Unalienable

Describes something that can't be taken away—it can't be made an alien to whatever it belonged to before. People nowadays would probably say "inalienable," but it's the same thing…and here it refers to rights, not to little green men from Mars.

Prudence

A slightly old-fashioned term for practicality, but with a touch of caution. Being prudent means watching out for yourself, but in a smart and usually safe way.

Usurpation

Taking over control of someone's government, land, or personal bubble illegally.

Despotism

When a country is ruled by a despot (a.k.a. tyrant or dictator) who rules with absolute power. Think Hitler, Stalin, and President Snow.

Legislature

A body of government made up of representatives from different parts of the region. They can be local or for the whole nation, like that little thing we call "Congress."

Quartering

There are a number of definitions for quartering. In this context, it refers to a ruler forcing people to house and feed soldiers who are located in the area. (It has nothing to do with the coins that you stock up on before laundry day hits.)

Redress

Righting a wrong, with some compensation. Basically, admitting that there has been an injury of some kind and providing means to fix the problem.

Absolve

To set free from an obligation or blame, like when you're finally allowed out of the time out corner.

Colony

A settlement created when one country decides they want to own part of another country, and just put their people there to build a new, mini version of the home country. They can be totally new societies, like the American colonies or that creepy Dharma initiative on Lost, or integrated into an existing nation, like the British in India or the French in Vietnam.

French and Indian War

The war (1755-1762) where Britain kicked the French out of North America for good, with the help of Native Americans on both sides. The debt from this war led to all sorts of trouble and eventually, a little thing called the American Revolution. For most of the world it's known as the Seven Years' War, but we have a whole separate name for the part that took place in America for some reason.

Stamp Act

A tax passed by Great Britain in 1765 (repealed in 1766) that required a stamp on all forms of paper—a stamp you had to pay for. It was pretty sudden and seen as quite unfair, and is remembered as one of the most famous taxes in American history (out of many famous taxes).

Boston Massacre

One March night in 1770, a crowd of hecklers scared a small guard of soldiers into firing into the crowd, killing five people. Although the soldiers were later acquitted of wrongdoing, in the immediate aftermath this "massacre" was the talk of the colonies, and helped inspire anti-British sentiment.

Boston Tea Party

In December, 1773, a mob of men dressed as Native Americans stormed an East India Company ship in the Boston Harbor and threw all of the tea on board into the sea, wasting quite a lot of good tea leaves in an effort to protest legislation. The immediate upside? The Boston Harbor smelled like an invigorating cup of English Breakfast tea for days.

Coercive or Intolerable Acts

Passed in 1774, this series of five acts passed were primarily punishment for Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party. They included closing the Boston port, putting the Massachusetts legislature under full control of the British government, and quartering troops (see above).

Battle of Lexington and Concord

Have you heard the phrase "the shot heard round the world"? The original use of that phrase refers to these battles, which both occurred on April 19, 1775, setting off the Revolutionary War.

Continental Congress

There were two of these, one convened in 1774 and the Second in 1775. Delegates from each colony met to form a precursor to today's Congress, making minor decisions like whether or not to declare independence. Some famous members included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.