American revolution/7 yr war
Key Concepts & Ideologies
Natural Law: The idea that people have basic rights that exist naturally and are not simply given to them by a government.
Popular Sovereignty: The principle that government's power and authority come from the people. /
Republican Mothers: The idea that women had an important role in the republic by educating and raising children to become responsible, virtuous citizens.
Key Figures
John Burgoyne: British general who led an army south from Canada in 1777 and was defeated at Saratoga.
General William Howe: British general whose forces captured Philadelphia instead of joining Burgoyne's campaign in New York.
Benjamin Franklin: American diplomat who worked in France to gain French support and an alliance for the American Revolution.
General Charles Cornwallis: British general who commanded British forces in the South and surrendered at Yorktown in 1781.
Abigail Adams: Wife of John Adams who managed her family's household, farm, finances, and other responsibilities during the war.
Key Groups & Factions
Hessians: German soldiers hired by Britain to fight against the American colonists during the Revolution.
Loyalists: American colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the American Revolution.
L Key Battles & Locations
Trenton: Site of Washington's successful surprise attack against Hessian troops in December 1776, which improved American morale.
Saratoga, New York: Location of a major American victory in 1777 that helped convince France to support the United States.
Valley Forge: Pennsylvania winter camp of Washington's army in 1777–1778, where soldiers faced severe shortages, disease, and difficult conditions. L
Yorktown: Site of the major 1781 British surrender to combined American and French forces.
Charters, Agreements & Documents
Dunmore's Proclamation of 1775: British proclamation promising freedom to enslaved people owned by rebels who escaped and joined the British cause.
Treaty of Amity and Commerce: 1778 agreement that established formal relations between the United States and France and helped bring French support to the American cause.
Articles of Confederation: The first national governing system of the United States, which created a weak central government and gave considerable power to individual states.
Treaty of Paris: The 1783 agreement that officially ended the American Revolution and recognized American independence.
Key Concepts & Foundations
Republicanism: The belief that government should serve the public good and that citizens must guard against corruption and abuse of power.
Tyranny: Cruel, oppressive, or unfair use of government power.
The Enlightenment: An intellectual movement emphasizing reason, education, individual rights, and questioning traditional authority.
The Great Awakening: A major religious revival that encouraged people to develop a personal relationship with God and question traditional religious authority.
John Locke: Enlightenment philosopher who argued that people learn through experience and should use reason to think for themselves.
Tabula rasa: Latin for "blank slate"; Locke's idea that people gain knowledge through their experiences rather than being born with it.
Aristocracy: A wealthy and privileged upper class that traditionally held significant social and political power.
Rev. George Whitefield: Traveling preacher whose emotional sermons helped spread the Great Awakening throughout the colonies.
Conversion: A personal religious experience in which a person accepts or strengthens their faith.
Causes of the American Revolution
King George III: British king who came to the throne in 1760 and ruled during the growing conflict with the American colonies.
Royal Proclamation of 1763: British order that prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Sugar Act: 1764 law that strengthened enforcement of taxes on goods such as molasses and targeted smuggling.
Currency Act: 1764 law restricting the colonies from producing their own paper money.
Stamp Act: 1765 law that placed a direct tax on many printed materials, including newspapers and legal documents.
Stamp Act Congress: 1765 meeting where representatives from nine colonies coordinated opposition to the Stamp Act.
Declaration of Rights and Grievances: Statement arguing that colonists had the rights of British citizens and should not be taxed without representation.
Declaratory Act: 1766 law declaring that Parliament had the authority to make laws for the colonies in all cases.
Townshend Acts: 1767 laws that placed new duties on imported items such as glass, lead, paint, and tea.
Committees of Correspondence: Colonial communication networks that shared information about British actions and organized resistance among the colonies.
Boston Massacre: 1770 confrontation in Boston in which British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists.
Crispus Attucks: Formerly enslaved man and dockworker who was among those killed in the Boston Massacre.
John Adams: Colonial lawyer who defended the British soldiers accused after the Boston Massacre and later became a major Patriot leader.
