Ch 8 - The Colonies Unite

The French and Indian War

a war in North America between France and Britain (both aided by indian tribes)

The Proclamation of 1763

law forbidding English colonists to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains

The Sugar Act

law passed by the British Parliament setting taxes on molasses and sugar imported by the colonies

Ben Franklin

member of the Continental Congress, forefather of the U.S., great negotiator with France

The Stamp Act

law that taxed printed goods, including: playing cards, documents, newspapers, etc.

Sons of Liberty

secret society formed to oppose British policies

Paul Revere

A patriot who helped warn colonists about British movements

Sam Adams

A member of the Sons of Liberty who started the Committee of Correspondence to stir public support for American independence.

What unalienable rights are listed in the Declaration of Independence?

life, liberty, pursuit of happiness

Boston Massacre

incident in 1770 in which British troops fired on and killed American colonists

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest against British taxes in which Boston colonists disguised as Mohawks dumped valuable tea into Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts

in response to Boston Tea Party, 4 acts passed in 1774

What did the First Continental Congress do?

Attempted peace but prepared for war

Shot heard round the world

The first shot fired of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord when a group of armed minutemen confronted the British.

Olive Branch Petition

An offer of peace sent by the Second Continental Congress to King George lll

Battle of Bunker Hill

In 1775, first major battle of the revolution

Continental Army

Army formed in 1775 by the Second Continental Congress and led by General George Washington

John Adams

thought Americans should always celebrate Independence Day

Thomas Paine

Author of Common Sense

John Dickinson

headed the committee that wrote the Articles of Confederation

Thomas Jefferson

Wrote the Declaration of Independence

John Hancock

Patriot leader and president of the Second Continental Congress; first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Richard Henry Lee

leader of the American Revolution who proposed the resolution calling for independence of the American colonies (1732-1794)

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army

What was one major cause of the French and Indian War?

France and Britain both claimed lands in the Ohio River Valley

What did the British government do to help pay for the French and Indian War?

taxed the colonies

What does representative government mean?

People elect government officials to make laws on their behalf.

How did many colonists protest the taxes placed on British goods?

They refused to buy British goods

How did Committees of Correspondence help the colonists fight British rule?

They spread information quickly throughout the colonies

When did the British realize that fighting the colonies would not be easy?

after the Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill)

Why were the battles of Lexington and Concord important?

They marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

When did Congress vote to accept the Declaration of Independence?

July 4, 1776

What was the first plan of government for the United States called?

Articles of Confederation

What is one effect that the Articles of Confederation had on the new nation?

The states united as a nation to fight the Revolutionary War.

What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

To declare to King George that the 13 colonies were separating from England and were now free and independent states

What was the Proclamation of 1763?

Colonists could not settle west of the Appalachian Mountains.

How did the colonists react to the Proclamation of 1763?

Colonists were angry; many ignored the King and moved there anyway.

In what ways did colonists protest British imperial policies?

They organized protests, boycotted British goods, chased tax collectors out of town, formed Committee of Correspondence, and formed militias.

What did the First Continental Congress do?

They sent a petition to King George, voted to stop trade with England and asked the colonies to form militias.

What effects did the Battle of Bunker Hill have?

The British suffered heavy losses - the colonists proved they would not be easy to defeat.