Key Vocabulary
What is secession?
The act of formally withdrawing from a political union.
What was the Boston Tea Party?
A protest in which American colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act.
Who is George Washington?
The Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and the first U.S. President.
What was the British response to the Boston Tea Party?
The Intolerable Acts were passed to punish the colonies.
What motivated the American Revolution?
The desire for independence and freedom from British control.
What is a republic?
A form of government in which the people elect representatives to make decisions.
What was the Siege of Yorktown?
The final major battle of the Revolutionary War where British General Cornwallis surrendered.
Who is King George III?
The British monarch during the American Revolution.
What did the Treaty of Paris (1783) accomplish?
Ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence.
What is popular sovereignty?
The idea that government power comes from the people.
What is capitalism?
An economic system based on private ownership and free market trade for profit.
What was the Declaration of Independence?
A document adopted in 1776 declaring the colonies free from British rule.
Who is Samuel Adams?
A patriot leader and founder of the Sons of Liberty; helped organize the Boston Tea Party.
What was the impact of the Battle of Saratoga?
Convinced France to join the war on the side of the Americans.
What is mercantilism?
An economic policy where colonies exist to benefit the mother country through trade restrictions.
What is a treaty?
A formal agreement between countries to end conflict or establish terms.
What was the Constitutional Convention?
A 1787 meeting where delegates created the U.S. Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation.
Who is Thomas Jefferson?
The principal author of the Declaration of Independence and later the third U.S. President.
What did the creation of the Continental Army lead to?
The colonies had a unified military force to fight the British.
What is separation of powers?
Dividing government authority among legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
What is rebellion?
An act of resistance or defiance against established authority.
What were the Battles of Lexington and Concord?
The first military conflicts of the Revolutionary War in 1775.
Who is Marquis de Lafayette?
A French general who supported the American Revolution and helped secure victory at Yorktown.
What territorial changes came from the Treaty of Paris?
The U.S. gained land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River.
What was the Enlightenment's influence on the Revolution?
It inspired ideas about liberty, natural rights, and government by consent.