Causes of War
War
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100

This war between Britain and France in North America took place from 1754 to 1763 and helped lead to tensions that later caused the American Revolution.

The French and Indian War

100

This 1783 agreement officially ended the Revolutionary War and recognized the United States as an independent nation.

The Treaty of Paris

100

This English-born political writer inspired American colonists with pamphlets like "Common Sense" and “The American Crisis." 

Thomas Paine

100

This British policy allowed the American colonies to largely govern themselves and ignore strict enforcement of trade laws before the 1760s.

Salutary Neglect

100

This 1776 battle was the first turning point of the war because it boosted American morale after a series of defeats and showed that Washington could lead successful attacks against the British

The Battle of Trenton

200

Many colonists were angry about this British proclamation because it stopped them from moving onto land they thought they had won after the French and Indian War.

The Proclamation of 1763

200

Also called Minutemen, these groups of ordinary colonists trained to fight and played a big role at the start of the Revolutionary War. 

Militias

200

These German soldiers were hired by Britain to help fight against the American colonists during the Revolutionary War.

Hessians

200

In 1774, leaders from twelve colonies met in Philadelphia at this gathering to discuss how to respond to Britain’s unfair laws.

The First Continental Congress

200

This 1781 battle in Virginia ended with British General Cornwallis surrendering, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.

The Battle of Yorktown

300

These 1767 British laws placed taxes on imported goods like glass, paper, paint, and tea in the American colonies, which led to colonists boycotting these goods.

The Townshend Acts

300

During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress sold these to citizens to raise money to pay for soldiers, supplies, and weapons.

War bonds
300

The surrender of this British general at the Battle of Saratoga convinced France to support the American colonists.

John Burgoyne

300

This group of colonial leaders met starting in 1775, managed the war effort, and eventually wrote the Declaration of Independence.

The Second Continental Congress

300

This 1776 document, largely written by Thomas Jefferson, announced that the American colonies were no longer under British rule.

The Declaration of Independence

400

British troops marched to this area in 1775 to seize colonial weapons and supplies, leading to the first fighting of the war.  

Lexington and Concord

400

This fort in New York was taken by Benedict Arnold, providing artillery that helped the continental army at Dorchester Heights. 

Fort Ticonderoga 

400

This American officer, nicknamed the “Swamp Fox,” used guerrilla tactics (quick surprise attacks and retreats) to fight the British in the southern colonies.

Francis Marion

400

An economic system in which Britain tried to control colonial trade


Mercantilism 

400

Although the colonists lost this battle in 1775, it proved they could fight the British and inspired more people to join the Patriot cause.

The Battle at Bunker and Breed's Hills

500

This religious revival in the American colonies during the 1700s encouraged people to focus on personal faith.

The Great Awakening 

500

The American victory at this battle convinced France to officially become an ally of the United States during the Revolutionary War.

The Battle of Saratoga

500

This American general became famous for betraying the Patriot cause and secretly agreeing to help the British during the Revolutionary War.

Benedict Arnold

500

This word describes a government that is harsh and oppressive, which the American colonists wanted to fight against during the Revolution.

Tyranny

500

In 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists in Boston, killing five people in this event that increased anger against Britain.

The Boston Massacre

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