APUSH Period 3 Vocabulary (1754–1800)

Flashcards covering the Top 75 key vocabulary terms, historical events, documents, and figures for APUSH Period 3 (1754–1800).

What was the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War)?

The 1754–1763 war in North America between Britain and France, with Native American allies on both sides. Britain won, but the war left Britain deeply in debt.

What was the Albany Plan of Union (1754)?

Benjamin Franklin's proposal for the colonies to cooperate under a central colonial government for defense and other shared needs, which was ultimately not adopted.

What was Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)?

A Native American resistance movement against British expansion into the Great Lakes region after the French and Indian War.

What did the Proclamation of 1763 order?

A British order that restricted colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to reduce conflict with Native peoples.

What were the main terms of the Treaty of Paris (1763)?

The treaty that ended the French and Indian War; France lost most of its mainland North American territory, while Britain gained Canada and expanded its control.

What was the Sugar Act (1764)?

A British tax and enforcement law on sugar and other imports designed partly to raise revenue from the American colonies.

What was the Stamp Act (1765)?

A direct British tax requiring a stamp on many printed materials, including newspapers, legal documents, and licenses.

What was the Stamp Act Congress?

A meeting of colonial representatives in 1765 that petitioned Britain and declared that colonists could not be taxed without their consent.

What was the role of the Sons & Daughters of Liberty?

Colonial resistance groups that organized protests, boycotts, and pressure against British taxation and policies.

What did the Declaratory Act (1766) declare?

A British law stating that Parliament had the authority to make laws for the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever,' passed as the Stamp Act was repealed.

What were the Townshend Acts (1767)?

Taxes and regulations placed on imported goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea, along with stronger enforcement.

What occurred during the Boston Massacre (1770)?

A confrontation in Boston in which British soldiers fired on a crowd, killing five colonists.

What was the purpose of the Committees of Correspondence?

Networks that allowed colonial leaders to communicate about British policies and coordinate resistance.

What was the Boston Tea Party (1773)?

A protest in which colonists boarded ships and destroyed tea rather than accept Parliament's tea tax and monopoly arrangements.

What were the Coercive / Intolerable Acts (1774)?

British laws punishing Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party, including closing Boston Harbor and increasing British control.

What were the main provisions of the Quebec Act (1774)?

British law expanding Quebec's territory and recognizing Catholic practices and French civil law there.

What was the First Continental Congress (1774)?

A meeting of colonial delegates that coordinated a response to the Intolerable Acts and called for resistance and a boycott.

What were the Suffolk Resolves?

Resolutions from Massachusetts urging resistance to the Coercive Acts and supporting local military preparedness.

What happened at Lexington and Concord (1775)?

The first major armed clashes of the American Revolution, when British troops attempted to seize colonial military supplies.

What was the function of the Second Continental Congress (1775)?

Congress that managed the Revolutionary War effort, created the Continental Army, and eventually moved toward independence.

What was the Olive Branch Petition?

A final 1775 appeal from the Continental Congress asking King George III to restore peace while the colonies remained loyal.

What was argued in Thomas Paine's Common Sense (1776)?

A widely read pamphlet arguing that the colonies should break completely from Britain and become independent.

What principle is emphasized in the Declaration of Independence (1776)?

Document announcing that the colonies were independent states and explaining that governments derive legitimacy from the people and must protect rights.

What was John Locke's Social Contract theory?

Locke argued that people possess natural rights and that government exists through the consent of the governed; people can change a government that violates those rights.

What was the difference between Patriots and Loyalists (Tories)?

Patriots supported independence and resistance to Britain; Loyalists remained loyal to the British crown.

Why was the Battle of Saratoga (1777) significant?

It was a major American victory over Britain that helped convince France that the American cause could succeed.

What was the Franco-American Alliance (1778)?

An alliance in which France formally supported the American Revolution with military and financial assistance against Britain.

What happened at Valley Forge?

The Continental Army's difficult winter encampment in Pennsylvania in 1777–1778, associated with shortages, hardship, and military training.

What was the outcome of the Battle of Yorktown (1781)?

American and French forces trapped and defeated British forces under Cornwallis, effectively ending major fighting in the Revolution.

What were the terms of the Treaty of Paris (1783)?

Treaty that formally ended the American Revolution and recognized the United States as independent.

What were the Articles of Confederation?

The first national government of the United States, creating a weak central government with most power remaining in the states.

What did the Land Ordinance of 1785 establish?

Law establishing a system for surveying and selling western lands in a regular grid of townships and sections.

What were the primary outcomes of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

Law creating a process for governing western territories and admitting new states; it also prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory.

What was Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787)?

An armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers protesting debt, taxes, and foreclosures; it exposed weaknesses in the Articles government.

What was the Annapolis Convention (1786)?

A meeting of delegates from several states that called for a larger convention to address weaknesses in interstate trade and the Articles of Confederation.

What was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention (1787)?

A meeting in Philadelphia that produced the U.S. Constitution after delegates decided to replace rather than simply revise the Articles.

