APUSH Unit 3 Vocab

Albany Plan of Union (1754)

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin to create a unified government for the American colonies during the French and Indian War. It was not adopted, but it laid the groundwork for future discussions on colonial unity.

George Washington

The first President of the United States and a Founding Father. He played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War and is often called the "Father of His Country."

Peace of Paris 1763

The treaty that ended the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War), resulting in Britain gaining control of Canada and various territories in North America and India.

Pontiac's Rebellion

An uprising by Native American tribes in the Great Lakes region against British rule following the French and Indian War.

Proclamation of 1763

A British decree that prohibited American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, leading to tensions and discontent among colonists.

Salutary neglect

A British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of colonial laws, which allowed the American colonies a degree of self-governance and autonomy.

Seven Years' War (French & Indian War)

A global conflict between European powers, including Britain and France, which also extended to North America. It played a significant role in shaping the future of the American colonies.

Patrick Henry

An American lawyer and statesman known for his fiery speeches advocating for American independence. He famously said, "Give me liberty or give me death!"

Stamp Act Congress

A meeting of representatives from nine American colonies in 1765 to protest the Stamp Act, a tax on paper goods imposed by Britain without colonial consent.

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

Colonial organizations that protested British policies and taxes through nonviolent means, such as boycotts and protests.

Committees of Correspondence

Communication networks established by American colonists to share information about British actions and promote unity.

Intolerable Acts

Punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party. They included the closing of the Boston Port and the quartering of British troops in private homes.

Parliament

The legislative body of the United Kingdom, which played a significant role in making decisions affecting the American colonies during the colonial period.

George III

King of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary period, whose policies and actions contributed to tensions between Britain and the American colonies.

Sugar Act 1764

A British tax on sugar and molasses, seen as part of the broader pattern of taxation without colonial representation.

Quartering Act 1765

An act requiring American colonists to provide housing and provisions for British troops stationed in the colonies.

Stamp Act 1765

A tax on paper goods and legal documents that led to widespread protests and boycotts in the American colonies.

Declaratory Act 1766

A British law asserting the right of Parliament to legislate for the American colonies "in all cases whatsoever," following the repeal of the Stamp Act.

Townshend Acts 1767

A series of British laws that imposed taxes on various imported goods and led to further colonial protests.

Writs of assistance

Legal documents that allowed British customs officials to search colonial homes and businesses for smuggled goods without a specific warrant.

Tea Act 1773

A British law that granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the American colonies, leading to the Boston Tea Party.

Coercive Acts 1774

Also known as the Intolerable Acts, these were punitive laws passed by Britain in response to the Boston Tea Party.

Massachusetts Government Act

One of the Coercive Acts, it altered the Massachusetts colonial government and restricted town meetings.

Administration of Justice Act

Another of the Coercive Acts, it allowed British officials to be tried in England for crimes committed in the American colonies.

Quebec Act 1774

An act that extended the boundaries of Quebec and granted religious freedom to French Catholics, which was seen as a threat to colonial Protestants.

Deism

A philosophical belief that God created the universe but does not interfere in its operation, emphasizing reason and natural law.

Rationalism

A philosophical approach that values reason and logic as the primary sources of knowledge and belief.

Social contract

A theory that individuals voluntarily give up some of their natural rights in exchange for protection and the benefits of living in a civil society, as discussed by philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

John Locke

An influential philosopher whose ideas on natural rights, government by consent, and the social contract had a profound impact on American political thought and the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Paine

An English-American political activist, author, and pamphleteer who wrote "Common Sense," advocating for American independence from Britain.

First Continental Congress

A meeting of colonial representatives in 1774 to address grievances against British policies, leading to the adoption of the Continental Association and a call for the boycott of British goods.

Samuel Adams

An American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers who played a key role in organizing protests against British policies and promoting American independence.

John Adams

A Founding Father, lawyer, and diplomat who played a crucial role in the American Revolution, helped draft the Declaration of Independence, and later became the second President of the United States.

John Jay

A Founding Father and diplomat who negotiated the Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended the American Revolutionary War.

Suffolk Resolves

A set of resolutions passed in response to the Intolerable Acts, asserting colonial rights and encouraging military preparedness.

Economic sanctions

Measures taken by one country or group of countries to restrict trade or economic activity with another country as a means of influencing its behavior.

Second Continental Congress

A meeting of colonial representatives in 1775 that assumed the role of a de facto national government, ultimately leading to the Declaration of Independence and the Continental Army's formation.

Declaration of the Causes of and Necessities for Taking Up Arms

A document issued by the Second Continental Congress in 1775, justifying the American colonies' armed resistance to British oppression.

Olive Branch Petition

A final attempt by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 to reconcile with Britain, offering peace and asserting colonial loyalty to the Crown.

Thomas Jefferson

The principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States.

Declaration of Independence

The document adopted on July 4, 1776, announcing the American colonies' independence from Britain and asserting their natural rights.

Lexington & Concord

The first battles of the American Revolutionary War in 1775, where colonial militia clashed with British troops.

Paul Revere

A patriot known for his midnight ride to warn of British troop movements before the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Bunker Hill

A significant battle in 1775 early in the American Revolutionary War, fought on Breed's Hill near Boston.

