1. Navigation Acts
A British law which stated goods shipped to and from the colonies HAD TO BE carried by English ships

2. The French and Indian War 1754-1763
A war fought between the French and the British for territory in North America; the British won, but were left deeply in debt so the colonists were taxed to pay off the debt

3. Proclamation of 1763
An order given by Britain that closed territory west of the Appalachians to all colonists due to Indian rebellions

4. British tax on luxury items such as wine, silk, and molasses
Sugar Act
British tax on luxury items such as wine, silk, and molasses

5. Quartering Act
A British law that required colonists to provide lodging and supplies to British troops

6. Stamp Act – 1765
A British law that required colonists to buy a revenue stamp for legal documents, books, papers, licenses, and other products

7. A British law that taxed paint, glass, lead, paper, and tea
Townshend Act
A British law that taxed paint, glass, lead, paper, and tea

8. Writs of Assistance
“A man’s house is his castle; and whilst he is quiet, he is as well guarded as a prince in his castle. This writ, if it should be declared legal, would totally annihilate this privilege. Custom-house officers may enter our houses when they please; we are commanded to permit their entry. Their menial servants may enter, may break locks, bars, and everything in their way; and whether they break through malice or revenge, no man, no court may inquire. “
James Otis
Documents which gave British officials the right to enter homes and businesses to look for smuggled goods that the colonists might have to avoid paying British taxes

9. Sons of Liberty
A group of colonists led by Samuel Adams who met to discuss their unhappiness with British rule; they circulated papers, gave speeches, and organized riots and boycotts

10. Boycott
The refusal to use or buy goods; many colonists refused to buy British goods and began to produce the goods which were being taxed themselves

11. Boston Massacre
an event where patriots protesting British policies threw snowballs and oyster shells at British soldiers who responded by shooting at the protesters; five colonists were killed but they called it a massacre to gain sympathy

12. Boston Tea Party
an event where patriots disguised as Indians boarded a British ship in Boston and threw all of the tea into Boston Harbor to protest the tax on tea created by the Tea Act

13. Intolerable Acts 1774
the British response to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party; it closed the port of Boston until the city paid for the destroyed tea, put the colony under military control and increased the power of the British governor

14. First Continental Congress - 1774
a meeting of 55 delegates from all 13 colonies except Georgia which met at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia; they declared the Intolerable Acts null and void, sent a petition of their grievances to the British government, established a embargo (ban on trade) against the British and encouraged colonists to train soldiers

15. Edenton Tea Party 1774
the first political gathering and protest by women; it took place in Edenton, NC where Penelope Barker and 50 other women took a pledge to not drink tea or wear British-made clothing

16. Minutemen
The nickname given to patriots who were ready to fight in a minute’s notice

17. Richard Caswell
North Carolinian who helped lead the patriots to a victory against loyalists at the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge and later became the first governor of the independent state of North Carolina

18. Thomas Paine
He wrote an article titled “Common Sense” which inspired patriots to declare independence from Britain

19. Patriot
An American colonist who joined in the fight to gain independence from Britain

20. Samuel Adams
The leader of the Sons of Liberty who published pamphlets, wrote letters and gave speeches that opposed British rule.

21. Penelope Barker
North Carolinian who held one of the first political gatherings and protests by women. Fifty women attended the gathering in Edenton, NC and pledged not to drink British tea or wear British-made clothes.

22. Gov. William Tryon
The royal governor of North Carolina during most of the pre-Revolutionary War protests.

23. George Washington
He gained popularity and respect for his military leadership in the French and Indian War and was put in charge of the Continental Army at the Second Continental Congress in 1775.

24. Paul Revere
A famous patriot who made an engraving of the Boston Massacre and attempted to inform the patriots in Concord that the British were coming.

25. Thomas Jefferson
Virginian lawyer who headed the committee to write the Declaration of Independence.

26. A colonist who remained loyal to the King of England
Loyalist
A colonist who remained loyal to the King of England

27. Patrick Henry
Virginian, well known for his speeches (“Give me liberty or give me death!”). He was a member of the Sons of Liberty.

28. King George III
The King of England who refused to give up economic and political control of the thirteen American colonies.

29. John Hancock
President of the Continental Congress and the first to sign his name to the Declaration of Independence

30. Lord Charles Cornwallis
The General of the British military forces who surrendered to General George Washington at Yorktown, VA

31. Committees of Correspondence
Groups of patriots who carried news of the laws, protests, declarations and battles throughout the colonies to keep colonists informed

32. A black patriot who lost his life during the Boston Massacre protest
Crispus Attucks
A black patriot who lost his life during the Boston Massacre protest

33. Nathaniel Greene
Leader of the Continental Army in the South who severely weakened Cornwallis’ army at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina, forcing him to surrender at Yorktown

34. Benjamin Franklin
One of the most accomplished and respected individuals in the colonies. He acted as colonial representative throughout the world. He helped revise the Declaration of Independence and invented many useful things that we still use today.