Paul Revere: Patriot who produced and circulated a famous engraving portraying the Boston Massacre as an example of British brutality.
From Protest to Independence
East India Company: British trading company that Parliament attempted to help by allowing it to sell tea more directly to the colonies.
Regulating Act: 1773 law that increased British government control over the struggling East India Company.
Tea Act: 1773 law allowing the East India Company to sell tea more directly and cheaply in the colonies while keeping the tea tax.
Samuel Adams: Patriot leader and member of the Sons of Liberty who helped organize resistance to British policies.
John Hancock: Wealthy Patriot leader who opposed British taxation and helped lead resistance in Massachusetts.
Coercive Acts: British laws passed in 1774 to punish Massachusetts following the Boston Tea Party.
Intolerable Acts: The colonists' name for the Coercive Acts because they considered the laws an unacceptable attack on their rights.
Boston Port Act: One of the Intolerable Acts; closed Boston Harbor to trade.
Massachusetts Government Act: Law that placed Massachusetts under greater British control and restricted its local government.
Administration of Justice Act: Law allowing certain British officials accused of crimes in Massachusetts to be tried elsewhere, including Britain.
Quartering Act: Law that expanded Britain's ability to provide housing for British troops in the colonies.
First Continental Congress: 1774 meeting of delegates from twelve colonies to coordinate their response to British actions.
Lexington and Concord: April 1775 battles between colonial militia and British troops that marked the beginning of open warfare.
Battle of Bunker Hill: June 1775 battle near Boston in which Britain captured the colonial position but suffered heavy losses.
Moving Toward Independence
Continental Army: Unified colonial army created by the Continental Congress in 1775 to fight British forces.
George Washington: Virginia delegate selected to serve as commander in chief of the Continental Army.
Olive Branch Petition: Final attempt by the Continental Congress to make peace with King George III and restore harmony with Britain.
Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition: King George III's 1775 declaration stating that the colonies were in rebellion and that Britain would act to stop the resistance.
Thomas Paine: Writer and political thinker whose pamphlet Common Sense strongly encouraged American independence.
Common Sense: Thomas Paine's influential 1776 pamphlet attacking monarchy and arguing for American independence.
Declaration of Independence: Document adopted in 1776 declaring that the thirteen colonies were independent from Great Britain.
Natural Law: The idea that people possess basic rights naturally and that those rights are not simply granted by governments.
The War for Independence
Hessians: German soldiers hired by Britain to fight against the American colonists.
Trenton: Site of Washington's successful surprise attack against Hessian troops in December 1776, which boosted American morale.
John Burgoyne: British general who led an army south from Canada and was defeated at Saratoga in 1777.
General William Howe: British general whose forces captured Philadelphia instead of joining Burgoyne's campaign.
Saratoga, New York: Location of a major American victory in 1777 that helped convince France to support the United States.
Benjamin Franklin: American diplomat who worked in France to gain French support and an alliance for the United States.
Treaty of Amity and Commerce: 1778 agreement establishing formal relations between the United States and France and strengthening French support for America.
General Charles Cornwallis: British general who commanded forces in the South and surrendered at Yorktown.
Yorktown: Site of the major British surrender to combined American and French forces in 1781.
Valley Forge: Pennsylvania winter camp of Washington's army in 1777–1778 where soldiers experienced severe shortages, disease, and difficult conditions.
Abigail Adams: Wife of John Adams who managed her family's household, farm, finances, and other responsibilities during the war.
Dunmore's Proclamation of 1775: British proclamation promising freedom to enslaved people owned by rebels who escaped and joined the British cause.
Consequences of the American Revolution
Popular Sovereignty: The principle that the power and authority of government come from the people.
Articles of Confederation: The first national governing system of the United States, which created a weak central government and left significant power with the states.
Republican Mothers: The idea that women had an important role in the republic by educating and raising children to become responsible and virtuous citizens.
Loyalists: American colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolution.
Treaty of Paris: 1783 agreement that officially ended the American Revolution and recognized American independence.
Discussion Questions
How did the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening challenge traditional hierarchies in similar or different ways?
