American Prohibitory Act 1775 British law that authorized the royal navy to seize all American ships engaged in trade; it amounted to a declaration of war






Battles of Lexington and Concord two confrontations in April 1775 between British soldiers and patriot Minutemen; the first recognized battles of the Revolution

boycott organized political protest in which people refuse to buy goods from a nation or group of people whose actions they opposed

broadside An advertisement, public notice, or other publication printed on one side of a large sheet of paper.






civil court any court that hears cases regarding the rights of private citizens

Common Sense 1776 revolutionary pamphlet written b y Thomas Paine attacking George III; it argued against monarchy and advanced the patriot cause

consumer revolution rising market for manufactured goods, particularly luxury items, that occurred in the early 18th century in the colonies

Covenant Chain alliance of Indian tribes established to resist colonial settlement in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region and to oppose British trading policies

Currency Act 1764 British law banning the printing of paper money in the colonies

customs service government agency authorized to collect taxes on foreign goods entering a country






Declaration of Independence formal statement, adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1776, that listed justifications for rebellion and declared the American mainland colonies to independent of Britain

delusion false belief strongly held in spite of evidence to the contrary

depression period of drastic economic decline, marked by decreased business activity, falling prices, and high unemployment

direct tax tax imposed to raise revenue rather than to regulate trade






Ebenezer McIntosh Boston shoemaker whose workingman’s organization, the South End “gang” became the core of the city’s Sons of Liberty in 1765

external taxation revenue raised in the course of regulating trade with other nations






fraternal group of people with common purposes or interests






George Grenville British prime minister who sought to tighten control over the colonies and to impose taxes to raise revenues

George III King of England (r. 1760-1820); his government’s policies produced colonial discontent that led to the American Revolution in 1776






import duties tax on imported goods






loyalist American colonist who remained loyal to the king during the Revolution






materialism excessive interest in worldly matters, especially in acquiring goods

mercantile theory economic idea that a nation should amass wealth by exporting more than it imports; colonies are valuable in a mercantile system as a source of raw materials and as a market for manufactured goods

Minutemen nickname first given to the Concord militia because of their speed in assembling and later applied to colonial militia during the Revolution






Olive Branch Petition resolution, adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, that offered to end armed resistance if the king would withdraw his troops and repeal the Intolerable Acts






Patrick Henry member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and American revolutionary leader noted for his oratorical skills

Pontiac Ottawa chief who led the unsuccessful resistance against British policy in 1763

Proclamation Line of 1763 white settlement west of this boundary established by the British in the Appalachian Mountains was banned; it was intended to reduce conflict between Indians and colonists






Samuel Adams Massachusetts revolutionary leader and propagandist who organized opposition to British policies after 1764

sanctity saintliness or holiness; the quality of being sacred or beyond reproach

Sons of Liberty secret organization first formed in Boston to oppose the Stamp Act

Stamp Act 1765 British law that directly taxed a variety of items, including newspapers, playing cards, and legal documents

Sugar Act 1764 British law that taxed sugar and other colonial imports to pay for some of Britain’s expenses in protecting the colonies






Thomas Hutchinson Boston merchant and judge who served as lieutenant governor and later governor of Massachusetts; Stamp Act protestors destroyed his home in 1765






vice-admiralty court nonjury British court in which a judge heard cases involving shipping