Apush periods 3-6

Tradition of neglect

British policy allowing American colonies self-governance for economic loyalty, fostering independence.

Albany Plan

1754 proposal to unite colonies under one government for defense, rejected by colonies and Crown.

Seven Years’ War

Global conflict (1756–1763) known in America as the French and Indian War, between Britain and France.

William Pitt

British Prime Minister who led Britain to victory in the Seven Years' War by investing in North America.

Peace of Paris (1763)

Treaty that ended the Seven Years’ War, granting Britain control of Canada and land east of the Mississippi.

Proclamation of 1763

British law forbidding colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflicts.

Stamp Act of 1765

British tax on printed materials that sparked widespread protest and claims of 'no taxation without representation.'

Paxton Boys

Armed Pennsylvania frontiersmen who attacked Native Americans and demanded colonial protection in 1763.

Virginia Resolves

Patrick Henry’s assertion that only Virginia could tax its citizens, challenging the Stamp Act.

Sons of Liberty

Secret colonial resistance group that opposed British policies and organized protests like the Boston Tea Party.

External/Internal taxation

Colonists distinguished between trade duties (external) and direct taxes (internal), opposing the latter more.

Committees of Correspondence

Colonial communication networks established to coordinate resistance against British policies.

Tea Act of 1773

Law giving British East India Company the right to sell tea directly to colonies, undercutting colonial merchants.

Boston Tea Party

1773 protest where colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act.

Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts

British laws passed in response to Boston Tea Party, closing Boston Harbor and revoking Massachusetts' charter.

Second Continental Congress

Convened in 1775, it organized the Continental Army under George Washington and later declared independence.

Olive Branch Petition

Final peace offer sent to King George III by the Continental Congress in 1775, which was rejected.

Common Sense

1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine arguing for American independence using accessible language.

Social Contract Theory

Enlightenment idea suggesting that governments derive authority from the consent of the governed.

Locke

Enlightenment thinker who influenced American revolutionaries with his ideas on natural rights and consent.

3 Phases of the Revolution

New England (1775–76), Middle Colonies (1776–78), Southern Phase (1778–81) featuring guerrilla warfare.

Loyalists/Tories

Colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolution; many faced persecution or fled after the war.

French Revolution

Inspired by American ideals, it divided U.S. opinion; Federalists opposed it, while Democratic-Republicans supported it.

Haitian Revolution

Slave revolt leading to the first Black republic; alarmed U.S. slaveholders.

Revolution’s impact on slavery

Some northern states gradually abolished slavery; in the South, it became more entrenched.

Native American positions in Revolution

Most tribes sided with the British, hoping to stop American expansion onto their lands.

Abigail Adams

Wife of John Adams who advocated for women’s rights, urging him to ‘remember the ladies.'

Republicanism

Political philosophy emphasizing civic virtue, popular sovereignty, and accountable government.

Property requirements

Many early state constitutions limited voting and office-holding to property-owning white men.

State legislative and executive powers

Early state governments favored strong legislatures and weak governors to avoid tyranny.

Articles of Confederation

America's first constitution creating a weak central government with limited powers.

Powers of the national government (under Articles)

Could declare war, sign treaties, manage western lands, but lacked power to tax or regulate trade.

Northwest Ordinance

1787 law establishing rules for admitting new states and banning slavery north of the Ohio River.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

1794 U.S. victory over Native Americans in Northwest Territory, leading to Treaty of Greenville.

Shays’s Rebellion

1786–87 uprising by Massachusetts farmers protesting taxes and debt, exposing weaknesses of the Articles.

Annapolis Convention

1786 meeting to address trade issues that led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention.

Great Compromise/Connecticut Plan

Combined Virginia and New Jersey plans by creating a bicameral legislature with proportional House and equal Senate.

3/5 Compromise

Counted slaves as 3/5 of a person for representation and taxation, appeasing southern states.

Slave Trade Compromise

Allowed the international slave trade to continue until 1808 in exchange for southern support of the Constitution.

Sovereignty

Ultimate authority in governance; debated between state and federal power during ratification.

Federalism

Division of power between national and state governments outlined in the Constitution.

Separation of Powers

Constitutional principle dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

The Federalist Papers

Essays promoting ratification of the Constitution and explaining its principles, written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared centralized power and demanded a Bill of Rights.

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the Constitution protecting individual liberties and limiting federal power.

Hamilton’s Financial Plan

Included federal assumption of state debts, creation of a national bank, and support for industry through tariffs.

First Party System

Political rivalry between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

Whiskey Rebellion

1794 protest against Hamilton’s excise tax on whiskey; crushed by Washington, showing federal authority.

Citizen Genêt Affair

French diplomat’s efforts to recruit Americans for France’s war strained U.S.-France relations.

Jay's Treaty

1794 treaty with Britain to resolve post-Revolution disputes; unpopular but avoided war.

Pinckney's Treaty

1795 treaty with Spain granting navigation rights on the Mississippi and access to New Orleans.

