American Revolutionary War: Key Policies, Events, and Concepts

Salutary Neglect

A British Policy that loosely enforced colonial laws, letting the colonies govern and trade on their own as long as Britain benefited from it economically.

Mercantilism

The theory that colonies exist to enrich the mother country by exporting raw materials and importing other goods.

Stamp Act of 1765

Required colonists to buy a stamp for all printed materials, first direct tax on the colonies, sparking major protest.

Virtual Representation

The idea that all members of Parliament represented British subjects, even those in the colonies who didn't vote for them.

Sugar Act of 1764

Tax on imported sugar and molasses, strengthened the enforcement of smuggling laws.

No taxation without representation

Colonial slogan protesting taxes imposed without representation by elected colonial officials in Parliament.

Committee of Correspondence

Local groups that spread info and coordinated resistance across the colonies.

Sons of Liberty

Secret organization of colonists who protested British policies, sometimes violently (like in the Boston Tea Party).

Regulators

Groups of farmers who rebelled against corrupt local officials and lack of representation.

Townshend Acts of 1767

Taxes on imported goods like glass, tea, and paper, led to many boycotts.

Daughters of Liberty

Women who supported boycotts by making homemade goods and promoting independence from British imports.

Boston Massacre of 1770

Clash between British soldiers and colonists, led to 5 colonists being killed, sparking more anti-British sentiment.

Crispus Attucks

A Black man killed in the Boston Massacre, often remembered as the first casualty of the American Revolution.

Tea Act of 1773

Gave the British East India Company the right to sell tea directly to the colonists, severely weakening any monetization for the merchants.

Boston Tea Party of 1773

Protest where colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act.

Intolerable Acts of 1774

British punishment for the Tea Party, closed Boston Harbor and restricted colonial self-government.

Continental Congress

Meetings of colonial delegates to coordinate resistance (First Congress in 1774) and later govern during the Revolution.

Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775)

First battles of the Revolutionary War.

Battle of Bunker Hill (1775)

Bloody battle showing that colonial militias could stand up to British troops.

Continental Army

An army formed by the 2nd continental congress and led by George Washington.

Thomas Paine

Political Writer who wrote 'Common Sense', which attempted to convince colonists that Britain needed to be cut off from the colonies.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Document written by Thomas Jefferson declaring colonial independence from Britain and listing grievances against the king.

Guerilla Warfare

Hit-and-run tactics used by colonial militias against British forces.

Hessians

German mercenaries hired by Britain to fight against the Colonies.

Battle of Saratoga (1777)

Turning point of the war, American victory convinced France to ally with the colonies.

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

Final major battle where British General Cornwallis surrendered, ending the war.

Treaty Of Paris (1783)

Made to officially end the war, Britain recognized American Independence.

Republics

Governments where the power rests in the hands of the people, where they choose their representatives.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom (1786)

Written by Thomas Jefferson, ended state-supported churches in Virginia and promoted religious liberty.

Inflation

A rise in prices that decreases the value of money, common during the war due to an overprinting of currency.

Free Trade

Economic system with minimal government restrictions, could trade with whoever you wanted.

The Wealth of Nations (1776)

A book written by Adam Smith promoting free markets and criticizing mercantilism.