Chapter 8 Vocabulary Review

Independence Freedom from being ruled by someone else Patriots were colonists who wanted independence from Britain.

Declaration A statement that declares, or announces, and idea. Thomas Jefferson and four others were asked to write The Declaration of Independence.

rights Freedoms that are protected by a government’s law For over thousands of years people in this country have been fighting for their rights.

treason The crime of fighting against one’s own government Anyone who signed the Declaration of Independence risked being charged of treason and getting hung.

Loyalist Someone who was still loyal to the king Although most Americans were Patriots, who wanted freedom from Britain, some Americans were Loyalists and still wanted to be part of Britain.

Patriot Someone who wanted independence for the colonies. Almost half of the Americans were Patriots and wanted to break away from the king.

Neutral Not to take sides Some colonists wanted to remain neutral in the fight between America and Britain and did not want to take sides.

inflation Happens when a rise in the prices of goods Inflation makes it difficult for people to buy the things they need.

Retreat Move away from the enemy Since the British beat Washington’s army in the Battle of Long Island, Washington’s army had to retreat.

mercenary A soldier who is paid to fight a foreign country The soldiers in Trenton were German mercenaries.

victory The defeat of an enemy, or winning The football player was extremely happy as he celebrated his victory.

strategy Plan of action Since the other team was winning, LeBron and his teammates had to come up with a new strategy to win the game.

Traitor Someone who is not loyal Benedict Arnold was a traitor to the Patriots and changed sides to fight with Britian.

surrender To give up On October 1781, the British army surrendered at Yorktown and the Patriots won the war!