Hey, King: Get Off Our Backs! - Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historic acts, key concepts of governance, terms from the Declaration of Independence, and 18th-century vocabulary from the lecture materials.

Charter

A document issued by the government giving permission to set up a colony in North America.

House of Burgesses

A representative assembly formed in Virginia Colony where each community selected two representatives to meet and handle local governance.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed in 1620 by colonists in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to form a majority-rule government and obey its laws.

Stamp Act

A 1765 British law that forced colonists to place expensive tax stamps on all legal documents, newspapers, calendars, and playing cards.

Declaratory Act

A law passed by Britain stating that the colonies were dependent on the King and Parliament, and that all colonial laws had no effect.

Townshend Revenue Act

A British act taxing paint, glass, paper, lead, and tea, and allowing government workers to search houses and break down doors for smuggled goods.

Quartering Acts

British laws passed in 1765 and 1774 that forced colonists to house British troops without receiving rent.

Tea Act

A 1773 British law that reduced the tax on tea, which colonists resisted as an attempt to force acceptance of Parliamentary taxation.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest where colonists snuck onto a cargo ship at night and dumped hundreds of crates of tea into Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts

A series of harsh laws passed by Parliament in 1774 to crack down on rebellious activity in the Massachusetts colony.

Declaration of Independence

A document adopted on July 4, 1776, officially announcing that the thirteen American colonies were free from Great Britain.

Unalienable rights

Fundamental rights that cannot be taken away.

Pursuit of happiness

The effort to find joy and contentment.

Natural rights

Basic rights that all people are born with.

Consent of the governed

Permission granted by the citizens to be ruled by their government.

Just powers

Governmental authority and powers that are fair and legitimate.

Self-evident

Obvious or clear just by looking at it.

Preamble

The introductory part of the Declaration of Independence that explains why the document is being written.

Grievances

The section of the Declaration of Independence listing the colonists' formal complaints against King George III.

Resolution of Independence

The final section of the Declaration of Independence formally declaring the colonies free and independent states.

Edenton Tea Party

A 1774 political protest organized by Penelope Barker in North Carolina, where 51 women signed a agreement boycotting British tea and cloth.

Magistracy

The office or authority of a local government official.

Gaol

A jail or prison.

Comptroller

A public official who manages government financial accounts and expenditures.

Repugnant

Extremely distasteful, unacceptable, or awful.

Obliged

Bound or forced to perform an action.

Countenance

A person's face or facial expression.

Man of war

A armed British naval warship.

Populace

The general public or inhabitants of a place.

Countermand

To cancel or revoke an order, or send back goods.

Vend

To offer for sale or sell.

Coach

A horse-drawn carriage.

Effigy

A crude dummy or doll made to represent a hated person.

Abettor

A supporter, helper, or accomplice in an action.

His excellency

A formal title used to address or refer to a governor or high official.