AP US History Unit 3 (1754–1800) Flashcards

Comprehensive practice flashcards for AP US History Unit 3 covering Period 3 (1754–1800), including the Seven Years' War, the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, and the Federalist Era.

What event sparked the start of the Seven Years' War in North America in 1754?

A Virginia militia force commanded by George Washington clashed with French forces in the Ohio River Valley near Fort Duquesne.

What was the primary objective of the Albany Plan of Union developed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754?

To establish an intercolonial government with a system for recruiting troops and collecting taxes for common defense.

What were the major terms of the Peace of Paris (1763) that ended the Seven Years' War?

Great Britain acquired French Canada and Spanish Florida, while France ceded its territory west of the Mississippi River (Louisiana) to Spain.

What was British salutary neglect, and why was it abandoned after 1763?

Salutary neglect was Britain's policy of exercising little direct control and lax enforcement of trade acts over the colonies; it was abandoned to raise revenue to pay off war debts and fund frontier defense.

Which Native American leader led a 1763 confederated rebellion against western colonial settlements in response to British expansion into the Ohio River Valley?

Chief Pontiac

According to the 1763 Proclamation Line, where were American colonists prohibited from settling?

West of the Appalachian Mountains

How did the British concept of "virtual representation" differ from the colonial understanding of representation?

Virtual representation held that every member of Parliament represented all British subjects across the empire; colonists believed only directly elected colonial representatives had the authority to tax them.

What was the Sugar Act of 1764, and how did it punish suspected smugglers?

It placed duties on foreign sugar and luxuries to raise revenue and enforced trade laws by trying suspected smugglers in admiralty courts without juries.

Why did the Stamp Act of 1765 provoke significantly more outrage in the colonies than earlier tax measures?

It was the first direct tax collected directly from consumers on printed paper, rather than an indirect tax paid by merchants on imported goods.

What form of violent colonial protest against British tax collectors is depicted in the 1774 print titled 'The Bostonians Paying the Excise Man'?

Tarring and feathering revenue officials and forcing them to drink tea under the Liberty Tree.

What principle was asserted by Parliament in the Declaratory Act of 1766?

That Parliament had the right to tax and make laws for the American colonies "in all cases whatsoever."

What were writs of assistance, authorized under the Townshend Acts of 1767?

General licenses that allowed crown officials to search any private property for smuggled goods without a specific judge's warrant.

What event occurred on March 5, 1770, in Boston resulting in the deaths of five colonists, including Crispus Attucks?

The Boston Massacre, in which British guards fired into a crowd of harassing colonists near the custom house.

What were the Committees of Correspondence, initiated by Samuel Adams in 1772?

Organizations that regularly exchanged letters among Massachusetts towns—and later between colonies—about suspicious or threatening British activities.

What four measures made up the Coercive Acts of 1774 passed to punish Boston after the Boston Tea Party?

The Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and an expanded Quartering Act.

Why did American colonists view the Quebec Act of 1774 as a direct threat?

It established Roman Catholicism as Quebec's official religion, set up a government without an assembly, and extended Quebec's boundary into lands claimed by American colonies along the Ohio River.

What is the core concept of the social contract as articulated by Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau?

The belief that government is an agreement among people where political power comes from below (the consent of the governed) rather than divine right.

What main argument was presented in Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet Common Sense?

That it was contrary to common sense for a small, distant, and corrupt island monarchy to rule the vast American continent, calling for complete independence.

What key measures were adopted by the First Continental Congress in 1774?

Endorsement of the Suffolk Resolves, passage of the Declaration and Resolves, creation of the Continental Association, and an agreement to meet again in May 1775.

Where were the initial military engagements of the American Revolutionary War fought on April 18, 1775?

Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

What was the purpose of the Olive Branch Petition sent to King George III in July 1775?

To pledge loyalty to the king and ask him to intercede with Parliament to protect colonial rights and restore peace.

Why was the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 considered the critical turning point of the Revolutionary War?

The American victory convinced King Louis XVI of France to form an official military alliance with the United States against Great Britain.

What geographical feature was established as the western boundary of the United States in the Treaty of Paris (1783)?

The Mississippi River

What was the concept of "Republican Motherhood" that emerged following the American Revolution?

An elevated social role for women calling for them to be educated so they could teach their children republican values and civic duties within the home.

Which leader, inspired by the American Revolution, led the largest successful revolution by enslaved people in history in Haiti?

Toussaint L'ouverture

What were the major structural limitations of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation?

A unicameral legislature without an executive or federal judicial branch, no power to collect taxes, and no authority to regulate interstate or foreign commerce.

What rules were established by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 for developing western territory?

It set procedures for creating new states, granted limited self-government, reserved land for public education, and prohibited slavery in the region.

How did Shays's Rebellion (1786–1787) influence public opinion regarding the Articles of Confederation?

It convinced many leaders that the central government under the Articles was too weak to maintain order, suppress domestic unrest, and preserve the Union.

Which revolutionary leader directed the fashioning of specific articles of the Constitution and is known as the 'Father of the Constitution'?

James Madison

How did the Connecticut Plan (Great Compromise) resolve the debate between large and small states over congressional representation?

It created a bicameral Congress with equal representation for each state in the Senate and population-based representation in the House of Representatives.

What primary argument did Anti-Federalists present against the proposed Constitution during the ratification debates?

A stronger central government would destroy the work of the Revolution, limit democracy, restrict states' rights, and lacked a bill of rights to protect individual freedoms.

What was The Federalist Papers, and who authored them?

A series of 85 essays explaining and defending the Constitution, written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

What were the three main components of Alexander Hamilton's financial program?

Paying off national and state war debts at face value, imposing high tariffs to protect infant domestic industries, and creating a national bank.

How did Alexander Hamilton justify the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States against Thomas Jefferson's strict interpretation?

Hamilton argued that the Constitution's "necessary and proper" clause granted implied powers to Congress to carry out its enumerated economic responsibilities.

What warnings did George Washington issue to the nation in his 1796 Farewell Address?

He warned against getting involved in European affairs, forming permanent foreign alliances, creating political parties, and falling into sectionalism.

What were the Alien and Sedition Acts passed by the Federalist-dominated Congress in 1798?

Laws that increased citizenship requirements, allowed deportation or detention of dangerous aliens, and criminalized criticism of the president or Congress in newspapers.

What doctrine was advanced by the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts?

The compact theory of government, which asserted that states could nullify federal laws if the national government exceeded its delegated constitutional powers.

How did Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793 affect the American South?

It made separating cotton fiber from seeds quick and cheap, dramatically increasing cotton profitability and driving up demand for enslaved labor across the region.

What was the primary purpose of the Indian Intercourse Act of 1790?

To place the federal government, rather than individual states, in sole control of purchasing Native American land and regulating trade and travel over their territories.