APUSH flashcards

French and Indian War

1754–1763 conflict between Britain and France in North America, leading to British victory but massive debt.

George Washington

First President, led colonial militia in French and Indian War, commanded Continental Army, and presided over Continental Congress.

Benjamin Franklin

Founding Father, inventor, and U.S. Ambassador to France, signed Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

Albany Plan of Union

Benjamin Franklin's proposal during French and Indian War for colonial confederation, rejected due to central power concerns.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Ended French and Indian War, granting British Canada and Florida, removing France from North America.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

18-month conflict led by Chief Pontiac against British settlers, resulting in Proclamation of 1763.

Proclamation of 1763

Barred American colonists from settling west of Appalachian Mountains after Pontiac’s Rebellion.

Currency Act

1764 law limiting colonial paper money to protect British merchants.

Sugar Act

1764 law raising taxes on sweeteners to pay off French and Indian War debt.

Stamp Act

1765 law taxing colonial paper, leading to protests and Stamp Act Congress.

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

Patriot groups protesting British policies through intimidation and boycotts.

Boston Massacre

1770 incident where British troops killed five Bostonians, fueling anti-British sentiment.

Tea Act

1773 law lowering tea prices but resisted by colonists, leading to Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party

Colonists' protest against Tea Act, dumping tea into Boston Harbor, resulting in Intolerable Acts.

Declaration of Independence

Document declaring U.S. independence from Britain, reflecting Enlightenment philosophy and natural rights.

Patriots

Activists for independence from the British Empire, mostly young New Englanders and Virginians who volunteered for the Continental Army without pay.

Tories

British political party led by Lord North, lost power to the Whigs after the British defeat at the Siege of Yorktown.

Benedict Arnold

American Revolutionary War general known for defection to the British, synonymous with treason.

Battle of Saratoga

Two battles in 1777 where U.S. forces led by Gates and Arnold defeated British forces, leading to French aid and reshaping the war.

Whigs

British political party that negotiated peace terms with the colonists, distinct from the later American party.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Ended the American Revolutionary War, recognized the U.S. as independent, set boundaries, and promised to repay debts to British merchants.

Miami Confederacy

Alliance of American Indian tribes resisting U.S. expansion in the Northwest Indian War.

Little Turtle

War chief of the Miami Confederacy, led troops to victory at St. Clair’s Defeat.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

Final battle of the Northwest Indian War, led to the Treaty of Greenville.

John Locke

British philosopher advocating natural rights and rebellion against oppressive governments.

John Adams

Second U.S. President, lobbied for independence, signed Alien and Sedition Acts.

Separation of powers

Concept dividing government power into branches to balance and check each other.

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. constitution favoring states' rights, replaced by the Constitution after Shays’ Rebellion.

Supermajority

Majority greater than half, typically two-thirds.

Land Ordinance of 1785

Established Public Land Survey System for land purchase and public education funding.

Northwest Ordinance of 1785

Guideline for statehood, banned slavery in the Midwest.

Daniel Shays

Led Shays’ Rebellion demanding tax relief.

Constitutional Convention

Meeting in 1787 to draft the U.S. Constitution, led to the Connecticut Compromise.

James Madison

“Father of the Constitution,” co-founder of the Democratic-Republican Party.

Alexander Hamilton

First Secretary of the Treasury, favored strong central government, led to the Whiskey Rebellion.

Electoral College

Compromise for electing the president at the Constitutional Convention.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Counted enslaved persons as three-fifths of a person at the Constitutional Convention.

Ratification

Official approval of a law or treaty, crucial for the U.S. Constitution.

Federalists

Supported central government, included Washington, Franklin, and Hamilton.

Anti-Federalists

Wary of centralization, contributed to the Bill of Rights.

John Marshall

Fourth Chief Justice, established judicial review.

Bill of Rights

First 10 Amendments securing individual rights, influenced by Anti-Federalists.

Henry Knox

Secretary of War under Washington, reorganized military after St. Clair’s Defeat.

Judiciary Act of 1789

Established the structure of the Judiciary Branch, including the Supreme Court.

Marbury v

1803 ruling establishing judicial review.

Bank of the United States

National bank proposed by Alexander Hamilton, opposed by Thomas Jefferson.

Democratic-Republicans

Political party founded by Anti-Federalists and agrarian interests, championing states’ rights and the common man, later evolving into the modern Democratic Party.

French Revolution

Period of upheaval (1789–1799) in France leading to the overthrow of the monarchy, establishment of a republic, and rise of Napoleon, spreading republicanism and Enlightenment ideas.

Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793

Declaration of neutrality in conflicts between Britain and France post-French Revolution, supported by Washington and Hamilton, opposed by Jefferson and Madison.

Jay’s Treaty

1794 treaty negotiated by John Jay and shaped by Hamilton, addressing American economic goals and granting trading status to Britain, angering Democratic-Republicans and the French.

Pinckney���s Treaty

1796 treaty between the U.S. and Spain settling boundary and navigation rights along the Mississippi River and at the Port of New Orleans.

Farewell Address

1797 letter by George Washington advising neutrality in European affairs, avoidance of alliances, and refraining from forming political parties.

XYZ Affair

1797 scandal involving French agents X, Y, and Z demanding bribes from American diplomats, leading to the Quasi-War.

