USVA History American Revolution Vocab

Question 1

Common Sense

Answer 1

A persuasive pamphlet written by Thomas Paine; “monarchies had been seizing power from the people”

Question 2

French-Indian War

Answer 2

French and Native American forces ambushed British; Washington and his men began attacking British settlers in PA

Question 3

Custom Duties

Answer 3

A tax on imports and exports

Question 4

Sugar Act

Answer 4

Raised tax rates on imports of raw sugar and molasses

Question 5

Stamp Act

Answer 5

Taxed almost all printed materials

Question 6

Sons of Liberty

Answer 6

A group that organized huge demonstrations and intimidated stamp distributors

Question 7

Townshend Act

Answer 7

New regulations and taxes introduced by Charles Townshend

Question 8

Writs of Assistance

Answer 8

A search warrant enabling customs officers to enter any location to look for evidence of smuggling

Question 9

Boston Massacre

Answer 9

Troops fired into a crowd, killing 3, 2 who would die later, and 6 wounded

Question 10

Boston Tea Party

Answer 10

George Hewes and other men dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor

Question 11

Minutemen

Answer 11

A special unit of men trained and ready to “stand at a minute’s warning in case of alarm”

Question 12

Loyalist

Answer 12

Americans who supported the British side in the conflict

Question 13

Patriot

Answer 13

Those who believed that the British had become tyrants

Question 14

Neutral

Answer 14

People who didn’t support either side

Question 15

Declaration of Independence

Answer 15

John Adams, Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson submitted a document that Jefferson drafted, explaining why it was time for independence

Question 16

Enlightenment

Answer 16

Believed that natural laws applied to social, political, and economic relationships, and that people could figure out these natural laws if they employed reason

Question 17

Proclamation of 1763

Answer 17

Drew a line from north to south along the Appalachian Mountains and declared that colonists could not settle past it without British Govt. permission

Question 18

First Continental Congress

Answer 18

Met in Philadelphia on Sep. 5, 1774

Question 19

Mercenary

Answer 19

A person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national or a party to the conflict