Colonial Policies and Resistance (1750-1775)

A British policy of minimal interference in colonial affairs, allowing colonies to govern themselves with limited oversight.

Prime Minister George Grenville implemented stricter policies after 1763 to increase British control over the colonies. These included measures like the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Currency Act, and Proclamation of 1763.

Passed in 1764, the Sugar Act tightened trade regulations by increasing taxes on sugar and molasses imported from the Caribbean.

The Stamp Act of 1765 enforced a direct tax on all printed materials in the colonies, including newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards.

Enacted in 1764, The Currency Act restricted the colonies from using paper money, forcing them to rely on British currency.

The Proclamation of 1763 issued by King George III limited western settlement by colonists, reserving the land for Native Americans.

These were new taxes imposed on various imports, like tea, glass, and paper, in 1767, intended to raise revenue for British administration.

The Tea Act of 1773 granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, leading to the Boston Tea Party.

A meeting of colonial leaders in Albany, New York, to discuss a united front against the French threat during the French and Indian War.

Proposed by Benjamin Franklin at the Albany Conference, a plan to create a unified colonial government for defense against the French. It was ultimately rejected by the colonies.

A period of relatively relaxed British control over the American colonies, allowing them to govern themselves with limited interference.

A major turning point in Anglo-American relations, sparked by the British Parliament imposing a tax on all printed materials in the colonies, viewed as "taxation without representation."

A conflict between Britain and France, over control of North America, involving both European powers and their respective Native American allies.

A network of colonial committees established to spread news and coordinate resistance against British policies, fostering a sense of unity among colonies.

A key slogan of the American Revolution, arguing that the colonists should not be subject to taxes imposed by the British Parliament without having elected representatives to voice their interests.

A confrontation between British soldiers and colonists in Boston that resulted in the deaths of five civilians, becoming a symbol of British oppression and fueling anti-British sentiment.

A series of harsh punitive measures passed by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, seen as tyrannical by the colonists and escalating tensions.

A symbolic act of defiance against British rule, where colonists disguised as Native Americans boarded British ships and dumped tea into the harbor, protesting the Tea Act.

A letter sent by the Massachusetts legislature in 1768 to other colonies, arguing against the Townshend Acts. It called for united colonial opposition to British policies and emphasized the colonists' right to self-government.

Colonial boycotts of British goods, first used during the Stamp Act crisis and later enforced by committees of inspection in response to the Townshend Acts. They aimed to demonstrate colonial economic power and pressure British merchants for policy changes.

An incident in March 1770 where British soldiers fired on a mob of colonists in Boston, killing five. It fueled anti-British sentiment and heightened tensions between the colonists and British authorities.

The first casualty of the Boston Massacre, Crispus Attucks was a sailor of African and Native American descent who became a symbol of colonial resistance to oppression.

A powerful propaganda tool that depicted the Boston Massacre as a deliberate act of brutality by British soldiers. The engraving spread the story throughout the colonies and fueled anti-British sentiment.

A British political faction that opposed absolute monarchy and emphasized individual rights and constitutional limits on power. Their ideology influenced American colonists and provided the intellectual framework for colonial resistance.

A British theory that all British subjects were represented in Parliament, even those who did not have directly elected representatives. Colonists rejected this concept, demanding direct representation and raising the slogan "No taxation without representation."

Passed by Parliament in 1773, this act allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies while maintaining a tax on tea. It was intended to help the struggling East India Company, but colonists saw it as an attempt to assert Parliamentary authority over them.

A response to the Tea Act in December 1773, where colonists, disguised as Native Americans, boarded British tea ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This act of defiance marked a significant escalation in colonial resistance.

A secret society of colonists organized to resist British policies. They played a key role in the Boston Tea Party, demonstrating organized resistance to British authority.

A set of harsh laws passed by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party. These acts were intended to punish Massachusetts and assert British authority, but they further inflamed colonial resentment and pushed closer to revolution.

