Causes and Major Events of the American Revolution

Practice vocabulary flashcards covering the key figures, legislation, battles, and milestones of the American Revolutionary War as detailed in the lecture.

Seven Year War

A conflict between France and England that left both nations in severe debt, leading Britain to begin taxing the American colonies.

The Stamp Act

A British tax policy that infuriated American colonists, leading to widespread protests, boycotts of British goods, and increased economic downturn in Great Britain.

The Tea Act

A British mandate that forced American colonists to buy tea exclusively from Great Britain.

Boston Tea Party

A colonial protest against British taxation where colonists dumped over a million pounds of tea into the harbor, prompting Britain to send $3,000$ troops to Boston.

Minutemen

Colonial soldiers trained throughout the colonies to be ready for combat at a minute's notice.

Colonel Francis Smith

The British colonel sent to Concord to seize colonial weapons.

Lexington

The location where British troops and American colonists first met and fought, officially beginning the war.

George Washington

The American commander who had no middle name and established camp outside Boston before securing the city.

Dorchester Heights

The location outside Boston where George Washington and another general placed $59$ cannons, forcing the British to withdraw on 03/17/1776.

Thomas Jefferson

The colonial leader who drafted the Declaration of Independence four months after the British evacuated Boston.

Battle of Saratoga

The $1777$ battle where colonial forces captured a British army, directly prompting France to enter the war on the American side.

General Cornwallis

The British general who shifted tactics to attack from the South, lost over a quarter of his army in the Carolinas, and retreated to Yorktown.

Yorktown

The town where American and French forces besieged General Cornwallis by land and sea for nearly a month, forcing his surrender.

Treaty of Paris

The agreement signed in the fall of 1781 that officially ended the war, recognized United States independence, and required America to pay off Britain's debt.

Which event is more important in escalating colonial protest into armed rebellion and why: the Stamp Act or the Tea Act?

The Tea Act is more important because, while the Stamp Act provoked initial boycotts and widespread unrest, the Tea Act directly provoked the Boston Tea Party, which prompted Great Britain to deploy $3,000$ troops to Boston and directly culminated in armed combat at Lexington and Concord.

How is the Stamp Act different from the Tea Act, and why does it matter?

The Stamp Act was a tax policy that sparked colonial boycotts until Britain repealed it, whereas the Tea Act forced colonists to purchase tea exclusively from Great Britain; this difference matters because the Tea Act provoked the Boston Tea Party, prompting Britain to send $3,000$ troops to Boston and escalating the dispute into armed combat.

How can the idea that the Stamp Act and the Tea Act had the same impact on colonial rebellion be refined?

The idea must be refined to distinguish between their effects: while the Stamp Act led to boycotts that successfully forced Britain to repeal it, the Tea Act mandated purchasing tea exclusively from Great Britain, which provoked the Boston Tea Party and prompted Britain to deploy $3,000$ troops to Boston, escalating the conflict into armed rebellion.

How do the strategic outcomes of the Battle of Saratoga and the Siege of Yorktown compare?

The Battle of Saratoga ($1777$) served as the pivotal turning point that convinced France to officially enter the war as an American ally, whereas the Siege of Yorktown ($1781$) combined American and French forces to surround and force General Cornwallis to surrender, effectively bringing the war to an end.