Student Study Guide – Unit 3: The American Revolutionary Period, 1754 – 1783
Key Vocabulary Terms
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Boycott – to refuse to have dealings with, usually to express disapproval of certain conditions
Taxation – the action of taxing, or charging money to be a citizen and live and work in a country
Revolution – a fundamental change in political organization; usually, the overthrow of a government
Independence – the quality of state of being independent or having sovereignty
Revenue – monetary income that a company or government earns or collects through the sale of goods and
services or the collection of taxes
Bias – a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment; a settled and often prejudiced outlook on something
Civil disobedience – the process of defying codes of conduct within a community or ignoring the policies and
government of a state or nation when the civil laws are considered unjust. Examples of civil disobedience
include nonviolent actions such as boycotts, protests and refusal to pay taxes.
MAJOR EVENTS OF THE ERA
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The American Revolution, 1775 - 1783
o The French and Indian War, 1754 - 1763
o The Passage of Various Acts of the British Parliament
o “No Taxation without Representation”
o The Boston Massacre
o The Boston Tea Party
o The Declaration of Independence and the Unalienable Rights
o The Battles of Lexington and Concord, Saratoga and Yorktown
o The Articles of Confederation
o The Treaty of Paris of 1783
SIGNIFICANT DATES THAT YOU MUST KNOW
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1776 – The writing and adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress
THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
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The Proclamation of 1763 – This was a British law declared by the King and Parliament which made it so that the
colonists were forbidden to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains because Britain wanted a buffer zone
between the colonists and the Native Americans (to reduce the threat of violence and injury to the colonies).
But the American colonists wanted to settle the fertile Ohio River Valley and were not used to Parliament and
the King making direct political decisions for the colonies (the 13 Colonies had traditionally been left to govern
themselves)
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Various British Economic Policies and Legal Acts following the French and Indian War – In an effort to raise
money to help pay off the debt incurred from the French and Indian War (and Seven Years’ War back in Europe),
the British Parliament created a variety of taxes that were to be enforced in the colonies without their approval.
This caused many colonists in America to resent and rebel against British rule (examples include the Sugar Act of
1764, Stamp Act of 1765, Townshend Acts of 1767, Tea Act of 1773; etc.)
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The Mercantilist System – An economic system by which a nation seeks to increase its wealth and power by
obtaining gold and silver from its colonies. It also seeks to create a favorable balance of trade, which means that
when a country seeks to profit from business transactions, it is also attempting to deny as much profit as
possible to the other business partner (it’s an economic means of trying to decrease the power of a rival
country). The colonies became sources of raw materials for the mother country (England for the 13 Colonies in
North America). The colonies are expected to be the purchasers of manufactured goods from the mother
country only. The theory of Mercantilism includes the idea that a colony’s primary reason for existing is for the
economic benefit of the mother country
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The Lack of Colonial Representation in the British Parliament – Ever since the formation of the 13 Colonies, the
colonists had set up their own legislative assemblies and practiced representative government. When the
British Empire began insisting on the supremacy of Parliament (in this case, over taxation), the colonists became
very unhappy with the British government. The debate quickly turned into one regarding the definition of “fair
representation,” because the colonists did not have direct representation in Parliament (Britain’s law-making
body). Great Britain argued that the colonies had “virtual representation” through the people back home in
Great Britain, but refused to give direct representation to any their colonists
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The Boston Massacre of 1770 – What began as a riot and street fight between a mob of angry colonists and
squad of British soldiers stationed at the Old State House became a grave misunderstanding between the
colonists and the British government. The colonists started the conflict by throwing snowballs, stones, and
bottles at the British soldiers, who fired their muskets in retaliation. Several colonists were either injured or
killed, and the incident was used to create propaganda to persuade other colonists to join the protests against
the British actions in Boston. The most famous piece of art and propaganda of the entire Revolution came from
this event; it was called The Bloody Massacre by Paul Revere
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The Boston Tea Party of 1773 – This infamous protest led by the Sons of Liberty took place in Boston Harbor
because the colonists had no say about the Tea Act of1773, which place a tax on tea sold in the colonies.
