APUSH Period 3

Albany Plan of Union (1754)

Called by the British in an attempt to unify the colonies to recruit men and collect taxes, developed by Ben Franklin. Never took effect due to the colonies’ wish to keep their taxation powers.

Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

Acts passed by Federalist controlled Congress. Increased naturalization requirement from 5 to 14 years to hurt Democratic-Republicans, banned public criticism of government. Heavily opposed by democrats republicans.

Antifederalists

Opponents of the Constitution. They were generally from more rural and less wealthy backgrounds than the Federalists.

Articles of Confederation

First constitution of the United States. Gave the government limited powers, reflecting widespread fear of centralized authority, and were later replaced by the Constitution in 1789 after failure to resolve Shays’s Rebellion.

Battle of Saratoga (1777)

American Revolution battle, key patriot victory. Provided hope that the colonists would triumph and increased the changes that the French would formally join the patriot side.

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

Decisive battle in which surrender of British, effectively sealed the patriot victory of the American Revolution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution. These ten amendments helped reassure Americans who feared that the federal government established under the Constitution would infringe on the rights of individuals and states.

Boston Massacre (1770)

Clash between colonial protests and British soldiers in Boston that led to the death of 5 colonists. Used to promote the patriot cause.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Rally against British tax policy organized by the Sons of Liberty, consisting of about 50 men disguised as American Indians who boarded British ships and dumped about 45 tons of tea into the boston harbor.

Coercive Acts (1774)

1. Port Act: Closed the port of boston until destroyed tea was payed for.

2. Massachusetts Government Act: Reduced the power of the Massachusetts legislature.

3. Administration of Justice Act: Allowed royal officials accused of crimes to be trialed in GB.

4. Expansion of the Quartering Act: Troops could be quartered in private homes.

Committee of Correspondence

Type of committee first established in Massachusetts to circulate concerns and reports of protest and other events to leaders in other colonies in the aftermath of the Sugar Act.

Continental Army

Army created by the Second Continental Congress after the battles of Lexington and Concord began the American Revolution in 1775.

First Continental Congress

Congress meeting in Philadelphia in 1774 as a response to the Coercive Acts. The delegates hoped to reestablish the freedoms colonists had previously enjoyed but were still loyal to the king.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

Meeting to draft the Constitution in Philadelphia. This document established the framework for strong federal government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Currency Act (1764)

Act of Parliament preventing colonial assemblies from printing paper money or bills of credit, curtailing the ability of colonial economies to expand.

Daughters of Liberty

Group of female patriots who sought to challenge the imposition of new taxes on the colonists through economic boycotts and homespun movement.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Document declaring the independence of colonies from Great Britain. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and then debated and revised by the Second Continental Congress. Made public on July 4th, 1776.

Declaratory Act (1776)

Act announcing Parliament's authority to pass any law “to bind the colonies and peoples of North America” closer to Britain.

Electoral College

A compromise between determining the president via popular vote or via congressional vote.

The Federalist Papers

85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Published in newspapers across the country, they promoted the ratification of the Constitution.

Federalists

Supporters of ratification of the Constitution, many of whom came from urban and commercial backgrounds.

French Revolution (1789 to 1799)

The French, inspired by the American Revolution, overthrew King Louis XVI. The resulting uprising disrupted French agriculture and demand for American goods increased. The efforts of the French to institute an egalitarian republic gained support from many Americans, however following the bloody Reign of Terror and the declaration of war on Prussia, Austria, and eventually Great Britain, led to fear. In response, Washington proclaimed US neutrality in April 1793.

Guerilla

Nontraditional military tactics employed against a larger, better supplied force.

Indian Trade and Intercourse Act (1790)

Act to regulate and maintain fair trade between American Indian and white settlers. The act was widely ignored, and relations between the two groups worsened.

Intolerable Acts

King George III’s response to punish Boston (and the colonies) for the Tea Party.

Jay Treaty (1796)

Treaty that required British forces to withdraw from US soil, required American repayment of debts to British firms, and limited US trade with the British West Indies.

Loyalists

Colonial supporters of British during the American revolution.

Minutemen

Militia groups trained to prepare quickly for local defense in case British attack.

Naturalization Act (1798)

Act passed by the Federalist controlled Congress that raised residency requirements from 5 years to 14 years to delay the naturalization of immigrants who were mostly Democratic.

Neutrality Proclamation (1793)

Proclamation declaring US neutrality in any conflicts between other nations.

New Jersey Plan

Highlighted the needs of small states by creating one legislative house where each state got one vote.

Northwest Ordinances (1785)

Established a government for the Northwest Territory, outlined the process for admitting a new state to the Union, and guaranteed that newly created states would be equal to the original thirteen states.

Patriots

American colonists who supported the independence movement.

Peace of Paris (1763)

France lost all Canadian possessions, India, and American lands. Spain got all the French lands west of the Mississippi (Louisiana). England got all French lands in Canada and Florida.

Pinckney Treaty (1796)

Treaty that defined the boundary between US and Spanish territory in the South and opened the Mississippi River and New Orleans to US shipping.

Quartering Act (1765)

Act ensuring British troops would remain stationed in colonies after the Seven Years War.

Quebec Act (1774)

Act of Parliament extending the boundary of Quebec to the area of Ohio River Valley where American colonists wanted to settle. Also set up a colonial government without local representative assembly in Quebec.