Both encouraged colonists to question traditional authority and think for themselves. The Enlightenment challenged political and intellectual authority through reason and education, while the Great Awakening challenged religious authority by emphasizing a person's direct relationship with God.
How did the financial and territorial consequences of the Seven Years' War shape Britain's imperial strategy?
The war gave Britain a much larger empire but also massive debt and higher defense costs. Britain responded by increasing control over the colonies, restricting western settlement, and imposing new taxes and duties.
To what extent did the Proclamation of 1763 reveal tension between Britain's imperial priorities and colonial expectations?
It revealed a major conflict. Britain wanted to prevent costly conflicts with Native Americans by limiting western settlement, while colonists believed they had earned access to western lands after fighting in the Seven Years' War.
Why was the Stamp Act so much more provocative than previous acts like the Sugar Act or Currency Act?
The Stamp Act was a direct tax affecting many colonists, including printers, lawyers, merchants, and consumers. Colonists also believed Parliament was violating their rights by taxing them without elected colonial representatives.
How did imagery, print culture, and networks of communication transform the Boston Massacre into a shared colonial grievance?
Paul Revere's engraving portrayed the Boston Massacre as an example of British cruelty and oppression. Newspapers and communication networks spread the image and story throughout the colonies, turning a local event into a shared grievance against Britain.
Why did colonists resist the Tea Act even though it lowered the price of tea?
The issue was not simply the price. Buying the tea meant accepting Parliament's right to tax the colonies. Merchants also disliked the special advantages given to the East India Company.
Did Britain intend the Coercive Acts to isolate Massachusetts or intimidate all colonies? Why did they instead strengthen colonial unity?
Britain intended to punish and isolate Massachusetts and discourage resistance. Instead, other colonies feared that their rights could be attacked next. They supported Massachusetts and cooperated through committees and the First Continental Congress.
Why did some colonists remain loyal to Britain while others supported resistance? How did economic interest, religion, and political ideology shape these choices?
Some merchants, royal officials, and Anglican clergy depended economically or politically on Britain and remained loyal. Patriots believed British policies threatened liberty, representation, and self-government. Others remained neutral because they feared instability and war.
How did Lexington & Concord and Bunker Hill push the colonies closer to war even as moderates pursued reconciliation?
Lexington and Concord began open armed conflict, while Bunker Hill demonstrated that both sides were willing to fight major battles. Even though moderates continued seeking peace, the continuing violence made reconciliation increasingly unlikely.
Why was the victory at Saratoga considered the turning point of the war?
Saratoga demonstrated that Americans could defeat a major British army. Most importantly, the victory convinced France to increase its support and formally ally with the Americans, providing military and financial assistance.
To what extent was Yorktown more a result of French aid than American strategy?
Both were essential. Washington's forces helped trap Cornwallis on land, while French troops and especially French naval power prevented British reinforcements from reaching him. The victory depended heavily on cooperation between American and French forces.
What weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation reflected the Revolution's emphasis on limiting centralized power?
Americans feared creating another powerful central government, so the Articles gave most authority to the states. Congress could not directly collect taxes, effectively regulate commerce, or establish a federal judiciary, making the national government weak.
Was "republican motherhood" a true expansion of women's roles or a way to reinforce traditional gender expectations?
It was both. Women gained greater educational opportunities because they were expected to raise informed citizens, but they still lacked equal political rights and were mainly expected to influence society through motherhood and family life.
How did the end of mercantilism transform the American economy?
Independence ended many British restrictions on trade, manufacturing, and settlement. Americans could establish new trading relationships, create domestic industries, and enter new markets.
How did opening western lands represent both an economic opportunity for Americans and a devastating consequence for Native Americans?
Western lands gave American settlers opportunities to own land, farm, establish settlements, and build wealth. For Native Americans, expansion resulted in loss of ancestral lands, displacement, increased conflict, and pressure from American settlement.
Chronological Unit Summary
New ideas → British debt → British taxes → Colonial resistance → Boston Massacre → Tea Act → Intolerable Acts → Fighting begins → Independence → Revolutionary War → American victory → New government & consequences.