A series of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1767, placing taxes on goods imported to the colonies. These taxes sparked protests and boycotts, further straining relations between Britain and its colonies.

A British law passed in 1765 that imposed a tax on printed materials in the colonies, igniting widespread protests and boycotts. It was seen as a direct attack on colonial rights and freedom and contributed to the growing conflict with Britain.

One of the Coercive Acts, it closed the port of Boston until the colonists paid for the destroyed tea.

Another Coercive Act, this one limited the power of the colonial government in Massachusetts.

Part of the Coercive Acts, it allowed British officials accused of crimes in the colonies to be tried in Britain.

Required colonists to provide housing and supplies for British soldiers stationed in the colonies.

Expanded the territory of Quebec and introduced French civil law, but it's also related to the Coercive Acts because colonists viewed it as a threat to their westward expansion.

A meeting of delegates from 12 colonies (except Georgia) in Philadelphia in 1774 to address the Coercive Acts and colonial grievances.

A document issued by the First Continental Congress, outlining colonial rights and protesting British policies.

An organization formed by the First Continental Congress to enforce a colonial boycott of British goods.

The first battles of the American Revolution, fought on April 19, 1775, where colonial militia fought British troops.

A phrase describing the first shots fired at Lexington, marking the start of the American Revolution.

A final attempt by the colonists to seek reconciliation with Britain, appealing to King George III to redress their complaints.

A powerful pamphlet by Thomas Paine, published in 1776, arguing for American independence and republican government.

A document declaring the thirteen American colonies independent from British rule, adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

The first U.S. constitution, adopted in 1777, creating a weak central government with limited powers, favoring individual state sovereignty.

The Articles lacked the power to tax effectively, regulate trade, enforce laws uniformly, and settle disputes between states. It also lacked a strong executive or judicial branch.

An uprising of farmers in Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting high taxes, foreclosures, and debt. It exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and fueled calls for a stronger national government.

The Declaration promotes ideas of natural rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness), the right to revolution against tyranny, and the right to self-government. It is a foundational document of American values and democracy.

A battle fought in 1775, demonstrating the colonists' fighting spirit despite a British victory. It boosted American morale and convinced the British of the difficulty of the war.

A major American victory in 1777, turning point of the Revolution, led to a French alliance and boosted morale, demonstrating American strength and viability.

The last major battle of the American Revolution in 1781, resulting in a decisive American and French victory over the British. It led to the surrender of General Cornwallis and the end of major fighting.

Signed in 1783, formally ended the Revolutionary War, recognized the United States as a free and independent nation, and established the nation's boundaries.

A political philosophy emphasizing liberty, civic virtue, and limited government, rejecting monarchy and hereditary privilege. It shaped American political thought and institutions.

Republicanism emphasizes civic virtue, the common good, citizen participation, and the rule of law. It opposes corruption, tyranny, and unchecked power.

Documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation shaped American ideas about individual rights, limited government, and the role of citizens in government.

A major conflict between Britain and France for control of North America, also involving Native American allies, that led to significant changes in the balance of power.

A decree issued by King George III after the French and Indian War, prohibiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflict with Native Americans.

A law passed by the British Parliament in 1764, intended to raise revenue by imposing stricter regulations on the colonial molasses trade and combating smuggling.

A British law passed in 1766, asserting Parliament's right to legislate for the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever,' despite colonial protests and boycotts.

A letter sent by the Massachusetts legislature in 1768, calling for united colonial opposition to the Townshend Acts and emphasizing the colonists' right to self-government.

A British political philosophy emphasizing individual rights, limited government, and the consent of the governed, which influenced American colonists' resistance to British rule.

Various segments of colonial society, including merchants, artisans, farmers, lawyers, clergy, women, and even slaves, participated in protests and boycotts against British policies.

A set of punitive measures passed by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, further inflaming colonial resentment and pushing them closer to revolution.