the american revolution

French & Indian War

War between the French & British, left British with a huge debt

Stamp Act

This law, passed by the British Parliament, forced Americans to pay a tax on all official documents and was resented as 'taxation without representation.'

Townshend Acts

This law, passed by the British Parliament, placed a tax on luxury goods such as glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea.

Quartering Act

This allowed British soldiers to stay in Americans homes and later allowed them to arrest Americans without a warrant.

Boston Massacre

Tensions rose between the American colonies and British after this incident which left five Americans dead.

Committees of Correspondance

This form of mail system allowed the colonies communicate with each other and helped them cooperate against Britain.

Boston Tea Party

This act of protest by the Americans arose out of anger over British tax and trade laws.

Intolerable Act

This was passed as punishment for the Boston Tea Party - it closed the port of Boston until the tea was repaid.

Battle of Lexington and Concord

This battle started the American Revolutionary War; the 'shot heard 'round the world.'

First Continental Congress

Meeting between the 13 colonies to discuss responses to the Intolerable Acts; they wrote a letter petitioning the king and organized militias

Second Continental Congress

Meeting between the 13 colonies to discuss responses to the Battles of Lexington & Concord; they appointed George Washington as general of the army and signed the Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

Written by Thomas Jefferson, signed on July 4th 1776, this officially separated the United States from England

Common Sense

Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine which convinced Americans to accept the Declaration of Independence

Articles of Confederation

First government created by the United States to help organize the 13 states for the war against Britain. It gave too much power to the states and not the central government

Constitutional Convention

Meeting held in Philadelphia in 1787, originally to fix Articles of Confederation, resulted in creation of Constitution

The 'Framers'

The 55 delegates at the Constitutional Convention who wrote the Constitution

Virginia Plan

Plan presented at the Constitutional Convention, proposed three branches with a bicameral Congress with representation for states based on population

New Jersey Plan

Plan presented at the Constitutional Convention, proposed a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state

Connecticut Plan

Also known as the 'Great Compromise,' proposed a bicameral legislature with one house based on population and the other with equal votes

3/5ths Compromise

Allowed for slaves and 'other persons' to be counted in population totals to decide on representation totals

Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise

Forbade Congress from taxing exports as well as acting against slavery for 20 years

Federalists

Those who favored Ratification of the Constitution

Anti-Federalists

Those who opposed Ratification of the Constitution

Federalist Papers

Series of Essays written to gain support for Ratification of the Constitution