Members of the Sons of Liberty dressed as Native Americans and slipped aboard British East India Company
ships and dumped the British tea into the Harbor to protest the Tea Act passed by Parliament. The Boston Tea
Party was a reaction to Parliament’s willingness to tax the colonists without giving them any representation in
Parliament itself [The First Offense] The Stamp Act of 1765 – This Parliamentary Act required that all legal
documents (such as diplomas, contracts, wills, newspapers; etc.) have an official stamp showing that a tax had
been paid; the British used this Act to generate revenue to help cover the cost of the French and Indian War; the
colonists react by rioting and starting a Stamp Act Congress, which convened in October, 1765
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The Final Straw: The Intolerable Acts of 1774 – Known as the Coercive Acts in Great Britain, this Parliamentary
Act was passed as an angry, vengeful reaction to the Boston Tea Party; the Act closed the Port of Boston until
the tea was paid for ($1 million worth), it restructured the Massachusetts government (ending representative
government for a time), forced the quartering of troops in Boston and the surrounding area; the Act also made it
so that any British officials accused of committing crimes in the colonies were to be sent back to England or to
Canada for trial (which denied colonists the right to see that justice was served); the colonists reacted by
boycotting British goods and convening the First Continental Congress in September of 1774
ROLES PLAYED BY SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUALS DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD
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Abigail Adams – The wife of John Adams, she served as his confidant and support while he served in the
Continental Congress. When John and the other delegates to the Continental Congress were considering
declaring independence from the British Empire, Abigail reminded him of the importance of including the
women of America, who would not always hold themselves bound by laws in which they had no voice
(“Remember the ladies” is the famous phrase she used in a letter to John Adams)
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John Adams – Colonial lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. As a matter of principle, he defended the
British soldiers who took part in the Boston Massacre, even though it was a controversial decision at that time.
He was also a prominent delegate of the Continental Congress (representing Massachusetts) and was the
strongest supporter of independence, even before the other delegates began to seriously consider it. Chosen as
a member of the committee which wrote the Declaration of Independence, he was a major asset to Thomas
Jefferson during the creation of the Declaration
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Wentworth Cheswell – an African American Patriot and freeman. Much like Paul Revere, he made an all-night
ride back from Boston to warn his community of the impending British invasion in April of 1775. He served in
Continental Army and fought at the Battle of Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolutionary War
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Samuel Adams – Colonial politician from Massachusetts, he played a role in many of the events which
contributed to the start of the Revolution, including organizing opposition to the Stamp Act, organizing various
protests against British policies (waged by his group, the Sons of Liberty), and writing the letter that would lead
to the British occupation of Boston (which leads directly to the Boston Massacre)
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Mercy Otis Warren – the wife of a Massachusetts Patriot. She anonymously wrote several propaganda pieces
supporting the Patriot cause
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James Armistead – He was a slave from Virginia that the Marquis de Lafayette recruited as a spy for the
Continental Army. Posing as a forager, servant, and even double agent, at the British headquarters, he moved
freely between the battle lines with vital information on British troop movements for Lafayette, which directly
contributed to the American victory at Yorktown (the final major battle of the Revolutionary War)
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Benjamin Franklin – a man of many talents originally from Boston, he moved to Pennsylvania and became the
most famous American in the world. He published the famous Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1732 in his mid-20’s,
he was a delegate to the Continental Congress and was chosen to be a member of the committee which wrote
the Declaration of Independence, but he actually spent most of the Revolutionary period in France working to
gain support from the king. He represented the colonies as the American envoy to France starting in 1776 and
remained there until 1785. He negotiated the alliance with France and then the Treaty of Paris, which ended the
war in 1783. He also would be instrumental in the creation of the Constitution, giving it legitimacy during the
ratification debates in 1787 and 1788. He would pass away only two years later in 1790
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Bernardo de Gálvez – a Spanish nobleman who became governor of the province of Louisiana in January, 1777.
He protected American ships in the port of New Orleans, helped transport war supplies to the Continental Army,
and took up arms to protect and fight for Louisiana against the British Empire
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Crispus Attucks – an African American freeman and colonist, he became the first casualty of the American
Revolution when he was shot and killed in the riot that became known as the Boston Massacre
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King George III – The King of England and the Ruler of the British Empire from 1760 until his death in 1820, he
feared that the loss of one group of colonies would lead to the loss of others and the eventual decline of the
entire empire. To prevent this catastrophe, he maintained an aggressive policy against all colonial resistance in
America. Due to his failure to keep the colonies in line, George III struggled to enforce royal authority
throughout his entire reign.
