Key Ideas, Law, and Events of the American Revolution
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Proclamation of 1763 – British Parliament law; colonists were forbidden to settle west of the
Appalachian Mountains, Britain wanted a buffer zone between the colonists and American Indian
tribes (reduce threat of violence), but the colonists wanted to settle the fertile Ohio River Valley
Intolerable Acts – (passed in 1774, also known as the Coercive Acts); British reaction to the
Boston Tea Party; closed the port of Boston until the tea was paid for, restructured
Massachusetts government, troops quartered in Boston and British officials accused of crimes
sent to England or Canada for trial; colonists reacted by boycotting British goods and First
Continental Congress convenes (September, 1774)
Stamp Act – (passed in 1765); required that all legal documents (diplomas, contracts, wills,
newspapers, etc.) have an official stamp showing that a tax had been paid; British used this to
generate revenue to help cover the cost of the French and Indian War; colonists reacted by
rioting and Stamp Act Congress convenes (October, 1765)
Mercantilism – system by which a nation increases its wealth and power by obtaining gold and
silver from its colonies. It includes a favorable balance of trade. The colonies become a source of
raw materials for the mother country. The colonies also are expected to be the purchasers of
manufactured goods from the mother country. Mercantilism includes the theory that a colony
exists for the economic benefit of the mother country. This policy angered colonists who wanted
to purchase goods from cheaper sources and to sell to a wider market.
Lack of representation in Parliament – since the formation of the colonies, the colonists had set
up their own legislative assemblies; colonists were unhappy about Britain’s insistence on the
supremacy of Parliament (taxation); the debate turned into one regarding representation, the
colonists did not have direct representation in Britain’s law-making body (Parliament); Britain
argued that the colonies had “virtual representation”
British economic policies following the French and Indian War – to raise money to help pay off the
debt incurred from the French and Indian War, the British imposed taxes on the colonist causing
many to resent British rule and claim that taxation was imposed without representation in
Parliament (Ex: Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Tea Act.)
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.
Boston Tea Party (1773) – protest led by the Sons of Liberty in which they dumped British tea into
Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act passed by Parliament; the Boston Tea Party was a reaction
to taxation without representation; Parliament responded by passing the Intolerable Acts and
closing the port of Boston.
Loyalists – these were colonists who remained loyal to the British monarchy and disagreed with
the Declaration of Independence
Patriots – the colonists who favored separating from Britain and becoming their own independent
nation
Neutrals – the colonists who remained neutral, who chose not to take sides
Declaring independence – reaction to King George III’s refusal to acknowledge the colonial
requests/demands, “dissolve the political bands” with Britain, provided 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 listed
grievances against the King of England
Writing the Articles of Confederation – occurred at the Second Continental Congress (1776),
created a new form of government for the independent colonies, included one branch – a
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Congress including one representative from each of the former colonies; addressed issues of
financing for a war, power to negotiate treaties, and avoided the creation of a powerful executive
Battles of Lexington and Concord – 1st battles of the war; (“The shot heard ‘round the world”),
involved the engagement of British soldiers with colonial “minutemen”
Battle of Saratoga – turning point of the war with victory for the patriots, helped to convince
France to join the colonists
Battle of Yorktown – British forces surrendered after the capture of two British generals including
Lord Cornwallis along with many Loyalists soldiers and sailors
Enduring the winter at Valley Forge – after suffering several defeats, Washington took his army to
Valley Forge for the winter of 1777. There the men were trained and became more of a
professional army (rather than militias). The winter was harsh and men suffered from starvation
and frostbite.
Signing the Treaty of Paris 1783 – independence recognized, boundaries extended to Canada to
the north, the Mississippi River to the west, and Florida to the south