American Revolution and Colonial Relations Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering colonial political and economic relationships with Great Britain, reasons for dissatisfaction, key revolutionary people, and major events of the American Revolution.

Proprietor

A property owner who had the power to appoint colonial governors in certain colonies.

Colonial Government Hierarchy

The political structure of the colonies, placing the King at the top, followed by the Colonial Governor, Colonial Legislatures, and the Colonists.

Parliament

The British legislature in which the American colonies had no representation.

French and Indian War

A conflict between Great Britain and the French stemming from Great Britain's desire to remain a world power.

Stamp Act

A British tax imposed on the colonies to raise revenue to help pay the costs of the French and Indian War.

Proclamation of 1763

An order following the French and Indian War that restricted the westward movement of settlers.

Dissatisfaction

Unhappiness felt by the colonists toward British rule, colonial governors, taxation, and lack of representation.

King George III

The British king during the Revolutionary era.

Lord Cornwallis

The British general who surrendered at Yorktown.

John Adams

A leader who promoted the cause of independence.

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army.

Thomas Jefferson

Major author of the Declaration of Independence.

Patrick Henry

An outspoken member of the House of Burgesses who inspired colonial patriotism with his 'Give me liberty or give me death' speech.

Benjamin Franklin

A prominent member of the Continental Congress who helped frame the Declaration of Independence and helped gain French support for American independence.

Phillis Wheatley

A former enslaved African-American who wrote poems and plays supporting American Independence and eventually gained her freedom.

Paul Revere

A patriot who made a daring ride to warn colonists of the Redcoats' arrival and co-led the Boston Tea Party.

Thomas Paine

Author of the famous pamphlet 'Common Sense', which promoted American Independence.

The Marquis de Lafayette

A French nobleman who served in the Continental Army and worked with the king of France to send troops, ships, and funds to help the colonists win at Yorktown.

Crispus Attucks

A fugitive enslaved African-American and the first person to die in the Boston Massacre.

James Armistead Lafayette

An enslaved African-American from Virginia who served as a spy in the Continental Army and won his freedom years after the war with help from Marquis de Lafayette.

Boston Massacre

An event in March 1770 where colonists in Boston were shot after taunting British soldiers.

Boston Tea Party

An event in December 1773 led by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere where patriots threw tea into Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes.

First Continental Congress

A meeting in September-October 1774 in Philadelphia where delegates from all colonies except Georgia discussed problems with Great Britain and promoted independence.

Battles at Lexington and Concord

The sites of the first armed conflicts of the Revolutionary War in April 1775.

Battle at Bunker Hill

The first official battle of the Revolutionary War in June 1775, resulting in a British victory that helped them capture Boston.

Declaration of Independence

Document approved on July 4, 1776, at the Second Continental Congress, declaring American independence from Great Britain.

John Locke

European philosopher whose ideas inspired key philosophies in the Declaration of Independence.

Unalienable Rights

Fundamental rights that cannot be taken away, defined in the Declaration of Independence as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Battle of Saratoga

An American victory in October 1777 that served as the turning point in the Revolutionary War and led to French support.

Surrender at Yorktown

The colonial victory over forces of Lord Cornwallis in October 1781 that marked the end of the Revolutionary War.

Treaty of Paris

An agreement signed in September 1783 in which Great Britain recognized American independence.