Pre-Revolution & American Revolutionary War

American Revolution

The American Revolution was a colonial revolt against British rule from 1775 to 1783, leading to the establishment of the United States of America as an independent nation.

The Battle Of Saratoga

A major turning point of the Revolutionary War in Fall 1777 that prevented the British from dividing New England from the other colonies and convinced France's king to sign an alliance with America.

A turning point in the American Revolution, fought in 1777, which resulted in a decisive victory for the Continental Army and helped secure French support. This battle is often considered the turning point in the war, as it significantly boosted American morale and demonstrated that the colonial forces could defeat the British.

Battles Of Lexington And Concord

The first military engagements of the American Revolution in April 1775, which marked the outbreak of open conflict between Britain and the colonies. These battles were notable for the colonists' determination to resist British authorities and ignited the revolutionary spirit among the American populace.

Siege Of Yorktown

The final major battle of the American Revolution, fought in 1781, where American and French forces led by General Washington besieged British General Cornwallis, leading to his surrender and effectively ending the war.

The Battle Of Trenton

A significant American victory on December 26, 1776, in which General George Washington led 2,400 men across the Delaware River to surprise a garrison of Hessian soldiers.

A surprise attack by the Continental Army on December 26, 1776, where George Washington led his troops across the Delaware River and achieved a crucial victory against Hessian forces. This battle revitalized the American cause and boosted morale following previous setbacks.

Treaty Of Paris (1783)

The agreement that officially ended the American Revolutionary War in 1783, acknowledging American independence and establishing borders for the newly formed United States.

Boston Masscre

A deadly confrontation on March 5, 1770, where British soldiers shot and killed five colonists during a protest, fueling anti-British sentiment and contributing to the revolutionary fervor.

Patriots

Colonists who wanted independence from Britain, also referred to as Continentals or Minutemen. Colonial rebels who supported independence from Britain during the American Revolution, often fighting against British forces and advocating for colonial rights.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution, often opposing the Patriots and supporting British rule.

Hessians (Mercenaries)

German soldiers hired by the British Crown to fight against the American revolutionaries during the Revolutionary War. They were known for their military discipline and were influential in several battles.

Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson

Marquis de Lafayette

A French general who played a crucial role in securing French support for the American cause during the Revolutionary War. He served under George Washington and became a prominent figure in the struggle for American independence.

Baron von Steuben

A Prussian military officer who contributed to the training and discipline of American troops during the Revolutionary War. His efforts were instrumental in transforming the Continental Army into a more effective fighting force.

Revolution Thomas Paine

Author of "Common Sense," which inspired American colonists to seek independence from Britain and advocated for revolutionary ideas.

Proclamation of 1763

A measure that prevented American colonists from moving westward beyond the Appalachian Mountains.

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

Organizations that helped colonists organize resistance to British policies.

Committees of Correspondence

Groups formed in the colonies that helped organize resistance against British policies.

Common Sense

A publication by Thomas Paine that presented arguments supporting independence in language accessible to ordinary colonists.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

A document that explained the colonists' justification for separating from Britain, highlighting grievances regarding mistreatment and taxation without representation.

Stamp Act of 1765

A direct tax on the American colonies enacted by Britain to raise money to pay off war debts.

Quartering Act (1765)

A requirement for British soldiers to live in or take over the homes of colonists.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxes levied by Britain on tea, paper, lead, glass, and paint to generate more money from the colonies.

Boston Massacre (1770)

An event in 1770 where British troops killed 5 colonist civilians.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

An act of protest in 1773 where colonists threw British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose British taxes.

Intolerable Acts (1774)

Acts passed prior to the Revolutionary War after which local Colonial militias were raised and trained for possible hostilities.

Measures that closed Boston Harbor as punishment for the Boston Tea Party until the damages were paid for by the colonists.

First Continental Congress (1774)

A meeting in Philadelphia where delegates attempted to compromise with Britain, leading colonies to begin training armies after the King refused.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the King and wanted to stay part of Britain, also known as Tories.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The official treaty in 1783 that ended the American Revolutionary War.

Hessians

Approximately 30,000 experienced, trained mercenary soldiers hired by the British from what is now Germany.

John Locke

A British philosopher whose ideas about natural rights and the social contract influenced the Declaration of Independence.

Marquis de Lafayette

A French leader who provided money and military leadership to the American Patriots.

Baron von Steuben

A Prussian officer who trained and professionalized the Patriot army.

John Adams

An American diplomat who secured financial funding from the Dutch during the Revolutionary War.

Lexington & Concord

The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War, fought on April 19, 1775, in Massachusetts, described as the 'shot heard round the world'.

The significance of The Battles Of Lexington And Concord in The Revolutionary War

North Bridge

The location in Concord where about 400 minutemen engaged 100 British troops, forcing the outnumbered British to retreat toward Boston.

The significance of The Battle Of Trenton in The Revolutionary War

Hessian soldiers

A force of 1,500 hired troops stationed in Trenton, nearly two-thirds of whom were captured by Washington's army on December 26, 1776.

General John Burgoyne

British General who led nearly 8,000 men south from Canada to capture Albany, New York, but was forced to surrender his entire army at Saratoga on October 17, 1777.

The significance of The Battle Of Saratoga in The Revolutionary War

Marquis de Lafayette and Rochambeau

French generals who landed in Rhode Island in 1780 to provide skilled leadership alongside American forces.

Lord Cornwallis

The British General who waited in Virginia for supplies and reinforcements, but was surrounded and forced to surrender at Yorktown on October 17, 1781.

Siege at Yorktown

A bombardment and assault by combined French and American land and naval forces in September-October 1781 that resulted in the surrender of over 7,000 British soldiers.

The significance of Siege Of Yorktown in The Revolutionary War

Alexander Hamilton

The American leader who led troops in taking one of the British earthen forts during the Yorktown assault on October 14, 1781.

Role of blacks in the revolution

Role of women in the revolution

Thomas Paine

The author who published Common Sense in January 1776.

Declaration of Independence

A document signed by 56 white men on July 4, 1776, at a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.