The Reasons
This was the catchphrase colonists used to protest taxes because they had no colonists in the British Parliament
No Taxation without Representation
This legislative body, meeting in Philadelphia in 1775, chose Washington to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army
Second Continental Congress
Signed in 1783, this formal document ended the war and officially recognized the United States as an independent nation
Treaty of Paris
This Virginian statesman and third President of the United States was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson
This city was the center of colonial resistance in the 1770s, famously hosting a 1773 protest against the Tea Act in its harbor
Boston
Passed in 1765, this act required colonists to pay a special tax on all paper documents, including newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards
Stamp Act
Washington's bold crossing of this River led to this surprise Christmas night victory over Hessian forces in New Jersey at the Battle of Trenton
Delaware
Under the Treaty of Paris, the new American nation gained all the land east of the Mississippi River, stretching north to the Great Lakes and south to this Spanish-controlled territory
Florida
This inventor, writer, and elderly statesman secured the crucial alliance with France and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris that ended the war
Benjamin Franklin
The capital of the British Empire was this famous city, known for Big Ben, the Eye, and where Parliament can be found today
London
In 1770, a confrontation between British soldiers and a crowd of colonists led to the death of five civilians, often used by Patriots as propaganda against the British
Boston Massacre
Washington's army suffered terribly in the Winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge, though they emerged better trained thanks to this Prussian General
Baron von Steuben
The first government of the new United States was established by this document, which created a weak central government and gave most power to the states
Articles of Confederation
Though not the author, this Massachusetts lawyer and future second President was a passionate and fierce advocate for independence in the Continental Congress. He was also the first Vice President and 2nd President of the US
John Adams
This major city in the the Colonies was where many Loyalists can be found, named for the ruling family of Britain at the time of its founding
New York City
On December 16, 1773, members of the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as this group and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act.
Boston Tea Party
Washington, aided by the French army and navy, achieved the decisive victory of the war at this Virginia location in 1781
Battle of Yorktown
The war's ideals of liberty and equality led many northern states to start passing laws to gradually eliminate this institution, which remained entrenched in the South
Slavery
Though it was later simplified, the iconic colonial rallying cry "no taxatation without represenation", which denounces the practice of imposing taxes without legislative consent, is often credited to this lawyer
James Otis
These two Massachusetts towns were the sites of the "shot heard 'round the world," marking the beginning of armed conflict on April 19, 1775.
Lexington and Concord
This 1767 series of acts placed a tax on imported goods like glass, lead, paper, and tea, and British officials asserting their right to tax the colonists
The Townshend Acts
Charles Cornwallis
This large group of colonists, who remained faithful to the King during the war, were often forced to flee the newly independent United States, with many relocating to Canada
Loyalists
This Virginian patriot is famous for giving a defiant speech that included the line, "Give me liberty, or give me death!"
Patrick Henry
As the meeting place for the Continental Congress, this city is where the Declaration of Independence was debated, drafted, and adopted in 1776
Philadelphia