Course Name: U.S. History Module Name: The American Revolution Key Terms: French and Indian War - A war that lasted from 1754-1763 that established Britain as
the dominant world power. Britain and colonists fought against the French and their
American Indian allies.
Treaty of Paris (1763) - ended the French and Indian War; France lost almost all of its
territory in North America
Proclamation of 1763 - issued by Parliament and forbade colonial settlement west of the
Appalachians to limit conflicts with the American Indians; disliked by many colonists
Stamp Act - required the purchase of a stamp (like a seal) with printed products and legal
documents, a direct tax on the colonists
Intolerable Acts - closed the port of Boston as punishment for the Boston Tea Party and
restricted the rights of colonists
Sons/Daughters of Liberty - groups of colonists who supported independence from
Britain and took actions to oppose British rule and rally others against it
Committees of Correspondence - formed to foster communication between the 13
Colonies in support of the protests against the British
Thomas Paine/Common Sense - author and the pamphlet that he wrote encouraging
colonial independence from Britain and the formation of a republic
Declaration of Independence - in 1776 American Patriots declared themselves
independent of Britain with this document
John Locke - his ideas of the social contract theory greatly influenced the writing of the
Declaration of Independence
Charles de Montesquieu - French political thinker who influenced the writing of the
Declaration of Independence
George Washington - commander in chief of the Continental (Patriot) Army,
extraordinary leader who led the Americans to victory in the American Revolution and
later became our first president
Crossing the Delaware River - on Christmas 1776, Washington led the Americans to a
surprise attack and victory over the British and their Hessian mercenaries at Trenton,
New Jersey
Valley Forge - the Continental Army spent the harsh winter of 1777-1778 in this area of
Pennsylvania
Benjamin Franklin - served as American ambassador to France during the American
Revolution and was instrumental in forging a military alliance with France against the
British
Marquis de Lafayette - French military leader who greatly aided America in the
American Revolution
General Charles Cornwallis - British general who led the British war effort in the
American south
Battle of Yorktown - 1781, last large scale battle of the Revolutionary War where
Cornwallis surrendered at this Virginia coastal city
Treaty of Paris (1783) - ended the Revolutionary War; Britain agreed to accept
American Independence and the United States gained control of land stretching to the
Mississippi River