Unit 3: The Revolutionary Era (1754-1800)

“The State of Nature”

a world with no government at all

Thomas Hobbes

believed people started out in a “state of nature” and that people were fundamentally evil; life in nature is nasty and short; people create governments to protect themselves from each other; thought a country needed an all-powerful king

John Locke

believed people were fundamentally good and could therefore safely be given a voice in their governemtn

The American Revolution

a conflict between the British Empire and the thirteen North American colonies that resulted in the colonies gaining their independence and establishing the United States of America

Seven Years’ War

France and Britain were competing over territory in the New World, and this conflict led to war; French and native tribes vs. British and colonists; British won

effects of the Seven Years’ War

British thought colonial soldiers were unprofessional and didn’t contribute enough to war effort, but colonists were proud; British decides to take more active control over the colonies

Proclamation of 1763

to avoid more war with Native American tribes, British ban colonists from moving west of the “Proclamation Line”; colonists refused to listen

Sugar Act

British legislation aimed at increasing revenue from the colonies, particularly from the smuggling of sugar and molasses

Quartering Act

a set of British parliamentary acts, particularly the 1765 and 1774 acts, that required colonial authorities to provide housing and food for British soldiers stationed in the colonies

Stamp Act

imposed a tax on all printed materials in the American colonies

“Taxation Without Representation”

the colonial American belief that they should not be taxed by the British Parliament because they had no direct representation in that body

Sons of Liberty

a secret, paramilitary, political organization formed in the Thirteen American Colonies to protest British policies and advocate for colonial rights; non-violent and violent protests

Daughters of Liberty

patriotic women's groups active in the lead-up to and during the American Revolution, primarily known for organizing boycotts of British goods and supporting the Patriot cause

Declaratory Act

removed the Stamp Act, but said that the British could still tax the colonies any time they choose in the future

Townshend Acts

taxes on imports of tea, glass, and paper; allowed British soldiers to search people’s homes without a warrant; repealed after three years

Boston Massacre

a violent confrontation in March 1770 where British soldiers in Boston fired upon a crowd of colonists, resulting in five deaths and several injuries

Boston Tea Party

a pivotal event in the lead-up to the American Revolution, where American patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped 342 chests of tea belonging to the British East India Company into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773

Articles of Confederation

national government created by the colonies towards the end of the revolutionary war; one legislative branch with a representative from each colony; had power to fight wars, send out diplomats and ambassadors to negotiate treaties, make alliances, and borrow money; did not have power to enforce the laws it passed, create taxes or regulate trade, create a draft to raise an army

state governments

states drafted new constitutions, most had three branches, only white male property owners could vote

“Republican Motherhood”

women were expected to get an education but then stay home, educate children, and be the “moral compass” of the family

the Continental

the first United States currency, nearly worthless because currencies were issued by states

challenges under the Articles of Confederation

Britain refused to remove troops from the western edge of the United States; pirates attacked American trading ships travelling through the Mediterranean; countries would not lend money to the United States because they were weary of the nation’s survival; drowning in debt

Shay’s Rebellion

over 1000 indebted farmers revolted against the Massachusetts state government in response to high taxes, debtors prisons, and farm foreclosures; put down by private army

Northwest Ordinance

created an organized way for territories in the northwest (today’s Midwest) to become new states

The Constitutional Convention

55 delegates head to Philadelphia to discuss revising the Articles of Confederation; all white, male, college-educated, and young, but not all were wealthy; decided on three branches, president term length, and Electoral College

federalism

the division of power between the U.S. national government and individual state governments

The Great Compromise

bigger states wanted each state to have representation proportional to population (the Virginia Plan), smaller states wanted each state to have the same number of representatives (the New Jersey Plan); bicameral legislature with the Senate and House of Representatives

Slave Trade Compromise

the North wanted to abolish international slave trade, but the South didn’t; decided to allow it for twenty more years

Three-Fifths Compromise

the North didn’t want enslaved people counted in the population but the South did; decided to count slaves as 3/5 of a person when counting population

Electoral College Compromise

some wanted Congress or state governments to elect the president, others wanted the people to do so; Electoral College created

The Ratification Process

supporters of the Constitution agreed that 9 out of 13 states had to ratify the change from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution

Federalists

pushed for ratification of the Constitution

Anti-Federalists

argued against ratification of the Constitution; thought the new government would be too powerful; advocated for the Bill of Rights

The Federalist Papers

wrote a series of anonymous essays arguing in support of the Constitution, writing under the pseudonym “Publius”

Brutus

an anonymous Anti-Federalist wrote essays criticizing the Constitution under the pseudonym “Brutus”

Bill of Rights

the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1791; safeguards individual liberties and defines limitations on the government's power

cabinet

the advisory body of the President composed of the heads of the executive departments

tariff

a tax placed on imported goods

Hamilton’s financial plan

pay off the national and state debts, create a national bank, create tarriffs

French Revolution

inspired by the American Revolution; collapsed in on itself and Napoleon Bonaparte took power

Proclamation of Neutrality

prevented the U.S. from becoming embroiled in the European conflict and established a tradition of non-involvement in foreign wars

Jay’s Treaty

a treaty between the United States and Great Britain aimed at resolving issues outstanding from the Treaty of Paris (1783) and preventing war

Whiskey Rebellion

a 1794 uprising of farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania, primarily in response to an excise tax on whiskey enacted by the federal government

Washington’s Farewell Address

advocated for neutrality and told the United States not to create political parties

sectionalism

people splitting into conflicting factions in society

Federalist Party

led by Alexander Hamilton; wanted a strong central government and strong military; use tariffs and a national bank; support from business people in New England and New York

Democratic-Republicans

led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison; afraid of having a strong national government and military; wanted to leave most power to the states; against tariffs and national bank; supported by farmers in the South and West

John Adams’ Presidency

federalist; raised taxes to build up the military; Alien and Sedition Acts

Alien Act

let government deport immigrants during wartime

Sedition Act

made it illegal for newspapers to criticize the president or Congress

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

states can nullify unfair laws of the federal government

XYZ Affair

French warships were attacking and hijacking American merchant ships; diplomats go to France to end this; anonymous French diplomats X,Y, and Z said the French Foreign Minister would be willing to meet with the American diplomats to discuss this if they gave a bribe to one of the diplomats, and offered France a low-interest loan; Adams refuses to go to war

Election of 1800

Thomas Jefferson wins; first time in American history that one party peacefully and willingly handed over power to another

Declaration of Independence

document that advocated for colonial independence and republicanism over monarchy