French & Indian War
1754 - 1763; conflict between France and Great Britain over land in North America
militia
civilian soldiers; mostly farmers during the 1700s
Albany Plan of Union
stated that if the French attacked a colony the other colonies would help defend; written in 1754; first time colonies viewed themselves as a collective whole
Benjamin Franklin
author of the Albany Plan of Union
Treaty of Paris
peace agreement that ended the French & Indian War
Proclamation of 1763
Issued by Great Britain after the French & Indian War; prevented colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains
Pontiac's Rebellion
Native American uprising in Michigan; chief wanted all Natives to unite and fight Europeans
revenue
incoming money
resolution
a formal expression of opinion
boycott
refusing to buy a product
repeal
to cancel a law
writs of assistance
documents that allowed tax collectors to search private property for smuggled goods
nonimportation
agreements by merchants to not buy products from a certain country or source
Sons of Liberty
group of male colonists who protested taxes; not afraid to use violence
Samuel Adams
founder and leader of the Sons of Liberty
Boston
city where the American Revolution started
Sugar Act
1764; lowered tax on molasses to encourage colonists to stop smuggling
smuggling
bringing something into a country illegally
Stamp Act
1765; law that taxed printed goods, including: playing cards, documents, newspapers, etc.
Patrick Henry
famous Early American politician who said "Give me liberty or give me death.
Townshend Acts
1767; law adopted after Stamp Act was repealed; taxed glass, paper, and tea
Taxation without Representation
the major cause of the American Revolution
Boston Massacre
1770; 5 civilians who were part of a mob killed by British soldiers; depicted as a brutal slaughter in colonial newspapers
propaganda
form of persuasion; shows one side of an issue to influence people to join that one side
committee of correspondence
groups of colonists began writing letters to each other to form ways of resisting British rule; shows communication between the colonies
Tea Act
1773; placed a tax on an item to help save the British East India Company; colonists boycotted
Boston Tea Party
took place as a reaction to the Tea Act; Sons of Liberty dressed up like Mohawk Indians and protested in the harbor
Intolerable Acts
1774; laws meant to punish Boston after the Tea Party; closed the harbor, created a police state, Quebec Act, and had to quarter troops in civilian homes
King George III
leader of Great Britain at the time of the American Revolution
effigy
a rag doll dressed to look like a tax collector or other enemy
Continental Congress
Group formed in 1774, established militias
Second Continental Congress
meeting of delegates in 1775, formed Continental Army, wrote Olive Branch Petition
Continental Army
professional army formed by Second Continental Congress
George Washington
commander of Continental Army
Olive Branch Petition
last attempt by colonists to prevent Revolution
Common Sense
pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that encouraged colonists to join the revolution
Thomas Jefferson
author of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence
offically declared the colonies separate from Britain
July 4th, 1776
date the Declaration of Independence was signed
John Hancock
wrote his name in large print so that King George III could read it
minutemen
Member of a militia during the American Revolution who could be ready to fight in sixty seconds
loyalist
colonist who remained loyal to Britain
patriot
A person who supported the colonists during the American Revolution
nonimportation
agreements by American merchants to not buy products from Britain
petition
formal request to someone in authority, usually written and signed by a group of people
preamble
an introduction to a speech or piece of writing
Patrick Henry
a leader of the American Revolution and a famous orator who spoke out against British rule of the American colonies (1736-1799)
Samuel Adams
Founder of the Sons of Liberty and one of the most vocal patriots for independence; signed the Declaration of Independence
Sons of Liberty
Groups of colonists who organized themselves to protest against the British government. Responsible for Boston Tea Party
John Adams
A Massachusetts attorney and politician who was a strong believer in colonial independence.
George Washington
Commander of the Continental Army
Paul Revere
American silversmith who became a hero after his famous ride to warn of the British advance on Lexington and Concord.
Continental Congress
the legislative assembly composed of delegates from the rebel colonies who met during and after the American Revolution
Sugar Act
law passed by the British Parliament setting taxes on molasses and sugar imported by the colonies
Stamp Act
a tax that the British Parliament placed on all printed material in the American colonies
Tea Act
Law passed by parliament allowing the British East India Company to sell its low-cost tea directly to the colonies - undermining colonial tea merchants; led to the Boston Tea Party
Townshend Acts
laws passed in 1767 that taxed goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea
Boston Tea Party
protest against increased tea prices in which colonists dumped british tea into boston harbor
Boston Massacre
The first bloodshed of the Amercan Revolution, as British guards at the Boston Customs House opened fire on a crowd killing five americans
Coercive Acts
name of the British laws to punish the colonists for staging the Boston Tea Party
Olive Branch Petition
final effort by the Second Continental Congress to avoid war with Britain
Declaration of Independence
the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain