DCUSH Unit 3 Study Guide: A New Nation & The Early Republic

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical events, concepts, and people from DCUSH Unit 3: Chapter 6 (A New Nation) and Chapter 7 (The Early Republic).

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. constitution, which created a weak national government that could not effectively tax, regulate trade, or enforce laws.

Annapolis Convention (1786)

A meeting to discuss problems with trade between states that led to the call for a Constitutional Convention.

Shays’ Rebellion (1786–1787)

An uprising of Massachusetts farmers protesting debt and taxes that showed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

A meeting in Philadelphia where delegates created the U.S. Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation.

James Madison

A leader known as the “Father of the Constitution” for his major role in drafting it, who later became the fourth president.

Federalists

Supporters of ratifying the Constitution who favored a stronger national government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared centralized power and wanted stronger protections for individual rights.

Alexander Hamilton

The first secretary of the treasury, who supported a strong federal government, paying national debts, and creating a national bank.

Thomas Jefferson

Leader of the Democratic-Republicans who favored limited federal power and an agricultural republic, later becoming the third president.

Great Compromise (1787)

An agreement that created a two-house Congress: the House of Representatives, based on population, and the Senate, with two senators per state.

Three-Fifths Clause

A constitutional provision that counted three-fifths of the enslaved population for representation and direct taxation, increasing Southern political power while denying enslaved people rights.

Bill of Rights (1791)

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting freedoms such as speech, religion, and the press.

Bank of the United States

A national bank proposed by Hamilton to manage federal money, hold government funds, and help stabilize the economy.

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

A protest by farmers against a federal tax on whiskey, suppressed when Washington sent troops, demonstrating the new government's ability to enforce laws.

Jay’s Treaty (1794)

An agreement with Britain that helped prevent another war and addressed disputes left over from the Revolution, criticized by many Americans for favoring Britain.

Federalist Party

Alexander Hamilton's political party, which supported a stronger national government, commerce, manufacturing, and a national bank.

Election of 1796

The presidential contest in which Federalist John Adams defeated Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson, who became vice president.

Democratic-Republican Party

The party led by Jefferson and Madison that supported states' rights, limited federal power, and an agricultural economy.

XYZ Affair (1797–1798)

An incident in which French agents demanded bribes from American diplomats, creating anger among Americans and increasing tensions with France.

Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

Laws passed under Adams that made citizenship harder for immigrants, strengthened presidential power over certain noncitizens, and restricted criticism of the federal government.

Disestablishment

The process of ending government support for an official church, which helped establish greater religious freedom and separation of church and state.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798–1799)

Resolutions written secretly by Jefferson and Madison arguing that states could challenge federal laws they considered unconstitutional, especially the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Election of 1800

A major political transition in which Jefferson defeated Adams, referred to as the “Revolution of 1800” because power passed peacefully from one political party to another.

Quasi-War

An undeclared naval conflict between the United States and France during the presidency of John Adams.

Republican Motherhood

The belief that women should raise informed, virtuous children to become responsible citizens of the republic, leading to an increased emphasis on women's education.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

A Supreme Court case that established judicial review, granting courts the power to declare laws unconstitutional.

Gabriel's Rebellion (1800)

A planned revolt by enslaved people seeking freedom in Virginia, led by Gabriel Prosser, which was discovered before it could take place.

Haitian Revolution (1791–1804)

A successful revolution in the French colony of Saint-Domingue where enslaved and free Black people fought French rule and slavery, leading to Haiti becoming independent in 1804.

Notes on the State of Virginia

A book by Thomas Jefferson discussing Virginia's society, government, and economy that included racist claims about Black people despite his criticism of aspects of slavery.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

The purchase of a huge territory from France for $15 million by Jefferson, nearly doubling the size of the United States and opening land for westward expansion.

Sally Hemings

An enslaved woman owned by Thomas Jefferson who had children with him, illustrating the contradiction between America's language of liberty and the reality of slavery.

Benjamin Banneker

A free Black mathematician, astronomer, and writer who challenged racist ideas about Black intelligence and wrote to Jefferson regarding slavery and equality.

Embargo Act of 1807

A law passed under Jefferson that stopped American overseas trade to pressure Britain and France to respect American neutrality, which hurt American merchants and the economy.

Tenskwatawa

A Shawnee religious leader known as the Prophet who encouraged Native Americans to reject American cultural influences and resist U.S. expansion.

Tecumseh

A Shawnee leader who worked to unite Native American nations to resist American settlement and protect ancestral lands.

Red Sticks

A faction of Muscogee (Creek) people who resisted U.S. expansion and cultural changes and fought in the Creek War of 1813–1814.