The Revolutionary War
George Grenville
British Whig statesman who was Prime Minister of Great Britain. He is responsible for the Stamp Act which provoked opposition in the colonies and was later repealed. Associations: Stamp Act, King George III, British
Cornwallis
British Army officer and colonial administrator. In the United States and the United Kingdom he is best remembered as one of the leading British generals in the American War of Independence. His surrender in 1781 to a combined American and French force at the Siege of Yorktown ended significant hostilities in North America. Associations: Yorktown, British Army
Great Awakening
1730s to 1743, pastoral styles began to change. Increased religious movement, widespread revivals led by evangelical Protestant ministers. A sharp increase of interest in religion. Associations: Protestants
Tea Act
1773- an act of the Parliament of Great Britain. Principal object was to reduce the massive surplus of tea held by the financially troubled British East India Company. Undercut the price of illegally imported tea into the North American colonies. Associations: Townshend Acts, Parliament, King George III, Boston Tea Party
King George's Petition
1774, the First Continental Congress sends a respectful petition to King George III to inform his majesty that if it had not been for the acts of oppression forced upon the colonies by the British Parliament, the American people would be standing behind British rule. Associations: Continental Congress, King George III, British Parliament
Pennsylvania's 1776 Constitution
1776 Pennsylvania enacted its first state constitution in direct response to the Declaration of Independence and the instructions of the Second Continental Congress to the colonies to reject British rule. Associations: Declaration of Independence, Second Continental Congress, Benjamin Franklin
Yorktown
1781, British General Charles Cornwallis formally surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a French and American force at Yorktown, Virginia, bringing the American Revolution to a close. Associations: General Cornwallis, George Washington, British Army
Republican Motherhood
20th-century term for an attitude toward women's roles present in the emerging United States before, during, and after the American Revolution (c. 1654 to 1920). Associations: Women's roles
Crown Point
A British fort built by the combined efforts of both British and Provincial troops (from New York and the New England Colonies) in North America in 1759 at narrows on Lake Champlain on the border between modern New York State and Vermont. Erected to secure the region against the French. Associations: France, Benedict Arnold
General Gage
A British general, best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as military commander in the early days of the American Revolution. From 1763 to 1775 he served as commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America, overseeing the British response to the 1763 Pontiac's Rebellion. In 1774 he was also appointed the military governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, with instructions to implement the Intolerable Acts, punishing Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. Associations: George Washington, Seven Year's War, British forces, Boston Tea Party, Massachusetts, Intolerable Acts
Admiral De Grasse
A French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown. Associations: France, Yorktown, American Revolution, Battle of the Chesapeake
The Federalist Papers
A collection of 85 articles and essays written (under the pseudonym Publius) by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution. Associations: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay
Second Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting in the summer of 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that, soon after warfare, declared the American Revolutionary War had begun. Associations: Continental Congress, Pennsylvania, Declaration of Independence, Olive Branch Petition, Ben Franklin, John Hancock
Liberty Tree
A famous elm tree that stood in Boston near Boston Common. In 1765, colonists in Boston staged the first act of defiance against the British government at the tree. Associations: Sons of Liberty, Andrew Oliver, King George III, Stamp Act
South Carolina Regulators
A farming class of landowning men. Their main problems stemmed from lack of representation and of government-provided services such as courts and churches. Helped catalyze the Revolutionary War. Associations: Revolutionary War, Robert Johnson, Parliament
Non-importation Associations
A formal collective decision made by Boston merchants and traders not to import or export items to Britain. A protest to the 1767 Townshend Revenue Act. One of the most effective means of colonial resistance against British policy. Associations: Townshend Revenue Act, British East India Company, Boston Tea Party
Benedict Arnold
A general during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental Army but defected to the British Army. Associations: Continental Army, British Army, Ticonderoga, Saratoga, Quebec
Radical Whig
A group of British political commentators associated with the British Whig faction who were at the forefront of the Radical movement. Associations: John Locke, Glorious Revolution, English Civil War, American Revolution
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
A law passed in 1787 to regulate the settlement of the Northwest Territory, which eventually was divided into several states of the Middle West. The United States was governed under the Articles of Confederation at the time. Associations: Articles of Confederation, US Supreme Court
Coverture
A legal doctrine whereby, upon marriage, a woman's legal rights and obligations were subsumed by those of her husband, in accordance with the wife's legal status of feme covert. Associations: Common law in England
