APUSH Unit 3.4-3.12 Must Know Terms

John Locke

John Locke

WHAT: philosopher and political theorist who advocated for the idea of a social contract

SIG: Had great influence on the spread of enlightenment ideas in the american colonies which contributed to the motivation for the American Revolution

Social contract

WHAT: The idea created by John Locke & Jean-Jacques Rousseau that there is a natural agreement among people to form a government to promote liberty and equality

SIG: Had a profound influence on educated Americans and sharply challenged their faith in monarchies’ divine right to rule

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

WHAT: A philosopher, writer, and composer who created the social contract theory

SIG: His ideas had a big influence on americans and inspired the American revolution

Thomas Paine

WHAT: American Founding Father, inventor, and political philosopher who wrote Common Sense

SIG:

• Was the first person to promote and spread the idea of independence for the common people of America in Common Sense.

• It directly attacked King George III & monarchy by claiming it is contrary to common sense for such a large territory to be controlled by small Britain's corrupt and unreasonable government.

Olive Branch Petition

WHAT: A petition to King George III that pledged loyalty and asked him to intercede with parliament to secure peace and protection of colonies’ rights.

SIG:

• Angrily dismissed by King George

• ultimately led to the prohibitory Act that declared the colonies were in rebellion

• which led parliament to forbid trade & shipping between Britain and the colonies.

Thomas Jefferson

WHAT: Anti-federalist, secretary of state for George Washington’s cabinet of advisors who argued against Hamilton’s national bank and for French support against Britain

SIG: Primarily wrote the Declaration of Independence, and later led the Democratic-Republic party

Battles of Lexington and Concord

WHAT: British troops were sent to seize military supplies and destroyed them in Concord but were forced to surrender because colonial militia attacked them

SIG:

• first battle of the American Revolution

• politically disastrous for the British

• persuaded many Americans to take up arms and support the cause of independence;

• known as the “shot heard around the world”

Minutemen

WHAT: small hand-picked elite force which were required to be highly mobile and able to assemble quickly

SIG: enabled the colonies to respond immediately to military threats

Republican Motherhood

WHAT: A new view of women’s roles in colonial society to be to educate their children about republican ideals

SIG: Although this role only changed in private spheres, it allowed for women to be more involved in politics

Abigail Adams

WHAT: The second woman to serve as first lady of the US, wife and close advisor to John Adams

SIG: An early advocate for women’s rights and opposed slavery, made efforts to convince her husband to “remember the ladies”

Land Ordinance of 1785

WHAT: A federal system that organized and sold land in the Ohio River valley

SIG: Used profit from land to fund public education, an accomplishment under the Articles of Confederation, solved the dispute between state and federal government over land

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

WHAT: A federal system to admit new states into the U.S. (the requirement being 60,000 male settlers) and banned slavery in the Ohio River Valley

SIG: established the pattern by which the rest of the West would be settled and one of the first efforts to decrease slavery

Shay’s Rebellion

WHAT: Led by Captain Daniel Shays, an uprising against state taxes, imprisonment for debt, and lack of paper money

SIG: Showed how weak the federal government under the AOC was, led to the first continental congress to create the US constitution in replace of it

Federalists

WHAT: Supporters of a strong central government to maintain order and preserve the US through the Constitution

SIG: Shaped and laid the foundation of the ideology and beliefs behind one of the first political parties (federalists)

Anti-Federalists

WHAT: Supporters of state rights that opposed the Constitution and argued it would destroy the work of the Revolution and limit democracy

SIG: Shaped and laid the foundation of the ideology and beliefs behind one of the first political parties (the democratic-republicans), proposed the Bill of Rights to be added to the constitution

Federalism

WHAT: a system where political power is divided between a central (national) government and smaller government units called states or provinces

SIG: what federalists advocated for America’s government system to be, believed it was key to the nation’s survival

The Federalist Papers

WHAT: A series of persuasive essays by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay

SIG: Presented cogent reasons to believe in the practicality of each major provision of the Constitution

Virginia Plan

WHAT: Proposed by James Madison, a bicameral (or two house) legislature in which states' votes depended on their population.

