| A | B |
|---|
| Declaration of Independence | A letter written by Thomas Jefferson that was sent to Great Britain to state why the colonies ought to be free |
| Grievance | Complaints |
| Preamble | An introduction |
| Boston Tea Party | a protest by the American Colonists against the British government. They staged the protest by boarding three trade ships in Boston Harbor and throwing the ships' cargo overboard |
| Boston Massacre | protesters threw snowballs and insulted British soldiers standing guard in Boston; in response to a growing crowd the British soldiers fired on a group of American colonists killing five men |
| Stamp Act | A tax placed on the American colonies by the British government. It taxed all sorts of paper documents including newspapers, magazines, and legal documents |
| Intolerable Acts | A series of five acts passed by the British Parliament to punish Boston, Massachusetts, and American colonists for the Boston Tea Party |
| Tariffs | taxes |
| Boycott | refusing to buy something |
| Patriots | An American that wanted independence from Britain |
| Loyalists | A person in America who stayed loyal to Britain and the king |
| Sons of Liberty | A group of patriots organized by Samuel Adams to protest the Stamp Act and other actions of the British government |
| Common Sense | A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that put forth an argument that the colonies should break away from British rule |
| Quartering | Soldiers being stationed in your home; made legal under the Intolerable Acts |
| Tory | Another name for loyalists who supported the British government |
| Red Coats | A name for British soldiers |