Militias
A military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency. Colonial militias were drawn from the body of adult male citizens of a community, town, or local region. Because there were usually few British regulars garrisoned in North America, colonial militia served a vital role in local conflicts, particularly in the French and Indian Wars. Associations: Second Continental Congress, Articles of Confederation, Continental Army
Anti-Federalists
A movement that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and which later opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution. Worried, among other things, that the position of president, then a novelty, might evolve into a monarchy. Associations: Patrick Henry
Common Sense
A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775-76 that inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain in the summer of 1776. Associations: Thomas Paine, Thirteen colonies
George Robert Twelves Hewes
A participant in the political protests in Boston at the onset of the American Revolution, and one of the last survivors of the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre. Later he fought in the American Revolutionary War as a militiaman and privateer. Associations: American Revolution, Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre
Bicameral legislatures
A particular body of government that consists of two legislative houses or chambers. In certain variations, a bicameral system may include two parliamentary chambers. Associations: Legislature (Senate and HOR)
Quebec Act
A permanent administration in Canada replacing the temporary government created at the time of the Proclamation of 1763. It gave the French Canadians complete religious freedom and restored the French form of civil law. Associations: Catholicism, Native Americans, Seven Years War, 1774
Boston Tea Party
A political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, on December 16, 1773. The demonstrators, some disguised as Native Americans, in defiance of the Tea Act of May 10, 1773 destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company. Associations: Sons of Liberty, Tea Act, East India Company
James Madison
A political theorist, American statesman, and served as the fourth President of the United States (1809-17). He is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Associations: Constitution, Bill of Rights, The Federalist Papers
Originalism
A principle of interpretation that views the Constitution's meaning as fixed as of the time of enactment. Associations: Articles of Confederation, Constitution
Coercive Acts
A series of laws relating to Britain's colonies in North America, and passed by the British Parliament in 1774. Four of the acts were issued in direct response to the Boston Tea Party of December 1773. Associations: Sons of Liberty, Boston Tea Party, Parliament, Tea Act
Daughters of Liberty
A successful Colonial American group, established in the year 1765, that consisted of women who displayed their loyalty by participating in boycotts of British goods following the passage of the Townshend Acts. The Daughters of Liberty was a group of 92 women who looked to rebel against British taxes by making home goods instead of buying them from the British. Associations: Sons of Liberty, Townshend Acts, Nonimportation association, homespun
The Continental Association
A system created by the First Continental Congress in 1774 for implementing a trade boycott with Great Britain. Congress hoped that by imposing economic sanctions, they would pressure Great Britain into redressing the grievances of the colonies, in particular repealing the Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament. Associations: Intolerable Acts, Continental Congress, Parliament
Deborah Sampson
A woman who disguised herself as a man in order to serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Associations: Revolutionary War, West Point
Articles of Confederation
Adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. This document served as the United States' first constitution, and was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789 when the present day Constitution went into effect. Could not tax and did not allow for a national government. Associations: Declaration of Independence, Constitution
Land Ordinance of 1785
Adopted by the United States Congress of the Confederation on May 20, 1785. It set up a standardized system whereby settlers could purchase title to farmland in the undeveloped west. Associations: Westward expansion
Freedom Petitions
African American petition for freedom after the issuance of "natural and inalienable right to freedom." Associations: Declaration of Independence, slavery
Intolerable Acts
American Patriots' term for a series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea party. They were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their defiance in throwing a large tea shipment into Boston harbor. Associations: Coercive acts, Parliament, Boston Tea Party, Sons of Liberty
Ethan Allen
American Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of the U.S. state of Vermont, and for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga early in the American Revolutionary War along with Benedict Arnold. Associations: Ticonderoga, Benedict Arnold
Loyalists
American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men; Patriots called them "persons inimical to the liberties of America." Associations: Britain, Parliament, British Army, American Revolution
Thomas Jefferson
An American Founding Father who was principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Elected second Vice President of the United States, serving under John Adams. He was elected third president. Associations: Declaration of Independence, John Adams, Founding Fathers
Patrick Henry
