 Revolution and independence. Colonists. People who immigrated to America settled and built towns were called colonists. The first colonists came to America from England. Colonies. Colonies are areas of land that are ruled by a country far away. Colonists who came to America lived in colonies that were ruled by England. Colonize means the act of creating colonies. There were 13 English colonies in America. These colonies became the first 13 states of the United States. Government. A government is a group of people who make the laws for a city, state, or country. The 13 colonies in America were ruled by the government of England. Parliament. Parliament is a type of government in some countries. England is governed by a parliament that makes the rules and laws for that country. Ruler. A ruler is a person who rules a country or group of people. Some countries are ruled by king or queen. King George III was the ruler of the British Empire. Acts. Acts are laws made by a government. In colonial times, the colonists needed to follow the acts passed by the government of England. These acts were not always fair. Tax. Tax is money that must be paid to a government. In colonial times, acts passed by the English government required the colonists to pay many taxes. Revolution. A revolution is an attempt to end the rule of a government and start a new one. This is usually done through war. The American Revolution is an example of this. King. A king is the male ruler of a country. A king inherits his position and rules for life. During the American Revolution, England was ruled by King George III. Troops. Troops are the people who fight for a country in war. Another word for troops is soldiers. The American Revolution was fought between colonial and British troops. Independent. Independent means that you are free or on your own. After the American Revolution, the colonies became independent from England. The end.