Republican Motherhood

Supported women’s education so that they could in turn instruct their sons in principles of republican government.

Second Continental Congress

Assembly of colonial representatives that served as a national government during the American Revolution. Despite limited powers, they coordinated the war effort and conducted negotiations with outside powers.

French and Indian War (1754 to 1763)

Caused by competing British and French interests in North Ameria. Both the colonists and governments of each nation sought to expand into the western frontier. Many disputed forts and claims in the Ohio River Valley.

Shays’s Rebellion (1786)

A violent insurrection of Massachusetts farmers, brought after the US failed to pay its veterans and raise a militia to put down a rebellion.

Sons of Liberty

Boston organization of colonial men first formed to protest the Stamp Act. Played an important role in the unrest leading to the American Revolution.

Stamp Act (1765)

Act of Parliament that imposed a duty on all transactions involving paper items. Prompted widespread, coordinated protests and was eventually repealed.

Stamp Act Congress

An assembly of 27 delegates from 9 colonies that met in NYC in October 1764 and petitioned Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act.

Statute of Religious Freedom (1786)

Virginian assembly stature that ensured the separation of church and state and largely guaranteed freedom of religion, Many other states followed Virginia's lead.

Sugar Act (1764)

Act of Parliament imposing an import tax on sugar, coffee, wines, and other luxury items. Sparked colonial protest that would escalate over time as new revenue measures were enacted.

Tea Act (1773)

Act of Parliament that aimed to reduce the debts of Britain and the British East India Company by providing the company with a tea monopoly in the colonies.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Slaves would be counted as ⅗ of a person when deciding how many votes a state got in the House of Representatives.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Acts of Parliament that instituted a import tax on a range of items including glass, lead, paint, and tea. This prompted a boycott of British goods and contributed to violence between British soldiers and colonists.

Treaty of Greenville (1795)

Treaty signed following the Battle of Fallen Timbers, it forced natives into the Northwest territory to cede vast amounts of land to the US.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Treaty that officially ended the American Revolution.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Resolutions passed by some state legislatures that declared the Alien and Sedition Acts “void and of no force” in their states.

Virginia Plan

Bicameral legislature based on population size; supported by larger states.

Virginia Resolves (1765)

Resolutions passed by Virginia House of Burgesses to denounce taxation without representation.

Whiskey Rebellion

Uprising by Western Pennsylvania farmers who led protests against the excise tax on whiskey in the early 1790s. Was easily squashed which showed the strength of the constitution.

XYZ Affair (1798)

French warships were seizing US merchant ships. US arranged a meeting with French Diplomats X, Y, and Z. Their request for bribes led to calls for war, but no war happened.

Abigail Adams

A committed women's rights activist who encouraged the Continental Congress to “remember the ladies” as they drafted a new constitution.

John Adams

2nd president of the US and a Federalist. He was responsible for passing the Alien and Sedition Acts and prevented war with France after the XYZ Affair. However, his passing of the Alien and Sedition Acts severely hurt the popularity of the Federalist party and himself.

Samuel Adams

A politician of the American Revolution, leader of the MA “radicals,” delegate to the Continental Congress, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

King George III

King of Britain during the American Revolution, he would eventually be the one that lost all 13 colonies.

Alexander Hamilton

Federalist who wrote the Federalist Papers, founder of the National Bank, and the founder of the first American political party, the Federalists.

Patrick Henry

A leader of the American Revolution and coined the famous cry "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death".

John Jay

One of the authors of The Federalist Papers, he was involved in the drafting of the Constitution. He was also the first chief justice of the Supreme Court

Thomas Jefferson

3rd President of the US. He favored limited central government. He was chief drafter of the Declaration of Independence, approved of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and promoted ideals of republicanism. Sent out the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore this territory.

Henry Knox

First secretary of war of the nation.

Lafayette

A French major who aided the colonies during the Revolutionary War. As a foreign military expert, he helped train the colonial armies.

Little Turtle

Native chief of the Miamis. In 1790 and 1791 his armies defeated many American armies and killed hundreds of soldiers and handed the United States what remains one of its worst defeats in the history of the frontier.

James Madison

Fourth president of the US, started War of 1812 with Britain.

George Mason

Antifederalist, he fought against ratification of the Constitution because it contained no bill of rights and his objections led to the first 10 amendments, which were ratified in 1791.

James Monroe

5th US President, created the Monroe Doctrine.

Thomas Paine

Wrote Common Sense, which gathered a lot of patriot support for the revolution. The pamphlet promoted independence and a republican form of government.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

An uprising of Native American Indian tribes following the French and Indian War that led to the passage of the Proclamation of 1763 and the British decision to establish a permanent standing army in North America.

Betsy Ross

Sewed the first US flag.

Adam Smith

Wrote Wealth of Nations, and advocated for laissez faire economics.

Fort Duquesne

Part of the chain of forts built by the French to take control of the Ohio River Valley.

Proclamation of 1763

By the British government in effort to stabilize the western frontier, prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent further hostilities with natives.

Letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania

By John Dickinson, argued that Parliament could regulate trade, but no taxation without representation.

Massachusetts Circular Letter

By James Otis and Samuel Adams, urged colonies to petition Parliament to repeal the Townshend Acts. British officials threatened to dissolve the state legislature and increase troops.