American Revolution Key Terms and Events

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Paul Revere

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Boston silversmith who rode into the countryside to spread news of British troop movement.

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Lexington & Concord

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April 8, 1775: Gage leads 700 soldiers to confiscate colonial weapons and arrest Adams and Hancock; April 19, 1775: 70 armed militia face British at Lexington (shot heard around the world); British retreat to Boston, suffer nearly 300 casualties along the way (Concord).

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Samuel Adams (1722-1803)

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Revolutionary leader—Sons of Liberty; antifederalist.

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Committees of Correspondence

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Organized by Samuel Adams, these committees were a system of communication between patriot leaders in New England and throughout the colonies, uniting them in opposition to Parliament.

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Stamp Act

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1765 law that taxed printed goods, including playing cards, documents, and newspapers.

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Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770)

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Colonists threatened British soldiers guarding a customs house. Soldiers accidentally shot at a mob, killing 5 people, including Crispus Attucks. John Adams defended the soldiers in court, and most were acquitted.

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Tea Act

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1773 act eliminating import tariffs on tea entering England, allowing the British East India Company to sell directly to consumers. Led to the Boston Tea Party.

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Boston Tea Party (1773)

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American colonists, disguised as Mohawk Native Americans, boarded British ships and dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

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Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)

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In reaction to the Boston Tea Party; included closing Boston Harbor, revoking Massachusetts' charter, and trying royal authority crimes in England or another colony.

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Taxation without Representation

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Reason why colonists went to war with England; colonists thought it was unfair to be taxed by a government they didn't have a voice in.