Untitled Flashcard Set

French and Indian War

A conflict (1754–1763) between Britain and France in North America that resulted in British dominance in the region.

Stamp Act

A 1765 law that imposed a direct tax on a variety of paper goods, leading to widespread protest from colonists.

Quartering Act

A 1765 law requiring colonists to provide housing and supplies for British troops stationed in the colonies.

Tea Act

A 1773 law granting the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, leading to the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest where colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor in response to the Tea Act.

Coercive Acts

A series of laws passed in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party; known as the Intolerable Acts.

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document declaring the American colonies independent from British rule.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The agreement that officially ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the United States that created a weak federal government.

Constitutional Convention

The 1787 meeting where the U.S. Constitution was drafted, replacing the Articles of Confederation.

Federalist Papers

A series of essays written to support the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that guarantee individual rights.

James Madison

Known as the 'Father of the Constitution' for his role in drafting and promoting the document.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws passed in 1798 that made it a crime to criticize government leaders, leading to protests from opposing political groups.

Republican Motherhood

The concept that emphasized the role of women in educating their children in republican values after the American Revolution.

George Washington's Neutrality Proclamation

A declaration that the U.S. would remain neutral in European conflicts, issued in 1793.

Democratic-Republican Party

A political party formed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to oppose the Federalist Party.

Federalist Party

A political party led by Alexander Hamilton that favored a strong central government.

Shays's Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786-1787 led by farmers in Massachusetts protesting economic injustices and the lack of federal response.

Natural Rights

The Enlightenment idea that individuals are born with fundamental rights that cannot be taken away.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the British crown during the American Revolution.

Patriots

Colonists who rebelled against British control and supported independence.