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French-Indian War
The French and Indian War was a conflict between Great Britain and France that happened in North America. -
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament that imposed restrictions on colonial trade. -
Stamp Act
A tax on anything on paper. -
Townshend Acts
Tax on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770, when British soldiers shot and killed five colonists during a protest in Boston. People were already upset with British control, and this made things worse. It helped spark more anger and tension, eventually leading to the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
A protest about the tax on tea. -
Quartering Act
Americans would house British soldiers. -
Intolerable Acts (aka Coercive Acts)
The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by Britain in 1774 to punish the colonies for the Boston Tea Party. They closed Boston’s port and limited colonial rights, making the colonists even angrier and pushing them toward revolution. -
Battle of Lexington & Concord (aka “The Shot Heard Around the World”)
The Battle of Lexington and Concord, on April 19, 1775, was the first battle of the American Revolution. British soldiers tried to seize colonial weapons in Concord, but colonial militia fought back. The first shot, fired in Lexington, is known as "The Shot Heard Around the World," marking the start of the war for independence. -
Second Continental Congress
A group of delegates from the 13 colonies that met to organize and direct the colonies during the American Revolution. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was a letter sent by the American colonies to King George III in 1775, asking for peace and to fix things without fighting. They wanted to avoid war, but the king rejected it, which led to more conflict and the start of the Revolutionary War. -
Common Sense
Made a case for independence and directly attacked the political, economic, and ideological obstacles to achieving it. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that states the reasons why the Thirteen Colonies wanted to separate from Great Britain and become independent states. -
Articles of Confederation
An agreement among the 13 states of the United States that served as the nation's first frame of government. -
Daniel Shays’ Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was a 1786 protest by farmers, led by Daniel Shays, against high taxes and debt in Massachusetts. It highlighted the weakness of the government and helped lead to the creation of the U.S. Constitution. -
Constitutional Convention (aka Philadelphia Convention)
The Constitutional Convention in 1787 was held to fix the Articles of Confederation, but instead, delegates wrote a new U.S. Constitution to create a stronger government.