Most tested APUSH Units 3-8

Albany Plan

A 1754 proposal led by Benjamin Franklin to create a unified colonial government for defense and Native relations during the French and Indian War; it was rejected by the colonies

Benjamin Franklin

A colonial leader, writer, and diplomat who promoted unity among the colonies and proposed the Albany Plan of Union

Boston Massacre

A 1770 incident in which British soldiers fired on a crowd in Boston, killing five colonists and intensifying anti-British sentiment

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest in which colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act and taxation without representation

Charles Townshend

A British official who proposed the Townshend Duties, taxing colonial imports to raise revenue for Britain

Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts

A series of punitive laws passed in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party and reassert British control

Committees Of Correspondence

Colonial communication networks organized to share information and coordinate resistance against British policies

Creoles

People of European descent born in the colonies, often developing distinct identities separate from those in Europe

Currency Act

A British law restricting colonial paper money to protect British merchants, contributing to colonial resentment

Daughters Of Liberty

Patriot women who supported resistance through boycotts and producing homemade goods to replace British imports

First Continental Congress

A 1774 meeting of colonial delegates to coordinate a unified response to the Intolerable Acts

George Grenville

A British prime minister who enacted the Sugar Act and Stamp Act to raise revenue from the colonies

Imperial Authority

The power exercised by Britain over its colonies through laws, taxation, and military enforcement

Impressment

The British practice of forcibly recruiting colonial sailors into the Royal Navy

Iroquois Confederacy

A powerful alliance of Native American nations in the Northeast that played European powers against each other during colonial conflicts

Lord North

The British prime minister during most of the American Revolution who supported strict measures against the colonies

Mercy Otis Warren

A colonial writer and political activist who used plays and pamphlets to criticize British policies and support independence

Mutiny Act

A British law requiring colonial assemblies to provide housing and supplies for British troops stationed in America

Patrick Henry

A Virginia legislator who authored the Virginia Resolves and spoke out strongly against British taxation

Paxton Boys

A group of Pennsylvania frontiersmen who attacked Native Americans in protest of colonial policies they believed failed to protect settlers

Pontiacs Rebellion

A 1763 Native American uprising led by Pontiac against British forts and settlements after the French and Indian War

Proclamation Of 1763

A British decree prohibiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to reduce conflict with Native Americans

Quebec Act

A 1774 law extending Quebec’s boundaries and allowing Catholicism, angering colonists who saw it as favoring British control

Samuel Adams

A radical Patriot leader who organized resistance, helped form the Sons of Liberty, and promoted colonial unity

Seven Years War/French And Indian War

A global conflict (1754–1763) between Britain and France that ended with British victory but left Britain in debt and seeking colonial revenue

Sons Of Liberty

A Patriot organization that used protests and sometimes violence to oppose British taxation policies

Stamp Act

A 1765 law requiring colonists to purchase stamped paper for legal documents and printed materials, sparking widespread protest

Stamp Act Congress

A 1765 colonial meeting that petitioned the king and Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act

Sugar Act

A 1764 law lowering the tax on molasses but increasing enforcement to raise revenue from the colonies

Tea Act

A 1773 law allowing the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies, undercutting merchants and leading to the Boston Tea Party

Townshend Duties

Taxes on imported goods such as glass, paper, and tea, intended to raise revenue and assert British authority

Virginia Resolves

A series of resolutions introduced by Patrick Henry asserting that only Virginia’s assembly could tax Virginians

William Pitt

A British leader who directed wartime strategy during the French and Indian War and prioritized victory over France in North America

Abigail Adams

Wife of John Adams who urged her husband to “remember the ladies” when forming the new government, advocating for women’s rights during the Revolution

American Patriots

Colonists who supported independence from Britain and opposed British imperial policies during the Revolutionary era

Articles Of Confederation

The first national constitution of the United States that created a weak central government with most power held by the states

Battle Of Fallen Timbers

A 1794 battle in which U.S. forces defeated Native American tribes in the Northwest Territory, leading to the Treaty of Greenville

Benedict Arnold

A Continental Army general who later defected to the British, becoming a symbol of treason

Common Sense (The Publication)

A 1776 pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that argued for independence and helped shift public opinion toward revolution

Daniel Shays

A Revolutionary War veteran who led Shays’ Rebellion (1786–1787), protesting economic injustices and weaknesses in the Articles government

Declaration Of Independence

A 1776 document primarily written by Thomas Jefferson that announced the colonies’ independence and justified it using Enlightenment principles

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army during the Revolution who later became the first president of the United States

Hessians

German mercenary soldiers hired by Britain to fight against the American colonists

Jean Jacques Rousseau

An Enlightenment philosopher who promoted the concept of popular sovereignty and the social contract, influencing revolutionary thought

John Burgoyne

A British general whose surrender at Saratoga in 1777 marked a turning point in the Revolutionary War

John Locke

An Enlightenment thinker who argued that people possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property and that governments require consent of the governed

Joseph And Mary Brant

Mohawk leaders who allied with the British during the American Revolution and sought to protect Native American lands

Loyalists (Tories)

Colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolution and opposed independence

Molly Pitcher

A nickname associated with women who assisted soldiers during battles, symbolizing women’s contributions to the war effort

Nathanael Greene

A Continental Army general who used strategic retreats and guerrilla tactics to weaken British forces in the South

