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Articles of Confederation
The first constitution of the United States that created a government with limited powers.
Shays' Rebellion
An armed uprising in 1786-87 highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Great Compromise
The agreement during the Constitutional Convention that established a bicameral legislature and included a compromise on slavery.
Checks and Balances
A system that ensures no single branch of government becomes too powerful.
Bicameral Legislature
A two-chamber legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Federal System
A system of government where power is divided between a national government and state governments.
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the US Constitution that guarantee individual liberties.
Federalist Papers
A series of essays advocating for the ratification of the US Constitution.
Natural Rights
Basic rights inherent to all individuals, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Excise Tax
A tax on specific goods, which led to the Whiskey Rebellion.
Washington's Precedent
George Washington's example of serving only two terms as president.
Columbus
The explorer credited with discovering the New World in 1492.
Conquistadors
Spanish explorers and soldiers known for their conquests in the Americas.
Jamestown
The first permanent English settlement in the Americas, founded in 1607, noted for tobacco cultivation.
House of Burgesses
The first elective legislative assembly in the New World established in Virginia.
Bacon's Rebellion
A 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against the government due to frontier settlers wanting protection.
Puritan Work Ethic
The belief in hard work and frugality as a religious duty among Puritans.
Pequot War
A violent conflict between English colonists and the Pequot tribe over land.
Triangular Trade
A historical route of trade linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas, often involving slave trade.
Salutary Neglect
The British policy of allowing the American colonies considerable freedom as long as they remained profitable.
Salem Witch Trials
A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts.
Quakers
Members of the Religious Society of Friends known for their beliefs in peace and harmony.
Enlightenment
An intellectual movement emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition.
Mercantilism
An economic policy where colonies exist to benefit the mother country.
Stamp Act
A 1765 law imposing taxes on printed materials in the colonies, leading to widespread protests.
Boston Massacre
A 1770 confrontation in which British soldiers killed five colonial civilians, used as propaganda.
Boston Tea Party
A 1773 protest against British taxes where colonists disguised as Native Americans dumped tea into Boston Harbor.
Olive Branch Petition
A final attempt by the Continental Congress to avoid war with Britain by seeking peace.
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
A pamphlet that urged colonists to break away from British rule and establish independence.
Continental Congress
The governing body of the American colonies during the American Revolution.
Declaration of Independence
The document declaring the colonies' independence from Britain and outlining the rights of individuals.
Battle of Saratoga
A turning point in the Revolutionary War that led to French support for the American cause.
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