salutary neglect, and patriot resistance.

Salutary neglect

The British policy of lenient enforcement of parliamentary laws in the American colonies, the end of which led to strict trade restrictions and sparked colonial unrest.

Trade restrictions and taxation

Colonial economic policies imposed by Great Britain that benefited the British Empire financially while frustrating many colonists and increasing conflict.

The Enlightenment

An intellectual movement whose concepts concerning individual rights and the role of government deeply influenced colonial arguments for liberty.

Natural rights

An Enlightenment intellectual idea positing that individuals possess inherent, fundamental rights that governments cannot arbitrarily infringe upon.

John Locke and the social contract

An Enlightenment philosopher and theory asserting that government is an agreement between the rulers and the governed to protect natural rights.

Consent of the governed

The Enlightenment principle that the moral and legal authority of a government is justified only when approved by the citizens it rules.

The influence of republican ideas

Intellectual principles emphasizing civic virtue, representative governance, and opposition to tyrannical rule that drove colonial resistance.

French and Indian War (1754–1763)

The North American component of the global Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France, in which Britain, France, and Native Peoples fought over land and power.

Seven Years' War (1756–1763)

The global conflict fought between Great Britain and France, encompassing the North American theater known as the French and Indian War.

Competition for the Ohio River Valley

A central cause of the French and Indian War sparked by conflicting territorial claims and strategic competition among the British, the French, and Native Peoples.

The Treaty of Paris of 1763

The peace treaty that concluded the French and Indian War, resulting in major territorial shifts and the significant expansion of the British Empire in North America.

Colonial military experience

A major outcome of the French and Indian War where colonial militia members gained critical tactical training and combat leadership skills.

British war debt

The enormous financial burden accumulated by Great Britain during the French and Indian War, which directly led Parliament to impose taxes on the North American colonies.

George Washington (as it relates to the F&I War)

A young Virginian officer whose military actions and early leadership in the Ohio River Valley helped initiate the French and Indian War.

Proclamation Line of 1763

A British boundary regulation established after the French and Indian War that prohibited American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

End of Salutary Neglect

The turning point following 1763 when the British government imposed direct taxation and strict enforcement of trade regulations on the American colonies.

The Stamp Act Congress

A historic gathering of colonial delegates assembled to coordinate petitions, boycotts, and formal protests challenging British taxation without representation.

The Sons of Liberty

A colonial patriot organization formed to oppose British policies, enforce boycotts, and challenge royal authority through direct action.

The Boston Massacre

A confrontational event in Massachusetts where British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, dramatically escalating imperial-colonial tensions.

The Boston Tea Party

A direct patriot protest in Massachusetts where colonists dumped British tea into the harbor to resist the Tea Act and challenge parliamentary taxation.

The use of propaganda

The strategic dissemination of biased or sensationalized information by patriot leaders to mobilize public sentiment against British authority.

Samuel Adams

A leading Massachusetts patriot and organizer who spearheaded protests, resistance movements, and colonial opposition against British taxation.

John Hancock

A wealthy Massachusetts merchant and prominent patriot leader who used his influence and resources to oppose British regulations and support independence.

John and Abigail Adams

Key Massachusetts figures who provided intellectual, political, and social leadership advocating for colonial rights and the movement toward independence.