American Independence

● Standard 7.3a — Britain, France and the Colonies

The French and Indian War was a conflict fought between Great Britain and France over land and resources in the Ohio River Valley.

Student tip
Britain won the war, but lost colonial trust

● Standard 7.3a — Britain, France and the Colonies

1754 proposal by Benjamin Franklin to unite the colonies for defense during the French and Indian War.

Student tip
Colonies were not ready to unite yet. Later they would adopt Franklins image of a snake before the Revolution.

● Standard 7.3a — Britain, France and the Colonies

A monarchy is a form of government ruled by a king or queen.

Student tip
Colonists were ruled by a king they could not vote for.

● Standard 7.3a — Britain, France and the Colonies

The Treaty of Paris (1763) was a document signed in the city of Paris that officially ended the French and Indian War.

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

Pontiac’s Rebellion was a Native American uprising against British settlers after the French and Indian War.

Student tip
Pontiac tried to ‘rev’ up the Natives to ‘drive’ out the colonial settlers

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

The Proclamation of 1763 was a British law that banned colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Student tip
Colonists felt cheated of land they fought for.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

The Stamp Act was a British law passed in 1765 that placed a tax on printed paper materials such as newspapers, legal documents like marriage licenses and wills, and even playing cards in the colonies.

Student tip
This was the first direct tax on colonists.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

The Sugar Act was a law that taxed sugar, molasses, coffee, indigo and other goods.

Student tip
Sugar was seen a luxury item

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting of colonial leaders to protest the Stamp Act.

Student tip
Colonies were now working together politically.

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

Taxation without representation refers to the idea that it is unfair to tax people who have no voice in the government making those decisions.

Student tip
Representation means having a say.

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

The Declaratory Act stated Parliament’s right to govern the colonies.

Student tip
Britain gave up the tax but not power.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

To repeal means to officially cancel a law.

Student tip
Protest can lead to change. Especially ones that affected England’s finances

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

This law taxed lead, glass, paper, paint and tea, which were all common items that colonists used regularly.

Student tip
Named after Charles Townshend, a member of British Parliament

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

Writs of Assistance allowed officials to search for smuggled goods without cause in colonial ships and warehouses.

Student tip
Colonists valued privacy.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

The Quartering Act required colonists to house British soldiers. Colonists also had to provide food, candles and beer for British soldiers stationed in Colonial America.

Student tip
Soldiers in homes ️anger.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

The Tea Act helped the British East India Company sell tea.

Student tip
Cheap tea still angered colonists because it was taxed.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

A boycott is the refusal to buy goods as a form of protest. Colonists boycotted British goods to pressure Parliament into repealing unfair taxes.

Student tip
think of a boy on a cot, shaking his head ‘NO’

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

When store owners in the colonies agreed not to import & sell goods that had a British tax.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

Secret Patriot groups that shared information throughout the colonies, linking together an information network

Student tip
most news spread on horseback by riders

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

On a cold night in March of 1770, Several British soldiers shot into a crowd of protestors after being harassed.

Student tip
Paul Revere made the famous engraving of the Boston Massacre.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

Propaganda is information used to influence opinions or actions, often by presenting only one side of an issue.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

The Boston Tea Party was a protest in 1773 in which colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

Student tip
Britain will punish colonists

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

The Intolerable Acts were harsh laws passed by Britain to punish Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party.

Student tip
England called these laws the Coercive Acts, but they were branded by the colonists as ‘intolerable’ and therefore became known as the Intolerable Acts.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

The First Continental Congress was a meeting of colonial leaders in 1774 who met to respond to British laws like the Coercive Acts.

Student tip
First step toward unity.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

A Patriot was a colonist who supported independence from Great Britain during the time of the American Revolution.

Student tip
about 30% of colonists became patriots. Patriot numbers soared in cities like Boston.

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

A Loyalist was a colonist who remained loyal to Great Britain during the American Revolution.

Student tip
about 30% of colonists remained loyal to England, especially those in the southern colonies and those who often sold goods to the British under the system of mercantilism.

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

Group of colonial protesters who were more radical or aggressive than others.

Student tip
Aggressive resistance

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

A women led group that protested the Stamp Act and other unfair British tax laws.

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

In response to the Townshend Acts passed by Parliament in 1767, Samuel Adams, wrote the Massachusetts Circular Letter to say that Great Britain had no right to tax the Thirteen Colonies without their representation in government.

Student tip
before tv news, letters were used to spread information and ideas

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

Published in 1768, this series of essays was written by John Dickinson to protest unfair taxes.

Student tip
easy to understand = easy t o spread

● Standard 7.3b — British Policies and Colonial Protest

A pamphlet created by Thomas Paine that made a clear case for independence and directly attacked the idea of a monarchy, England’s harsh treatment of the colonists and the mercantilism system.

Student tip
Also written in simple and plain language that common folk understood

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

The Second Continental Congress met after fighting had already begun. At this meeting, representatives formed the Continental Army led by George Washington and later declared independence.

Student tip
First Continental Congress planned on a second meeting, but fighting broke out first

● Standard 7.3c — The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was a document written in 1776 explaining why the colonies were breaking away from Britain.

Student tip
This document is like America’s birth certificate

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

Natural rights are rights people are born with, given from God.

Student tip
Humans should have these rights from birth and governments cannot take them away

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

War fought between England and her colonies in North America resulting in America’s independence.

Student tip
Changed world history, formed first Democracy, inspired other colonies worldwide to rebel against mother counties.

● Standard 7.3d — The Outcome of the Revolution

Considered ‘citizen soldiers’ all able-bodied men were members of the militia during the colonial era.

Student tip
Ordinary citizens with guns

● Standard 7.3d — The Outcome of the Revolution

Minutemen were colonial militia members who were ready to fight at a minute’s notice.

Student tip
The nickname given to men who volunteered to serve as a militia member and could be ready at a ‘minutes’ notice.

● Standard 7.3d — The Outcome of the Revolution

Nickname given to British soldiers.

Student tip
They were also called ‘Lobsterbacks’ as an insult

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

A nickname given to the first shots of the Revolutionary War fired in Lexington.

Student tip
Inspired other revolutions against mother countries

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolution.

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

A turning point battle of the Revolutionary War fought in Saratoga New York

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

Location in Pennsylvania of the 1777-1778 winter camp of the Continental Army led by General Washington

Student tip
Harsh conditions and limited supplies

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

After crossing the Delaware River in a treacherous storm on Christmas, General Washington's army defeated Hessian mercenaries at Trenton in a surprise attack.

Student tip
Battles were not supposed to happen on holidays, it was part of the rules of engagement, but Washington didn’t follow them!

● Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard

The surrender of British General George Cornwallis in Virginia after being blockaded by the French, marks the end of the Revolutionary War in 1781.

Student tip
Yorktown ends the Revolutionary War after 5+ years of fighting

● Standard 7.3d — The Outcome of the Revolution

Treaty signed in 1783 that ends the Revolutionary War.

Student tip
Now America needs to focus on making its own government