Early American History and the American Revolution

Flashcards covering key figures, events, laws, and concepts from the American Revolution through the early republic and antebellum period.

Stamp Act

A 1765 British law that placed the first direct tax on the colonies, taxing newspapers, legal documents, and printed materials, which led colonists to protest 'No taxation without representation' and increased tensions.

Boston Massacre

A 1770 incident in Boston where British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists; Patriot leaders used it as propaganda, increasing anti-British sentiment.

Frederick, Lord North

The British prime minister during the Revolution who backed colonial taxes, supported Parliament's policies, worked closely with King George III, and became associated with British control of America.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest organized by the Sons of Liberty in which colonists opposed the Tea Act by dumping tea into Boston Harbor, leading directly to the Intolerable Acts.

Coercive (Intolerable) Acts

British acts passed following the Boston Tea Party that closed Boston Harbor, increased British control of Massachusetts, angered colonists throughout America, and encouraged colonial unity.

Thomas Gage

The British military governor of Massachusetts who was tasked with enforcing British laws, ordered troops to seize colonial supplies, was involved in Lexington and Concord, and helped trigger the Revolutionary War.

Quebec Act

A 1774 act passed by Parliament that expanded Quebec's territory and granted religious freedom to Catholics, which alarmed Protestant colonists and was seen as British favoritism.

Battle of Lexington

The first armed conflict of the Revolutionary War, fought on April 19, 1775, featuring the 'shot heard around the world' as colonial militia faced British troops.

Battle of Concord

A battle fought directly after Lexington where colonists successfully resisted British forces searching for colonial weapons, forcing the British to retreat to Boston and demonstrating colonial military potential.

Olive Branch Petition

A 1775 petition sent to King George III representing the last attempt at reconciliation; it expressed colonial loyalty to Britain, but was rejected by the king, making independence more likely.

Common Sense

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine and published in 1776 that criticized monarchy, argued for independence, and convinced many colonists to support revolution.

Thomas Jefferson

The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, advocate of natural rights, third U.S. president, purchaser of Louisiana from France, and influencer of American democratic ideals.

John Burgoyne

A British general in the Revolutionary War who led an invasion from Canada, was defeated at Saratoga, and surrendered thousands of troops, which encouraged French support for America.

Battle of Saratoga

A 1777 American victory that defeated Burgoyne's army, marked the turning point of the war, convinced France to join the war, and greatly improved American chances of victory.

Horatio Gates

An American general and rival of George Washington who was associated with the Saratoga victory and received credit for defeating Burgoyne.

Benedict Arnold

An American officer during the Revolution who helped win Saratoga but later plotted with the British, tried to surrender West Point, and became America's most famous traitor.

Marquis de Lafayette

A French nobleman and officer who assisted Washington's army, strongly supported liberty, helped secure French aid, and served as an important symbol of the French-American alliance.

Baron von Steuben

A Prussian military officer who trained soldiers at Valley Forge, introduced European drill methods, improved military discipline, and strengthened the Continental Army.

Charles, Lord Cornwallis

A leading British general who commanded British operations in the South, became trapped at Yorktown, and surrendered in 1781, effectively ending the war.

Battle of Yorktown

The final major battle of the Revolution in 1781, where combined American and French forces trapped Lord Cornwallis and forced his surrender, leading to American independence.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. government, which created a weak national government where states held most power and Congress lacked the power to tax, leading eventually to the Constitution.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A law that governed western lands, established an orderly process for statehood, and banned slavery north of the Ohio River.

Daniel Shays

A Revolutionary War veteran who led Shays' Rebellion to protest debt and taxes; the revolt was halted by state militia and demonstrated the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments added to the Constitution in 1791, designed to protect individual freedoms, limit government power, and secure support for ratification.

Alexander Hamilton

The first secretary of the treasury and a strong Federalist leader who favored a strong central government, created economic programs, and helped build national credit.

Federalists

A political group that supported the Constitution, favored a strong national government and business interests, included Hamilton and Adams, and secured ratification of the Constitution.

Judiciary Act of 1789

An act that established the federal court system, structured the Supreme Court, defined lower federal courts, expanded judicial authority, and helped organize the federal government.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

A 1794 battle in which U.S. forces led by General Anthony Wayne defeated a Native confederation, opening the Northwest Territory and leading to the Treaty of Greenville.

