Chapter 6 - America's War for Independence

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes (6.1–6.4).

Declaration of Independence

The 1776 document adopted by the Continental Congress proclaiming the American colonies free and independent from Britain, outlining Enlightenment principles and listing grievances against King George III.

Patriots

Colonists who supported independence from Britain during the American Revolution.

Loyalists (Tories)

Colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown and opposed independence.

Continental Congress

The colonial body that acted as the national government during the Revolution and coordinated war efforts, including drafting the Declaration.

Common Sense

Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet arguing for American independence and a republican form of government.

Republicanism

A political philosophy emphasizing a government based on virtue, public good, and elected representation rather than monarchy.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that political authority derives from the people and rulers govern with the consent of the governed.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement influencing American political thought, emphasizing natural rights and social contract theory.

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)

1774 British measures punishing Massachusetts, including closing Boston Harbor and restricting colonial self-government.

Suffolk Resolves

1774 Massachusetts declaration opposing the Coercive Acts and calling for militia action and resistance.

First Continental Congress

1774 meeting in Philadelphia that organized resistance and established the Continental Association.

Continental Association

Network coordinating a boycott of British goods to pressure Parliament.

Non-importation agreements

Commitments by colonies to stop importing British goods in protest.

Minutemen

Local colonial militias famed for being ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

Lexington and Concord

First battles of the American Revolution (1775); sparked by British attempts to seize colonial arms.

Battle of Bunker Hill

1775 siege near Boston; technically a British victory but with heavy casualties and raised colonial resolve.

Saratoga

1777 turning point battle that convinced France to ally with the United States.

Valley Forge

Winter 1777–78 encampment where the Continental Army endured hardship and was reorganized and trained.

Baron von Steuben

Prussian officer who trained the Continental Army and authored a drill manual that professionalized American troops.

Hessians

German mercenaries hired by Britain to fight the American rebels.

Trenton

1776 surprise attack across the Delaware River that captured Hessian forces.

Princeton

1777 American victory following Trenton, boosting morale and support for the rebellion.

Yorktown

1781 decisive siege where Cornwallis surrendered to Washington with French assistance, effectively ending the war.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Peace treaty recognizing American independence and defining borders; addressed Loyalist property claims.

Dunmore's Proclamation

1775 proclamation by Lord Dunmore offering freedom to enslaved people who joined Loyalists.Visibly escalated tensions.

Dunlap Broadside

One of the first published copies of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.

The World Turned Upside Down

A British ballad and popular print imagery associated with Yorktown and British reversals of fortune.

Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea)

Mohawk leader who allied with the British and fought alongside Loyalists during the Revolution.

Continental currency

Paper money issued by the Continental Congress; suffered severe inflation, giving rise to the phrase ‘Not worth a Continental.’

Six Nations (Iroquois Confederacy)

A major Native American confederacy (including the Mohawk) that largely allied with the British during the war.

Unalienable rights

Rights deemed inherent and inalienable in the Declaration, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We hold these truths to be self-evident

Preamble in the Declaration asserting universal rights and government by consent of the governed.

Daughters of Liberty

Women’s groups that supported colonial resistance, boycotts, and war efforts.

Ladies Association of Philadelphia

Womens’ fundraising group led by Esther DeBerdt Reed to support the Continental Army.

French alliance (1778)

France’s formal recognition of American independence and military aid, transforming the balance of the war.

Lafayette

Marquis de Lafayette, French nobleman who joined Washington’s staff and aided the American cause.

Rochambeau

French general who coordinated with Washington in the Yorktown campaign.

Grasse

French admiral whose fleet blocked British escape at Yorktown, contributing to the American victory.