American Revolution Study Guide & Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, significant events, and concepts from the American Revolution study guide.

American Revolution

The struggle in which thirteen British colonies in North America fought for independence from Great Britain.

French and Indian War

A struggle over territory and power in North America won by Britain, which resulted in large British war debts.

Proclamation of 1763

A British order that restricted many colonial settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Stamp Act

A 1765 British law that taxed printed materials such as newspapers and legal documents.

Taxation without representation

The colonists' argument that they should not be taxed by a Parliament in which they had no direct elected voice.

Boycotts

Refusing to buy certain British goods as a form of protest.

Boston Massacre (1770)

A confrontation in which British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists and increasing tensions.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

A protest in which colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor to oppose British tea policy and taxation.

Intolerable Acts

Harsh British measures passed in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party, which included closing Boston's port until conditions were met.

Patriots

Colonists who supported resistance to Britain and independence.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown.

George Washington

Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army who later became the first U.S. president.

Thomas Jefferson

Principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence.

Benjamin Franklin

American diplomat who helped win French support for the Revolutionary cause.

Paul Revere

A rider who helped warn communities in 1775 that British troops were approaching.

Minutemen

Local militia members who were expected to respond quickly.

Friedrich von Steuben

A military officer who helped train Continental Army soldiers at Valley Forge.

Charles Cornwallis

British general whose army surrendered at Yorktown in 1781.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

April 1775 battles that began the Revolutionary War.

Battle of Bunker Hill

A June 1775 battle that showed colonial forces could inflict heavy losses on the British.

Battle of Saratoga

A 1777 American victory in present-day New York that served as a turning point by helping persuade France to become an ally.

Valley Forge

The winter encampment of the Continental Army in 1777–1778 marked by severe hardship and military training.

Yorktown

A Virginia location where American and French forces defeated the British army in 1781, leading to General Cornwallis's surrender.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Document adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, announcing separation from Britain and explaining natural rights.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The formal agreement that ended the war and secured British recognition of the United States as independent.

Continental Army

The military force that fought for the American cause against Britain, facing shortages and training challenges.

Articles of Confederation

The first national framework of government that gave states substantial power but left the national government weak in taxing and enforcement.