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French and Indian War
A war between France and Britain over land claims of the North American colonies. Ended in 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. -
Writs of Assistance
General search warrants that allowed British customs officials to search any colonial ship or building that was believed to be smuggling goods. Royal Governor of Massachusetts authorized the use of these. -
Treaty of Paris
A treaty signed to end the French and Indian War. Britain claimed Canada and almost all lands north of the Mississippi River and Florida. Spain had lands left of the Mississippi River and New Orleans. France had a little land of a few islands and small colonies in the West Indies. -
Proclamation of 1763
British gov. prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian mountains, creating a Proclamation line there. -
Sugar Act
Created by George Grenville, a tax on sugar was imposed for 3 reasons: it halved the duty on foreign molasses; placed duties on previous non-taxed items; provided that colonists would be judged, if having violated the act, by a single judge rather than a jury of colonists. -
Sons of Liberty & Samuel Adams
A secret resistance group that protested the law. Founded by Samuel Adams and others. -
Stamp Act
An act that imposed taxes on printed items. First tax that impacted colonists directly. Colonists were upset and tried to boycott the Act. -
Declaratory Act
An act which gave Parliament the full right to "bind the colonies and people of America in all cases whatsoever". Made after repealing the Stamp Act. -
Townshend Acts
Taxed goods imported from Britain and tea. Colonists protested "taxation without representation" and organized a new boycott of imported goods. Repealed because it costed more to enforce than they could bring in. -
Boston Massacre
A mob gathered in front of the Boston Customs House, British soldiers shot and killed/wounded 5 colonists. -
Tea Act
Lord North devised this in order to save the nearly bankrupt British East India Company. Granted the company the right to sell tea to the colonies free of the taxes that the settlers had to pay. Price of tea was lower, but it was still taxed. -
Boston Tea Party
A large group of Boston rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and dumped 18,000 pounds of the East India Company's tea into the Boston harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
Has 3 parts: one law shut down the Boston harbor; the Quartering Act authorized British commanders to house soldiers in vacant private homes and buildings; General Thomas Gage appointed Gov. of Massachusetts-placed Boston under rules imposed by military forces. -
First Continental Congress Meets
56 delegates met in Philadelphia and made a declaration of colonial rights. They defended the colonies' right to run their own affairs and stated that, if the British used force against the colonies, the colonies should fight back. -
Minutemen
Civilian soldiers who pledged to be ready to fight against the British on a minute's notice. -
John Locke's Social Contract
An agreement in which the people consent to choose and obey a government so long as it safesguards their natural rights. -
Loyalists and Patriots
Different sides of the conflict concerning the Revolutionary War.
Loyalists: Those who opposed the colonies' desire for independence and were loyal to the British King. This included judges, governors, and people of more modest means.
Patriots: Those who supported independence and seperation from the king. This included people whi saw political and economic opportunity in an independent America.
Many people, however, remained neutral. -
Midnight Riders: Revere, Dawes, Prescott
Rode out to spread word that 700 British troops were headed for Concord. Sending out signals that spread from twon to town. -
Battle of Lexington
British Commander told minutemen to lay down their arms and leave, the minutemen began to leave without laying their guns down. Someone fired and the soldiers killed 8 minutemen and injured 10 others, but only one British soldier was injured. -
Battle of Concord
Between 3,000 and 4,000 minutemen fired on British soldiers. British soldiers fell by the dozen and retreated. -
Second Continental Congress
Endless debates-some called for independece, others for reconciliation with Great Britain. Congress agreed to recognize the colonial militia as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander. -
Continental Army
Official name for Colonial militia. Commander: George Washington. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
British General Thomas Gage sent 2,400 British soldiers up the hill. Colonial soldiers held their fire until the last minute, then mowing down the advancing redcoats before retreating. Colonists lost 450 men, British had suffered over 1,000 casualties. -
Olive Branch Petition
Sent to the King by Congress, urging a return to the "former harmony" between Britain and the colonies. Rejected by King George. -
Publication of Common Sense
Written by Thomas Paine that attacked King George and the monarchy. Argued that the source of tyranny lay with "the royal brute of Britain." Sold nearly 500,00 copies -
Declaration of Independence
Adopted on July 4th and written by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence declared the unalienable rights that can't be taken away-"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". It also states that legitimate power can only come from the consent of the governed. If denied this, the people have the right to "alter or abolish" that government. With this, the colonists declared independence from Britain. -
Redcoats push Washington's army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania
British attempted to seize New York City in the Summer of 1776 their force included German mercenaries. The untrained and poorly equipped colonists soon retreated. By late fall, the British had pushed Washington's army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. -
Battle of Trenton
On Christmas night, Washington led 2,400 men in small rowboats across the Delaware River during a fierce storm. They then marched to Trenton, New Jersey and defeated a mass amount of German mercenaries by surprise. -
Saratoga
British General John Burgoyne planned to lead an army down a route of lakes from Canada to Abany, there he would meet British troops arriving from New York City and with them, they would isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. However, as Burgoyne traveled through the forest, the Continental Army gathered from all over New York and New England. The other British troop was preoccupied with Philadelphia and weren''t coming to meet him. Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga. -
French-American Alliance
After America's victory at Saratoga, the French signed an alliance with the Americans in February 1778 and openly joined them in their fight against the British. -
Valley Forge
Washington and his troops struggled to live at the winter camp in Valley Forge. There they were low on food and supplies. More than 2,000 soldiers died. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
Friedrich von Steuben: Prussian captian, talented drill master. Helped train the Continental Army
Marquis de Lafeyette: Lobbied France for French reinforcements in 1779.
Both helpeed the Continental Army become an effective fighting source. -
British victories in the South
Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis captured CHarles Town, South Carolina in May 1780. A large army and 2 great generals helped contribute to their success. -
British surrender at Yorktown
A french naval fleet defeated a British fleet and then blocked the entrance to Chesapeake Bay-obstructing British sea routes there. About 17,000 French and American troops surrounded the British on the Yorktown peninsula and began bombaarding them. Less than a month later, Cornwallis surrendered. -
Treaty of Paris
John Adams, John Jay, Benjamin Franklin and others sign this. Confirmed U.S. independence and set the boundaries of the new nation. The U.S. stretched from Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi River and from Canada to the Florida border.