An American attorney, planter, and politician who became known as an orator during the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia. Led the opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765 and is remember for his "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech. Associations: Samuel Adams, Thomas Paine, Stamp Act of 1765, Republicanism
John Hancock
An American merchant and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. Served as President of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of Massachusetts. Associations: American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, Second Continental Congress
Shays's Rebellion
An armed uprising in Massachusetts (mostly in and around Springfield) during 1786 and 1787. Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays led four thousand rebels (called Shaysites) in rising up against perceived economic injustices and suspension of civil rights by Massachusetts. Associations: Daniel Shays, US National weapons arsenal
Sons of Liberty
An organization of American colonists that was created in the Thirteen American Colonies. The secret society was formed to protect the rights of the colonists and to fight taxation by the British government. They played a major role in most colonies battling the Stamp Act in 1765. Associations: Stamp Act, Liberty tree, American Revolution
Sir Henry Clinton
British army officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the American War of Independence. Associations: Commander-in-Chief, British Army, Seven Years War, American Revolution
Ethiopian regiment
British colonial military unit organized during the American Revolution by John Murray. Composed of slaves who had escaped from Patriot masters, it was led by British officers and sergeants. Black Loyalists also served in guerrilla units such as the elite Black Brigade, as well as together with British troops and white Loyalist militia recruited in the colonies. Associations: Lord Dunmore's Proclamation
Land Ordinance of 1784
Called for the land in the recently created United States of America west of the Appalachian Mountains, north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River to be divided into separate states. Associations: Westward expansion
General Rochambeau
Commander-in-chief of the French Expeditionary Force that embarked from France in order to help the American Continental Army fight against British forces. Associations: France
Continental Congress
Convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies which became the governing body of the USA during the American Revolution. The Congress met from 1774 to 1789 in three incarnations. Associations: Benjamin Franklin, Declaration of Independence, Continental Army, George Washington, France
Constitutional Convention
Convention was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, the intention from the outset of many of its proponents, chief among them James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, was to create a new government rather than fix the existing one. The delegates elected George Washington to preside over the Convention. The result of the Convention was the creation of the United States Constitution, placing the Convention among the most significant events in the history of the United States. Associations: George Washington, Articles of Confederation
Marquis de Lafayette
French aristocrat and military officer who fought for the United States in the American Revolutionary War. Associations: George Washington, France, Valley Forge, Yorktown
Currency Act of 1764
Did not prohibit the colonies from issuing paper money, but it forbid them from designating future currency emissions as legal tender for public or private debts. Benjamin Franklin lobbied for repeal of the Act over the next several years. Associations: British Parliament, Benjamin Franklin
John Locke
English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "Father of Liberalism". One of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Sir Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social contract theory. Associations: Radical Whig
Battle of Alamance (1771)
Final battle of the War of Regulation, a rebellion in colonial North Carolina over issues of taxation and local control. Opening salvo of the American Revolution. Associations: North and South Carolina Regulators, American Revolution, Herman Husband
Federalists
First American political party. It existed from the early 1790s to 1816; its remnants lasted into the 1820s. The Federalists called for a strong national government that promoted economic growth and fostered friendly relationships with Great Britain, as well as opposition to revolutionary France. Associations: George Washington, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton
Stamp Act Congress
First Congress of the American Colonies was a meeting held between October 7 and 25, 1765 in New York City. Consisted of British colonies in North America; first gathering of elected representatives from several of the American colonies. Associations: George Greenville, Sugar Acts, Currency Acts in 1764
George Washington
First President of the United States (1789-97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He presided over the convention that drafted the current United States Constitution. Associations: John Adams, Continental Congress, Founding Fathers, American Revolution, Continental Army
Lexington and Concord
First military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. Marked the outbreak of open armed conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen of its colonies on the mainland of British America. Associations: Massachusetts, Suffolk Resolves
Phillis Wheatley
First published African-American female poet. Sold into slavery at the age of seven and transported to North America. She was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston, who taught her to read and write, and encouraged her poetry when they saw her talent. Associations: Wheatley family, Massachusetts, slavery, poetry
