American Revolution Vocabulary

Colonists who opposed American independence and remained loyal to Great Britain during the American Revolution. Also called Tories

• Patriots

• Loyalists

• Colonists

• Red Coats

Those Americans who supported the war for independence against Great Britain.

• Patriots

• Loyalists

• Colonists

• Red Coats

A written document from a government or ruler that grants certain rights to an individual, group organization, or to people in general. In colonial times, this granted land to a person or a company along with the right to start a colony on that land.

• Writs of Assistance

• Constitution

• Treaty

• Charter

Documents giving a governmental authority the power to search and seize property without restrictions.

• Writs of Assistance

• Constitution

• Treaty

• Charter

These began as voluntary groups and were eventually established by most of the colonial governments. Their mission was to make sure that each colony knew about events and opinions in the other colonies. They helped to unite people against the British.

(gossip club)

• Committees of Correspondence

• First Continental Congress

• Sons of Liberty

• Daughters of Liberty

An organization formed by WOMEN before the American Revolution. They got together to protest treatment of the colonies by their British rulers. They helped make the boycott of British trade effective by making their own materials instead of using British imports.

• Committees of Correspondence

• Second Continental Congress

• Sons of Liberty

• Daughters of Liberty

An organization created in 1765 in every colony to express opposition to the Stamp Act. A popular goal of the organization was to force stamp distributors throughout the colonies to resign.

• Committees of Correspondence

• First Continental Congress

• Sons of Liberty

• Daughters of Liberty

The body of colonial delegates who organized to represent the interests of the colonists and protest British rule. They met in 1774 and drafted a Declaration of Rights. (first major meeting)

• Second Continental Congress

• First Continental Congress

• Sons of Liberty

• Daughters of Liberty

The body of delegates representing the colonies that met in 1775 shortly after the start of the Revolutionary War. (second major meeting)

They organized the Continental Army, called on the colonies to send troops, selected George Washington to lead the army, and appointed a committee to draft the Declaration of Independence.

• Second Continental Congress

• First Continental Congress

• Sons of Liberty

• Daughters of Liberty

The British legislature (government), which consists of two houses: the House of Lords, representing the nobility, most of whose appointments were (at the time of the American Revolution) hereditary, and the House of Commons, representing the people.

• Second Continental Congress

• First Continental Congress

• Monarchy

• Parliament