Colonists vocab

French and Indian War

A war fought between France and England around the world, including the American colonies.

Proclamation of 1763

A law banning American Colonists from crossing the Appalachian Mountains into the Ohio Territory.

Mercantilism

A colonial economic policy stating that colonies exist for the benefit of the Mother Country.

Salutary Neglect

Britain's practice of ignoring trade laws, allowing colonists to trade independently.

Navigation Acts

Laws restricting colonial trade to only Britain and other British colonies.

Smuggling

Trading without paying taxes on imported goods.

Revenue

Tax income or government income from taxes.

Boycott

An organized decision not to purchase something as a form of protest.

Tariff

A tax on goods transported or imported products.

Writs of Assistance

Documents allowing British soldiers to search homes for smugglers without a warrant.

Rebellion

A refusal to accept authority, often involving civil disobedience or organized violence.

Revolution

A significant change in thinking and behavior, often involving the overthrow of a government.

Propaganda

Techniques used to influence opinions, emotions, or behaviors for the benefit of the sponsor.

Intolerable

Unbearable or incapable of being tolerated.

Coercive

Forcing someone to behave in a certain way through threats or intimidation.

Quarter

To provide living accommodations, especially for military personnel.

Representation

The state of having a say or standing in for a group with authority.

Parliament

The legislative body of the British government.

Impose

To enforce or inflict something unpleasant, such as taxes.

Repeal

The removal or reversal of a law that is no longer effective.

Massacre

The excessive killing of many people, often referring to civilians.

Tory/Loyalist

Someone loyal to the crown of England.

Rebel/Patriot

Colonists who resisted British rule, referred to as patriots by Americans.

Sons of Liberty

A secret society formed to protect colonists' rights and fight British taxation.

Daughters of Liberty

A group of women who protested taxes by boycotting British goods.

Effigy

A crude figure representing a hated person or group, used for intimidation.

Boston Massacre 1770

An incident where Redcoats fired on a crowd, killing 5 colonists.

Sugar Act

A 1764 law taxing imported sugar to help pay off war debt.

Stamp Act

A 1765 law requiring stamps on legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards.

Declaratory Act

A 1766 law asserting Britain's right to tax the colonies at will.

Townshend Acts

1767 laws placing taxes on imports like tea, lead, glass, paint, and paper.

Tea Act 1773

Gave the British East India Company control over the American tea trade with a small tax.

Boston Tea Party

A protest where colonists threw tea into Boston Harbor in response to the tea tax.

"No Taxation without Representation"

A phrase expressing colonial discontent over lack of representation in Parliament.

Intolerable Acts

Punitive laws passed in response to the Boston Tea Party, restricting Massachusetts' government.

First Continental Congress 1774

A meeting to discuss colonial reactions to the Intolerable Acts.

Second Continental Congress 1775

Sent the Olive Branch Petition to the king and later adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Declaration of Independence

A document declaring the colonies' independence from Britain, adopted on July 4, 1776.

Common Sense

A pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating for colonial separation from England.

Natural Rights

John Locke's theory that governments exist to protect people's rights to life, liberty, and property.

Enlightenment

A philosophical movement emphasizing reason over tradition and religion.

Minutemen

Colonial militiamen known for being ready at a minute's notice.

Militia

A military force raised from the civilian population.

Lexington and Concord

The site of the first shots of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775.

Petition

A written document making an official request.

Committee of Correspondence

A network of Patriot organizations sharing anti-British information throughout the colonies.