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Parliament
Parliament is the supreme goveming body in England with the power to raise taxes and adopt laws.
Customs, Tariffs
Customs or Tariffs are special placed on items that are taken into or out of a country.
Writs of Assistance
A writ assistance was a legal document that was served as a general search warrant.This was allowed the British to search a colonial home or ship for smuggled items or weapons without good reason.
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a decision by the British Parliament to tax the American colonies on legal papers, newspapers, and other documents such as books and pamphlets. It was overturned a year later.
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act declared that the British Parliament had complete control over the American colonies. The colonists had to obey all laws imposed by the British no matter what.
Proclamation
A Proclamation is an official document or paper that declares or announces something so that other people will know. The Proclamation of 1763 stated that the colonists could no longer move west into Native American territory
The Gaspee
The gaspee was a British ship that was used to chase colonial smugglers. In June of 1772, the ship crashed off the shore of Rhode Island and the colonists who lived there set her on fire.
Coercive Acts
The Coercive Acts were used by the British to try and restore order in Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party. The colonists nicknamed them the Intolerable Acts.
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act of 1774 was one of the Coercive Acts. This act applied to all colonies and slated that the British troops could live and eat in colonial homes without the owners' permission.
Townshend Act
The Townchend (Town-Zuhnd )Act was an act placed on the colonists shortly after the Stamp Act was overturned.These Laws stated that the British had the right to talk.
Son of Liberty
The Son of Liberty were a secret group of colonial men who took action against the unfair acts of Parliament. They helped to fight the British Stamp Act and got it overturned
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was made up of delegates from each colony. These men assembled to solve the problems caused by the British.
Tories, Loyalists
Tories or loyalists were a group of people living in America who felt it was wrong to go against the instructions of the King of England.
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that was written by delegates of the Second Continental Congress. This explained to the British why they wanted to be a free and independent country.
Militia/Minutemen
A militia is a group of regular citizens who serve as soldiers in times of emergency. The Minutemen were a group of skilled fighters of the Militia, who agreed to fight for the independence of America and would be ready to do battle with only a minute's notice.