Period 3 (1754-1800) Apush Key Terms

Seven Years War / French-Indian War (1754)

North American conflict between Britain and France (with Native allies) over territory; part of the global Seven Years’ War.

Pontiac Rebellion

1763 uprising of Native American tribes in the Great Lakes region against British postwar policies after the French-Indian War.

Proclamation of 1763

British law forbidding colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to reduce conflict with Native Americans.

Republicanism and Liberty

Political ideology emphasizing civic virtue, opposition to corruption, and citizens’ active role in government.

Stamp Act

1765 British tax on printed materials in the colonies to raise revenue; sparked colonial protest.

No Taxation without Representation

Colonial slogan protesting Parliament’s right to tax the colonies without elected colonial representatives.

Boston Massacre

1770 clash where British soldiers fired on colonists in Boston, killing five and fueling revolutionary sentiment.

Tea Act / Boston Tea Party

1773 law granting the East India Company monopoly on tea sales; colonists responded by dumping tea into Boston Harbor.

First Continental Congress

1774 meeting of colonial delegates to organize resistance to the Intolerable Acts.

Second Continental Congress

1775 meeting that managed the Revolutionary War and eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

1776 pamphlet advocating colonial independence from Britain and promoting republican government.

Olive Branch Petition

1775 peace petition sent by the Second Continental Congress to Britain, seeking reconciliation before war escalated.

Declaration of Independence

1776 document formally declaring the colonies’ independence from Britain, written mainly by Thomas Jefferson.

Patriots / Loyalists / Neutral

Colonists divided during the Revolution: Patriots supported independence, Loyalists supported Britain, and Neutrals avoided taking sides.

Republican Motherhood

Post-Revolution idea that women should educate children in civic virtue to support the republic.

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. constitution (1781) creating a weak central government and strong state governments.

Virginia and New Jersey Plan

Competing proposals at the Constitutional Convention for legislative representation: Virginia (population-based) and New Jersey (equal per state).

Federalism

System of government dividing power between national and state governments.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Constitutional agreement counting three-fifths of enslaved people for representation and taxation purposes.

Checks and Balances

Constitutional system giving each branch of government authority to limit the others’ power.

Federalists and Anti-Federalists

Groups debating ratification of the Constitution; Federalists favored it, Anti-Federalists opposed strong central government.

Whiskey Rebellion

1794 uprising of western Pennsylvania farmers against a federal excise tax on whiskey, suppressed by Washington.

Washington’s Farewell Address

1796 speech advising Americans to avoid political parties and permanent foreign alliances.

Alien and Sedition Acts

1798 laws restricting immigrants and limiting speech critical of the government, sparking controversy over civil liberties.