Key Events and Concepts of the American Revolution

Proclamation of 1763

A British decree that forbade colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains after the French and Indian War. It aimed to prevent conflict with Native Americans but angered colonists eager for land.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest in which American colonists, disguised as Mohawk Indians, dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act. It escalated tensions and led to the Intolerable Acts.

Battle of Saratoga

A 1777 American victory that was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. It convinced France to openly support the American cause.

Thomas Paine/Common Sense

Thomas Paine wrote 'Common Sense' in 1776 to argue for American independence from Britain. The pamphlet used clear language and stirred public support for revolution.

Coercive/Intolerable Acts

A series of punitive laws passed by Britain in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party. They closed Boston Harbor and limited colonial self-government, increasing colonial resistance.

no taxation without representation

A colonial slogan protesting British taxes imposed without colonial legislative input. It symbolized the colonists' demand for political representation.

Loyalists/Tories

American colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolutionary War. They opposed independence and were often persecuted by Patriots.

Stamp Act

A 1765 law that taxed printed materials in the colonies. It was the first direct tax on colonists and sparked widespread protests.

Stamp Act Congress

A 1765 meeting of delegates from nine colonies to protest the Stamp Act. They issued a declaration of rights and petitioned the king.

Sons of Liberty

A secret organization of colonists formed to oppose British policies. They used protests, intimidation, and propaganda to resist taxes.

non-importation agreements

Colonial boycotts of British goods to protest taxation. These agreements helped unify colonies in economic resistance.

Olive Branch Petition

A final attempt by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 to avoid war with Britain. It was rejected by King George III.

First/Second Continental Congress

Meetings of colonial delegates in 1774 and 1775 to coordinate responses to British actions. The Second Congress eventually declared independence.

virtual representation

The British argument that Parliament represented all British subjects, even those in the colonies. Colonists rejected this idea as a justification for taxation.

Pontiac's Rebellion

A 1763 Native American uprising against British expansion into the Ohio Valley. It led to the Proclamation of 1763.

Boston Massacre

A 1770 confrontation where British soldiers killed five colonists during a protest. It was used as propaganda by revolutionaries.

Quartering Act

A law requiring colonists to house and supply British soldiers. Colonists saw it as a violation of their rights.

Paxton Boys

A group of Pennsylvania frontiersmen who attacked Native Americans in 1763. Their actions reflected frontier tensions and dissatisfaction with colonial government protection.

Sugar Act 1764

A British law that taxed sugar and molasses imported by the colonies. It aimed to raise revenue and enforce trade laws.

Townshend Acts

A series of British taxes on imports like glass, paper, and tea in 1767. They led to renewed boycotts and unrest.

Tea Act

A 1773 law allowing the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies. It angered colonists and led to the Boston Tea Party.

loose/strict constructionism

Loose constructionists interpret the Constitution broadly, allowing implied powers. Strict constructionists favor a literal interpretation, limiting federal authority.

Bank of the United States

Proposed by Alexander Hamilton as part of his financial plan. It created a national bank to stabilize the economy and was controversial.

yeomen farmers

Independent small farmers, often seen as the ideal American citizens by Jeffersonians. They valued landownership and self-sufficiency.

Jay Treaty

A 1795 treaty between the U.S. and Britain to resolve lingering issues after the Revolution. It avoided war but was unpopular among Jeffersonians.

Shay's Rebellion

A 1786-87 revolt by Massachusetts farmers protesting debt and taxes. It exposed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 protest by farmers against a federal tax on whiskey. It was put down by Washington, showing the new government's strength.

Land Ordinance of 1785

A law that set up a system for surveying and selling western lands. It helped organize land sales and fund education.

Northwest Ordinance

A 1787 law for governing the Northwest Territory. It banned slavery and set rules for admitting new states.

Gabriel Prosser's Rebellion

A planned 1800 slave revolt in Virginia that was discovered and suppressed. It led to stricter slave laws.

Annapolis Convention

A 1786 meeting to discuss trade issues among states. It led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

impressment

The British practice of forcing American sailors into their navy. It was a key cause of the War of 1812.

Hartford Convention

A 1814-15 meeting of New England Federalists who opposed the War of 1812. They discussed secession, damaging the party's reputation.

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document declaring the American colonies independent from Britain. It was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. constitution, adopted in 1781. It created a weak central government and was later replaced.

Three-fifths Compromise

A Constitutional agreement that counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxes. It appeased Southern states.

Deism

A belief in a rational God who created the universe but does not intervene. Popular among some Enlightenment thinkers and Founding Fathers.

Revolution of 1800

The peaceful transfer of power from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans with Jefferson's election. It was seen as a validation of the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, added in 1791. They protect individual liberties against federal power.

Washington's Farewell Address

A 1796 speech warning against political parties and foreign alliances. It influenced U.S. foreign policy for years.

full funding/assumption

Hamilton's financial plan to pay off national and state debts fully. It strengthened federal authority and credit.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional. It was established by Marbury v. Madison (1803).

Connecticut (Great) Compromise

A compromise at the Constitutional Convention combining the Virginia and New Jersey Plans. It created a bicameral legislature.

Virginia/New Jersey Plans

Competing proposals for representation in Congress. The Virginia Plan favored population-based representation; the New Jersey Plan favored equal state votes.

Barbary Pirates

North African pirates who attacked U.S. ships. Jefferson sent the navy to stop them, asserting U.S. power.

Citizen Genet

A French diplomat who tried to rally American support for France in its war with Britain. His actions tested U.S. neutrality.

Battle of Yorktown

The final major battle of the Revolutionary War in 1781. British General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington.

Federalist/First American Party System

The first political parties: Federalists supported strong government and trade; Democratic-Republicans favored states' rights and agriculture.

Alien and Sedition Acts

1798 laws that restricted immigrants and limited speech critical of the government. They were controversial and politically divisive.

Treaty of Alliance 1778

A formal alliance between the U.S. and France during the Revolutionary War. It brought military support against Britain.

Treaty of Paris 1783

The treaty that ended the Revolutionary War. Britain recognized U.S. independence and set new boundaries.

Republican Motherhood

An idea that women should raise children to be good citizens. It gave women an indirect political role through education.