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Haym Salomon – a Polish-born Jewish immigrant to America who was a member of the Sons of Liberty and
became known as the “Financier of the Revolution.” He was arrested by the British as a spy, but was later
pardoned so that he could be used by the British as an interpreter for their Hessian troops (mercenaries from
Germany). While being employed by the British, he secretly helped British prisoners escape and encouraged
German soldiers to desert the British army. When the British discovered his activities, he was arrested again and
sentenced to death, but he escaped with his family to Philadelphia, where he became very successful wartime
fundraiser, a broker to the French consul, and a paymaster to French troops in America
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Patrick Henry – a prominent member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, he was known for giving passionate
and fiery speeches against British policies in America. He was one of the first to speak out against the Stamp Act
of 1765, and he became legendary after his famous “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” speech at the
beginning of the Revolution. During the Revolutionary War, he served in the Continental Army
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Thomas Jefferson – a young lawyer from Virginia, he became an early and effective leader in the American
Revolution. He was named a delegate to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and in 1776, he became a
member of the committee which wrote the Declaration of Independence. Known as the chief writer of
Declaration of Independence, he is also credited with creating the Unalienable Rights (modeled after John
Locke’s Natural Rights)
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The Marquis de Lafayette – a French nobleman and military leader who played a leading role in two revolutions
in France and in the American Revolution. He was fascinated the concepts of liberty, freedom, and
constitutional government. Between 1776 and 1779, he fought in the American Revolution, commanding forces
as a major-general in the Continental Army. He became of immeasurable importance to Washington, not only
as a trusted aide in battle, but also because of the role he played in persuading his homeland of France to join
the Colonists in the fight against the British.
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Thomas Paine – an English immigrant to the 13 Colonies just as the Revolution was beginning, he became a
prominent journalist and propagandist. His most important works include the brief, but persuasive Patriot
pamphlet Common Sense, and the motivational series of pamphlets called The American Crisis (which begins
with the famous words, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”)
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George Washington – a resident of Virginia of would become a legend in American History, he was a surveyor,
planter, and soldier in the French and Indian War, a delegate to both the First and Second Continental
Congresses, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and eventually,
the only man trusted enough to become the chairman of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and the first
President of the United States (under the new Constitution) in 1789
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John Paul Jones – a Scottish immigrant to the 13 Colonies, he would become known as the Father of U.S. Navy
when he led raids on British vessels off the coast of British Isles during the American Revolution (where he used
the words, “I have not yet begun to fight!” in response to a British demand for surrender)
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Paul Revere – a respected silversmith from Boston, he became a member of the Sons of Liberty in opposition to
British policies in the early days of the Revolution. He attracted the attention of the British after he began
creating Patriot propaganda, particularly “The Bloody Massacre” (an engraving of the events of Boston Massacre
in 1770). He was also one of the ringleaders during the Boston Tea Party and became a courier for the Boston
Committee for Public Safety to spread news of the political situation in Boston around the 13 Colonies. By the
time of the famous “Midnight Ride” in April of 1775, he was already known for making several similar rides in
opposition to British military plans. During the Revolutionary War, he served in the Massachusetts Militia
KEY ISSUES SURROUNDING IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND REVOLUTIONARY WAR
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Declaring Independence from the British Empire – This was the final reaction to King George III’s continued
refusal to acknowledge the colonial requests and demands for representation in Parliament. The purpose of the
Declaration of Independence was to (1) “Dissolve the political bands” with Great Britain, (2) provide a rational,
natural, even spiritual, philosophy for the establishment of the new nation (“All men are created equal and
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and pursuit of
happiness”), and (3) specifically list every grievances the Americans had against the King of England and
Parliament. It was written, debated, and ratified by the Second Continental Congress in July of 1776.
