| A | B |
|---|
| Whig | colonist who wanted independence from England |
| Tory | colonist who was loyal to England |
| tyranny | use of absolute power by a government |
| impress | to force into military service |
| repeal; rescind | to cancel; revoke; annul |
| Revolutionary War | aka War of Independence |
| Loyalist | colonist who supported British rule |
| patriot | person who supports and defends his/her country |
| Redcoats | British soldiers so named for their crimson uniforms |
| Stamp Act | a law taxing newspapers and printed items (1765) |
| Sugar Act | law taxing sugar, molasses, wine, and coffee (1764) |
| Tea Act | law taxing tea (1773); gave exclusive rights to sell tea to the East India Company |
| delegate | a representative for another person |
| treason | an act to harm one's own government |
| frigate | fast, medium-sized warship with 28-60 guns |
| grenadiers | men trained to throw grenades |
| Hessian | German mercenary |
| mercenary | soldier hired to fight for another country |
| dragoons | mounted infantry who usually dismounted and fought on foot |
| redoubt | fortification, stronghold |
| ratify | approve and accept formally |
| calvary | troops on horseback |
| traitor | turncoat |
| militia | citizen soldiers; in Revolutionary times, minutemen |
| patrician | aristocrat, nobleman |
| mercantilism | economic policy that controls imports and exports for a favorable trade balance |
| Townshend Acts (1767) | taxed every day items imported by American colonies |
| Coersive Acts (1774) | laws punishing the colonies for the Boston Tea Party |
| Intolerable Acts | derogatory name given by the Americans for the Coersive Acts |
| Navigation Acts (1651-1733) | mercantile policy that restricted the production of specific goods by the colonies |
| blockade | action to prevent shipping into and out of a port |
| privateer | a privately-owned, armed ship commissioned to fight in a war |
| boycott | to refuse to buy from an entity as a form of protest or punishment |
