MY CHILD STUDIED THIS MATERIAL FOR THE UNIT EXAM – DO NOT LOOSE!!!
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6 Week’s Exam – “Road to Independence”/”American Revolution” Era
Chronology
Road to Independence
 1754-1763 – French and Indian War
 1763 – Treaty of Paris/Proclamation Line
 1764 – Sugar Act passed
 1765 – Stamp Act and Quartering Act passed
 1767 – Townshend Acts passed
 1770 – Boston Massacre occurs
 1773 – Tea Act leads to Boston Tea Party
 1774 – Intolerable Acts passed in response to Boston Tea Party
First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia
American Revolution
 1775 – Battles of Lexington (“shot heard around the world”) and Concord
Second Continental Congress
George Washington made Commander in Chief
 1776 – “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine is published
Declaration of Independence (7/4/1776) written by SECOND Continental Congress and Thomas
Jefferson
 1777 – Battle of Saratoga (“turning point of the war”)
 1777-1778 – Winter at Valley Forge
 1779 – John Paul Jones (“Father of the US Navy”) defeats the British Naval Ship Serapis
 1781 – Battle of Yorktown (Last major battle of the war)
 1783 – Treaty of Paris ends the war and gives independence to the colonies
Definitions
1. Patriots – colonists who are for independence.
2. Loyalists – colonists that are “loyal” to Britain and do not want independence.
3. Sons of Liberty – group of “patriots” who organized boycotts, protests and at times some violent situations.
4. Civil Disobedience – the refusal to follow certain laws or pay taxes and fines as a peaceful form of political
protest.
5. Grievances – complaints, arguments (there are 27 listed in the Declaration of Independence).
6. Natural Rights – unalienable rights (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness)
Important People
1. John Locke – champion of Natural (Unalienable) Rights and important figure of the Enlightenment.
2. John Paul Jones – Known as the “father of the US Navy”, was a privateer who captained the ship Bonhomme and
defeated the British naval ship Serapis.
3. Thomas Paine – Advocate for independence in his pamphlet “Common Sense”.
4. James Armistead – An African-American who became the first double spy in the American Revolution.
5. Haym Solomon – Jewish financier who gave money to support the Continental Army during the American
Revolution.
6. King George III – Supported attempts to discipline the Colonists.
7. Mercy Otis Warren – Stirred Colonists against British policies with her writings; considered the “first lady” of the
revolution.
8. Wentworth Cheswell – Fought at the battle of Saratoga; became the first elected African American, rode with
Paul Revere during the Midnight Ride.
9. Paul Revere – created the work of art describing the Boston Massacre and famous for his “Midnight Ride”
alerting the militias that the “British were coming!”.
10. Crispus Attucks – African American that is the first person to die during the Boston Massacre.
11. George Washington – Virginian delegate who is chosen to lead the new Continental Army.
12. Thomas Jefferson – wrote the Declaration of Independence.
13. Benjamin Franklin – Statesman, writer, scientist, who helped solidify the French alliance.
14. John Adams – led the debate of independence, will become the Second President of the US.
Events
Road to Independence – Timeline order
 French Indian War (1754-1763) – Fought over the Ohio River Valley against the French and their Indian allies,
leaves England hurting for money after ending in British victory.
 Treaty of Paris (1763) – ends the war, gives the British all French claimed land in North America up to the
Mississippi River.
 Proclamation Line of 1763 – Boundary set near the Appalachian Mountains by the British government that holds
back westward expansion.
 Sugar Act (1764) – Tax placed on sugar and molasses
 Stamp Act (1765) – Places a tax on all legal papers, newspapers, playing cards, dice, etc., in an attempt to
recover financially from the French and Indian War.
 Quartering Act (1765) – Law requiring that colonists house, feed and supply British soldiers with their own
money.
 Boston Massacre (1770) – British soldiers fire into a crowd (mob) that kills 5 Bostonians that is used as
propaganda to argue for independence from England.
 Tea Act (1773) – tax on tea sold by the British East India Company that the colonies were only allowed to buy
from.
 Boston Tea Party (1773) – colonists disguised as Indians board ships owned by the British East India Company
loaded with tea and proceed to dump most of it into the harbor ruining it in an act of political protest.
 Intolerable Acts (1774) – acts passed in response to Boston Tea Party and other political protests designed to
hurt the Massachusetts colony by stripping it of several liberties including “self-government”.
American Revolution
 Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775) – the first two battles of the war that occur in the Massachusetts
colony.
 Thomas Paine writes “Common Sense” that inspires many colonists to support the cause of independence.
 Second Continental Congress (1775-1776) – accomplishments include the Declaration of Independence and
giving command of the army to George Washington.
 Thomas Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence and is approved on July 4th, 1776.
 Battle of Saratoga (1777) – a much needed patriot victory that is known as the “turning point” of the war that
convinces the French to become their allies. The French will provide supplies, troops and naval vessels for the
Colonial military.
 Valley Forge (1777-1778) – winter quarters (camp) where Washington regroups his army. It is a harsh winter
and conditions there are practically unlivable – starvation, disease, and exposure kill many soldiers.
 Battle of Yorktown (1781) – the last major battle of the war and victory for the Continental Army when British
General Cornwallis surrenders.
 Treaty of Paris (1783) – ends the war and the colonies finally get their independence from Britain along with
most of the land between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains and closure of British forts in
those territories.
Patriots = Colonials/Continentals/Patriots/Yankees/Rebels
British = Redcoats/Lobster backs/Tories/Loyalists
“The American Crisis” written by Thomas Paine during the winter of Valley Forge is aimed at trying to get more soldiers
to re-enlist and keep the army together:
“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will,
in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves
the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we
have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
–December, 1776
Paul Revere created the engraving above in response to the Boston Massacre that occurred on March 5th, 1770. It is
designed to convince colonists that the British troops were ordered to fire into the crowd by Captain Prescott. It is a
form of propaganda that will be used to fight British taxes and fight for representation in British Parliament (No Taxation
without Representation!!
Natural Rights
Life
Liberty
Property
Enlightenment Era ----> John Locke ----> Natural or Unalienable Rights
Articles of Confederation:
Northwest Ordinance: Historical milestone because it established a method for admitting new states to the Union still
used 6
today.
Each state had only one vote causing concern at the Constitutional or Philadelphia Convention about changing
This document is the property of the TCMPC and as such may not be replicated or changed without permission.
procedures for selecting representation