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John Locke
John Locke was a political theorist and an English philosopher. He was also known as the Father of Liberalism. -
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Charles Montesquieu
Charles Montesquieu was a French philosopher and an influential political thinker during the Age of Enlightenment. The founding fathers were heavily influenced by him when drafting the Constitution. -
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Samuel Adams
The second cousin of John Adams, Samuel Adams played an important role in America's History. He was a member of the Continental Congress, Founding Father, and a helping hand of colonial independence from Great Britain. He also signed the Declaration of Independence. -
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Martha Washington
Martha Washington was married to George Washington and served as the First Lady of the United States. -
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George Washington
George Washington served two terms as the first president of the United States and was commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. -
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Paul Revere
Paul Revere was a principal rider for Boston's Committee of Safety. He constructed a system of lanterns to warn the Minutemen of a British Invasion. This led up to his famous ride to Lexington and Concord on April 18, 1775. He was also a silversmith. -
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John Adams
John Adams was a leader during the American Revolution and served as the second U.S. president, as well as being America's first vice president. -
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John Hancock
John Hancock is known for his large signature on the Declaration of Independence. He was also president of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777 and the governor of Massachusetts from 1780-1785. In 1787 he was reelected and then served until 1793 when he died. -
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Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold was an early American military officer Revolutionary War. Later, he became one of the most infamous traitors in U.S. history when he switched sides and began fighting for the British in 1780. -
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Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was an Author of the Declaration of Independence and was the third U.S. president. He was also in the Virginia legislature, the Continental Congress, was governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary War and was vice president under John Adams. -
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Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincey Adams. She was also famous for advocating for women’s rights, female education and the abolition of slavery. -
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Alexander Hamiliton
Alexander Hamilton was an American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was also in Washington's army during the Revolutionary War. He was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr. -
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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a war over land. Britain and France started claiming land in the New World and many conflicts came up over territory. Some of that land turned out to be Native American land. These conflicts turned into a war. Britain had spent so much money trying to win this war that they fell into a lot of debt. To pay back this debt they began taxing the American colonists. This eventually led to the American Revolution. -
Proclamation of 1763
At the end of the French and Indian War, this proclamation was written, mainly to make peace with the Indians. It created a boundary line between the British colonies and Native American territory. -
The Sugar Act
Great Britain passed the Sugar Act to help pay for the cost of the French and Indian War. The Sugar Act was a tax on sugar, wine, indigo, and molasses. -
The Currency Act
The Currency Act was a law passed by Great Britain to regulate the issue of paper money in the Colonial economy. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was an Act of British Parliament that required the American colonists to provide the British soldiers with housing and food. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was yet another attempt of the British trying to get the colonists to pay for the French and Indian war. This act forced tax on all paper documents in the colonies. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act was a declaration by the British Parliament that stated that the British Parliament's taxing authority was the same in America as in Great Britain. It was accompanied by the repeal of the Stamp Act. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Acts were a series of Acts, passed by the British Parliament, that taxed goods imported to the American colonies. The American colonists, who had no representation in Parliament, saw it as tyrannical, or "taxation without representation." -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident that began as a street brawl between American colonists and a British Sentinel, but soon escalated to a bloody and deadly riot. Several people were killed and it is said to have paved the way for the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest where American colonists dumped 342 chests of tea from the British into the harbor. The colonists were angry at the British for imposing "taxation without representation" and this was one of the first major acts of rebellion. It occurred at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. -
Administration of Justice Act
The Administration of Justice Act was passed to punish the residents of Massachusetts, specifically those responsible for the destruction and economic loss during the Boston Tea Party. -
Massachusetts Government Act
This act changed the governemnt in Massachussets and gave more power to the governr, who was chosen by Great Britain, and took away power from the colonists. -
Quebec Act
The Quebec Act broadened the British Canadian territory further south into the Ohio Valley. It also gave the French Canadians complete religious freedom. -
Minutemen
The Minutemen were a group of colonial militia who were known for being ready to fight at a minute's notice. They were usually 25 years of age or younger and were chosen for their enthusiasm, reliability, and strength. The first units were formed in 1774 in Massachusetts. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was made up of delegates from the colonies. They met in 1774 in reaction to the Coercive Acts, a series of acts imposed by the British on the colonies in response to their resistance to new taxes. -
Boston Port Act
The Boston Port Act was passed a punishment for the Boston Tea Party. The British closed the port of Boston and demanded that the city pays for all the money they threw away when dumping tea into the ocean. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army and made George Washington the General. They also tried for peace by sending the Olive Branch Petition to the King of Britain. -
"Give me liberty or give me death" Speech
In 1775 Patrick Henry gave a speech, and within it he said the famous words; "Give me liberty or give me death!" This means that he believed liberty and freedom was worth dying for. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of the American Revolutionary War. The British army left Boston with the goal of capturing John Hancock and Samuel Adams in Lexington and taking away the American's weapons and ammunition in Concord. Riders such as Paul Revere were able to warn the colonists before the Britsh came. Adams and Hancock were able to escape and the American Militia had time to hide most of their ammunition and weapons before the British came. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The colonists were on their way to winning the Battle of Bunker Hill until they ran out of ammunition. Although the British won this battle, the colonists gain confidence for the future battles, as they killed 226 of the British soldiers. -
Declaration of Indpendence
The Declaration of Independence is a very important piece of writing that explained why the 13 colonies were separating from Great Britain. Although it was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776, it wasn't actually signed until August 2nd. -
Hessians
Hessians were the German troops hired by the British to help them fight the Revolutionary War. The first Hessian troops arrived on August 15, 1776. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga secured a crucial alliance between the American colonists and the French that helped them outlast the British and win the war. -
The French Alliance
The French Alliance was an alliance between France and the Colonies during the Revolutionary War. The Treaty of Alliance was signed in 1778. Without help from France, we might not have won the American Revolution. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were an agreement among the 13 colonies that acted as their first constitution. It was ratified in 1781. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was the last battle of the American Revolution. After three weeks of non-stop bombardment, of the combined forces of Continental and French army, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown, ending the war. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris officially ended the American Revolutionary War. It was signed in Paris by representatives of the United States of America and representatives of King George III of Great Britain on September 3, 1783. -
U.S. Constitution Signed
The U.S. Constitution guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens and established America's national government and fundamental laws.
