The American Revolution

The French and Indian War

A conflict that took place between Great Britain and France. This was the result of France and Great Britain's conflict over the Ohio River Valley and other territory. Although neither nation had colonists living in the region, both wanted to trade furs with the Native Americans who lived there. To protect their fur trade, the French built several forts in the region prior to the war, but Great Britain sent in troops to capture these forts. A peace treaty in 1763, gave Great Britain control of Canada and of most of the territory east of the Mississippi River. Although Great Britain won the war, the costs of fighting it and maintaining the new territory soon led Parliament to levy new taxes on the colonists.

mercantilism

Belief in this idea also led Great Britain to establish trade policies that acted to limit the 13 colonies' trade to only England, and not to other European nations. These policies, along with British taxes, contributed to the colonists' anger that led ultimately to the American Revolution. was to help Britain become more powerful than its competitors.

the Boston Tea Party.

By December 1773, American colonists' anger with the British government intensified with the passing of the Tea Act. Tea was a favorite drink in the colonies. Rather than pay the tax, many colonists refused to drink British tea. The British began to ship low-priced tea to the colonies to encourage colonists to continue buying tea from Britain. Even with the tax, purchasing British tea would be less expensive than smuggling tea into the colonies from other countries. This alarmed many colonial leaders. They feared that the British government was trying to tempt colonists into paying the taxes that they so strongly opposed. When three ships arrived in Boston Harbor carrying this inexpensive tea, the colonists refused to let the British sailors unload their cargo. American colonists demanded that the ships return to Britain. However, the British were determined to unload the tea. On the night of December 16, 1773, a group of colonists, including Samuel Adams and other members of the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Native Americans and boarded one of the tea ships. The group threw more than 300 crates of tea overboard into Boston Harbor.

"shot heard 'round the world."

In Massachusetts, Patriots began preparing for war with the British. They gathered and stored weapons in the small town of Concord, just outside of Boston. On April 18, 1775, the royal governor of Massachusetts, General Thomas Gage, sent a small force to seize these weapons. This skirmish would later be known as

the Boston Massacre.

On March 5, 1770, tensions were high in Boston, Massachusetts. British soldiers stood guard at the Custom House, where the British stored tax money. A group of colonists, angry at the soldiers and the taxes they had to pay, began shouting and throwing rocks at the soldiers. One of the rocks hit a soldier, and a shot rang out. The soldiers panicked and began firing at the colonists. When the smoke settled, five colonists were dead and seven were wounded. Samuel Adams, a colonial leader, wrote an exaggerated account of the event. It fueled anti-British feelings in the colonies and led to the American Revolution.

July 4, 1776

On this date, Britain's American colonies declared their independence.

The Intolerable Acts

The Boston Tea Party occurred in late 1773. Upset with high taxes on tea, colonists dumped more than 300 chests of tea into Boston Harbor—all of it belonging to the British East India Company. This move by the colonists outraged Parliament, which then passed a series of acts. The intent of these acts was to stop resistance by the colonies. Instead, the acts served to fuel resistance to British rule and propelled the colonies toward independence. These acts created a blockade around Boston's harbor, closing it off to most forms of trade. The acts took authority away from the elected legislature of Massachusetts and gave new powers to British troops in America.

"Join or Die"

The cartoon depicted a serpent that had been cut into pieces, each representing a colony. This cartoon became a symbol of the Revolution.

The Committees of Correspondence

The purpose of these groups was to share information and to cooperate, mainly on issues related to British taxation and colonial protests against the taxes. Samuel Adams organized the first committee in 1772 in Boston, which was the center of many of the protests. They were involved in summoning colonial leaders to the First Continental Congress in September 1774. When war broke out, they took on some of the work of local governments.

life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

These natural rights described by Locke influenced the "unalienable rights" Jefferson described in the Declaration of Independence:

the Treaty of Paris.

This document was signed in 1783 and formally ended the Revolutionary War.

the Tea Act

This law was intended to help the British East India Tea company, which had been struggling. It also was designed to help the British raise more revenues. This sent millions of pounds of British East Indian Tea to the colonies to be sold at low prices. The tea prices included a tax, which had been placed on tea with the Townshend Acts. The British thought that the East Indian tea would be so cheap that colonists would not mind paying the tax. But colonial merchants did not want to be told whose tea they had to sell. Many colonists came to think of the East Indian Tea as a symbol of the British government abusing its power over the colonists. Across the colonies, Patriots protested.

List of grievances

This section of the Declaration of Independence explains in general terms why colonists thought they were justified in declaring independence. Then, it supports these arguments with a list of specific complaints against the king of England.

