APUSH Period 3 (Chapters 5-6)

Ohio Valley

A site of conflict between France and Britain, important for its fertile territory and location that marked where Britain wanted to expand Westward and where the French built their forts.

Seven Years War (French & Indian War)

The last of four colonial wars fought between England and France for control of Canada (New France) and all land east of the Ohio river valley.

George Washington

A young colonel who led the first unsuccessful attempt to get the French and Indians to give up the Ohio River Valley territory, in which he and his troops suffered a loss and were forced to surrender.

William Pitt

A British Secretary of State who raised lots of money to pour into the war, giving Britain more men and naval forces to capture key French locations and end in a victory.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Resulted in:

• France giving up Canada to Britain

  • But keeping Guadalupe and Martinique

• Spain (who allied w/ France during the war) gave up Florida to the British for Phillippines and Cuba 

  • Also got a bit of Louisiana from the French

Pontiac’s War

Harnessed a Pan-indian identity and a desire for independence from the colonies to launch a military assault on the British in the Ohio river valley.

Proclamation of 1763

Prohibited colonial settlement in Native Land west of the Appalachian Mountains in respect to Natives and their territory.

Albany Plan of Union of 1754

A plan drafted by Ben Franklin to bring the colonies under one Grand Council.  It got rejected by both England and the Colonies…

Continental Congress

A meeting between representatives, who were powerful political figures, from the colonies held in Philadelphia in 1774 to formulate resistance against the British policies (intolerable acts)

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired, between British soldiers (who were trying to seize stockpiled weapons from Concord) and colonial militias

Battle of Bunker Hill

The first big battle of the Revolutionary war, where the colonists ended up losing but nonetheless, inflicted SEVERE casualties on the British. It happened near Boston.

Continental Army

A cross-colony militia commanded by George Washington. This caused Britain to declare the colonies a state of rebellion.

Common Sense

A super radical pamphlet written by Thomas Paine (a British immigrant to America) about revolutionary ideas and the colonies achieving independence, in thought and in land. Very appealing because of its simple language that many people could read. Played a significant role in the eventual decision by the 2nd Continental Congress to sever ties with Britain, only 6 months later…

Declaration of Independence

An important document drafted by Thomas Jefferson, including a long list of grievances with the King of England and also radical ideas of self-fulfillment and liberty as a universal entitlement.

Thomas Jefferson

The third president, drafted the Declaration of Independence, advocated for revolutionary ideas like self-fulfillment, and the pursuit of happiness..

Stamp Act

An act passed by Parliament stating that every printed good (even playing cards) would be stamped and taxed.  This outraged the colonists, who felt it violated their liberty (led to riots)

Virtual Representation

The idea that even though the colonies had no representations in Parliament, they were represented through decisions made considering their “best interests”.

Sugar Act

An act to tax sugar as well as other colonial products.

Currency Act

Forced the colonies to use British currency rather than each ot the colonies printing their own money.

Sons of Liberty

A group who opposed the Stamp act and those who administered it, protesting and often using violence to instill fear in British officers.  Led to the eventual repeal of the Stamp act.

Townshend Acts

A series of taxes passed by Britain in 1767 that taxed colonists on tea, glass, paper, and more. Motivated Americans to rely on their own good

Daughters of Liberty

An organization formed by women to boycott British goods and make alternative products to promote American spirit and oppose the Townshend acts.

Declaratory Act

An act passed by Parliament to reinforce that they had the right to tax the colonies and pass laws.

Boston Massacre

A confrontation between British soldiers and a mob in Boston in 1770.  It was controversial, with some portraying the British as savages and empathizing with the colonists and others siding with them.

Boston Tea Party

An act of retaliation against the Tea Act by colonists in 1773, where the Sons of Liberty dumped tea into the Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts

A series of measures involving making the Colonists pay for the tea they dumped, forcing them to let British soldiers quarter in their homes (Quartering Act), and more.

Hessians

Soldiers hired by Britain from Germany, to assist their army in fighting the war.

Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation (1775)

Offered freedom to any slaves that joined Britain, causing George Washington to allow black slaves to join the Continental army and militias.

Battle of Trenton

A surprise attack on the Hessians in New York to restore morale and regain initiative.

Battle of Saratoga

A victory for the Americans in 1777, as they defeated John Burgoyne’s army of 5000 troops after he was abandoned by General Howe.  Inspired French that American victory was actually possible, not just a dream of Liberty and Patriotism.

Valley Forge

Where George Washington’s colonial army stayed in the winter when the war halted. Conditions were harsh and temperatures were super cold, causing a lot of men to leave.

Treaty of Alliance with France

Occurred in 1778, when diplomats led by Ben Franklin concluded a treaty that ended with France recognizing the US officially (Treaty of Amity and Commerce) and agreed to give them military assistance.

Battle of Yorktown

The last battle of the Revolutionary war, where the French and Americans surrounded British general Cornwallis, and made them surrender.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The treaty that marked the end of the American Revolution, recognized America as independent from Britain.

Abigail Adams

Early advocate for women's rights; urged her husband John Adams to "remember the ladies" when forming the new government.

Republics

Governments in which power comes from the people and elected representatives, not a monarch.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

Separation of Church and State

The principle that government and religion should be kept independent of each other.

Free Labor

The belief that work should be done by free individuals who choose their jobs, not by enslaved or indentured workers.

Inflation

A rise in prices and a decrease in the value of money.

Free Trade

The idea that trade should be open and unrestricted by government tariffs or monopolies.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the American Revolution.

Abolition

The movement to end slavery completely in the United States and other parts of the world.

Freedom Petitions

Formal requests submitted by enslaved African Americans to courts or legislatures in the late 1700s, arguing for their natural right to freedom.

Phillis Wheatley

An enslaved African American poet whose writings proved the intellectual ability of Black people and challenged racist assumptions in colonial America.

Gradual Emancipation

Laws that slowly ended slavery over time, granting freedom to future generations instead of immediately freeing all enslaved people.

Free Blacks

African Americans who were not enslaved; they lived in both the North and South, often facing discrimination and limited rights.

Coverture

A legal doctrine stating that a married woman's legal identity and property were controlled by her husband.

Republican Motherhood

The idea that women should be educated to raise virtuous, informed citizens who would support the republic's democratic values.