Key Events and Groups Leading to the American Revolution Study Guide | Quizlet

Proclamation of 1763 - Issuer

Issued by King George III following the French and Indian War.

Proclamation of 1763 - Geographic Boundary

Prevented colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Proclamation of 1763 - Primary Motivations

To reduce conflicts with Native Americans and lower military defense costs for Britain.

Proclamation of 1763 - Colonial View

Colonists viewed it as an infringement on their freedom and their aspirations for land acquisition.

Sons of Liberty - Key Activists

Formed by activists including Samuel Adams and John Hancock.

Sons of Liberty - Formation Cause

Formed in response to British taxation, particularly the Stamp Act.

Sons of Liberty - Core Ideology

Members believed in the rights of colonists as English citizens and opposed taxation without representation.

Sons of Liberty - Resistance Tactics

Employed protests, boycotts, public demonstrations, intimidation, and sometimes violence against British policy supporters.

Boston Massacre - Date

March 5, 1770.

Boston Massacre - Casualties

British soldiers shot into a crowd of colonists, resulting in five deaths.

Crispus Attucks

A key figure killed in the Boston Massacre, often regarded as the first martyr of the American Revolution.

Boston Tea Party - Date

December 16, 1773.

Boston Tea Party - Direct Action

Colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in protest of the Tea Act.

Tea Act - Opposition Reasons

Colonists opposed it due to perceived unfair taxation and the monopoly granted to the East India Company, which undermined local merchants.

Intolerable Acts - Year Enacted

Enacted in 1774.

Intolerable Acts - Cause

Enacted as punishment for the Boston Tea Party.

Intolerable Acts - Provisions

Restricted Massachusetts's self-governance and closed Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts - Effect on Colonies

Intensified colonial resistance and united various colonies against British rule.

No Taxation Without Representation

Encapsulated the belief that colonists should not be taxed by a government in which they had no elected representatives.

French and Indian War - Economic Consequence

Left Britain with debts, prompting increased taxation, military presence, and strict law enforcement in the colonies.

Pre-Revolutionary Colonial Identity

Initially, colonists identified strongly as British citizens before post-French and Indian War tensions grew.

East India Company

The entity granted a monopoly under the Tea Act, causing colonial outrage and leading to the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Massacre - Impact on Sentiment

Portrayed as an unprovoked attack on innocent citizens, galvanizing public opinion against Britain and increasing support for independence.

Stamp Act

The specific British tax policy that triggered the formation of the Sons of Liberty.

Massachusetts Self-Governance

Severely restricted by the British government under the Intolerable Acts in 1774 as punishment for colonial resistance.