Continental Army
Formed by the second continental congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Commanded by George Washington. Associations: George Washington, American Revolution, Second Continental Congress
Seven Years' War
Fought between 1755 and 1764, aka "The French and Indian War." British attempted to dislodge the French from forts they constructed in Pennsylvania. Power struggle for territory. Associations: Indians, Britain, France, George Washington
Battle of Long Island and Manhattan
Fought on August 27, 1776, was a defeat for the Continental Army under General George Washington and the beginning of a successful campaign that gave the British control of the strategically important city of New York. It was the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War to take place after the United States declared independence on July 4, 1776. Associations: Charles Cornwallis, George Washington, Declaration of Independence, William Howe
Lord Dunmore's Proclamation
Historical document signed on November 7, 1775 by John Murray, royal governor of the colony of Virginia. Declared martial law and promised freedom for slaves of American revolutionaries who left their owners and joined the royal forces. Associations: slavery, Britain
Boston Massacre
Incident on King Street by the British, 1770 in which the British army killed five male civilians and injured six others. Associations: Paul Revere, Massachusetts
Homespun
Instead of wearing or purchasing clothing made of imported British materials, Patriot women continued a long tradition of weaving, and spun their own cloth to make clothing for their families. In addition to the boycotts of British textiles, the Homespun Movement served the Continental Army by producing needed clothing and blankets. Associations: Nonimportation associations
Proclamation Line of 1763
Issued October 7, 1763 by King George III following Britain's acquisition of territory from French. Forbade all settlement past a line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains. Associations: King George III, Seven Years War, French
George III (U.K.)
King of Great Britain and Ireland. Early in his reign, Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War. Associations: Seven Years War, Revolutionary War, George Grenville, all acts passed in 1700s
Richard Henry Lee
Known for Second Continental Congress calling for the colonies' independence from Great Britain. He was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and his famous resolution of June 1776 led to the United States Declaration of Independence, which Lee signed. He also served a one-year term as the President of the Continental Congress, and was a United States Senator. Associations: Articles of Confederation, Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence
Josiah Martin
Last Royal Governor of the Province of North Carolina (1771-1775). Associations: American Revolution, North Carolina, Richard Caswell
North Carolina Regulators
Led by Herman Husband, a large group of North Carolina colonists who opposed the taxation and fee system imposed by colonial officials in the late 1760s. Led to a battle between the colonial militia and the regulators in 1771. Associations: South Carolina regulators, any act imposed in 1700s
Committees of Safety
Local committees of Patriots that became a shadow government that took actual control of the Thirteen Colonies away from royal officials who became increasingly helpless. Associations: Continental Congress, Nonimportation agreements, Patriots
Ticonderoga
May 1775 when the Green Mountain Boys and other state militia under the command of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured it from the British in a surprise attack. Cannons captured were transported to Boston where their deployment forced the British to abandon the city in March 1776. The Americans held the fort until June 1777, when British forces under General John Burgoyne occupied high ground above it and threatened the Continental Army troops, leading them to withdraw from the fort and its surrounding defenses. Associations: Benedict Arnold, John Burgoyne, Green Mountain Boys
Virtual Representation
Members of Parliament reserved the right to speak for the interests of all British subjects, not just the district they were voted into Parliament by. Associations: First Continental Congress, British Parliament, Suffolk Resolves
Valley Forge
Military camp in southeastern Pennsylvania, approximately 20 miles (30 km) northwest of Philadelphia,[1] where the American Continental Army spent the winter of 1777-1778 during the American Revolutionary War. Associations: George Washington, William Howe, Daughters of Liberty
Melancton Smith
New York Delegate to the Continental Congress. Associations: Anti-federalists
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
On January 16, 1786, the Assembly enacted the statute into the state's law. The statute disestablished the Church of England in Virginia and guaranteed freedom of religion to people of all religious faiths, including Catholics and Jews as well as members of all Protestant denominations. Associations: Thomas Jefferson, Virginia General Assembly
Bunker and Breed's Hill
On June 17, 1775, early in the Revolutionary War (1775-83), the British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. Despite their loss, the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. Associations: William Howe, Robert Pigot
Thomas Paine
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he authored the two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, and he inspired the rebels in 1776 to declare independence from Britain. Associations: American Revolution, Common Sense, Founding Fathers
Stamp Act of 1765
