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Benjamin Franklin
Political theorist and scientist who advocated for colonial unity and influenced the nation's growing ethos with hard work, community spirit and self-government. Aided American army by securing munitions during the Revolution. Part of Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Patriot. 1706-1790. -
Mary Draper
Draper, a Patriot, cared greatly for soldiers during the American Revolution. She gave them food and cider, made clothes out of her own cloth, and melted her family heirlooms into bullets. She lived from 1719-1810. She provided them with many things they would not typically find during wartime. -
George Washington
Commanded the American army during the Revolution, presided over the creation of the Constitution. Patriot. 1732-1799. -
Thomas Paine
Paine was a political activist, philosopher, political theorist and revolutionary. He authored two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, inspired the rebels in 1776 to declare independence from Britain. Patriot, 1737-1809. -
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. Served in the Continental Congress at the beginning of the American Revolution. Patriot. 1743-1826. -
Tea Act
This act was put into effect by Great Britain. It made the price of British tea cheaper than that of smuggled tea and removed export tax from tea. The colonists were enraged by the act b/c they recognized that the king was still taxing their tea, + to accept the cheaper price + buy British tea would be to accept that Britain could tax them without representing them in government. This showed that colonies were willing to stand up for their rights, and it led to the Boston Tea Party. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts, or the Coercive Acts as they were called in Britain, were a series of laws meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for the Boston Tea Party. They took away the colonists' rights and self-government they had established. The colonies responded by organizing their First Continental Congress, showing their ability to unite in protest. -
Lexington and Concord
The battle was fought in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, in towns close to Boston including Lexington and Concord, and took place on April 19, 1775. British soldiers intending to destroy the colonies' ammunition fought against the colonist militia, who despite being outnumbered kept much of the supplies from them and drove them back to Boston. The colonies' unexpected victory boosted their morale. It was the first open and armed conflict between the colonies and Great Britain. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The battle was fought on the hills surrounding Boston in June 1775. The British occupying Boston were to be reinforced with British fortifying the surrounding hills, so the colonists stealthily occupied the hills and defended them until they ran out of ammunition and retreated. Although the British won, the colonists caused many British casualties, proving that they could stand up to the strongest armed force in the world and providing themselves a huge morale boost. -
Common Sense
A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that inspired colonists to become independent from Britain. It was meant for everybody to read, so it was written in plain language and "common sense." It was very widely read, distributed all throughout the colonies. It provided motivation, rationale and moral support to the American independence movement. -
Declaration of Independence
A document adopted by the colonies' Continental Congress in 1776 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It stated that the thirteen colonies now viewed themselves as thirteen independent states and were no longer a part of the British Empire, but called themselves "the United States of America." A committee of five (John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston) was involved in writing the Declaration, and delegates from all colonies ratified it. -
Battle of Saratoga
The British attempted to divide the colonies, but after a small victory on Sept 19, the general leading this force was surrounded in New York by Americans and made to retreat to Saratoga, NY. The Americans gained a portion of British ground and surrounded the general in Saratoga, forcing him to surrender on Oct 17. This battle caused America to gain foreign support: France as a fighting American ally, though they had been an important supplier, and Spain. -
Battle of Kings Mountain
The Loyalist militia attempted to aid Lord Cornwallis, a British army officer, by protecting the flank of his force. The Patriot militia fought them near the South Carolina border in North Carolina, and with the element of surprise inflicted heavy casualties. The Loyalist militia surrendered after the death of their major; the Patriots then retreated quickly away from Cornwallis's advance. Cornwallis was forced to stay in South Carolina, and the Patriots' morale increased greatly. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown began in 1780 and ended in 1781. Yorktown, Virginia was the last occupation of Lord Cornwallis, a British official. A French fleet, supported by Spain, cut off Cornwallis's escape by sea. The Americans and the French together laid siege to Yorktown by land until Cornwallis surrendered. This was NOT the final armed conflict of the war, but it did prompt Britain to start negotiations for the end. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
The Treaty of Paris was a peace treaty, signed by British royal representatives and American representatives, that ended the American Revolutionary War. It is included with separate peace treaties between Britain and America's supporters (France, Spain, Dutch Republic) in what is called the Peace of Paris, called so because they were signed in Paris. Its main objectives were acknowledging the new USA's independence, establishing new boundaries, and managing the aftermath of the war.
