The American Revolution: War, Alliances, and Nation-Building (Lecture Notes Review)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key people, events, and concepts from the revolution and its aftermath.

Seven Years' War

Global conflict (1756–1763) between Britain and France/alliances; after it, France is largely expelled from North America except for the Mississippi Valley and New Orleans, while Britain controls Canada and the Atlantic seaboard. Its costs help fuel colonial grievances over taxation.

Taxation without representation

Colonists’ grievance that Parliament taxed them without colonial representation or consent, fueling calls for independence.

Lexington and Concord

April 1775 battles marking the start of the American Revolutionary War; colonial militia confronts British troops as they move to seize weapons.

Continental Congress

Colonial assemblies that organized resistance to Britain, coordinated the war effort, and debated independence.

Sons of Liberty

A colonial group of patriots who organized protest, boycott, and resistance against British policies.

Daughters of Liberty

Female supporters who aided the revolutionary effort by producing supplies, sewing uniforms, and supporting troops.

Militia

Volunteer, part-time soldiers drawn from local communities rather than regular professional troops.

Guerrilla warfare

Tactics involving hit-and-run attacks and knowledge of local terrain, used effectively by colonial forces against the British.

Valley Forge

Winter encampment (1777–1778) where the Continental Army nearly starved; trained and reorganized into an effective fighting force under leadership of Von Steuben and Greene.

Baron von Steuben

Prussian officer who drilled the Continental Army at Valley Forge, introducing discipline and modern drill methods.

Nathanael Greene

American general who restructured the southern campaign and led effective tactics to weaken British forces.

Saratoga

1777 American victory that convinced France to ally with the United States, giving crucial military and financial support.

Cowpens

January 1781 battle in South Carolina where Daniel Morgan’s forces won a decisive victory, though ammo shortages complicated the fight.

Yorktown

1781 decisive siege where Washington and French forces trapped Cornwallis; his surrender effectively ends major combat in the war.

Cornwallis

British general whose strategic position at Yorktown led to his surrender; a key figure in the later stages of the war.

Lafayette

French aristocrat who allied with Washington, commanded troops, and helped secure the victory at Yorktown.

French alliance

Franco-American alliance (began in 1778) providing military aid, naval support, and cash, crucial for American victory.

Peace of Paris (1783)

Treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War, recognizing American independence and establishing borders with Britain.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. constitution (1781–1789) with a weak central government and no power to tax or regulate commerce.

Constitutional Convention

1867 Philadelphia meeting (1787) that drafted a new framework—the U.S. Constitution—replacing the Articles and creating a stronger federal government.