Northwest Ordinance

A 1787 law establishing a process for admitting new states from the Northwest Territory and prohibiting slavery there

Olive Branch Petition

A 1775 attempt by the Second Continental Congress to reconcile with Britain, affirming loyalty to the king while requesting redress of grievances

Ordinances Of 1784 And 1785

Laws passed under the Articles of Confederation that created a system for surveying, selling, and governing western lands

Prohibitory Act

A 1775 British law that declared the colonies in rebellion and cut off trade between Britain and America

Republicanism

A political ideology emphasizing civic virtue, representative government, and opposition to monarchy

Saratoga

A 1777 American victory over British forces that secured French support for the Revolutionary cause

Second Continental Congress

The colonial governing body that managed the Revolutionary War, created the Continental Army, and declared independence

Thomas Jefferson

The primary author of the Declaration of Independence and a leading advocate of republican government

Thomas Paine

A political writer whose pamphlet Common Sense strongly supported American independence

Valley Forge

The winter encampment of the Continental Army (1777–1778) where troops endured hardship but emerged better trained and disciplined

Yorktown

The 1781 battle in which British General Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces, effectively ending the Revolutionary War

Alexander Hamilton

A Federalist leader and first Secretary of the Treasury who created a financial plan to strengthen the national government through a national bank and federal assumption of state debts

Alien And Sedition Acts

Laws passed in 1798 under John Adams that increased residency requirements for citizenship and limited criticism of the federal government

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared a strong central government and demanded protections for individual rights

Bill Of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution that guarantee civil liberties and limit federal power

Checks And Balances

A constitutional system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the others to prevent tyranny

Citizen Genet Affair

A 1793 diplomatic incident in which a French representative attempted to recruit American support for France, challenging U.S. neutrality

Federalists

A political party that supported a strong national government, commercial economy, and loose interpretation of the Constitution

Federal Structure (Federalism)

A system of government in which power is divided between the national government and the states

French Revolution

A 1789 uprising in France that overthrew the monarchy and sparked debate in the United States over foreign policy and republican values

Great Compromise

The Constitutional Convention agreement creating a bicameral legislature with equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House

Hamilton's Financial Plan

An economic program that called for federal assumption of state debts, creation of a national bank, and promotion of manufacturing

James Madison

A key architect of the Constitution, co-author of The Federalist Papers, and later president of the United States

Jays Treaty

A 1794 agreement between the U.S. and Britain that resolved lingering conflicts from the Revolution but angered many Americans for favoring Britain

John Adams

The second president of the United States whose administration faced the Quasi-War and passed the Alien and Sedition Acts

Judiciary Act Of 1801

A law passed by Federalists creating new federal judgeships, leading to the “midnight judges” controversy

Neutrality Act

A 1794 law prohibiting Americans from aiding nations at war, reflecting Washington’s policy of neutrality

New Jersey Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention calling for equal representation for each state in a unicameral legislature

Pinckneys Treaty

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

Quasi War

An undeclared naval conflict between the United States and France from 1798 to 1800

Republicans

Also known as Democratic-Republicans, a political party led by Thomas Jefferson that favored states’ rights and a strict interpretation of the Constitution

Revolution Of 1800

The peaceful transfer of power from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans after the election of Thomas Jefferson

Separation Of Powers

The division of government authority among legislative, executive, and judicial branches

Sovereignty

Supreme political authority; in the U.S. system, shared between the federal government and the states

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay defending the Constitution

Virginia And Kentucky Resolutions

Statements written in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts arguing that states could nullify unconstitutional federal laws

Virginia Plan

A Constitutional Convention proposal calling for a strong national government with representation based on population

Washington's Farewell Address

A 1796 speech warning against political parties and permanent foreign alliances

Weaknesses In The Articles Of Confederation

Structural flaws including lack of taxing power, no executive branch, no national court system, and difficulty amending the document

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 uprising of western farmers protesting a federal excise tax on whiskey, demonstrating federal authority under the Constitution

XYZ Affair

A 1797 diplomatic scandal in which French agents demanded bribes from American negotiators, leading to anti-French sentiment and the Quasi-War

Aaron Burr

Vice president under Thomas Jefferson who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel and later was tried (and acquitted) for treason

American Shipping

U.S. maritime trade that expanded during the Napoleonic Wars but was threatened by British and French interference, including impressment

Camp Meetings

Large outdoor religious revivals held during the Second Great Awakening that emphasized emotional preaching and mass participation

Cane Ridge

An 1801 revival meeting in Kentucky that became one of the most famous and influential events of the Second Great Awakening

Deism

An Enlightenment belief that God created the universe but does not intervene in human affairs, influencing some Founding Fathers

Eli Whitney

An inventor who created the cotton gin and promoted interchangeable parts, advancing both slavery’s expansion and early industrial production

Embargo Act

A 1807 law passed under Thomas Jefferson that halted U.S. exports to avoid war with Britain and France but hurt the American economy

Handsome Lake

A Seneca religious leader who promoted moral reform and cultural revival among Native Americans in the early 1800s

Hartford Convention

A 1814 meeting of New England Federalists who opposed the War of 1812 and discussed constitutional amendments, weakening the party’s reputation as they threatened to secede New England. Ultimately the fall or “nail in the coffin” for the federalist party.