APUSH Period 3 Terms

Albany Plan

• A proposed plan in 1754 by Benjamin Franklin to unite the American colonies under a central government for defense during the French and Indian War; it was the first formal proposal for colonial unity, but was rejected by both colonial assemblies and the British government

• Significance: Showed early attempts at intercolonial cooperation and influenced later ideas of union

Alexander Hamilton

• Founding Father, first Secretary of the Treasury, and leader of the Federalist Party; he advocated for a strong national government, a national bank, and an economy based on industry and commerce

• Significance: Architect of the financial system; his economic vision shaped early U.S. policy and deepened political divisions

Alien and Sedation Acts

• Laws passed in 1798 by the Federalist-controlled Congress that allowed the president to deport non-citizens deemed dangerous (Alien Acts) and criminalized criticism of the federal government (Sedition Act)

• Significance: Seen as violations of civil liberties; led to backlash and helped fuel the Democratic-Republican opposition under Jefferson

Anti-federalists

• Opponents of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution who feared a strong central government would threaten individual liberties and state sovereignty

• Significance: Their pressure led to the promise of a Bill of Rights, ensuring greater public support for the new Constitution

Articles of Confederation

• The first constitution of the United States (ratified 1781), which created a weak central government with no executive or judicial branch and limited power to tax or regulate commerce

• Significance: Highlighted the need for a stronger national government, leading to the Constitutional Convention in 1787

Bank of the United States

• A national bank proposed by Alexander Hamilton in 1791 to stabilize the economy, issue currency, and manage federal funds; it was controversial due to debates over implied powers

• Significance: Sparked debate over strict vs. loose interpretation of the Constitution; symbolized Federalist economic policy

Battle of Saratoga

• A decisive American victory in 1777 during the Revolutionary War where British General Burgoyne surrendered after being surrounded

• Significance: Convinced France to formally ally with the Americans, providing crucial military and financial support

Benjamin Franklin

• Prominent Enlightenment thinker, inventor, diplomat, and Founding Father. Played key roles in drafting the Declaration of Independence and securing French support during the Revolution

• Significance: Symbol of American ingenuity and diplomacy; helped secure foreign aid critical to independence

Bill of Rights

• The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791, which guarantee fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and due process

• Significance: Addressed Anti-Federalist concerns and became a cornerstone of American civil liberties

Boston Tea Party

• A 1773 protest in which Massachusetts colonists, disguised as Native Americans, dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act

• Significance: Led to harsh British retaliation (Coercive Acts), escalating tensions toward revolution

Coercive Acts

• Laws passed by Britain in 1774 (called the Intolerable Acts by colonists) to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party; included closing Boston Harbor and restricting self-government

• Significance: United the colonies in opposition and led to the First Continental Congress

Common Sense (Thomas Paine)

• A 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine arguing for American independence from Britain using plain language and Enlightenment ideas

• Significance: Helped shift public opinion toward revolution by making complex political ideas accessible to ordinary people

Constitutional Convention

• A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 where delegates revised the Articles of Confederation and drafted the U.S. Constitution

• Significance: Created a new framework for government with separation of powers and checks and balances

Declaratory Act

• British law passed in 1766 asserting Parliament’s full authority to legislate for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever,” even after repealing the Stamp Act

• Significance: Reinforced British claim of supremacy, setting the stage for future conflicts

Democratic-republican Party

• Political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the 1790s that supported states’ rights, agrarian interests, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution

• Significance: Opposed Federalist policies and laid the foundation for modern democratic ideals

Enlightenment

• An intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism of tradition; thinkers like Locke and Montesquieu influenced American revolutionary thought

• Significance: Provided philosophical foundation for democracy, natural rights, and constitutional government

The Federalist (Papers)

• A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote ratification of the Constitution

• Significance: Explained the structure and principles of the new government; remains a key source for understanding constitutional intent

Federalist party

• Political party led by Alexander Hamilton that supported a strong national government, loose interpretation of the Constitution, and close ties with Britain

• Significance: Dominated early national politics and shaped economic and foreign policy in the 1790s

George Grenville

• British Prime Minister (1763–1765) who implemented new taxes on the colonies, including the Sugar Act and Stamp Act, to pay for war debts

• Significance: His policies sparked widespread colonial resistance and marked the beginning of the imperial crisis

George Washington

• Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States. Symbolized unity and stability during the nation’s founding

• Significance: Set precedents for the presidency and retired peacefully, reinforcing civilian control of government

Iroquois Confederacy

• An alliance of six Native American nations (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora) with a sophisticated system of representative government