Alien and Sedition Acts

1789 laws increasing residency requirement for citizenship and criminalizing false statements critical of the government, aimed at silencing Democratic-Republicans.

Kentucky Resolution

Response to Alien and Sedition Acts asserting states’ power to overrule federal law, setting a precedent for nullification.

Virginia Resolution

Response to Alien and Sedition Acts asserting states’ power to overrule federal law, setting a precedent for nullification.

Federalists

Early political party supporting a strong central government, including leaders like Washington, Franklin, and Hamilton.

Thomas Jefferson

Third President known for the Louisiana Purchase and adherence to both strict and loose interpretations of the Constitution.

Electoral College

Group of electors deciding the president and vice-president based on electoral votes, with the possibility of winning the electoral college but losing the popular vote.

Aaron Burr

Third Vice President involved in the duel with Alexander Hamilton and later tried for treason.

Alexander Hamilton

Founding Father, co-author of the Federalist Papers, and key figure in the Election of 1800.

Louisiana Territory

Land purchased from France in 1803 by Jefferson, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Hudson Bay.

Marshall Court

Term referring to the Supreme Court during John Marshall’s tenure, known for establishing judicial review.

Midnight judges

Judges appointed by Adams at the end of his term to pack the judiciary with Federalists.

James Madison

Fourth President and Democratic-Republican who negotiated the Louisiana Purchase and led during the War of 1812.

Marbury v

1803 Supreme Court ruling establishing judicial review and overturning a clause in the Judiciary Act of 1789.

Impeachment

The process of a legislative body removing a government official from their appointed office, often confused with successful removal.

Samuel Chase

A Supreme Court justice impeached by the House but not removed by the Senate due to lack of evidence of "high crimes and misdemeanors."

Partisan

A supporter of a political figure or cause, leading to biased actions. See:Samuel Chase.

Twelfth Amendment

Ratified in 1804, it changed the Electoral College to elect the president and vice president as a unified ticket.

Essex Junto

Radical Federalists plotting New England secession, involving Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.

John Randolph

Virginia planter who founded the Quids, a conservative wing of the Democratic-Republican party.

Yazoo land scandal

Real estate fraud case in Georgia leading to a schism within the Democratic-Republican party.

Tripolitan War

Conflict between the U.S. Navy and Mediterranean pirates, also known as the First Barbary War.

Napoleonic Wars

European conflicts between 1803 and 1815, influencing the War of 1812 in North America.

USS Chesapeake

Incident in 1807 where a British ship attacked an American vessel, leading to the Embargo Act of 1807.

Embargo Act of 1807

Passed in response to British and French harassment of American shipping, repealed in 1809.

Non-Intercourse Act of 1809

Replaced the Embargo Act, allowing trade with foreign nations except Britain and France.

War hawks

Pro-war activists like Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun who pushed for the War of 1812.

Battle of Tippecanoe

Conflict in 1811 between American forces and Tecumseh's Confederacy, led by Governor William Henry Harrison.

War of 1812

Fought between the U.S. and Britain from 1812 to 1815, known as the Second War of Independence.

Fort McHenry

Base in Baltimore involved in the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812, inspiring "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Francis Scott Key

Creator of "The Star-Spangled Banner," the U.S. national anthem.

Andrew Jackson

Seventh President known for his victory in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.

Treaty of Ghent

Ended the War of 1812 in a draw, signed on December 24, 1814, in Belgium.

Hartford Convention

Meeting of New England Federalists in 1814–1815 to discuss grievances, leading to the demise of the Federalist Party.

James Tallmadge

New York senator who proposed the Tallmadge Amendment related to slavery in Missouri.

Emancipation

The freeing of slaves, as proposed in the Tallmadge Amendment.

Missouri Compromise

Three bills proposed by Henry Clay to maintain the balance of power between slave and free states.

Era of Good Feelings

Period of national unity following the War of 1812, marked by a decline in partisanship.

John Quincy Adams

Sixth President who served from 1825–1829, known for his diverse political affiliations and opposition to slavery, notably supporting African slaves in the Amistad case.

Monroe Doctrine

U.S. foreign policy in Latin America proposed by President Monroe in 1823, advocating for nonintervention and opposing European colonization.

Tariff of 1816

Imposed a 20% duty on imported goods to protect American manufacturing, unpopular in the South due to its export-oriented economy.

Daniel Webster

U.S. senator and Secretary of State, known for his opposition to nullification and support for the Compromise of 1850.

American System

Henry Clay's plan for manufacturing, protective tariffs, and infrastructure improvements, opposed by the South due to its reliance on exports.

Second Bank of the United States

Chartered in 1816 to strengthen the central government, contributing to the Panic of 1819 and later abolished by Andrew Jackson.

Rise of the Common Man

Jacksonian Democrats' emphasis on universal male suffrage and shift towards a more democratic society by 1820.

Democrats

Modern Democratic Party founded by Andrew Jackson, supporting agrarian economy, states' rights, and the "common man."

National Republicans

Faction opposing Jacksonian Democrats, later becoming the Whig Party, advocating economic nationalism and a strong central government.

Whig Party

Formed in opposition to Jacksonian Democrats, supporting economic nationalism, infrastructure improvements, and rechartering the national bank.