Saratoga

A crucial American victory in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War, often considered the turning point of the war.

Yorktown

The site of the final major battle of the American Revolutionary War in 1781, where British General Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces.

Prohibitory Act 1775

A British law passed in response to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, which declared the American colonies to be in open rebellion.

Absolute monarch

A ruler with unlimited power and authority, not bound by a constitution or laws.

Treaty of Paris 1783

The treaty that officially ended the American Revolutionary War, recognized American independence, and established new boundaries.

Loyalists (Tories)

American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War.

Minutemen

Colonial militia members who were prepared to respond quickly to threats during the American Revolutionary War.

Continentals

The soldiers of the American Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Valley Forge

A winter encampment in 1777-1778 where the American Continental Army faced harsh conditions and training under General George Washington.

Republican Motherhood

An 18th-century belief that women should be educated to instill civic virtues in their children and contribute to the success of the new republic.

Abigail Adams

The wife of John Adams, known for her advocacy for women's rights and her letters that provided insight into the American Revolutionary period.

Land Ordinance of 1785

A law that established a system for surveying and selling western lands in the United States, promoting westward expansion.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Legislation that created a system for admitting new states to the Union and prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, which established a weak central government and was later replaced by the U.S. Constitution.

Shays's Rebellion

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

Federalists

Supporters of the U.S. Constitution who favored a strong central government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the U.S. Constitution who were concerned about the concentration of power in the federal government.

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of the U.S. Constitution.

Constitutional Convention

The gathering in Philadelphia in 1787 where the U.S. Constitution was drafted.

Mount Vernon Conference

A 1785 meeting between Virginia and Maryland to discuss navigation and trade issues, a precursor to the Constitutional Convention.

Annapolis Convention

A 1786 meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, that led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority (the federal government) and regional governments (the states).

Separation of powers

The division of governmental responsibilities among different branches to prevent the concentration of power in one branch.

Checks and balances

A system in which each branch of government has the power to limit or check the actions of the other branches.

Virginia Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a strong central government with representation based on a state's population.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a more equal representation of states in the legislature.

Connecticut Plan; Great Compromise

A compromise at the Constitutional Convention that created a bicameral legislature with both proportional and equal representation.

Senate

One of the two houses of the U.S. Congress, with equal representation for each state.

House of Representatives

One of the two houses of the U.S. Congress, with representation based on a state's population.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement at the Constitutional Convention that counted three-fifths of the slave population for both representation in the House of Representatives and taxation.

Commercial Compromise

An agreement at the Constitutional Convention that allowed Congress to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, preventing trade disputes among the states.

Electoral College System

The method by which the President of the United States is elected, involving electors chosen by each state.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee individual rights and freedoms.

National bank

A central bank proposed by Alexander Hamilton to manage the country's finances and stabilize the economy.

Supreme Court

The highest court in the federal judiciary system of the United States, responsible for interpreting the Constitution and federal law.

Federal courts

The system of courts in the United States below the Supreme Court, including district courts and appellate courts.

Judiciary Act (1789)

An act passed by Congress that established the federal court system and the office of the Attorney General.

Federalist Party

A political party founded by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams, which supported a strong federal government.

Democratic-Republican Party

A political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, which favored limited government and states' rights.

Two-term tradition

A tradition established by George Washington, where Presidents voluntarily limit themselves to serving no more than two terms.

Farewell Address

A farewell message by President George Washington, warning against foreign entanglements and political parties.

"Permanent alliances"

A phrase from Washington's Farewell Address, advising against long-term political or military alliances with other nations.

Alien and Sedition Acts

A series of laws passed in 1798 that allowed the government to imprison or deport foreigners and restrict freedom of speech and the press.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

Documents drafted by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, asserting the states' rights to nullify unconstitutional federal laws.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

A decisive battle in 1794 where American forces defeated Native American tribes in the Ohio Valley, leading to the Treaty of Greenville.

Treaty of Greenville

An agreement in 1795 that ended hostilities between the United States and Native American tribes in the Ohio Valley.

Public Land Act 1796

Legislation that standardized the process for selling and settling public lands in the western territories.

French Revolution

A period of radical political and social upheaval in France from 1789 to 1799, with significant repercussions on global politics.

Proclamation of Neutrality 1793

A declaration by President George Washington that the United States would remain neutral in the conflict between Britain and France.

"Citizen" Genet

Edmond-Charles Genêt, a French diplomat who attempted to enlist American support for France during the French Revolution.

Jay Treaty 1794

A treaty negotiated by John Jay that resolved outstanding issues between the United States and Britain but was controversial in the United States.

Pinckney Treaty 1795

A treaty between the United States and Spain that resolved boundary and navigation disputes along the Mississippi River.

XYZ Affair

A diplomatic incident in which French agents (designated as X, Y, and Z) demanded bribes from American diplomats, leading to tensions between the United States and France.

Indian Intercourse Act

Legislation regulating interactions between American settlers and Native American tribes in the newly acquired western territories.

Eli Whitney

An American inventor known for inventing the cotton gin, which revolutionized cotton production in the South.

Cotton Gin

A machine invented by Eli Whitney that automated the process of removing seeds from cotton, making cotton production more profitable.