STUDY GUIDE PERIOD 3 APUSH

APUSH

French and Indian War

A conflict from 1754 to 1763 between Britain and France for control of North America, leading to British victory but significant debt.

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document declaring the colonies' separation from Great Britain, emphasizing natural rights and popular sovereignty.

Shays' Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786-1787 by Massachusetts farmers protesting high taxes and debt, highlighting weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution who advocated for a strong central government and were key figures in writing the Federalist Papers.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared a strong central government would threaten individual and state rights, advocating for a Bill of Rights.

Electoral College

The system established by the U.S. Constitution for electing the President and Vice President through electors based on state representation.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest by colonists against the British Tea Act, where they dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. Constitution, characterized by a weak central government unable to tax or regulate commerce.

Constitutional Convention

The 1787 meeting in Philadelphia where the U.S. Constitution was drafted, leading to a stronger federal government.

Common Sense

A 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine arguing for American independence from Britain, using Enlightenment philosophies.

3/5ths Compromise

An agreement counting enslaved persons as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 uprising by farmers in Pennsylvania against federal excise taxes on whiskey, representing federal authority under the Constitution.

XYZ Affair

A 1797 diplomatic incident where French agents demanded bribes from American diplomats, leading to anti-French sentiment.

Sons of Liberty

A group of patriots who organized resistance against British policies and taxes, using tactics such as intimidation and protest.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The treaty that officially ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized the independence of the United States.

Jay's Treaty

A 1794 agreement with Britain that aimed to resolve conflicts and ensure U.S. neutrality in European wars.

Taxation without representation

A colonial grievance against British taxation policies, emphasizing that colonists should not be taxed without their consent through elected representatives.

Proclamation of 1763

A decree by King George III forbidding colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflicts with Native Americans.

Land Ordinance of 1785

A law that established a system for surveying and selling western lands in the United States while providing for public education.

Olive Branch Petition

A 1775 document sent by the Second Continental Congress to King George III, seeking reconciliation despite rising hostilities.

Federalist Papers

A series of 85 essays written to promote ratification of the Constitution, authored by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay.

Boston Massacre

A 1770 confrontation in which British soldiers killed five colonists, heightening tensions between Britain and the colonies.

Virginia Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with representation based on state population, favoring larger states.

Great Compromise

An agreement that established a bicameral Congress, with proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Sedition Act

A law passed in 1798 that made it illegal to criticize the federal government, seen as a tool to suppress dissent.

Republican Motherhood

An ideology emphasizing women's roles in raising children to be virtuous citizens, thus elevating women's status in the new republic.