Road to Revolution
What is the Stamp Act?
This 1765 act taxed printed materials in the colonies, sparking the cry "No taxation without representation."
Who is Thomas Paine?
This immigrant wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet that convinced ordinary colonists to break away from Britain.
What are the Battles of Lexington and Concord?
These first two military engagements of the American Revolution are known as the "shot heard 'round the world."
Who is Thomas Jefferson?
He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.
What are taxes? (Based on the Articles of Confederation)
Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government lacked the power to collect these, leading to massive national debt.
What is the Boston Tea Party?
The Boston Tea Party was a 1773 political protest where American colonists disguised as Native Americans dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor.
Who is John Locke?
This Enlightenment philosopher heavily influenced American thinking with his concepts of natural rights: life, liberty, and property.
What is the Battle of Saratoga?
This 1777 battle is considered the crucial turning point of the war because it convinced France to officially ally with the Americans.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
Adopted in 1777, this served as the United States' very first constitution.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
This 1786 armed uprising by desperate Massachusetts farmers exposed the severe weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
What are the Coercive Acts (or Intolerable Acts)?
Parliament passed these punitive laws in 1774 to punish Massachusetts following the Boston Tea Party.
What are Loyalists (or Tories)?
Colonists who remained loyal to King George III during the war were known by this term.
Who is George Washington? (Before he was president)
This June 1775 event served as a major turning point for the colonial rebellion when the Continental Congress officially appointed this Virginian as Commander-in-Chief of the new army.
What is unalienable (or inalienable)?
According to the Declaration of Independence, rights like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness cannot be taken away because they are this.
Who is Alexander Hamilton?
After serving as George Washington's chief staff aide during the Revolution, this Founding Father became the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury and created the U.S. financial system.
What is the Boston Massacre?
This 1770 event was used heavily as anti-British propaganda after British soldiers fired into an angry colonial crowd.
Who is Patrick Henry?
He famously declared "Give me liberty, or give me death!" during a speech to the Virginia Convention.
What is the French and Indian war?
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a major conflict in North America where Great Britain and its American colonies fought against the French and their Native American allies.
What is the Treaty of Paris?
This document, signed in 1783, officially ended the war and recognized American independence.
What is 100% (or unanimous) (Based on the Articles of Confederation)?
Under the Articles of Confederation, changing or amending the document required this percentage of states to agree.
Who was Britain's monarch during the American Revolution?
King George III was the king of Great Britain during the American Revolution.
What are the Committees of Correspondence?
This network of local governments helped the colonies coordinate resistance and share news before the war began.
What is the Battle of Yorktown?
The British surrendered in 1781 after being trapped by American land forces and the French navy at this final major battle.
What is popular sovereignty? (Government's power is given by...)
This foundational political concept states that a government's power comes entirely from the consent of the people it governs.
What is the Executive branch (or a President)?
To prevent tyranny, the creators of the Articles intentionally chose not to include this branch of government to enforce laws.