Key Figures and Events of the American Revolution and Colonial America

King George III

He began his reign in 1760, resisted revolutionary France, and appointed advisors to manage foreign affairs in North America who knew little about colonial life.

Lord North (Frederick North)

He became head of the British government and realized the Townshend duties were costing Great Britain money due to the boycott.

Lord George Germain

This man was chosen to direct the British troops during the Revolution but was criticized for poor leadership and never having been to North America.

George Grenville

As Prime Minister, he believed colonists should pay their fair share of the cost of Britain protecting the colonies.

Charles Townshend

He oversaw the British Treasury and persuaded Parliament to pass the Townshend Acts in 1767, which placed a duty (tax) on imported goods.

King John

He was the English monarch who signed the Magna Carta in 1215, which established the idea that the power of the ruler was limited.

King James II (Duke of York)

After becoming king in 1685, he tried to rule without Parliament and was later forced off the throne in the bloodless Glorious Revolution.

George Washington

He was selected by the Continental Congress to serve as the general of the Continental army during the American Revolution.

Joseph Martin

A 15-year-old who joined the Continental army after the Declaration of Independence was signed, trading his plow for a musket.

Henry Knox

A Boston bookseller who was sent to Fort Ticonderoga to round up weapons for the Continental Army.

Captain John Parker

He led a small band of Minutemen at Lexington on April 19, 1775, where he ordered his men, 'Don't fire unless fired upon.'

Captain Isaac Davis

He was fatally struck in the chest when British troops opened fire as his volunteers approached Concord's North Bridge.

Benjamin Franklin

Proposed the Albany Plan of Union at the start of the French and Indian War, inspired by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

Thomas Jefferson

He was tasked with drafting the Declaration of Independence, explaining separation based on the principle of natural rights.

Samuel Adams (Sam Adams)

A Boston Patriot, he was gifted at stirring up dissent through speeches and writing.

John Adams

A Boston lawyer and Patriot who believed that every person had the right to a fair trial.

Patrick Henry

An outspoken leader from Virginia who supported independence from Great Britain.

Thomas Paine

A Patriot who published the fiery pamphlet Common Sense in early 1776.

William Penn

A member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) who founded Pennsylvania and guaranteed equal treatment for all faiths.

Roger Williams

A young minister who was put on trial for preaching that all people should be able to worship as they chose.

Anne Hutchinson

She was a colonist who was forced to leave Massachusetts for preaching against the Puritans.

Thomas Hooker

A Puritan clergyman who led about 100 people to the Connecticut Valley to establish Hartford.

Sir George Calvert (Lord Baltimore)

An English gentleman who wanted to start the Maryland colony as a refuge founded on religious freedom.

Cecil (Lord Baltimore)

Son of Sir George Calvert, he was granted the charter for Maryland and instructed his brother to treat the Protestants with 'mildness and favor.'

James Oglethorpe

He inspired wealthy Englishmen to fund the Georgia colony as a place where poor debtors could build better lives.

General Edward Braddock

He led 1,400 British soldiers in 1755 during the French and Indian War, resulting in his death and the loss of two-thirds of his troops.

General William Howe

The British general who ordered the immediate attack on Breed's Hill (Battle of Bunker Hill) near Boston.

Lord Charles Cornwallis

He was left in command of the British war effort in the South and was ultimately forced to surrender at Yorktown.

Sir Henry Clinton

He replaced General Howe as commander of the British forces in North America.

Major John Pitcairn

He was the leader of the British attack at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Peter Salem

An enslaved Black soldier credited with shooting Major John Pitcairn at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Crispus Attucks

A free Black and Wampanoag sailor who was the first Bostonian killed by the British during the Boston Massacre.