• Significance: Influenced early American ideas about federalism and intertribal cooperation; some Founders admired its structure

James Madison

• “Father of the Constitution” who played a key role in drafting the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party with Jefferson

• Significance: Architect of the new government and fourth U.S. president; championed republican ideals

John Sdams

• Lawyer, patriot, and second U.S. president. Defended British soldiers after the Boston Massacre and served as a diplomat during the Revolution

• Significance: Advocated for independence and helped draft the Declaration; his presidency highlighted growing partisan divisions

Loyalist

• A colonist who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution; also known as Tories

• Significance: Represented a significant minority; many fled after the war, impacting postwar society and land distribution

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

• A law passed under the Articles of Confederation that established a process for organizing and admitting new states from the Northwest Territory. Prohibited slavery in the region

• Significance: One of the few successes of the Articles; set a precedent for westward expansion and free territories

Peace of Paris (1763)

• Treaty ending the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War), in which France ceded Canada and lands east of the Mississippi to Britain

• Significance: Removed France as a major power in North America, altering colonial-British relations and increasing British debt

Pinckney’s Treaty

• Treaty signed in 1795 between the U.S. and Spain that granted Americans navigation rights on the Mississippi River and access to the port of New Orleans

• Significance: Eased western frontier tensions and improved trade opportunities for American farmers

Proclamation of 1763

• A British decree forbidding colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to avoid conflict with Native Americans

• Significance: Angered colonists who wanted western land, contributing to growing resentment toward British rule

Republican Motherhood

• The idea that women had a civic duty to raise virtuous, informed citizens in the new republic, especially sons

• Significance: Expanded women’s role in education and moral development, laying groundwork for future calls for women’s rights

Salutary Neglect

• British policy before 1763 of loosely enforcing trade laws in the American colonies, allowing them significant self-governance

• Significance: Allowed colonies to develop independent political and economic systems, making later British control more resented

Shay's Rebellion

• A 1786–1787 uprising of Massachusetts farmers protesting high taxes and debt collection, led by Daniel Shays; suppressed by state militia

• Significance: Exposed weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and fueled calls for a stronger national government

Seven Years' War

• Global conflict (1756–1763) between Britain and France, known as the French and Indian War in North America; Britain emerged victorious

• Significance: Increased British debt, leading to new taxes on colonies and sparking the road to revolution

Sons of Liberty

• Secret organization formed in 1765 to resist the Stamp Act through protests, boycotts, and intimidation of tax collectors

• Significance: Mobilized popular resistance and helped unify colonial opposition to British taxation

Stamp Act

• British law of 1765 requiring printed materials in the colonies to carry a tax stamp; first direct tax on internal colonial activities

• Significance: Sparked widespread protest (“No taxation without representation”) and marked a turning point in colonial resistance

Thomas Jefferson

• Author of the Declaration of Independence and third U.S. president; promoted agrarianism, individual liberty, and strict constructionism

• Significance: Key figure in shaping American ideals of democracy and westward expansion (Louisiana Purchase)

Three-fifths Compromise

• Agreement at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of enslaved people would be counted for representation and taxation in Congress

• Significance: Allowed Southern states to gain more political power while temporarily resolving sectional conflict over slavery

Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Agreement ending the American Revolution, in which Britain recognized U.S. independence and ceded territory from the Atlantic to the Mississippi

• Significance: Officially established the United States as a sovereign nation

Virginia and Kentucky resolutions

• Written by Madison and Jefferson in 1798–1799, these documents argued that states could nullify unconstitutional federal laws like the Alien and Sedition Acts

• Significance: Laid the foundation for states’ rights doctrine and later debates over federal vs. state power

Virtual Representation

• British argument that each member of Parliament represented all British subjects, even those who didn’t vote (like colonists)

• Significance: Rejected by colonists who insisted on “no taxation without representation,” highlighting differing views of governance

Whiskey rebellion

• Uprising in 1794 by Pennsylvania farmers against a federal excise tax on whiskey; crushed by federal troops under Washington

• Significance: Demonstrated the new government’s ability to enforce laws and maintain order under the Constitution

Writs of Assistance

• General search warrants used by British customs officials to seize smuggled goods without specific cause

• Significance: Seen as a violation of rights; helped inspire colonial opposition to arbitrary government power

XYZ Affair

• Diplomatic incident in 1797–1798 where French agents demanded bribes from U.S. envoys before negotiations

• Significance: Led to an undeclared naval war with France and increased anti-French sentiment, boosting the Federalist Party