Enact - to create a law. Repeal - cancel a law. Protest - to speak out against something that is unjust. Boycott - refusal to buy goods and services. Militia - a small army made up... Enact - to create a law. Repeal - cancel a law. Protest - to speak out against something that is unjust. Boycott - refusal to buy goods and services. Militia - a small army made up of ordinary citizens who are trained to fight in an emergency. Tyranny - the unjust use of government power. A ruler who uses power in this way is called a tyrant. Patriot - Patriots sought independence from British rule. Loyalist - Loyalists remained loyal to the British Crown. Natural Rights - rights we are born with; life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness. Captain Thomas Preston - The captain who gave orders to the Redcoats at the Boston Massacre. It was thought that he gave an order to fire, but it was found to be the angry colonists who triggered the Redcoats to shoot. Sam Adams - One of the founders of the Sons of Liberty. He was a Patriot and an outspoken critic of the Townshend Act. He promoted all forms of protest including violent (intimidation) and non-violent (boycotting British goods) means. Son/Daughters of Liberty - a group of patriots that protested the Townshend Act. They used both violent and non-violent ways to protest. For example, they boycotted British goods. John Adams - John Adams was a local lawyer in Boston who defended the British after the Boston Massacre. He believed everyone should have a fair trial; he believed in justice. He was a Patriot leader in the Continental Congress. General Thomas Gage - General Thomas Gage was the commander of the British army in America who wrote that 'the people were as Lawless... after the Troops arrived, as they were before.' Patrick Henry - Patrick Henry of Virginia urged the colonists to unite as Americans, not as citizens of separate and he urged them to come together as one people. 'I am not a Virginian,' he declared, 'but an American.' Thomas Paine - Thomas Paine published the pamphlet Common Sense to persuade colonists to support independence from Great Britain. Common Sense moved the colonies closer to the decision to declare independence from Great Britain. It was written so that all people could read it. Thomas Jefferson - Thomas Jefferson was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and was selected to write the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's job was to explain to the world why the colonies were choosing to separate from Britain. Paul Revere - Paul Revere was an American silversmith and patriot. He is best known for his engraving of the victims of the Boston Massacre. This engraving appeared on flyers to show the brutal actions of the British to the colonists. General George Washington - George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army after the Battle of Bunker Hill and during the American Revolution. John Adams nominated him for his military experience and ability to unite the colonies, and Washington was vital to the fight for independence. Crispus Attucks - Crispus Attucks was a black man in front of the crowd. He was the first to die, but not the last. Minutemen - Minutemen were militia members in the American colonies who could quickly respond to military threats and were ready to fight at a moment's notice during the Revolutionary War. Proclamation of 1763 - An imaginary line along the Appalachian mountains forbidding the Colonists to settle west of it. Stamp Act - An act that required colonists to buy a stamp along with all paper goods that they used. This included playing cards, legal documents, etc. Parliament passed the Stamp Act in an effort to pay off the debt they had acquired during the French and Indian War. Quartering Act - The Quartering Act, passed by Parliament in 1765, required colonial assemblies to provide housing and supplies for British troops. Colonists had to give soldiers essentials like candles, bedding, and cooking tools. Many colonists protested this law, seeing it as a form of unfair taxation. This caused tensions to rise between the colonies and the British government. Declaratory Act - Parliament gave into the colonists’ protests towards the Stamp Act and repealed it in 1766. At the same time though, Parliament immediately passed a much harsher set of laws that gave parliament the right to rule over the colonies, including the right to tax. Parliament also sent 4000 troops to Boston to protect British officials. Townshend Act - The Townshend Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament in 1767 that taxed imported goods in the American colonies. These taxes applied to items like glass, paint, paper, and tea. The goal was to raise money for British troops and maintain control over the colonies. Tea Act - The Tea Act was created to help the British East India Company by letting it sell tea at lower prices in the American colonies. It gave the company full control over tea sales, meaning only certain merchants could sell its tea. Colonists saw this as unfair tax without their approval, leading to protests such as the Boston Tea Party. Intolerable Acts - The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by Britain in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. They closed Boston Harbor and increased control over the colony, uniting the colonies against Britain and pushing them toward independence. End of the French & Indian War (1763) - The war ended with a British victory and the Treaty of Paris, which gained new territory for Britain. This created a large debt, leading to new taxes on the colonies. These taxes strained the relationship between Britain and the colonies and increased calls for independence. Stamp Act (1765) - An act that required colonists to buy a stamp along with all paper goods that they used. This included playing cards, legal documents, etc. Parliament passed the Stamp Act in an effort to pay off the debt they had acquired during the French and Indian War. Declaratory