| A | B |
|---|
| Olive Branch Petition | letter from the Second Continental Congress to King George III as a last attempt for peace |
| Continental Army | created by the Second Continental Congress to defend the colonies |
| Common Sense | pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776 about why the colonies should be independent |
| Declaration of Independence | document written by Thomas Jefferson stating the colonies were independent from Great Britain |
| preamble | the introduction, or beginning, of a document |
| Loyalist | supporter of Great Britain during the American Revolution |
| Patriot | supporter of American independence from Great Britain |
| blockade | preventing goods and people from moving in and out of an area |
| Battle of Saratoga | turning point of the American Revolution, the Americans win |
| Treaty of Alliance | French promise to help the American cause |
| privateer | private ships that were armed and protected colonial ports |
| Battle of Cowpens | a British defeat in South Carolina in 1781 |
| pension | payment for military service |
| compromise | agreement acceptable to both sides |
| Treaty of Paris | agreement of 1783 that ends the American Revolution and allows the colonies to be free from British rule |
