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Deism: Belief that a creator established the universe and its natural laws. Deists emphasized reason and observation of nature rather than miracles or religious revelation.

Great Awakening: Religious revivals during the 1730s and 1740s emphasizing emotional preaching and personal conversion. Preachers such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield challenged established religious routines and authority.

Seven Years’ War: A global conflict between Britain and France and their allies, ending in 1763. Britain gained territory but accumulated debt, which helped motivate new colonial taxes.

Proclamation of 1763: A British policy restricting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. It aimed to reduce conflict with Indigenous peoples but angered colonists seeking western land.

Sugar Act (1764): A British law that lowered the existing duty on foreign molasses but strengthened enforcement. It sought revenue from colonial trade and particularly affected merchants.

Stamp Act (1765): A law requiring paid stamps on newspapers, legal documents, and other printed materials. Its broad impact sparked protests over taxation without representation.