Causes of the revolution
Self government
One of the causes of the American Revolution was the need for self-government. The colonists did not like British rule, and people like Thomas Paine wrote pamphlets to convince people to get freedom from Britain.
Patriot
A patriot was someone who supported freedom from the British and helped fight during the Revolution. An example of patriots is the Sons of Liberty, they stood up against the British and led boycotts and protests.
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was an act that raised the price of sugar, molasses, and other imports. This tax was placed to help pay off Britain's debt after the French and Indian War. Also, colonists did not like this because they were being taxed by people they didn't vote for.
Olive branch petition
The Olive Branch Petition was a document written by the Second Continental Congress that was sent to the king as an apology for the Boston Tea Party. They wanted the king to repeal the Intolerable Acts and forgive them for the damage they caused. When the king rejected their apology, the colonists protested and were angered by his ignorance.
No taxation without representation
No taxation without representation was a slogan that colonists used during the American Revolution to show that they didn't like being taxed without having a say. People also chanted this during protests and boycotts.
Currency Act
The Currency Act was an act that banned the colonies their own paper money demanded that only British money can be used. This was a major cause of the American Revolution because this angered the colonists by diminishing their economy and making them use a different currency.
Tax
A tax is a mandatory payment to the government. For example, the British taxed the colonists for different things, which was a mandatory payment placed on goods.
Tea Act
The Tea Act was a law imposed by the British that allowed the East India Tea Company to sell tea directly to the colonies. Although this lowered the price of tea, colonists saw this as an attempt by the British to control them, so they organized the Boston Tea Party and protested.
Protests
Colonists protested on the street to show that they were unhappy with the rule of the British. The Sons of Liberty led major protests and boycotts such as the Quartering Act protest, the Boston Tea Party, and the Stamp Act protest.
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was created in response to the Intolerable Acts. They wrote and sent a list of grievances to the king, which he later ignored and refused to listen.
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident on the street that ended in the death of 5 colonists after a conflict escalated. Crispus Attucks was the first person to be killed during this conflict. His death angered the colonists and made them rebel even more.
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is when you refuse to follow a law. For example, the colonists threw tea into the ocean during the Boston Tea Party. This is civil disobedience because they threw tea into the ocean even when there was a law where you werent supposed to destroy British goods.
Townshend Act
The Townshend Act was a tax put on goods such as glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea imported into the colonies. The colonists did not like this, and widespread protests started by people boycotting goods.
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought between the patriots and the British. Although the Americans lost, this battle proved and inspired that they could stand up against the British and be free from them.
Writs of assistance
The Writs of Assistance were documents that allowed officials to search for smuggled goods in the colonists' homes and ships.
Proclamation line of 1763
The Proclamation line of 1763 proclamation signed by the king after the French and Indian War that banned colonists from settling on land west of the Appalachian Mountains. This was issued to keep peace with the colonists and make sure the colonists are safe, but instead in angered them and was a cause of the revolution.
Boycott
Boycotting is when you refuse to buy goods from a person or organization in an act of protest. For example, the Sons of Liberty boycotted British goods in response to the Stamp Act.
Intolerable Acts
The Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts, were a series of laws that were a punishment for the Boston Tea Party. These laws closed the port of Boston, which restricted trade. It also forced colonists to house and feed soldiers and replaced elected officials. The colonists responded to this by creating the First Continental Congress.
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first battle of the American Revolution. The colonists showed the British that they were ready to fight for their rights, and this battle inspired colonists to resist against the British.
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was a treaty signed in 1763 that officially ended the French and Indian War. It also gave Britain all land east of the Mississippi River and all of Canada.
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a rebellion led by the Sons of Liberty in response to the Tea Act. People dressed up as Mohawk indians and threw boxes of tea into the ocean.
Mercantilism
Mercantilism is an economic theory where the colonies exist to benefit the mother country. For example, the thirteen colonies are only allowed to trade with the mother country, in this case would be Britan.
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax placed on printed goods by the British. It taxed things like playing cards, documents, flyers, and posters.
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a conflict between France and Great Britain over the Ohio River Valley. This war lasted 9 years, in these 9 years Britan used a lot of money, forcing them to go into debt. Britan taxed the colonists to help repay this debt. Also, Indian tribes allied with the French and British, but in the end British wins and earns land in the New World.
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were a secret organization led by Samuel Adams that protested British policies. They started the Boston Tea Party, boycotted British goods, and organized protests.