Civics Chapter 3: American Declare Their Independence

Stamp Act

A 1765 law that imposed a direct tax on the colonies, requiring them to use specially stamped paper for legal documents, newspapers, and other publications.

Unalienable Rights

Fundamental rights that cannot be surrendered or taken away, often referred to as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Representation

The action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone, particularly in a legislative context, where citizens elect representatives to make decisions.

Endowed by their Creator

A phrase from the Declaration of Independence indicating that certain rights are given by a higher power and cannot be taken away by government.

Quartering Act

A series of laws requiring colonial governments to provide housing and supplies to British soldiers stationed in the colonies.

Right of resistance to tyrant rulers

The belief that people have the right to resist or overthrow a government that is oppressive or unjust.

Declaratory Act

A 1766 act that stated Parliament had the right to make laws binding the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever,' asserting British authority.

Colonial grievances

Complaints and issues raised by the American colonies against British rule, often cited in the Declaration of Independence.

Townshend Acts

A series of laws passed in 1767 that imposed duties on imported goods, leading to increased tensions between Britain and the colonies.

Imposing taxes without consent

The practice of levying taxes on the colonies without their approval or representation in Parliament, a major point of contention.

Tea Act

A 1773 act that granted the British East India Company the right to sell tea directly to the colonies, undermining local merchants and leading to the Boston Tea Party.

Suspending trial by jury

The act of denying individuals the right to a trial by jury, often seen as a violation of fundamental legal rights.

Intolerable Acts

A series of punitive laws passed in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, aimed at restoring order in Massachusetts but further inflaming colonial dissent.

Limiting judicial powers

The act of restricting the authority of courts or judges, often viewed as an infringement on the rule of law and justice.

Declaration of Independence

The 1776 document in which the American colonies declared their independence from Britain, outlining their grievances and principles of government.

Dissolving legislatures

The act of disbanding or abolishing legislative bodies, often used by colonial governors to suppress dissent and control governance.

Preamble

The introductory statement of the Declaration of Independence that outlines the purpose and principles of the document.