the american ad french revolutions Flashcards
king George III
The king of Britain during the American Revolutionary War. He was known for insisting on royal privilege. The stubbornness of George and of his government officials is often blamed for the loss of the thirteen colonies that became the United States.
taxation without representation
Taxation without representation is tyranny definition. A slogan of the Revolutionary War and the years before. The colonists were not allowed to choose representatives to parliament in London, which passed the laws under which they were taxed.
the stamp act
an act regulating stamp duty (a tax on the legal recognition of documents).
an act of the British Parliament in 1765 that exacted revenue from the American colonies by imposing a stamp duty on newspapers and legal and commercial documents. Colonial opposition led to the act’s repeal in 1766 and helped encourage the revolutionary movement against the Crown.
George Washington
The first president of the United States, and the commanding general of the victorious American army in the Revolutionary War. The best known of the Founding Fathers, Washington is called the father of his country.
redcoats
a British soldier.
continental army
The Continental Army was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America.
seven year war
Seven Years’ War definition. A war fought in the middle of the eighteenth century between the German kingdom of Prussia, supported by Britain, and an alliance that included Austria, France, and Russia. Prussia and Britain won, and their victory greatly increased their power.
loyalist
a person who remains loyal to the established ruler or government, especially in the face of a revolt.
patriots
a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.
Thomas Jefferson
A political leader of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; one of the Founding Fathers; the leader of the Democratic-Republican party. Jefferson was principal author of the Declaration of Independence and served as president from 1801 to 1809, between John Adams and James Madison.
declaration of independence
The Declaration of Independence is defined as the formal statement written by Thomas Jefferson declaring the freedom of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain. An example of the Declaration of Independence was the document adopted at the Second Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776.
the three estates
The Three Estates refer to the three divisions of European society in the Middle Ages: the nobles (first estate), the clergy (second estate), and the commoners (third estate).
louis XV
Louis XV. 1710-1774. King of France (1715-1774) who led France into the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) and the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), during which France lost its colony in Canada.
Marie Antoinette
proper noun. (1755–93), French queen, wife of Louis XVI. A daughter of Maria Theresa, she married the future Louis XVI of France in 1770.
Versailles
Versailles. A city of north-central France west-southwest of Paris. It is best known for its magnificent palace, built by Louis XIV in the late 1600s, where the treaty ending World War I was signed in 1919.