Washington’s Farewell Address

Advised against political parties and entangling foreign alliances.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

Responses to the Alien and Sedition Acts asserting states could nullify unconstitutional laws.

Election of 1800

Jefferson defeated Adams in a peaceful transfer of power known as the 'Revolution of 1800.'

Second Great Awakening

19th-century religious revival that emphasized individual salvation and social reforms.

Samuel Slater

Brought British textile technology to the U.S., starting the American factory system.

Cotton gin

Invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, drastically increased cotton production and demand for slave labor.

Republican Motherhood

Belief that women should raise virtuous citizens, reinforcing their educational role and limiting public participation.

Marbury v. Madison

1803 Supreme Court case establishing judicial review, allowing courts to strike down unconstitutional laws.

Napoleon Bonaparte

French leader who sold the Louisiana Territory to the U.S. in 1803 via the Louisiana Purchase.

Louisiana Purchase: Treaty terms

Doubled U.S. size in 1803; France sold the territory for $15 million, granting U.S. control over the Mississippi River.

Essex Junto

New England Federalists who opposed the War of 1812 and discussed secession.

Impressment

British practice of seizing American sailors and forcing them into the Royal Navy, contributing to the War of 1812.

Embargo Act

1807 law banning U.S. trade with all foreign nations; aimed at pressuring Britain and France but hurt U.S. economy.

Tecumseh and Tippecanoe

Shawnee leader sought a Native confederacy; defeated by William Henry Harrison at Tippecanoe.

War Hawks (Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun)

Young congressmen who advocated for war with Britain in 1812.

Hartford Convention

1814 Federalist meeting protesting the War of 1812; seen as disloyal, damaging the party’s credibility.

Second Bank of the United States

Chartered in 1816 to stabilize currency and the economy after the War of 1812.

Tariff of 1816

First protective tariff in U.S. history, aimed at shielding American industry from British competition.

National Road

First federally funded highway, linking the East to the western frontier.

Veto of Internal Improvements Bill

Madison vetoed a bill funding internal improvements in 1817, arguing it was unconstitutional.

Era of Good Feelings

Period of national unity during Monroe’s presidency (1817–1825), marked by postwar nationalism.

Missouri Compromise

1820 deal admitting Missouri as a slave state and prohibiting slavery north of 36°30′ in the Louisiana Territory.

McCulloch v. Maryland

1819 case affirming federal supremacy and the constitutionality of the national bank.

Worcester v. Georgia

1832 ruling recognizing Cherokee sovereignty; ignored by Jackson leading to forced removal.

Monroe Doctrine

1823 U.S. policy warning Europe against colonizing the Americas; declared the Hemisphere off-limits.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

1831 ruling where the Court stated it had no jurisdiction, labeling the Cherokee a 'domestic dependent nation.'

American System

Henry Clay’s plan for national economic development through tariffs, a national bank, and internal improvements.

Corrupt Bargain

Alleged deal in 1824 where Clay supported Adams in exchange for a cabinet position.

Jacksonian Democrats

Political movement supporting Andrew Jackson’s emphasis on common man and limited federal government.

John C. Calhoun

Southern politician who promoted states’ rights and nullification.

Nullification crisis

South Carolina’s 1832 threat to nullify federal tariffs; resolved by compromise and Jackson’s threat of force.

Indian Removal Act

1830 law authorizing forced relocation of Native tribes to lands west of the Mississippi.

Black Hawk War

1832 conflict where federal troops defeated Native resistance in Illinois.

Seminole Wars

Conflicts in Florida as Seminoles resisted forced removal; longest Indian war in U.S. history.

Whigs

Political party opposing Jackson, favoring congressional supremacy and modernization.

Treaty of Wang Hya

1844 treaty with China securing U.S. trading rights.

Oregon Border Dispute

Conflict between Britain and the U.S. over the Oregon Territory, resolved in 1846.

Webster-Ashburton Treaty

1842 treaty settling the Maine-Canada border dispute.

Nativism/Native American Party

Anti-immigrant movement fearing Catholic and foreign influence; also known as the Know-Nothing Party.

Steam engine

Revolutionized transportation and manufacturing, powering trains, boats, and factory machines.

Railroads

Expanded rapidly in the mid-1800s, connecting distant markets and fueling westward expansion.

Telegraph

Invented by Samuel Morse, revolutionizing long-distance communication through Morse code.

Erie Canal

Completed in 1825, connected Great Lakes to the Hudson River, lowering transport costs.

Textiles

Leading early industry of the Industrial Revolution, employing many women and children in New England.

Coal Mining

Essential for powering steam engines and grew rapidly with industrialization.

Interchangeable parts

Standardized parts that sped up production, pioneered by Eli Whitney.

Lowell System

Factory model hiring young women to work under strict conditions; an early form of industrial labor.

Urban Middle Class

Emerged in the 19th century, composed of professionals benefiting from industrialization.

Cult of Domesticity

Ideal that women focus on home and moral guidance, reinforcing gender roles in the 19th century.