Act (1767) - Parliament gave into the colonists’ protests towards the Stamp Act and repealed it in 1766. At the same time though, Parliament immediately passed a much harsher set of laws that gave parliament the right to rule over the colonies, including the right to tax. Parliament also sent 4000 troops to Boston to protect British officials. Townshend Act (1767) - The Townshend Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament in 1767 that taxed imported goods in the American colonies. These taxes applied to items like glass, paint, paper, and tea. The goal was to raise money for British troops and maintain control over the colonies. Boston Massacre (1770) - The Boston Massacre happened on March 5, 1770, when British soldiers shot and killed five civilians during a riot in Boston. This event increased anger against the British. Some people, like Samuel Adams, used it to rally support for independence from Britain. In the trial that followed, six soldiers were found not guilty, and two were convicted of manslaughter. Tea Act (1773) - The Tea Act was created to help the British East India Company by letting it sell tea at lower prices in the American colonies. It gave the company full control over tea sales, meaning only certain merchants could sell its tea. Colonists saw this as unfair tax without their approval, leading to protests such as the Boston Tea Party. Boston Tea Party (1773) - The Boston Tea Party was a protest in 1773 against the Tea Act, which put a tax on tea. Angry Patriots boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped the tea into the water. This act was a crucial step in the growing conflict between the American colonies and Great Britain. Intolerable Acts (1774) - The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by Britain in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. They closed Boston Harbor and increased control over the colony, uniting the colonies against Britain and pushing them toward independence. 1st Continental Congress (1774) - The First Continental Congress was a September 1774 meeting in Philadelphia with delegates from 12 colonies. They addressed complaints against Great Britain, sent a petition to King George III, and began a boycott of British goods, planning to reconvene in May. Lexington & Concord (1775) - Lexington and Concord was the first battles of the American Revolutionary War, occurring on April 19, 1775. The fighting began when British troops attempted to seize weapons stored by colonial militias. Minutemen confronted them in Lexington, and the conflict continued in Concord, where colonists pushed the British back. These battles marked the start of the fight for American independence. 2nd Continental Congress (1775) - The Second Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from the thirteen colonies in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775. They came together to address conflicts with Great Britain. The Congress established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as commander in chief, marking an important step in the American Revolutionary War. Battle at Bunker Hill (1775) - The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775. American militiamen defended Breed's Hill against British troops led by General William Howe. The Americans stopped two British attacks but had to retreat when they ran out of ammunition. The battle caused over 1,000 British and nearly 500 American casualties. It showed the determination of the colonial forces in their fight for independence. Olive Branch Petition (1775) - The Olive Branch Petition was a request sent by the Second Continental Congress to King George III in July 1775. It aimed to settle differences and avoid conflict between the American colonies and Britain. However, by the time the petition reached London, the king had already declared the colonies in rebellion. This led some leaders to believe that independence was necessary. Common Sense Pamphlet Published (1776) - The Common Sense Pamphlet, written by Thomas Paine in early 1776, argued that America should be independent from Britain. Paine said loyalty to King George was misguided and pointed out that British control had harmed American trade and involvement in European wars. He described an independent America as a land of freedom and urged people to challenge tyranny. The pamphlet became very popular, with over 120,000 copies printed, and it inspired many colonists to support independence. Declaration of Independence (1776) - The Declaration of Independence was a document created in 1776 to announce the American colonies' separation from Britain. Thomas Jefferson wrote it to explain the colonies' reasons for breaking away. The document states that all people have basic rights, such as Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. It says that governments must protect these rights and that people can change or remove any government that does not. The Declaration declared the colonies as free and independent states. 'No Taxation Without Representation' - 'No Taxation Without Representation' means that colonists believed they should not pay taxes imposed by the British Parliament because they had no representatives there. This idea came about during the Stamp Act of 1765, which taxed everyday items without the colonists' input. They saw this as a violation of their rights and protested against it, which helped spark the movement for independence. Writs of Assistance - The British had the right to search any building or ship if they suspected smuggled goods. Committees of Correspondence - The Committee of Correspondence was a letter writing campaign informing the rest of the colonies what was happening in Boston. It established official communication between the colonies and the committee became a major tool of protest in every colony. Non-Importation Agreement - Colonists agreed to stop importing goods taxed by the Townshend Acts. The Sons/Daughters of Liberty formed as a result of this agreement. Read more