The Battle of Yorktown

Was notable because it was the last major battle in the war. This battle led to the surrender of British General Charles Cornwallis. At this point in the war, French troops were fighting alongside American troops, and the Americans were taking a more offensive approach to the war. By September 28, 1781, American General George Washington and his troops had surrounded Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. Meanwhile, 24 French war ships had blocked off all sea escape routes. Cornwallis was trapped on Yorktown Peninsula. After three weeks of heavy fighting, Cornwallis reluctantly decided that there was nothing left to do but capitulate, or surrender. His capitulation opened the door for negotiations between Britain and America, leading to the acceptance of the Treaty of Paris. This document was signed in 1783 and formally ended the Revolutionary War.

mercenary

Washington knew that many of the enemy soldiers were not British citizens, but Hessian soldiers. A ________________ is a professional soldier for hire. During the Revolutionary War, Great Britain hired Hessians, or professional soldiers from an area in Germany known as Hesse.

Saratoga

a county in eastern New York that was the location of two important battles during the American Revolution. American troops led by General Benedict Arnold successfully attacked the British. They were joined by Gates's troops, and Burgoyne was forced to surrender. The American victory at _____________ was a turning point in the American Revolution because it helped convince France that the colonists could defeat Great Britain. Soon after these battles, France began sending troops and supplies to help the Americans, a factor that contributed to the eventual defeat of the British and to independence for the United States.

representative government

a form of government in which people elect leaders, called representatives, to stand in for them.

The Proclamation of 1763

a law that British Parliament passed soon after the British defeated France in the French and Indian War. By winning that war, Great Britain gained control over the Ohio River Valley. This territory had previously belonged to France. Land west of the Appalachian Mountains would be reserved for Native Americans and that colonists could not settle there. It also directed settlers who were already there to move out and stated that British troops had to keep the peace. This was significant because it marked the beginning of conflicts between the colonists and Great Britain that eventually led to the American Revolution.

John Hancock

a leader of the colonists before and during the American Revolution. After the Congress voted to accept the Declaration of Independence, was the first to sign the document. He famously signed his name much larger than any of the other delegates.

Paul Revere

a rider for the Boston Committee who warned, "the British are coming!"

Redcoats or "lobsterbacks."

a term that American colonists used during the American Revolution to refer to soldiers in the British army. The term referred to the bright red color of the British soldiers' uniforms, which in some cases made them easy targets during battles.

Thomas Paine

a writer who inspired American colonists to break away from Great Britain. He wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense, arguing that the colonies should become independent from Great Britain. Common Sense led many colonists who had previously been neutral to support independence.

Benjamin Franklin

among the most famous of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He played a key role in the Revolutionary War. He printed what is thought to be the first American political cartoon in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. He presented the Albany Plan, his proposal for uniting the colonies under one governing council. Was a member of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence and, at 81, was the oldest man to sign it. He went to France as a diplomat and successfully persuaded the French to support the American rebels in their fight against the British. He later helped to write the U.S. Constitution. A great inventor, he also created the lightning rod, bifocal lenses for eyeglasses, and many other tools still used today.

Crispus Attucks

an African American, was the first of several people who died in the event that became known as the Boston Massacre. He is considered the first American martyr of the American Revolution. He was most likely a sailor on whaling ships and traveled in and out of Boston Harbor.

"no taxation without representation"

became the rallying cry against British attempts to raise funds for the empire.

The Battle of Lexington and Concord

convinced many colonists that war with Great Britain was inevitable. The fateful first shot fired at Lexington became known as the "shot heard 'round the world."

The First Continental Congress

held in Philadelphia in the fall of 1774, was a meeting of political leaders in the colonies. It was held in response to the colonists anger at British policies, especially the Intolerable Acts. Representatives from all 13 colonies except Georgia attended. A declaration of individual rights was adopted. The declaration stated the colonists opposition to British policies. These included taxation without representation and the policy of keeping British troops in the colonies without colonists consent. A petition was also sent to King George III with a list of complaints. In addition to sending these documents to the Parliament and the king, this group agreed to boycott British imports and to stop exporting goods to Britain.

Townshend Acts

imposed taxes on imported goods such as glass, paper, paint, and tea.

The Continental Army

included both local militias and enlisted men. It eventually had about 20,000 troops. Initially, Congress was unable to provide for the army's needs: food, shoes, guns, ammunition—just about everything an army needs to fight. Women often joined the battles to cook, wash clothes, and tend to the wounded. Some women even fought against the British. They were consistently outmanned and outgunned. Nonetheless, the cause that they fought for captured the imagination of European governments. Both France and Spain sent funds, supplies, and soldiers to America.

The Sons of Liberty

independent groups of American colonists that formed in the summer of 1765 to protest British tax policies. They held protests, signed petitions, and printed newspaper articles to gain support for their cause. Their goals included encouraging people to boycott British goods.

George III

king of Great Britain from 1760 to 1820. At first, American colonists seemed content as subjects of the king. However, as the king and his Parliament made the colonists pay more taxes, the colonists decided to rebel. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he described how the king was unfair to the colonists. He refused to give independence to the colonists. He sent British officials and soldiers to the New World to collect taxes from the colonists and keep order in the colonies.

the Sugar Act

lowered the tax rates that colonists paid when they purchased items, such as molasses and sugar.

repeal

means to take back or do away with something, usually by law.

the Navigation Acts

meant to keep Britain's colonies from trading directly with other European nations. all shipments to or from the colonies had to be in British-owned ships staffed by primarily British crews. sugar, cotton, and tobacco, could only be shipped to or from England. Every time a shipment of goods was loaded or unloaded in England, the British government collected customs duties, or special taxes on imports and exports. shippers and merchants were now required to pay duties on every sale.

George Washington

often called the "Father of the Country," was a wealthy farmer in Virginia who dedicated his life to the military and politics. He helped shape the newborn United States in many ways. During the American Revolution, Washington served as the commander of the Continental Army that won the Revolutionary War for independence from Britain. On Christmas night, 1776, he led his troops across the icy Delaware River and took the British forces by surprise to win the Battle of Trenton. He was successful in keeping the army's morale high during the tough winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge. Later in 1781, he marched his army to cut off the British forces and General Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown. His reputation as a leader led to Washington being selected as the first president of the United States, a position he held for eight years.

the Stamp Act

required many written or printed items, including newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards, to be produced on special paper stamped in Great Britain. In order to purchase this stamped paper, colonists had to pay a tax.

Parliament

term used for the lawmaking groups of Great Britain

Bunker Hill

the first major battle of the American Revolution. It was a victory for the British, but that victory cost many more British lives than American lives. At the time of the battle, British troops occupied the city of Boston. American troops planned to use the hill to fire down on British troops in the city. Over-night the Americans quickly built fortifications out of dirt. The next morning, the British attacked, marching up the hill three times before successfully forcing the Americans to retreat. However, because the Americans were firing down on the British from the top of the hill, they were able to hit many British troops and make it a costly victory. The colonial soldiers ran out of ammunition. More than 1,000 British troops were killed or wounded, while fewer than 500 Americans were killed or wounded. This battle gave the Americans confidence and showed the British that they would not easily defeat the Americans.

Daughters of Liberty

the name used for groups of women who supported the boycotts and found or made substitutes for British goods. When the Townshend Acts were passed in 1767, many women chose to spin wool into yarn and to weave that yarn into clothes, rather than to buy imported textiles from Great Britain. When the Tea Act was passed, many colonists refused to buy British tea. Members supported this boycott, and some even made their own tea from herbs grown locally.

Patriot

the term used to describe supporters of independence during the American Revolution.

the Virginia House of Burgesses

was America's first representative governing body.

The Declaration of Independence

was a document that U.S. colonists wrote in June 1776. It stated that the United States was a new nation, independent of Great Britain. It was a response to British taxes and other policies that many colonists opposed. The colonists wrote it after British troops fought against colonial militia in the battles of Lexington and Concord, among others.

John Adams

was the first vice president and second president of the United States. became a leader of the opposition to British taxes in the 1760s and early 1770s. He successfully defended the British soldiers accused in the Boston Massacre, even though he opposed the policies of the British government. was a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses. He was also a member of the committee that drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence. Adams traveled to several European countries on diplomatic missions during the Revolutionary War. After the war, he served as the U.S. ambassador to France, ambassador to Great Britain, and the nation's first vice president, under George Washington. He was a member of the newly formed Federalist Party, which believed in a strong central government. In 1796, he was elected president. died on July 4, 1826, fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson died within hours of Adams on the same day.

The Battle of Yorktown

was the last major battle in the war. This battle led to the surrender of British General Charles Cornwallis. At this point in the war, French troops were fighting alongside American troops, and the Americans were taking a more offensive approach to the war. By September 28, 1781, American General George Washington and his troops had surrounded Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. Meanwhile, 24 French war ships had blocked off all sea escape routes. Cornwallis was trapped on the Peninsula. After three weeks of heavy fighting, Cornwallis reluctantly decided that there was nothing left to do but capitulate, or surrender. His capitulation opened the door for negotiations between Britain and America.