Early American History Exam 2

Seven Years’ War (1754 - 1763)

The last - and the most important - of 4 colonial wars fought among England, France, and indigenous allies for control of North America east of the Mississippi River.

Proclamation of 1763

A decree by the english King George III drawing a boundary along the Appalachian Mountains from Canada to Georgia in an attempt to minimize occurrences of violence between settlers and Indians - colonists were technically forbidden to settle lands west of the line.

Stamp Act

An act of Parliament in 1765 requiring that all printed materials in the in the American colonies use paper with an official tax stamp; the goal was to raise revenue for the British military protection of the colonies.

The Coercive Acts

4 parliamentary measures that required the colonies to pay for the Boston Tea Party’s damages, imposed a military government, annulled the Massachusetts charter, disallowed colonial trials of British soldiers, and forced the quartering troops in private homes.

Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation

A promise made in 1775 by John Murray, the Earl of Dunmore and royal governor of Virginia, that enslaved men who joined the British army would be granted their freedom.

Common Sense

A popular pamphlet published by Thomas Paine in 1776 attacking principles of hereditary rule and monarchical government advocating for the establishment of an American democratic republic, independent of British rule.

Articles of Confederation

The first form of government for the United States, ratified by the original 13 states in 1781 as a pledge of union for common defense; weak in central authority, it was replaced by the US Constitution in 1789.

Second Continental Congress

A 1775 meeting in Philadelphia of delegates from the 13 British mainland colonies who debated independence from reconciliation with Britain.

Republican Motherhood

An ideology that developed after the Revolutionary War and expressed support for women’s education on the grounds that women needed to be educated in order to raise sons as informed citizens.

Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery

Passed by the Pennsylvania legislature in 1780, this act was the first abolition legislation in the western world, although it instituted gradual - rather than immediate - emancipation.

Shay’s Rebellion

From 1786 - 1787, the blockading of courthouses and the storming of the Massachusetts federal arsenal by Daniel Shay’s and over a thousand armed farmers seeking debt relief from the state legislature through issuance of paper currency and lower taxes.

Northwest Territory

An area located north of the Ohio River and compromising modern-day Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and much of Minnesota; it was organized into a US territory in 1787 under the Northwest Ordinance - though it was largely occupied by the Native Americans.

Annapolis Convention

In 1786, delegates from all 13 states were invited to a convention in Annapolis to discuss commercial problems and revisions to the Articles of Confederation, but representatives from 5 states attended. However, the convention was not a complete failure because the delegates decided to hold another convention, where they ultimately drafted the Constitution.

The Virginia Plan

When delegations to the constitutional convention were divided between two plans two plans on how to structure the government, the Virginia Plan called for a strong central government and a two-house legislature approached by population.

Connecticut Compromise

A plan that meditated the differences between New Jersey and Virginia delegations to the bicameral legislature: the upper house would have equal representation, and seats in the lower house would be apportioned by population.

Electoral College

A body of delegates, or electors, chosen to represent the states in formal election of the president and vice president. The number of each states electors is determined by the number of its representatives in the House of Representatives.

The Federalists Papers

A collection of 85 essays, published widely in newspaper in 1787 and 1788, written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay in support of adopting the US Constitution.

three-fifths rule

Approved during the constitutional convention, a compromise mandating that every enslaved person would count as 3/5 of a person for purposes of determining each state’s representation and taxation.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution as an infringement on individuals and states rights; their criticism led to the addition of a Bill of Rights. They also opposed the 3/5 rule and thought Congress was too small. Many anti-federalists later joined Jeffersons Democratic-Republican Party

Sullivan’s Expedition

A military campaign during the Revolutionary War to destroy Iroquois villages and force them out of Western New York.

Coverture

The legal status of a married woman, considered to be under her husbands protection and authority.

Elizabeth Freeman

One of the first enslaved African Americans to file and win a freedom suit in Massachusetts.

Article 1 US Constitution

Highlights the roles and responsibilities of the legislative, executive and judicial branches.