European Colonization
Which European country established their first permanent settlement in North America at Jamestown in 1607?
England / Great Britain
What war between Britain and France left Britain with significant debt and helped lead to new colonial taxes?
The French & Indian War
What group of colonial protesters was known for organizing boycotts and protesting British taxes?
The Sons of Liberty
Who was appointed commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution?
George Washington
What document served as America's first national government but created a weak central government?
The Articles of Confederation
What was the name of the economic system in which colonies provided raw materials to the mother country and purchased its manufactured goods?
Mercantilism
What 1765 law required colonists to pay a tax on printed materials such as newspapers and legal documents?
The Stamp Act of 1765
What 1773 protest involved colonists dumping British tea into Boston Harbor?
The Boston Tea Party
Which document formally announced the colonies' separation from Great Britain in 1776?
The Declaration of Independence
What 1787 meeting brought delegates together to address the problems of the Articles of Confederation?
The Constitutional Convention
Which region of the English colonies relied heavily on plantations and cash crops such as tobacco and rice?
The Southern Colonies
What slogan did colonists use to protest British taxation because they had no elected representatives in Parliament?
No taxation without representation
What were the Committees of Correspondence created to do?
Communicate information about British actions and coordinate colonial resistance.
What European country provided crucial military assistance to the Americans after the Battle of Saratoga?
France
What compromise created a two-house Congress with representation based on population in one house and equal state representation in the other?
The Great (or Connecticut) Compromise
What was the name of the trade route that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas through the exchange of goods and enslaved Africans?
The Triangular Trade
What 1770 event involved British soldiers killing five colonists in Boston?
The Boston Massacre
What two battles in April 1775 marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War?
Lexington & Concord
Why was the American victory at Saratoga in 1777 considered a turning point in the war?
It convinced France that the Americans had a realistic chance of winning, helping secure a formal alliance.
What compromise counted three-fifths of the enslaved population when determining representation and taxation?
The Three-Fifths Compromise
How did geography influence the economies of the New England and Southern Colonies differently?
New England developed industries such as fishing, shipbuilding, and trade, while the South developed plantation agriculture using cash crops.
Why did the British government pass the Intolerable Acts, and how did colonists respond?
They punished Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. Colonists united in opposition and organized the First Continental Congress.
How did colonial resistance change from protesting British policies to seeking independence?
British crackdowns and continued conflict convinced many colonists that reconciliation was no longer possible, leading to the movement for independence.
How did the American victory at Yorktown in 1781 help bring the Revolutionary War to an end?
The British army under Cornwallis surrendered, effectively ending major fighting and leading to peace negotiations.
Why did Anti-Federalists demand a Bill of Rights before agreeing to support the new Constitution?
They feared the stronger national government could threaten individual liberties and wanted explicit protections for citizens.