G369 AP US History Unit 3: Birth Of A Republic Key Terms

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards based on Unit 3 key terms, covering the American Revolution, the Constitutional Convention, and the Federalist Era.

Baron von Steuben

A Prussian born aristocrat and military leader that assisted the American cause during the Revolutionary War by providing badly needed training to Continental Army soldiers in the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge.

Battle of Saratoga

A turning point of the Revolution in October 1777, when an army of 6,000 British soldiers surrendered in New York; this American victory convinced the French to ally with the colonies.

Battle of Yorktown

A siege that ended in October 1781 when Washington trapped 8,000 British soldiers on a peninsula in Virginia, causing the British to cease large-scale fighting and begin negotiations.

Ben Franklin

America's leading diplomat of the time who served as a statesman and advisor, helping to secure the French alliance of 1778 and the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Boston Massacre

A confrontation between British soldiers and Boston citizens in March 1770, during which troops shot and killed five colonials.

Coercive Acts (1774)

British laws passed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party; known in the colonies as the Intolerable Acts, they prompted the First Continental Congress.

Declaratory Act (1766)

Passed as the British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act; a face-saving measure asserting Parliament's sovereignty over colonial taxation and legislative policies.

George III

King of England during the American Revolution and a strong advocate for harsh policies toward the American colonies.

George Washington

Commander of the colonial army whose integrity and judgment kept the army together, making him indispensable to the colonial cause.

John Dickinson

Conservative leader who wrote Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, urged conciliation with England, opposed the Declaration of Independence, and later helped write the Articles of Confederation.

John Jay

Lead diplomat in negotiating the Treaty of Paris (1783) who secretly dealt with British representatives to achieve all American goals for independence.

John Locke

English philosopher who wrote that governments have a duty to protect people's life, liberty, and property.

Loyalists (Tories)

Colonists who remained loyal to England; typically older, better educated members of the Anglican Church.

Marquis de Lafayette

A French aristocrat and military leader who commanded troops, assisted the American cause at the Battle of Yorktown, and helped secure French aid.

Patrick Henry

An early advocate of independence, opponent of the Stamp Act, and defender of individual rights who declared in 1775, 'Give me liberty, or give me death.'

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)

An Indian uprising in the Ohio Valley region that killed 2,000 settlers, leading the British to issue the Proclamation of 1763 prohibiting settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Salutary neglect

British policy prior to 1763 of generally leaving the American colonies alone to conduct their own internal affairs.

Samuel Adams

Agitator and leader of the Sons of Liberty, primary leader of the Boston Tea Party, and delegate to the Continental Congress.

Seven Years War

War between England and France (1756-1763) over control of the Ohio River Valley; known as the French and Indian War in the colonies, its end resulted in France's withdrawal from North America.

Sons of Liberty

Street gangs formed during the Stamp Act crisis that used violence and intimidation against British officials to enforce boycotts and stop tax stamp distribution.

Stamp Act (1765)

A British tax on over fifty items including pamphlets, newspapers, cards, and dice, which colonists protested as an unlawful internal tax raised strictly for revenue.

Stamp Act Congress (1765)

A meeting in New York City of delegates from nine colonies to protest the Stamp Act through petitions and a coordinated boycott.

Sugar Act (1764)

The first attempt by Parliament to tax the colonies to raise revenue rather than regulate trade, accomplished by stiffening the Molasses Act (1733) and trying smugglers in vice-admiralty courts.

Thomas Jefferson

Lead author of the Declaration of Independence, first secretary of state, founder of the Democratic Republican Party, vice president in 1796, and president in 1800.

Thomas Paine

Author of Common Sense, an influential January 1776 pamphlet that presented a clear rationale for colonial independence from England.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxes levied on imported items such as paper, glass, and tea, which the colonists resisted as unlawful revenue-raising measures.

Virtual representation

The British concept asserting that Parliament collectively represented all English subjects regardless of location, used to justify taxing the American colonists.

Alexander Hamilton

Strong nationalist, founder of the Federalist Party, and first secretary of the treasury who advocated for a powerful central government.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Acts aimed at suppressing perceived French agents by allowing the president to deport dangerous aliens, extending residency requirements, and restricting free speech/press.

Annapolis Convention

A 1786 meeting in Maryland attended by five states to discuss interstate commerce, which led Alexander Hamilton to call for a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation.

Anti-Federalists

Individuals who opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution because they feared concentrated national government power.

Democratic Republican Party

Political party led by Thomas Jefferson that favored states' rights, agrarian interests, and ties to France while opposing Hamilton's financial plan and central authority.

Farewell Address

Presidential message where George Washington warned against entangling foreign alliances and domestic political factions, establishing a foundation for American isolationism.

Federalist Papers

A collection of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to persuade New York to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Federalist Party

Political party led by Alexander Hamilton that favored a strong national government, commercial development, Hamilton's financial plan, and close ties with Britain.

Federalists

Individuals who supported the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Great Compromise

Constitutional Convention agreement establishing a bicameral Congress: representation based on population in the lower house and equal state representation in the upper house.

James Madison

Nationalist leader who organized the Annapolis Convention, authored the Virginia Plan, drafted the Bill of Rights, and co-founded the Democratic Republican Party.

Jay’s Treaty (1794)

An agreement where Britain agreed to evacuate Great Lakes forts and open parts of the West Indies to U.S. ships, while the U.S. agreed to pay pre-Revolutionary debts.

Loose constructionist

A person who interprets the Constitution's 'elastic clause' as giving the central government broad authority to execute unstated powers if 'necessary and proper.'

New Jersey Plan

William Paterson's proposal advocating a unicameral legislature with equal representation per state, maintaining the Articles of Confederation structure with added tax and commerce powers.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Articles of Confederation law organizing the Northwest Territory, defining statehood admission steps (population thresholds of 5,000 and 60,000), and banning slavery in the region.

Pinckney's Treaty (1795)

An agreement with Spain opening the Mississippi River to U.S. navigation and granting the right of deposit in New Orleans.

Shays’s Rebellion

A western Massachusetts uprising (August 1786–February 1787) that shut courts and highlighted the weakness of the central government under the Articles of Confederation.

Strict constructionist

A person who interprets constitutional powers narrowly, holding that the federal government can only exercise powers explicitly stated in the Constitution.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Constitutional Convention agreement that counted enslaved persons as three-fifths of a person for federal taxation and legislative representation.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Statements written by Madison and Jefferson asserting that states had the right to nullify federal laws that exceeded constitutional powers.

Virginia Plan

Edmund Randolph and James Madison's plan proposing a bicameral legislature with representation based on state population, favored by larger states.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 Pennsylvania farmer uprising against an excise tax on whiskey, crushed by Washington to demonstrate federal authority.

XYZ Affair

A diplomatic incident where French agents demanded bribes from American envoys before negotiating, causing war hysteria in the U.S.

Amend

To alter or change significantly.

Condemnation

To criticize or disapprove of something very strongly.

Ratification

The action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement.