APUSH Period 3

George Washington (as soldier/general)

Commander of the Continental Army known for leadership and perseverance during the Revolutionary War.

French and Indian War / Seven Years’ War (1754–1763)

Conflict between Britain and France for control of North America, part of the global Seven Years' War.

Peace of Paris (1763)

Treaty ending the French and Indian War; France ceded Canada and land east of the Mississippi to Britain.

Proclamation of 1763

British forbade colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to avoid native conflicts.

Mercantilism

an economic policy where a nation increases its wealth and power by exporting more goods than it imports, thereby accumulating gold/silve and maintaining a favorable balance of trade

Sugar Act (1764)

British law enforcing duties on imported goods like molasses, sugar; first act to raise revenue from the colonies.

Quartering Act (1765)

Required colonists to provide housing and supplies for British troops stationed in the colonies.

Stamp Act (1765)

Tax on printed goods; first direct tax on colonists, leading to widespread protests.

Admiralty Courts

British courts without juries where colonists accused of smuggling were tried.

Tea Act (1773)

Law designed to save the British East India Company by allowing it to sell tea directly to the colonies, making it cheaper than smuggled tea. However colonists refused to purchase because it would recognize Britain’s right to tax them.

“Taxation without Representation”

Colonial slogan protesting British taxes passed without colonial representation in Parliament.

Stamp Act Congress (1765)

Meeting of colonial delegates that petitioned Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act.

Non-importation Agreements

Colonial boycotts of British goods in protest of taxes.

Sons of Liberty

Secret resistance group that organized protests against British taxes.

Declaratory Act (1766)

Passed after repeal of the Stamp Act; asserted Parliament’s right to make laws for the colonies.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxes on imports such as glass, paper, paint, and tea; met with resistance.

Boston Massacre (1770)

Confrontation where British soldiers killed five colonists, used as anti-British propaganda.

King George III

British king during the American Revolution, blamed for tyranny by colonists.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Protest where colonists disguised as Natives dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

Coercive / Intolerable Acts (1774)

British response to the Boston Tea Party; closed Boston Harbor and restricted self-government.

First Continental Congress (1774)

Meeting of delegates from 12 colonies to coordinate resistance to the Intolerable Acts.

The Continental Association

Agreement to boycott British goods and enforce non-importation.

Battles of Lexington & Concord (1775)

First battles of the Revolutionary War; known as 'the shot heard 'round the world.'

“Minute Men”

Colonial militia ready to fight at a moment's notice during the Revolution.

Marquis de Lafayette

French aristocrat who volunteered in the Continental Army and allied with Washington.

Paul Revere

Patriot famous for warning colonists of British troop movements before Lexington & Concord.

Second Continental Congress (1775–1781)

Colonial assembly that managed the war effort and declared independence.

Battle of Bunker Hill (1775)

Early battle showing colonists' ability to stand up to the British.

Olive Branch Petition (1775)

Last colonial attempt at peace with Britain, asking for the repeal of parliamentary acts, but was rejected by King George III.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Document declaring colonial independence from Britain, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson.

Common Sense by Thomas Paine (1776)

Pamphlet advocating for independence from Britain and republican government.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Treaty ending the Revolutionary War; recognized U.S. independence.

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas influenced the Declaration of Independence.

Adam Smith

Economist advocating free markets and criticizing mercantilism.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and natural rights (late 1600s-1800s)

Articles of Confederation (1781–1789)

America’s first constitution creating a weak national government.

Land Ordinance of 1785

Law dividing western lands into townships for sale, raising revenue.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Law establishing statehood procedures and banning slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Shays’ Rebellion (1786–1787)

Uprising in Massachusetts by farmers/veterans protesting high taxes and debt after the war, exposing weaknesses of the Articles.

Annapolis Convention (1786)

Meeting to discuss trade problems leading to the Constitutional Convention.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

Meeting to revise the Articles; produced the U.S. Constitution.

James Madison

“Father of the Constitution”; key author of the Federalist Papers, 4th pres

Alexander Hamilton

Federalist leader advocating for a strong central government.

Natural Rights Theory

Enlightenment idea that people have rights to life, liberty, and property.

Republicanism

Political philosophy emphasizing elected representatives and government based on consent.

Virginia Plan

Proposal for representation based on population, supported by large states.

New Jersey Plan

Proposal for equal representation for all states, supported by small states.

Connecticut Plan / Great Compromise

Compromise creating a bicameral legislature: House (population-based) and Senate (equal representation).

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement counting enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation.

Electoral College

System for electing the president through electors chosen by states.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution favoring strong central government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution favoring strong states' rights.

The Federalist Papers

Essays promoting ratification of the Constitution.

Bill of Rights (1791)

First ten amendments to the Constitution guaranteeing individual rights.

Judiciary Act of 1789

Law establishing federal court system and structure of the Supreme Court.

Thomas Jefferson (as Sec. State & VP)

Secretary of State and Vice President; leader of the Democratic-Republican Party.

Hamilton’s financial plan

Program involving federal debts assumption, a national bank, and tariffs.

Federalism

Division of power between national and state governments.

Pennsylvania Gradual Emancipation Law (1780)

First U.S. law to begin gradual abolition of slavery.

Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)

Washington’s declaration for U.S. neutrality in the Britain-France conflict.

Jay Treaty (1794)

secured British withdrawal from forts but failed to end impressment of American sailors. Unpopular with the American public, but it prevented war and stabilized relations

Pinckney Treaty (1795)

US-Spain treaty - gave Americans navigation rights on the Mississippi & port of New Orleans, also defined the border between the US and Spanish Florida

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

Pennsylvanian farmers and distillers uprising against the federal tax on whiskey; Washington showed authority by sending troops.

Democratic-Republican Party

Party led by Jefferson and Madison favoring state rights.

Federalist Party

Party led by Hamilton favoring strong central government.

Washington’s Farewell Address (1796)

Advice against political parties and foreign alliances.

XYZ Affair (1797–1798)

American diplomats were demanded a bribe by French agents (referred to as X, Y, and Z) before they would begin negotiations

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798–1799)

State responses to the Alien and Sedition Acts, they nullified the Acts, claiming that states had the right to nullify federal laws deemed unconstitutional