period 3

Salutary Neglect

A period when the British crown and colonies generally left each other alone, allowing colonial growth and development.

George III

The king who came to power in 1760, with a different attitude about the colonies, aimed to use and tax them.

French and Indian War

Also known as the Seven Years War, it led to British territorial gains but increased tension with the colonies.

Proclamation of 1763

An order by King George III forbidding colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Stamp Act

A 1765 law that imposed a direct tax on the colonies, igniting widespread protest and resistance.

Boston Massacre

A 1770 incident in which British soldiers fired on colonial protesters, fueling revolutionary sentiment.

Coercive Acts

Also known as the Intolerable Acts, these laws were imposed by Britain in response to colonial protests.

First Continental Congress

A meeting of colonial delegates in 1774 to discuss British actions and colonial responses.

Olive Branch Petition

A final attempt by the Second Continental Congress to avoid war with Britain in 1775.

Declaration of Independence

Issued on July 4, 1776, it formally proclaimed the colonies' separation from Britain.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the United States, approved in 1781 but revealed significant weaknesses.

Shay's Rebellion

An uprising in Massachusetts that highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Great Compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that created a bicameral legislature.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing individual rights and liberties.

Federalists

Political party advocating for a strong federal government and loose interpretation of the Constitution.

Republicans

Political party advocating for states' rights and a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

Jay Treaty

A 1796 agreement with Britain that aimed to maintain peace but was unpopular in America.

Farewell Address

George Washington's final address to the nation, urging neutrality in foreign affairs and avoiding political parties.

XYZ Affair

A diplomatic incident between the United States and France that led to an undeclared war.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws passed in 1798 to limit immigration and restrict speech critical of the government, leading to backlash.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Statements asserting that states could nullify federal laws that they deemed unconstitutional.