Passed by British Parliament on March 22, 1765. New tax imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper. Associations: King George III, Sons of Liberty
Declaratory Act
Passed by the British parliament to affirm its power to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever." The declaration stated that Parliament's authority was the same in America as in Britain and asserted Parliament's authority to pass laws that were binding on the American colonists. Associations: British Parliament, King George III
Unicameral
Practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Associations: Articles of Confederation
Thomas Hutchinson
Prominent Loyalist politician of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in the years before the American Revolution. Governor of Massachusetts for 16 years. Associations: Thomas Gage
Baron Von Steuben
Prussian-born American military officer. He served as inspector general and major general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is credited with being one of the fathers of the Continental Army in teaching them the essentials of military drills, tactics, and disciplines. Associations: Seven Years' War, American Revolution, Valley Forge, Yorktown
Sugar Act of 1764
Revenue-raising act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain on April 5, 1764. Molasses Act of 1733 failed to collect the tax that was intended, the British hoped that the tax would actually be collected. Associations: American Revolution, Molasses Act, Revenue Act of 1766
General "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne
Role in the American Revolutionary War. He designed an invasion scheme and was appointed to command a force moving south from Canada to split away New England and end the rebellion. Burgoyne advanced from Canada but his slow movement allowed the Americans to concentrate their forces. Instead of coming to his aid according to the overall plan, the British Army in New York City moved south to capture Philadelphia. Surrounded, Burgoyne fought two small battles near Saratoga to break out. Trapped by superior American forces, with no relief in sight, Burgoyne surrendered his entire army of 6,200 men on 17 October 1777. Associations: Saratoga, Seven Years War, British Army, Revolutionary War
Townshend Duties
Series of acts passed, beginning in 1767, by the Parliament of Great Britain relating to the British colonies in North America. Named after Charles Townshend. Associations: King George III, Boston Massacre, American Revolution
Committees of Correspondence
Shadow governments organized by the Patriot leaders of the Thirteen Colonies on the eve of the American Revolution. Means for maintaining communication lines in the years before the Revolutionary War. Associations: Revolutionary War, Stamp Act, First Continental Congress, Virginia House of Burgesses
Treaty of Paris 1783
Signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States of America on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War. Associations: France, American Revolution, United States
Battle of Trenton
Small but pivotal battle during the American Revolutionary War which took place on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton the previous night, Washington led the main body of the Continental Army against Hessian soldiers garrisoned at Trenton. After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with negligible losses to the Americans. Associations: Hessians, New Jersey, George Washington
Declaration of Independence
Statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies,[2] then at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain, regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and no longer under British rule. Instead they formed a new nation—the United States of America. Associations: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, United States of America
Hessians
Term given to the 18th-century German auxiliaries contracted for military service by the British government, which found it easier to borrow money to pay for their service than to recruit its own soldiers. Associations: British Army, Germany
Pontiac's Rebellion
The Master of Life came to Neolin and told him to reject European things. Indians of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes launched a revolt against the British in 1763. Associations: Neolin, French, British, Bacon's Rebellion
Battle of Saratoga
The climax of the Saratoga campaign giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. Associations: Benedict Arnold, General John Burgoyne
"Extend the Sphere"
The country would be influenced by the small/middle class farmer which would let the USA keep a Middle Class. This would ensure that the nation would stay Middle Class and a Democracy and not like the British with their huge poor class. Associations: James Madison
Crispus Attucks
The first casualty of the Boston Massacre, is widely considered to be the first American casualty in the American Revolutionary War. Associations: Boston Massacre, Revolutionary War
The "Loyal Nine"
The predecessors of the Sons of Liberty. A well organized Patriot political organization shrouded in secrecy, was formed in 1765 by nine likeminded citizens of Boston to protest the passing of the Stamp Act. Consisted of John Avery, Henry Bass, Samuel Adams, Thomas Chase, Stephen Cleverly, Thomas Crafts, Benjamin Edes, Joseph Field, John Smith, and George Trott. Associations: Above members, the Stamp Act
Charles Carroll of Carrolton
Was a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and Confederation Congress and later as first United States Senator for Maryland. He was the only Catholic. Associations: Maryland, Catholicism, Federalists, Continental Congress, Confederation Congress
Abigail Adams
Wife of John Adams who aided him by giving him advice while he was at the Continental Congress during the Revolution. Associations: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Continental Congress