Road to Revolution, 1763-1775

Mercantilism

An economic policy that emphasizes national wealth through controlled trade, often clashing with colonial commerce.

Salutary neglect

A period when Britain relaxed enforcement of trade laws, allowing colonial self-government to flourish.

Virtual representation

The idea that Parliament represented all British subjects, even if not directly elected by them.

Direct representation

Colonies governed by representatives chosen by colonists.

Sovereignty

The supreme authority within an empire; debate over centralized versus divided authority.

Proclamation Line of 1763

A royal decree forbidding colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)

Native American uprising on the western frontier that influenced imperial policy.

Sugar Act (1764)

Taxation on sugar and molasses to raise revenue and enforce compliance.

Currency Act (1764)

Law restricting the colonies from issuing their own paper money.

Stamp Act (1765)

Tax on printed documents that sparked resistance and the phrase 'no taxation without representation'.

Quartering Act (1765)

Required colonists to house and supply British troops.

Townshend Duties (1767)

Imported taxes on goods (tea, glass, lead, paper, paint) to raise revenue and regulate trade.

Nonimportation

Colonial boycott of British goods in response to Townshend duties.

Female resistance

Women participated in protests and supported colonial resistance to British policies.

Boston Massacre (1770)

Incident in which British troops killed five colonists, fueling anti-British sentiment.

Tea Act (1773)

Law allowing the East India Company to sell tea cheaply, provoking discontent.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act.

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) (1774)

Punitive measures against Massachusetts, including port closure and changes to justice and governance.

Boston Port Act

Part of the Coercive Acts; closed Boston Harbor to commerce until damages were paid.

Administration of Justice Act

Allowed British officials accused of crimes to be tried in Britain or other sympathetic venues.

Quebec Act (1774)

Expanded Quebec's territory and guaranteed Catholic rights, seen as punitive by colonists.

Lexington and Concord (1775)

First battles of the American Revolutionary War, signaling the move toward independence.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Formal declaration asserting the colonies' independence from Britain.

Enlightenment

Philosophical emphasis on natural rights and reason that shaped resistance arguments.

Great Awakening

Religious revival that fostered beliefs in individual rights and religious independence, influencing political views.