Learn: American Colonial Resistance: French and Indian War to Revolutionary War

French and Indian War

1754-1763 war between Britain and France over control of North America; Britain won but gained major debt.

Why did Britain tax the colonies after the French and Indian War?

To raise money and help pay the costs of the war and defending the colonies.

George Washington

Young Virginia officer who gained military experience during the French and Indian War.

Albany Plan of Union

Benjamin Franklin's 1754 proposal for the colonies to unite for defense and cooperation; it was not adopted.

Proclamation of 1763

Restricted colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Why did Britain issue the Proclamation of 1763?

To reduce conflict between colonists and Native Americans and control western settlement.

George Grenville

British prime minister who introduced new taxes and stricter enforcement of colonial trade laws.

Sugar Act

1764 law that placed duties on sugar and molasses and increased enforcement against smuggling.

Stamp Act

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

Why did colonists oppose the Stamp Act?

They believed Parliament was taxing them without their consent or elected representation.

No taxation without representation

Colonial argument that they should not be taxed by a government in which they had no elected representatives.

Quartering Act

Required colonists to provide certain supplies and accommodations for British troops.

Declaratory Act

1766 law stating that Parliament had the authority to make laws for the colonies.

Townshend Acts

1767 laws that placed duties on imported goods including glass, paper, paint, and tea.

How did colonists respond to the Townshend Acts?

They protested and boycotted British goods.

Daughters of Liberty

Women who supported resistance by avoiding British goods and producing homemade goods.

Boston Massacre

1770 confrontation between colonists and British soldiers that resulted in five colonists being killed.

Why was the Boston Massacre important?

Colonial leaders used the event to criticize British troops and increase opposition to British rule.

Samuel Adams

Massachusetts political leader who organized and encouraged resistance to British policies.

Committees of Correspondence

Groups that shared political information between colonies and helped coordinate resistance.

Why were Committees of Correspondence important?

They helped colonies communicate and become more politically united.

Boston Tea Party

1773 protest in which colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor to oppose British taxation and control.

Why did colonists protest the tea?

The protest challenged British taxation and Parliament's authority over the colonies.

Coercive Acts

1774 laws passed by Britain to punish Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party.

Intolerable Acts

The name colonists gave to the Coercive Acts because they considered the laws unfair and oppressive.

Why were the Coercive Acts important?

They caused other colonies to support Massachusetts and increased colonial unity.

Thomas Hutchinson

Royal governor of Massachusetts who supported British authority and became unpopular with many colonists.

First Continental Congress

1774 meeting where colonial representatives gathered to coordinate a response to British policies.

How many colonies attended the First Continental Congress?

12 of the 13 colonies attended; Georgia did not send delegates.

Lexington and Concord

1775 battles between British troops and colonial militia that began the American Revolutionary War.

Cause of the colonial crisis

Britain increased taxes and control after the French and Indian War while colonists believed their rights were being violated.

British debt after the French and Indian War

Led Britain to seek more revenue from the American colonies.

Colonial liberty

Colonists increasingly believed they had political rights that Britain was threatening.

Colonial boycotts

Refusing to buy British goods as a way to protest British policies and taxes.

Colonial unity

Colonies increasingly worked together through communication, boycotts, and meetings to resist Britain.

Stamp Act vs Townshend Acts

Stamp Act taxed printed materials; Townshend Acts placed duties on imported goods.

Boston Massacre vs Boston Tea Party

Boston Massacre was a 1770 confrontation that killed five colonists; Boston Tea Party was a 1773 protest involving dumped tea.

Boston Tea Party vs Coercive Acts

The Boston Tea Party was colonial resistance; the Coercive Acts were Britain's punishment for it.

Albany Plan vs First Continental Congress

The Albany Plan was a 1754 proposal for colonial unity that failed; the First Continental Congress actually brought colonies together in 1774.

Chapter 6 main idea

British attempts to raise revenue and increase control led to colonial resistance, greater unity, and eventually armed conflict.