How did the Virginia Plan differ from the New Jersey Plan?

The Virginia Plan favored representation based on population, while the New Jersey Plan favored equal representation for each state.

What was agreed upon in the Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)?

Agreement creating a two-house Congress: House representation based on population and Senate representation equal for every state.

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?

An agreement that counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation and direct taxation.

What was the Slave Trade Compromise?

A constitutional agreement preventing Congress from banning the international slave trade until 1808 while allowing a tax on imported enslaved people.

How does the Electoral College system work?

A constitutional system in which states choose electors who formally select the president.

What is the system of Separation of Powers & Checks and Balances?

A system dividing federal power among legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with each branch able to limit the others.

Who were the Federalists during the ratification debates?

Supporters of the Constitution who favored a stronger national government and worked for ratification.

Who were the Anti-Federalists?

Opponents of the Constitution who feared a strong national government could threaten liberty and state authority.

What were The Federalist Papers?

Essays written mainly by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay defending the Constitution and encouraging ratification.

What was the main argument of Federalist No. 10?

James Madison's essay arguing that a large republic can control the dangers created by competing factions.

What key concept is explained in Federalist No. 51?

An essay explaining why government should be structured so that branches check one another and ambition counteracts ambition.

What is the Bill of Rights (1791)?

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting individual liberties and limiting federal power.

What precedents were established during George Washington's Presidency?

Precedents for the new federal government, including the cabinet, neutrality, and a peaceful transfer of power.

What was accomplished by the Judiciary Act of 1789?

A law organizing the federal court system and creating lower federal courts under the Constitution.

What were the components of Alexander Hamilton's Financial Plan?

A program to strengthen the national government through federal assumption of state debts, funding the national debt, tariffs, and a national bank.

What was the Bank of the United States (BUS)?

A national bank proposed by Hamilton to hold government funds, support credit, and strengthen the national financial system.

What is the difference between Strict and Loose Constructionism?

Strict constructionists interpreted federal powers narrowly; loose constructionists interpreted the Constitution more broadly to allow implied powers.

What was the significance of the Whiskey Rebellion (1794)?

Western Pennsylvania farmers resisted a federal tax on whiskey; Washington used federal troops to enforce the law, demonstrating federal power under the Constitution.

What was the Democratic-Republican Party?

A political party associated with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison that favored limited federal power, agriculture, and strict interpretation of the Constitution.

What was the Federalist Party?

A political party associated with Hamilton and Washington-era leaders that favored a stronger national government, commerce, and a broader interpretation of federal power.

What was the Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)?

Washington's declaration that the United States would remain neutral in the war between Britain and revolutionary France.

What was Jay's Treaty (1794)?

An agreement with Britain that resolved some post-Revolution disputes but was controversial because many Americans thought it favored Britain.

What were the terms of Pinckney's Treaty (1795)?

A treaty with Spain giving Americans access to the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans while establishing the Florida boundary.

What were the primary warnings in Washington's Farewell Address (1796)?

Washington's final public address warning against permanent foreign alliances and intense political factionalism.

What was the XYZ Affair (1797–1798)?

A diplomatic crisis in which French intermediaries demanded payments before negotiating with U.S. diplomats, provoking American anger.

What was the Quasi-War (1798–1800)?

An undeclared naval conflict between the United States and France fought mainly at sea.

What were the Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)?

Federal laws that increased government power over immigrants and restricted certain forms of criticism of the federal government.

What was argued in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798–1799)?

Resolutions arguing that states could challenge federal actions they believed exceeded constitutional authority.

Why is the Election of 1800 called the 'Revolution of 1800'?

It was an election in which Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams, producing the first peaceful transfer of national political power between rival parties.

What was the concept of Republican Motherhood?

The idea that women should raise educated, virtuous citizens for the new republic, giving women an important civic role through motherhood and education.

Who was Abigail Adams?

A prominent early American woman who urged attention to women's rights and education while participating in public political discussion through her letters.

Who was Mercy Otis Warren?

A writer and political thinker who supported the Patriot cause and criticized British rule and later political developments.

What was the significance of the Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)?

A U.S. victory over a Native confederacy in the Ohio region that opened much of the Old Northwest to U.S. settlement.

What was agreed to in the Treaty of Greenville (1795)?

A treaty in which Native nations ceded much of present-day Ohio and other lands to the United States after Fallen Timbers.

Who were the Paxton Boys (1763)?

A group of Pennsylvania settlers who attacked Native Americans during frontier conflict and protested what they saw as inadequate colonial protection.

What was the Regulator Movement?

A colonial backcountry movement protesting corrupt or unfair local government, taxes, and fees, especially in North Carolina.

What did the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 require?

Federal law requiring the return of escaped enslaved people and imposing penalties on those who helped them escape.

How did Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin (1793) impact the American economy?

Whitney's cotton gin made it much faster to separate seeds from short-staple cotton, helping cotton production expand and increasing demand for enslaved labor.

Who was Benjamin Banneker?

An African American scientist, mathematician, and writer who challenged racial assumptions and participated in early American intellectual life.