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Key People
Key People of the American Revolution
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| King George III | British king during the Revolutionary era |
| Lord Cornwallis | British general who surrendered at Yorktown |
| John Adams | Championed the cause of independence |
| George Washington | Commander of the Continental Army |
| Thomas Jefferson | Major author of the Declaration of Independence |
| Patrick Henry | Outspoken member of the House of Burgesses; inspired colonial patriotism with his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech |
| Thomas Paine | Wrote the pamphlet Common Sense, promoting American independence |
| The Marquis de Lafayette | French nobleman who served in the Continental Army; worked with the king of France to send French troops, ships, and funds that assisted the colonists in the American Revolution and contributed to the victory at Yorktown |
| Phillis Wheatley | Enslaved African American who wrote poems and plays supporting American independence and who eventually gained her freedom |
| Paul Revere | Patriot who made a daring ride to warn colonists of British arrival |
| Benjamin Franklin | Prominent member of the Continental Congress; helped frame the Declaration of Independence; helped gain French support for American independence |