SIG: favored large states over small ones, showed one side of the argument of how states should be represented in government

New Jersey Plan

WHAT: Proposed by William Paterson, called for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state

SIG: favored small states over large ones, showed one side of the argument of how states should be represented in government

The Great Compromise

WHAT: Proposed by Roger Sherman, established a bicameral legislature consisting of a senate with equal representation across states and a house of representatives with proportional representation

SIG: Was adopted, settled the representation argument by creating a balance between proportional and general representation

Three-Fifths Compromise

WHAT: Considered three out of every five slaves to be a citizen in regards to state taxes and representation

SIG: Showed the constitution’s adaptability by settling the argument of if slaves should count toward state population

Separation of Powers

WHAT: Separated power of the federal government into a legislative, judicial, and executive branch

SIG: Allows for a system of check and balances to keep the federal government abusing its powers

Bill of Rights

WHAT: A series of 10 amendments added to the constitution describing state and individual rights

SIG: Settled debate about the constitution being too strong of a central government by creating a balance between state and federal powers, protected liberties and freedoms

Amendments

WHAT: A modification interwoven into the relevant sections of the constitution

SIG: Could be added the the constitution when federal and state debates were made, makes the constitution adaptable to different situations

National Bank

WHAT: Part of Hamilton’s financial plan that allowed the federal government to deposit government funds and print bank notes

SIG: Created a national currency, centralized fiscal policy, stabilized the economy, and handled government revenues. Hamilton used the "necessary and proper" clause (AKA elastic clause) to justify the bank’s constitutionality, leading to an interpretation of the Constitution that allowed implied powers for the federal government.

Judiciary Act 1789

WHAT: Enacted by congress, it established a supreme court with 1 chief justice and 5 associative justices plus a system for 13 district courts

SIG: one of the first acts of the First Congress, established the federal court system separate from individual state courts

Washington’s Farewell Address

WHAT: A speech by Washington for the end of his presidency that advised American should not be involved in European affairs, make permanent alliances, form political parties, or fall into sectionalism

SIG: Washington’s prestige had a big influence on America which led other presidents to take his advice into consideration, established the two-term tradition that every president until Roosevelt followed

Alien and Sedition Acts

WHAT: Put in place by John Adams, it illegalized newspaper criticism of the president or congress with the punishment being fines and imprisonment. It also made the process for immigrants of becoming a citizen harder and more lengthy

SIG: Angered the democratic republicans as it violated the 1st amendment of free speech

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

WHAT: Written by Thomas Jefferson (kentucky) and James Madison (virginia), declared states entered a compact in forming national government and thus could nullify federal laws

SIG: Challenged legislation by enacting nullifying laws in state legislatures, it set up an argument and rationale used in nullification controversy

Proclamation of Neutrality

WHAT: a formal announcement issued by George Washington that declared the nation neutral in the conflict between revolutionary France and Great Britain because the US was not strong enough for war.

SIG: Resisted clamor in American society over French and Britain affairs, led to Jefferson’s resignation from the cabinet

Citizen Genet

WHAT: Edmund Genet, a french minister to the US broke all rules to diplomacy by appealing to Americans to support France in war

SIG: Because of his outrageous conduct, the United States established a set of procedures governing neutrality

Pinckney Treaty

WHAT: A negotiation with Thomas Pinckney opened the Mississippi River and New orleans to american trade and established the 31st parallel as the boundary for Spanish florida

SIG: Important diplomatic success for the US and resolved territorial disputes between Spain and the US

XYZ Affair

WHAT: The 1st major challenge under John Adams’ presidency brought on by the French Revolution, unknown french ministers requested bribes to enter negotiating the French seizure of American ships which America refused

SIG: Angered americans greatly through newspaper reports and called for war against France, Adams handled without war but sent ministers to paris

Cotton Gin

WHAT: An invention by Eli Whitney that separates cotton fibers from their seeds

SIG: increased the efficiency and productivity of cotton production, ultimately led to an increased demand for slaves in southern states