Whiskey Rebellion

A protest in Pennsylvania where farmers resisted a federal tax on whiskey until George Washington dispatched troops, proving the authority of the federal government.

Napoleon Bonaparte

The French military ruler during the early 1800s who needed money for wars, sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States, and influenced American expansion.

Alien and Sedition Acts

A series of 1798 laws supported by Federalists that restricted immigrants, punished criticism of the government, and ignited debates over civil liberties.

John Marshall

A Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who served over three decades, strengthening federal power, expanding Court authority, and serving as an influential constitutional interpreter.

Marbury v. Madison

An 1803 Supreme Court case involving judicial appointments, decided by John Marshall, that established the principle of judicial review and expanded Supreme Court authority.

Louisiana Purchase

An 1803 land deal negotiated under Thomas Jefferson in which the U.S. purchased territory from France for $\$15\text{ million}$, doubling U.S. land area and encouraging westward expansion.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

An expedition commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Territory, map western lands, study plants and animals, and encourage settlement.

Impressment

The British practice of seizing sailors and forcing them into the British Navy, violating American rights and serving as a major cause of the War of 1812.

Leopard-Chesapeake Incident

An 1807 confrontation where a British warship attacked an American vessel, killing or wounding several Americans and seizing sailors, which fueled calls for war.

James Madison

The fourth U.S. president and 'Father of the Constitution' who supported the declaration of war and led the nation through the War of 1812.

War Hawks

Young congressional leaders led by Henry Clay who defended national honor, advocated war against Great Britain, and pressured President Madison to take military action.

Andrew Jackson

A military leader who won the Battle of New Orleans, became a national hero symbolizing frontier leadership, and later served as president.

Francis Scott Key

The observer of the Fort McHenry attack who was inspired by the American defense to write a patriotic poem that became the national anthem and symbolized American nationalism.

Tecumseh

A Shawnee chief who organized a Native confederation to oppose U.S. expansion, allied with Great Britain, and was killed during the War of 1812.

Treaty of Ghent

The 1814 treaty that ended the War of 1812, restored prewar territorial boundaries, and improved relations with Britain, though it left impressment unaddressed.

Battle of New Orleans

A major 1815 American victory led by Andrew Jackson that occurred after the peace treaty had been signed, substantially increasing national pride.

James Monroe

The fifth U.S. president (serving from 1817 to 1825) who oversaw national growth, was associated with the Era of Good Feelings, and issued the Monroe Doctrine.

Era of Good Feelings

A post-War of 1812 era characterized by national unity, a decline in partisan conflict, and rising nationalism, though underlying political divisions persisted.

Adams-Onís Treaty

An 1819 treaty in which Spain ceded Florida to the United States, settled boundary disputes, expanded American territory, and strengthened U.S. authority in the Southeast.

Monroe Doctrine

A major U.S. foreign policy announced in 1823 that warned European powers against further colonization and interference in the Americas, protecting Western Hemisphere interests.

Missouri Compromise

An 1820 agreement admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state while establishing the $36^\circ 30'$ line to regulate slavery and temporarily relieve sectional tensions.

Henry Clay

A Kentucky political figure known as the 'Great Compromiser' who led the War Hawks and helped construct the Missouri Compromise.

John C. Calhoun

A South Carolina statesman, vice president, and prominent Southern spokesman who defended slavery and advocated for states' rights.

John Quincy Adams

The sixth U.S. president, skilled diplomat, and son of John Adams who won the 1824 election and faced political controversy during his administration.

Corrupt Bargain

A controversy resulting from the 1824 election when Henry Clay backed John Quincy Adams, leading the House of Representatives to elect Adams and prompting Jackson supporters to claim corruption.

Cotton Gin

A machine invented in 1793 that separated seeds from cotton fibers, dramatically increasing cotton production, expanding Southern agriculture, and making slavery more profitable.

Eli Whitney

An American inventor who created the cotton gin, revolutionizing cotton production and fueling greater demand for enslaved labor.

Amistad

An 1839 revolt on a slave ship where enslaved Africans seized control before being captured near the U.S. coast; the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the captives in a landmark antislavery case.

Nat Turner

An enslaved preacher who led an 1831 rebellion in Virginia that resulted in dozens of deaths and provoked the passage of stricter slave codes.