Apush key terms unit 3

Baron von Steuben

Prussian born aristocrat and military leader who provided badly needed training to the Continental Army at Valley Forge in 1777-78.

Battle of Saratoga

A turning point of the Revolution in October 1777; American victory convinced the French to ally with the colonies.

Battle of Yorktown

Siege ending in October 1781 where Washington trapped British soldiers, causing Britain to cease large-scale fighting and negotiate independence.

Ben Franklin

America's leading diplomat who helped secure the French alliance of 1778 and the Treaty of Paris.

Boston Massacre

March 1770 confrontation where British troops killed five colonists; used by radicals to roil relations.

Coercive Acts (1774)

British actions to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, known in the colonies as the Intolerable Acts.

Declaratory Act (1766)

Passed as the Stamp Act was repealed; asserted Parliament's sovereignty over colonial taxation and legislative policies.

George III

King of England during the American Revolution; strong advocate for harsh policies toward the colonies.

George Washington

Commander of the colonial army whose integrity and judgment kept the army together.

John Dickinson

Conservative leader who wrote Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, urged conciliation, and opposed the Declaration of Independence.

John Jay

Lead diplomat in negotiating the Treaty of Paris (1783).

John Locke

English philosopher who wrote that governments have a duty to protect people's life, liberty, and property.

Loyalists (Tories)

Colonists who remained loyal to England, often older, better educated members of the Anglican Church.

Marquis de Lafayette

French aristocrat and military leader who assisted the Americans, particularly at the Battle of Yorktown.

Patrick Henry

Early advocate of independence, opponent of the Stamp Act, famous for declaring: 'Give me liberty, or give me death.'

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)

Indian uprising in the Ohio Valley; led to the Proclamation of 1763 prohibiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachians.

Salutary neglect

British policy before 1763 of generally leaving the colonies alone to conduct their own internal affairs.

Samuel Adams

Agitator and leader of the Sons of Liberty and primary leader of the Boston Tea Party.

Seven Years War

Fought between England and France (1756-1763); known as the French and Indian War, resulting in France's withdrawal from North America.

Sons of Liberty

Street gangs formed during the Stamp Act crisis to enforce boycotts and intimidate British officials.

Stamp Act (1765)

A tax on more than fifty items like pamphlets, newspapers, and playing cards, setting off strong colonial protests.

Stamp Act Congress (1765)

Met in New York City to petition the king and organize a boycott against the Stamp Act, a major step to colonial unity.

Sugar Act (1764)

Designed to raise revenue by stiffening the Molasses Act, establishing new customs regulations, and trying smugglers in vice-admiralty courts.

Thomas Jefferson

Lead author of the Declaration of Independence and first secretary of state.

Thomas Paine

Writer of Common Sense, an electrifying pamphlet of January 1776 calling for a break with England.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Levied taxes on imported items such as paper, glass, and tea, which colonists refused to pay.

Virtual representation

British idea that Parliament was a collective representation of all Englishmen regardless of where they lived.

Alexander Hamilton

Strong nationalist, first secretary of the treasury, and founder of the Federalist Party.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Series of acts designed to suppress perceived French agents and restrict freedoms of speech and press.

Annapolis Convention

Meeting in 1786 to discuss interstate commerce; led to a call to revise the Articles of Confederation.

Anti-Federalists

Persons who opposed ratification of the U.S. Constitution, fearing centralized national power.

Democratic Republican Party

Political party led by Jefferson that supported states' rights and opposed Hamilton's financial plan.

Farewell Address

Washington's presidential message warning against entangling foreign alliances and political factions.

Federalist Papers

Eighty-five essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to convince New York to ratify the Constitution.

Federalist Party

Political party led by Alexander Hamilton favoring a strong central government and close ties to England.

Federalists

Persons who favored ratification of the U.S. Constitution by the states.

Great Compromise

Broke the impasse at the Constitutional Convention over congressional representation, creating a two-house legislature.

James Madison

Nationalist who organized the Annapolis Convention, authored the Virginia Plan, and drafted the Bill of Rights.

Jay's Treaty (1794)

Agreement providing that England would evacuate frontier forts in exchange for pre-War debts.

Loose constructionist

Person who believes the 'elastic clause' gives the central government wide latitude of action.

New Jersey Plan

Plan favoring a one-house Congress with equal representation for each state, countering the Virginia Plan.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Major success under the Articles of Confederation that organized the Northwest Territory and outlawed slavery there.

Pinckney's Treaty (1795)

Agreement with Spain that opened the Mississippi River to American navigation and granted the right of deposit in New Orleans.

Shays's Rebellion

Uprising in western Massachusetts (1786-1787) that reinforced the belief that the Articles of Confederation needed strengthening.

Strict constructionist

Person who interprets the Constitution very narrowly, restricting central authority and preserving states' rights.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement at the Constitutional Convention to count slaves as three-fifths of a person for taxation and representation.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Resolutions stating that when the national government exceeded its powers, states had the right to nullify the law.

Virginia Plan

Proposal for a new government with representation based on population, favored by large states.

Whiskey Rebellion

Uprising in western Pennsylvania in 1794 over an excise tax on whiskey, crushed by Washington.

XYZ Affair

Diplomatic effort where French officials demanded a bribe, heightening tensions with the United States.

Amend

To alter or change significantly.

Condemnation

To criticize or disapprove of something very strongly.

Ratification

The action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement.