Unit 2A: Why did the colonists declare their independence from Great Britain in 1776?
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
A pamphlet that was very popular in the American colonies that said it was simple "common sense" that the colonies should not be ruled by a faraway country.
Boston Tea Party (1773)
A protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston in which colonial patriots dressed up like Indians, boarded British ships, and threw chests of tea into Boston harbor.
Intolerable Acts
A series of acts passed by British parliament designed to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. The first law closed Boston Harbor to all shipping until the ruined tea was paid for. The second law placed the government of Massachusetts firmly under British control. Colonists in Massachusetts could not even hold a town meeting without the governor's permission. The third law said that British soldiers who were accused of murder would be tried in England, not in the colonies. Finally, more troops were sent to Boston to enforce the new laws.
Militia
A small military force made up of volunteer citizens.
Enlightenment
A time period in Europe when people used reason to question the authority of the king and argue for the rights of the people.
Tea Act (1773)
An act passed by British parliament that gave the British controlled East India Company a monopoly, or complete control, over tea sales in the colonies. The only merchants who could sell tea were those chosen by the company. The colonists saw the Tea Act as still another attempt to tax them without their consent.
Loyalists
Colonists who did not want independence from Great Britain.
Patriots
Colonists who wanted independence from Great Britain
Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)
Document written by Thomas Jefferson that officially stated that the thirteen colonies were no longer part of Great Britain and were their own, independent country.
John Locke
Enlightenment philosopher who argued that people are born with basic rights to life, liberty, and property. He also argued that the people should give their consent to the government.
Thomas Hobbes
Enlightenment philosopher who argued that people are naturally evil and require a strong central government (like a king) to keep order.
Bias
Having an unbalanced opinion, or having an opinion that tells only "one side of the story."
Boston Massacre (1770)
In response to the Townshend Acts, the colonists protested by throwing rocks and snowballs at British soldiers leading to the death of five colonists.
Consent
Permission of the people
Democracy
Rule of the people. Form of government in which people have the power.
Stamp Act (1765)
The Act passed by the British parliament that forced colonists to pay a tax on all paper products.
Quartering Act (1765)
The Act passed by the British parliament that ordered the American colonists to house British soldiers in their homes and provide them with food and other provisions.
Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775)
The first military battle of the Revolutionary War.
Parliament
The lawmaking body of England, consisting of representatives from throughout the kingdom.
Proclamation of 1763
The proclamation issued by King George III that prohibited colonists from settling past a line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains. The land West of the line was set aside for Native Americans. The purpose of the Proclamation was to keep peace between the colonists and Indians.
Rights of Englishmen
The rights that colonists expected to have as English citizens, such as the right to choose the people who create their laws and taxes.
Revolutionary War
The war between the American colonies and the British fought so that the colonies could gain their independence and form their own country.
French and Indian War
The war from 1754-1763 between the French and most Indians on one side against the British and the colonists on the other. The war created a huge debt that the British tried to pay off by taxing the colonists.
Boycott
To refuse to buy a certain product as a form of protests. Colonists used a boycott to protest the Stamp Act.
