The Road to Revolution and the American Revolutionary War

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the causes, key battles, political declarations, and Enlightenment philosophies of the American Revolution (1754-1783).

French and Indian War (Seven Years' War)

A major colonial conflict lasting from 1754 to 1763 caused by British and French competition over fertile land in the Ohio Valley; France's defeat permanently altered North American power dynamics and generated massive British war debt.

Fort Duquesne

A French military stronghold at the forks of the Ohio River where Lieutenant Colonel George Washington surrendered his command in May 1754 after attempting to prevent French expansion.

Albany Congress (1754)

A meeting called by Great Britain's Board of Trade in Albany to seek an alliance with the Iroquois and increase long-term colonial unity and defense against France.

Albany Plan of Union

A proposal developed by Benjamin Franklin for colonial home rule regarding defense and Amerindian affairs; it was adopted by congress delegates but rejected by individual colonies and Britain.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

The peace treaty that ended the French and Indian War, effectively removing France from North America and establishing Great Britain as the world's leading naval power.

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)

An uprising led by Ottawa Chief Pontiac uniting Amerindian tribes in 1763 to fight British expansion in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region.

Proclamation of 1763

An edict issued by King George III following Pontiac's Rebellion that temporarily prohibited colonists from settling west of the crest of the Appalachian Mountains.

Salutary Neglect

The British governing policy established under William and Mary that granted the American colonies relative political autonomy, which officially came to an end in 1763.

Mercantile Theory (Mercantilism)

An economic system dominant in Europe from 1600 to 1800 holding that colonies exist to provide raw materials, guaranteed markets, and a favorable balance of trade to increase state power.

Navigation Acts (1651)

A series of laws passed by Great Britain enforcing mercantile policy by requiring colonies to transport goods exclusively on British and colonial ships.

Sugar Act (1764)

A revenue measure passed by Parliament requiring American colonists to purchase sugar exclusively from British suppliers rather than French ones.

Stamp Act (1765)

A direct British tax requiring revenue stamps on legal documents, newspapers, playing cards, and paper used in daily life in the colonies.

Stamp Act Congress (1765)

An intercolonial assembly whose representatives met to plan protests and declared that Parliament lacked the constitutional authority to levy direct taxes on the colonies.

Sons of Liberty

A secret resistance society formed in the colonies to organize consumer boycotts and intimidate British tax collectors.

Declaratory Act (1766)

A face-saving measure passed immediately following the repeal of the Stamp Act affirming Parliament's power to bind and tax the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever.'

Townshend Acts (1767)

Indirect taxes enacted by Prime Minister Charles Townshend targeting imported glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea, which triggered colonial protests.

Writs of Assistance

Broad search warrants granting British customs agents the authority to search colonial property anywhere without requiring an individual judicial warrant.

Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania

A series of essays by John Dickinson articulating 'no taxation without representation' and arguing that external trade regulation could not justify internal taxation without assembly consent.

Virtual Representation

The British doctrine asserting that members of Parliament represented the interests of all British subjects everywhere, contrasting with colonial demands for actual elected representation.

Boston Massacre (March 1770)

A violent confrontation between British soldiers and a crowd of Bostonians fueled by job competition, leaving five colonists dead, including Crispus Attucks.

Committees of Correspondence

An underground communication network organized by Samuel Adams across the colonies to share information, coordinate resistance, and build unified public opinion.

Tea Act (1773)

Legislation granting a tax-favored tea monopoly to the near-bankrupt British East India Company, which provided cheaper tea while preserving an import tax resented by colonists.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

A direct action protest in which Sons of Liberty members disguised as Native Americans dumped tea from British East India Company ships into Boston Harbor.

Coercive (Intolerable) Acts (1774)

Retaliatory measures passed by Parliament following the Boston Tea Party that closed Boston Harbor and instituted martial law across Massachusetts.

Suffolk Resolves

A statement endorsed by the First Continental Congress that declared the Intolerable Acts void and encouraged citizens to boycott British goods and organize local militias.

The Association

An intercolonial agreement established by the First Continental Congress calling for complete non-importation, non-consumption, and non-exportation against Great Britain.

Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 1775)

The opening armed engagements of the Revolutionary War, featuring the 'shot heard 'round the world,' after British troops attempted to seize colonial munitions in Boston.

Second Continental Congress

The colonial legislative body that met in May 1775 to manage the war effort, raise funds, establish a Continental Army, and appoint George Washington as its leader.

Olive Branch Petition (July 1775)

A petition adopted by the Second Continental Congress pledging colonial loyalty and asking King George III to resolve parliamentary disputes, which the king rejected.

Common Sense (January 1776)

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine arguing in clear language for immediate American independence and the creation of a democratic republic rather than a monarchy.

Democratic Republic

A system of government comprised of elected representation in which all citizens possess the right to vote for their governmental representatives.

Declaration of Independence

A foundational document drafted by Thomas Jefferson and adopted on July 4, 1776, outlining natural rights and detailing a list of 23 grievances against the king and Parliament.

Patriots

Anti-British American colonists, mainly from New England and Virginia, who fought for independence, including roughly 5,000 African Americans who enlisted in the Continental Army.

Loyalists

Pro-British colonists, largely situated in the Southern and Middle colonies, who opposed independence and supported the British crown during the Revolutionary War.

Battle of Trenton (December 1776)

A surprise offensive where General George Washington led the Continental Army across the icy Delaware River during a severe winter storm, providing a vital morale boost.

Battle of Saratoga (October 1777)

A turning-point battle in New York in which General Burgoyne was defeated, convincing France to formally ally with and provide military assistance to the American colonists.

Battle of Yorktown (October 1781)

The decisive engagement in Virginia where Washington's forces and the French navy trapped British General Cornwallis, compelling his surrender and ending major combat in the war.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The treaty ending the Revolutionary War in which Britain recognized the United States as independent, set the Mississippi River as the western boundary, and promised debt repayment to British merchants.

Social Contract Theory

John Locke's political concept stating that government represents an agreement between ruler and ruled; if the state violates natural rights (life, liberty, property), citizens hold the right to rebel.

General Will

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's political philosophy arguing that lawful governmental authority relies on the consent of the governed and should reflect the collective will of the people.

Separation of Powers

Baron de Montesquieu's principle advocating that governmental power should be divided among separate branches maintained through a system of checks and balances.

Deism

An Enlightenment religious philosophy based on reason that views God as a creator who established natural order but does not interfere in daily human affairs.