- "The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution based on the principles of the American Enlightenment that generally occurred in British America between 1765 and 1789."
This topic covers the different forms of colonial resistance and rebellion against British rule, including the Boston Tea Party, the Stamp Act crisis, the Sons of Liberty, and the Committees of Correspondence.
Taxation without Representation: The British government imposed a series of taxes on the American colonies without giving them any representation in the British Parliament.
Boston Tea Party: In 1773, American colonists staged a protest against British taxation by dumping over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.
Stamp Act: In 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which required American colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used.
Lexington and Concord: The first battles of the American Revolution took place in 1775 when British soldiers attempted to seize weapons stored by American colonists in Lexington and Concord.
Continental Congress: In 1774, delegates from the colonies met in Philadelphia to form the Continental Congress, which would become the governing body of the Revolutionary War effort.
Common Sense: A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776 that argued for American independence from Britain.
Declaration of Independence: In 1776, the Continental Congress drafted and adopted a document that declared the thirteen American colonies to be independent from British rule.
Battle of Saratoga: A turning point in the Revolutionary War, this battle in 1777 saw American forces defeat the British and convince France to enter the war on the American side.
Valley Forge: In the winter of 1777-1778, American troops under the command of George Washington endured harsh conditions at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, but emerged as a more disciplined and organized force.
Yorktown: In 1781, American and French forces defeated the British army at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.
Treaty of Paris: In 1783, the Treaty of Paris officially ended the American Revolution and recognized the United States as an independent country.
Founding Fathers: A group of influential men who played a key role in the American Revolution and the formation of the United States, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.
Sons of Liberty: A group of American colonists who organized protests and acts of defiance against British rule, including the Boston Tea Party.
Intolerable Acts: A series of harsh laws passed by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, including the closing of Boston Harbor and the Quartering Act, which required colonists to house British soldiers.
Loyalists: American colonists who remained loyal to the British crown during the Revolutionary War, often facing persecution from their patriot neighbors.
Minutemen: Militiamen who were trained to be able to respond quickly to any British military threat.
Battle of Bunker Hill: An early battle in the American Revolution that saw American troops hold off the British army, although they ultimately had to retreat.
Paul Revere: An American silversmith and patriot who is famous for his “midnight ride” warning of British troop movements on the eve of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
Benjamin Franklin: An American statesman, scientist, and diplomat who played a key role in the American Revolution and the development of the United States.
George Washington: The commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and a key figure in the American Revolution, who also served as the first President of the United States.
Non-Importation and Non-Consumption Agreements: These were boycotts against imported British goods to protest against British taxation and trade restrictions.
Petitions and Protests: Many colonists voiced their discontent with the British government through written petitions and public protests.
Stamp Act Congress: This was a meeting held by colonists in New York City in 1765 to discuss their opposition to the Stamp Act and other British policies.
Boston Tea Party: In 1773, a group of colonists disguised as Native Americans boarded British ships and dumped chests of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest against the Tea Act.
Committees of Correspondence: These were groups of colonists who wrote letters to each other to keep informed about British actions and coordinate resistance efforts.
Sons of Liberty: This was a secret organization formed by colonists to protest against British policies and enforce boycotts.
Continental Congress: This was an assembly of delegates from the colonies who met in Philadelphia in 1774 to discuss their grievances with the British government and coordinate resistance efforts.
Militia: These were groups of citizen soldiers who organized to defend their homes and communities against British forces.
Lexington and Concord: In 1775, these battles marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War and were fought between colonial militia and British regulars.
Siege of Boston: In 1775, the Continental Army, led by George Washington, surrounded and blockaded Boston, which was under British control, to force their surrender.
Declaration of Independence: This was a document adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which declared the 13 American colonies independent from British rule.
Guerrilla Warfare: This was a tactic used by continental soldiers to harass and disrupt British forces by using surprise attacks and hit-and-run tactics.
Battle of Saratoga: This 1777 battle was a major turning point in the Revolutionary War and resulted in a decisive victory for the Continental Army.
Yorktown: This 1781 battle was the last major engagement of the Revolutionary War and resulted in the surrender of British forces to the Continental Army.
Treaty of Paris: This was a peace treaty signed in 1783 which officially ended the Revolutionary War and recognized the United States as an independent nation.
- "It created the environment for the American Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 to 1783, whereby the Thirteen Colonies secured their independence from the British Crown and consequently established the United States as the first sovereign nation-state founded on Enlightenment principles."
- "American colonists objected to being taxed by the British Parliament, a body in which they had no direct representation."
- "During the 1760s, however, the British Parliament passed acts that were intended to bring the American colonies under more direct rule by the British monarchy and intertwine the economies of the American colonies with Britain in ways that benefited the British monarchy and increased the colonies' dependence on it."
- "In 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act... and they flared again in 1767 with Parliament's passage of the Townshend Acts, a group of new taxes and regulations imposed on the thirteen colonies."
- "The British responded by closing Boston Harbor and enacting a series of punitive laws... The thirteen colonies responded assertively... launching the Boston Tea Party in Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773."
- "In late 1774, in support of Massachusetts, twelve of the thirteen colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia, where they formed the First Continental Congress and began coordinating resistance to Britain's colonial governance."
- "On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia responded by authorizing the formation of the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief."
- "The Declaration of Independence embodied the political philosophies of liberalism and republicanism, rejected monarchy and aristocracy, and famously proclaimed that 'all men are created equal'."
- "In October 1777, the Continental Army experienced a significant victory, capturing British troops at the Battle of Saratoga. Following the victory in the Saratoga campaign, France then entered the war as an ally of the United States and the cause of American independence."
- "A combined American and French force captured Cornwallis' army at Yorktown in the fall of 1781, effectively securing an American victory and an end to the war. On September 3, 1783, the British signed the Treaty of Paris in which they acknowledged the independence and sovereignty of the thirteen colonies."
- "Among the significant results of the American victory were American independence and the end of British mercantilism in America, opening up worldwide trade for the United States, including a resumption of it with Britain."
- "Around 60,000 Loyalists migrated to other British territories in Canada and elsewhere, but the great majority remained in the United States."
- "In 1787, at the Congress of the Confederation in Philadelphia, American delegates authorized, and states then ratified the United States Constitution, which took effect March 4, 1789 and replaced the weaker wartime Articles of Confederation."
- "In 1791, a Bill of Rights was ratified as the first ten amendments, guaranteeing fundamental rights used as justification for the revolution.
- "With its victory in the American Revolution, the United States became the first federal democratic republic in world history founded on the consent of the governed."
- "The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution based on the principles of the American Enlightenment."
- "Intertwine the economies of the American colonies with Britain in ways that benefited the British monarchy and increased the colonies' dependence on it."
- "Leading to colonial protest and resulting in representatives from several colonies convening the Stamp Act Congress in New York City to plan a response."
- "The thirteen colonies responded assertively, first burning the Gaspee in Rhode Island in 1772, and then launching the Boston Tea Party in Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773."