King George III
British monarch during the Revolutionary time.
Quartering Act
An act passed by Britain requiring that colonists quarter (house) British soldiers, as well as pay for their food, candles, beer, fuel, and transportation. It was meant to save money because of a large debt caused by the French and Indian War.
Sugar Act
An act passed by Parliament placing a tax on sugar, molasses, and other products shipped to the colonies. Also called for strict enforcement of the act and harsh punishment of smugglers. Mainly affected merchants who often traded with smuggled goods. Now
James Otis
A colonial leader who believed that Parliament had no right to tax the colonies, and that soldiers should not have writs of assistance. Took up a case against the government involving these search warrants. Made the first public speech demanding English l
George Grenville
British finance minister who believed that colonists were subject to taxation because they had the protection of British laws.
No taxation without representation!
The colonists did not agree with the taxes from Britain because they didn't have any say in their government. They wanted to be represented in the government.
Stamp Act
An act passed by Parliament that required all legal and commercial documents to carry an official stamp showing that a tax had been paid. This was a tax applied within the colonies because the colonists had to pay for stamps in silver coin, which was rare
Stamp Act Congress
Delegates from 9 colonies met in New York City. Organized a boycott of British goods and drew up a petition to the king protesting the Stamp Act. Stated that the right to tax the colonies belonged to the colonial assemblies, not Parliament.
nonimportation agreement
Colonists agreed not to import goods taxed by England until they repealed the Stamp Act.
Patrick Henry
A member of Virginia's House of Burgesses who called for resistance to the tax during the Stamp Act. Also delivered a famous speech telling the colonists to prepare for war.
Boycott
Refusal to buy
Treason
An act of dissent against the government
Tyranny
A harsh and controlling government of which one person is in charge
Sons of Liberty
A secret society formed to oppose British policies. Made up mostly of lawyers, merchants, and craftspeople.
Declaratory Act
A law passed by Britain stating that Parliament had supreme authority to govern the colonies.
Samuel Adams
A leader of the Boston Sons of Liberty.
Townshend Acts
Acts passed by Charles Townshend as a way to raise revenue in the colonies. It had two parts. The first part was that New York's assembly was suspended until New Yorkers agreed to quarter the troops. The second part was that there were taxes placed on goo
Duty
An important tax
Writs of assistance
Search warrants issued to British soldiers allowing them to search any house or business at any time to look for smuggled goods. Used as an excuse to harass Sons of Liberty.
Boston Massacre
Soldiers and colonists were trading insults and soldiers began to fire. Five colonists were killed. Used for anti-British propaganda.
Crispus Attucks
A black man, born into slavery. Escaped slavery and found himself in Boston. Was killed in the Boston Massacre by a British soldier.
John Adams
A Bostonian lawyer who defended redcoats from the Boston Massacre in court. Supported the colonial cause.
committees of correspondence
Groups in the colonies who exchanged letters about colonial affairs.
Tea Act
When the Townshend Acts were repealed, the British kept the tax on tea. Gave the British East India Company a monopoly of the American tea trade. Stopped smuggling in the colonies and forced everyone to pay the tax on tea.
Thomas Hutchinson
British Lieutenant Governor (and later Governor) of Massachusetts. Ordered the British tea ships not to leave the port of Boston until their cargoes were unloaded.
Boston Tea Party
A protest against the Tea Act organized by the Boston Sons of Liberty. A group of men dressed as Native Americans boarded three tea ships docked in Boston Harbor. They destroyed 342 chests of tea by dumping them in the harbor.
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts
Acts passed by Parliament to punish the Massachusetts colony.
1. The port of Boston was closed until the colonists paid for the tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party.
2. The committees of correspondence were banned.
3. British officials accused of cri
Lord North
British Prime Minister during revolution. He had passed the Coercive Acts and supported the king greatly to the extent that Britain was ruled only by the king.
Quebec Act
Act that affected the citizens of Quebec, won during the French and Indian War, which stated that they could keep their French culture. It also extended the territory of Quebec, giving the citizens the land that the British had won during the French and I
General Thomas Gage
Commander of the British troops, appointed governor of Massachusetts by Parliament to enforce the Coercive Acts.
First Continental Congress
A meeting of delegates from all the colonies. Delegates agreed to ban all trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. Called for each colony to begin training troops.
John Hancock
The leader of the Committee of Safety in Massachusetts, which had the power to call out the militia. Also the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Paul Revere
A Boston silversmith who went on the famous midnight ride to warn the colonies whether the British were coming by land or by sea.
William Dawes
The second messenger of the midnight ride. Took a different route than Paul Revere to warn the colonies about the British attack.
Dr. Samuel Prescott
Joined Revere and Dawes in Lexington on their midnight ride. Delivered the news to Concord when Revere and Dawes were stopped by a British patrol.
Dr. Joseph Warren
First one to see the British are coming. He alerted Paul Revere
Lexington and Concord
In _____, British troops fought the colonial minutemen. It is unclear who fired first, but 8 colonists were killed. The British then marched to _____, where they destroyed military supplies. Eventually, minutemen forced British to retreat. The first battl
Captain John Parker
Veteran of the French and Indian War and commander of the militiamen in Lexington.
Fort Ticonderoga
A fort on the New York side of Lake champlain. Originally a British fort, attacked and captured by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. Had a large supply of artillery, including cannons.
Ethan Allen
Leader of the Green Mountain Boys who captured Fort Ticonderoga and its supply of cannons and guns.
Second Continental Congress
Made five important decisions:
1. Requested 20,000 soldiers to form the Continental Army.
2. Agreed to print money to pay soldiers.
3. Chose George Washington as the general. Chosen for his charisma, is height (he looked commanding), and also he showed up
George Washington
Chosen as general of the Continental Army. Chosen partially for his charisma and commanding height. He was the only one to show up in uniform to the Second Continental Congress. Experience was limited to losing during the French and Indian War.
Battle of Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill
Militiamen seized these hills and built fortifications at night. British were surprised. Colonists didn't fire until the British were very close so they always hit their target. British charged 3 times, and by the 3rd time the colonists had run out of amm
General William Howe
In charge of the British forces in Boston. Made the decision to withdraw his troops when the Americans threatened to bombard the city.
Dorchester Heights
Overlooking Boston, where George Washington moved troops to threaten British troops in Boston Harbor so British forces departed Boston.
Common Sense
A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that made a strong case for American independence. Sold many copies in the colonies.
Thomas Paine
Wrote the pamphlet, Common Sense. Disagreed with the divine right of kings and believed that all monarchies were corrupt.
Richard Henry Lee
A delegate from Virginia who introduced the idea that colonies were "free and independent states" and declared that" all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is... totally dissolved.
Benjamin Franklin
One of the Founding Fathers who helped adopt the Declaration of Independence. Was part of both the First and Second Continental Congress. Was the first one to suggest that the colonies should join together as one in the Albany Plan of Union which was orig
Henry Knox
Secretary of War under Washington, he was a trusted general of the American Revolution; he was entrusted to protect the nation from enemies.
Thomas Jefferson
Drafted the Declaration of Independence. Was an excellent writer, a deep thinker, and well liked. Believed in natural rights that should not be taken away. Believed that the government should uphold these natural rights.
Declaration of Independence
The document approved by representatives of the American colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the British monarch and declared their independence.