Unit 3 AP us history 1754-1800

French and Indian war

Conflict between Britain and France (1754–1763) in North America. Britain emerged victorious, gaining French territory, but incurred massive debt. Also changed colonial-British relations (less tolerance of colonial autonomy).

Salutary Neglect

British policy of loosely enforcing colonial trade and navigation laws, allowing the colonies relative autonomy. Ended after the French & Indian War, prompting stricter enforcement and taxation.

Proclamation of 1763

Royal edict forbidding colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, meant to reduce conflicts with Native Americans. Many colonists resented it.

“No taxation without representation”

Slogan summarizing colonial grievance: colonists argued that Parliament lacked the right to tax them without colonial representation.

Stamp Act (1765)

A direct tax levied on printed materials (newspapers, legal documents, etc.). It was widely resisted, leading to colonial protests.

Townshend Acts

A series of import taxes (on glass, tea, paper, etc.) imposed by Britain to raise revenue; sparked more colonial resistance.

Boston Massacre (1770)

Clash between Boston colonists and British soldiers, with several colonists killed. Used as propaganda by colonial leaders.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Political protest in which colonists boarded British tea ships and dumped tea into Boston Harbor in opposition to the Tea Act.

Intolerable (Coercive) Acts

Harsh laws passed by Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, including closing Boston Harbor and restricting Massachusetts’ self-government.

First Continental Congress

Meeting (1774) of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies to coordinate a colonial response to British policy.

Lexington & Concord (April 1775)

First military engagements of the American Revolution (“the shot heard ’round the world”).

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Document adopted July 4, 1776, in which the colonies declared themselves independent from Britain, listing grievances.

Continental Army

The unified colonial army during the Revolution, commanded by George Washington.

Valley Forge

Winter encampment (1777–78) where Washington’s troops endured hardship but emerged more unified and disciplined.

French Alliance (1778)

France formally allied with the Americans, providing military support, naval power, and supplies, which was crucial to victory.

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

Final major battle: British General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington, effectively ending significant military resistance.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Peace treaty in which Britain recognized U.S. independence and defined U.S. territorial boundaries.

Loyalists / Tories

Colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolution; many faced persecution or left the country afterward.

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. national government framework (1781–1789). It created a weak central government with most power held by the states.

Weaknesses of the Articles

No power to tax, no ability to regulate interstate or foreign commerce, no executive branch, no federal judiciary, amendments required unanimous consent.

Shays’ Rebellion (1786–87)

Armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers protesting debt and taxation. It exposed the weaknesses of the Confederation government and prompted calls for reform.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Law that provided a process for admitting new states from the Northwest Territory, banned slavery in that territory, and protected certain rights.

Annapolis Convention

Meeting in 1786 of delegates from a few states to discuss trade problems; resulted in a call to meet in Philadelphia to revise the Articles (led to Constitutional Convention).

Philadelphia (Constitutional) Convention

The 1787 gathering in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation; ended up drafting a wholly new Constitution.

Virginia Plan

Proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a strong national government with bicameral legislature based on population.

New Jersey Plan

Counterproposal for a unicameral legislature with equal representation per state.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

Agreement merging VA & NJ plans: bicameral legislature with House by population, Senate with equal representation

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement to count three-fifths of enslaved persons for purposes of representation and taxation.

Federalism

System of government in which power is divided between a national (federal) government and state governments.

Separation of Powers

Constitutional principle dividing governmental powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Checks & Balances

System in which each branch of government can limit the powers of the others.

Supremacy Clause

Constitutional clause (Article VI) that declares the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties the “supreme law of the land.”

Commerce Clause

Article I, Section 8: grants Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among states, and with Indian tribes.

Necessary & Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

Also in Article I, Section 8: gives Congress the power to pass laws necessary and proper to carry out its enumerated powers.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments to the Constitution (1791), guaranteeing individual liberties and limitations on government power.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution and strong central government (e.g. Hamilton, Madison, Jay).

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared central power and insisted on protection of individual rights.

Ratification debates / state conventions

Process by which states debated and voted to accept or reject the Constitution; key battlegrounds included Massachusetts, Virginia, New York.

The Federalist Papers

Series of essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay defending the Constitution and explaining its principles.

George Washington’s Presidency (1789–1797)

First President; set precedents (two-term limit, cabinet, neutrality).

Hamilton’s Financial Plan

Series of proposals: assumption of state debts, a national bank (Bank of the U.S.), tariffs, excise taxes (including whiskey).

Bank of the United States

National bank proposed by Hamilton to manage government funds, issue currency, and stabilize credit.

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

Uprising in western Pennsylvania over a federal excise tax on whiskey. Washington led federal militia to suppress it, demonstrating federal authority.

Neutrality Proclamation (1793)

Washington’s declaration that the U.S. would stay neutral in the conflict between Britain and France.

Jay’s Treaty (1794)

Treaty with Britain to settle outstanding issues post-Revolution; unpopular with many Americans but avoided war.

Pinckney’s Treaty (1795)

Treaty with Spain (Treaty of San Lorenzo) granting U.S. navigation rights on the Mississippi and boundary with Florida.

XYZ Affair (1797–98)

Diplomatic scandal: French agents (X, Y, Z) demanded bribes from U.S. diplomats, which outraged Americans and nearly provoked war.

Quasi-War with France

Undeclared naval war between U.S. and France (1798–1800).

Alien & Sedition Acts (1798)

Laws passed under Adams: increased residency requirement for citizenship, allowed arrest or deportation of “dangerous” aliens, and criminalized criticism of the government.

Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions

Statements by Jefferson and Madison asserting that states could “nullify” federal laws they deemed unconstitutional (in context of the Alien & Sedition Acts).

Election of 1800

Presidential election between Adams and Jefferson. Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) defeated Adams (Federalist), marking the first peaceful transfer of power between parties.

Jamestown (1607)

First permanent English colony; established the foundation of English settlement. Over time, colonies developed unique identities separate from Britain.

ohn Locke’s “Natural Rights” Theory

Life, liberty, and property — became “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence.

First Great Awakening (1730s–1740s)

Religious revival that emphasized individual faith and emotional experience; encouraged questioning of authority and equality before God — helped lay groundwork for democratic thinking.