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Writing the Articles of Confederation – This occurred at the Second Continental Congress in 1776, after the
Congress realized that with independence came the need for an effective, yet restrained, government for the
new nation. They created this new form of government for the independent colonies, and it was purposefully
kept WEAK; it included only one branch – a Congress that would have only one representative from each of the
former colonies
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The First Shots Fired: The Battles of Lexington and Concord – These were very small-scale battles that started
the actual the fighting. The famous “Shot heard ‘round the world” happened on the Lexington Green on April
19th, 1775
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Enduring Pain: The First Winter at Valley Forge – After suffering several defeats, General George Washington
took his army to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania for the fall of 1776 and winter of 1777. The winter was incredibly
harsh and his men suffered immensely from starvation, smallpox, and frostbite. As the men suffered and died,
they also trained under the tutelage of the Baron Fredrick von Steuben and became more of a professional army
(rather than just a collection of local militias). By the spring of 1777, the Continental Army was ready to go toeto-toe with the British Army
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The Turning Point: The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 – This battle turned the tide of the entire war for the new
USA. After the Continental Army’s victory, Benjamin Franklin was able to convince France to join the Americans,
tipping the scale in favor of the USA
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The Final Important Battle: The Battle of Yorktown in 1781 – The surrender of General Charles Cornwallis after
General George Washington successfully trapped him at Yorktown, Virginia, ended the chance for Britain to
regain control of the colonies, even if it didn’t end the war itself (fighting would continue for a few more years
until 1783)
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Ending the War: Signing the Treaty of Paris in 1783 – Eventually, the British people turned against their
government and the war became “unpopular” and politically damaging to British politicians. Because of this, the
British Empire gave up their claim on the 13 Colonies and recognized the independence of the United States of
America. The Treaty of Paris was signed and Britain agreed to extend the boundaries of the new nation up to
Canada in the North, out to the Mississippi River in the West, and to the northern border of Spanish Florida in
the South. However, the British didn’t actually leave the USA; they continued to operate forts out west of the
Appalachian Mountains and create alliances with Native Americans who wanted to destroy the USA
SPECIFIC COLONIAL GRIEVANCES LISTED IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE THAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW
The Six Top Grievances in Declaration of Independence
1. Taxation without representation (Beginning with the Stamp Act of 1765)
2. The King of England had absolute power (Recognized by the colonists with the Proclamation of 1763)
3. The Colonists were not allowed to speak out against the King of England (Recognized by the colonists
with the Coercive/Intolerable Acts of 1774)
4. The Quartering Act forced the colonists to house and care for troops who were stationed in the colonies
(Beginning with the Quartering Act of 1774)
5. The British Empire allowed homes of colonists to be searched without warrants (Beginning with the
Coercive/Intolerable Acts of 1774)
6. The British Empire stopped making sure that colonists received a trial by jury of one’s peers (Beginning
with the Coercive/Intolerable Acts of 1774)
THE UNALIENABLE RIGHTS LISTED IN THE DECLARATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE
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The Natural Rights or Unalienable Rights
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These are fundamental (basic, essential) rights or natural rights given to people just for being alive,
instead of by the law
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Political Point of View – English political philosopher John Locke wrote that human beings have the right
to (1) Life, (2) Liberty, and (3) Property. He called these the Natural Rights
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Religious Aspect – The natural rights are seen as being given to human beings by God Himself; they are
natural, as in they come from nature
For example, in the Declaration of Independence, American colonist, writer, and politician Thomas Jefferson
declared that (1) life, (2) liberty, and (3) the pursuit of happiness were the unalienable rights for citizens of the
newly-declared United States of America
POLITICAL AND INTEREST GROUPS AT THE TIME OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
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Loyalists – These were American colonists who remained loyal to the King of England and wanted to remain
citizens of the British Empire. They disagreed with the Declaration of Independence; many saw the Declaration
as an act of treason
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Patriots – The colonists who favored rebellion against British policies in the 13 Colonies and demanded that
representation in Parliament be given to them. As it became apparent that King George III would not give in to
any requests or demands from the colonists, the Patriots began to support the idea of separating from Britain
and becoming their own independent nation.
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Neutrals – These were colonists who tried to remain neutral or not actively choose a side.
START WITH ART - EXAMPLES OF AMERICAN ART AND MUSIC THAT REFLECT SOCIETY DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY
PERIOD THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
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In American Art
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The Bloody Massacre by Paul Revere – Engraving of the Boston Massacre.
Image at- http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008661777/
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The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull – This painting was commissioned in 1817, but it
depicts the presentation of the Declaration of Independence to Congress back in 1776
In American Music
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Yankee Doodle – A pre-Revolutionary War song, believed to have originated in the British Army during
the French and Indian War. It was a song meant to mock the less-sophisticated look and demeanor of
American militiamen, as compared with polished and proper look of British soldiers. By the time of the
Revolutionary War, Americans began to claim the song as a “badge of honor” (meaning they wanted to
spite the British by taking pride in the insult). The song was actually played by the Continental Army at
the British surrender in Saratoga, New York (By the end of the war, the British Army was playing the
song, The World Turned Upside Down, at the surrender of the British in Yorktown, Virginia)