American Revolution Overview

French and Indian War

Conflict between England and France over Ohio River Valley

Albany Plan of Union

Benjamin Franklin's proposal for colonial unity, rejected

Battle of Great Meadows

French defeat Washington triggering French and Indian War

Jumonville Glen

Location where the French and Indian War broke out in 1755

Acadians

French settlers expelled by the British, settling in Louisiana

Battle of Monongahela

Braddock and Washington defeated by the French

Treaty of Fontainebleau

France secretly cedes Louisiana to Spain after losing the war

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Ends the French control of Canada, cedes territories to Britain

Pontiac's Rebellion

Native American resistance against colonists in acquired French territory

Jeffery Amherst

English commander who ordered harsh measures against Native Americans

Fort Duquesne

French fort in Ohio River Valley attacked by Washington

Iroquois

Native American tribe allied with the English against the French

Benjamin Franklin

Suggested colonial unity in the Albany Plan of Union

General James Wolfe

British general who led the Battle of Quebec in 1759

Chief Tanaghrisson

Iroquois chief allied with Washington against the French

Red-Coats

British soldiers sent to the Ohio River Valley

General Edward Braddock

British general defeated at the Battle of Monongahela

Cajuns

Acadians expelled by the British who settled in Louisiana

Goree

Island where Great Britain fought for power during the war

Manilla, Philippines

Territories Britain gained control of during the war

William Pitt

British leader who heavily taxed the colonies after the war

Pontiac

Forced into peace agreement in Oswego, NY by French refusal

Proclamation Act of 1763

Settlers barred from expanding past Appalachian Mountains

General Grenville

Exchanged gifts with Natives to maintain peace

Paxton Boys

Advocated killing all Native Indians to end war

Impressment

British policy forcing men into Navy service

John Locke

Inspired colonists against British empire's rule

Sugar Act (1764)

Taxed imported goods like sugar, wine, coffee

Currency Act (1764)

Required payment in specie for British imports

Stamp Act (1765)

Forced purchase of paper with British revenue stamp

Sons of Liberty

Formed to resist Stamp Act, led by Patrick Henry

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxed imports like glass, lead, paint, paper, tea

Boston Massacre (1770)

Redcoats fired on colonists, killing five Americans

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Dumped 46 tons of tea into Boston Harbor in protest

Daughters of Liberty

Women's group boycotting British goods during resistance

Intolerable Acts (1774)

Imposed restrictions on colonies, shut down Boston Harbor

Quebec Act (1774)

Extended Quebec's borders to Ohio River

First Continental Congress

Unification against British tyranny, boycott of goods

Lexington and Concord (1775)

British attempt to seize colonists' weapons, sparked war

Paul Revere

Warned of British arrival before the first shots of the Revolution

Battle of Lexington

First shots of the Revolution; 238 Redcoats vs. 76 American militiamen

Fort Ticonderoga

Captured by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold in Lake Champlain

Battle of Bunker Hill

First major battle; colonial militias almost defeated British army

Second Continental Congress

Chose George Washington to lead Continental Army

Olive Branch Petition

Sent to King George III for peace negotiations; rejected

Common Sense

Pamphlet by Thomas Paine urging American independence

Valley Forge

Site of Washington's troops training and enduring harsh conditions

Declaration of Independence

Written by Thomas Jefferson declaring independence from Britain

Saratoga

Turning point battle where Burgoyne surrendered to American forces

France/Spain Alliance

French and Spanish support after the victory at Saratoga

Siege of Charleston

1779 battle resulting in a British victory

Battle of Camden

1780 battle resulting in a British victory

Battle of King's Mountain

American victory and turning point in the south

Battle of Cowpens

American victory and turning point in the south

Battle of Yorktown

Final major battle where Washington defeated Cornwallis

Treaty of Paris

Ended the American Revolutionary War in 1783

Baron Von Steuben

Trained Washington's troops at Valley Forge

Marquis de Lafayette

French officer who trained American soldiers at Valley Forge

Colonel Henry Knox

Used captured guns from Fort Ticonderoga to bombard British in Boston

Colonel Prescott

Patriot who ordered not to fire until seeing the whites of their eyes at Bunker Hill