APUSH unit 3

Albany Plan of Union

Albany Plan of Union

A 1754 proposal by Benjamin Franklin to create a unified colonial government for the American colonies, which was not adopted but laid the groundwork for later discussions of colonial unity.

French and Indian War (7 years’ war)

A conflict between Great Britain and France from 1754 to 1763, fought in North America, Europe, and other regions, which significantly altered the colonial and imperial landscape.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

A Native American uprising in 1763, led by Chief Pontiac, against British colonial expansion in the Great Lakes region, following the French and Indian War.

Stamp Act of Congress

A 1765 meeting of representatives from nine American colonies to protest the Stamp Act, a tax on printed materials imposed by Britain on the colonies.

Sons & Daughters of Liberty

Colonial protest organizations formed in response to British policies, engaging in acts of resistance and promoting colonial unity during the pre-Revolutionary period.

Declaratory Act

A 1766 British law asserting the right of Parliament to make laws binding on the American colonies "in all cases whatsoever," following the repeal of the Stamp Act.

Writs of Assistance

Legal documents that allowed British officials to search colonial homes and businesses for smuggled goods, leading to opposition and challenges to British authority.

Boston Massacre

A violent confrontation on March 5, 1770, in Boston between British soldiers and colonial protesters, resulting in the death of five colonists and heightened tensions.

Townshend Acts

A series of British taxes and regulations imposed on the American colonies in 1767, leading to boycotts and protests.

Committees of Correspondence

Local committees established in the American colonies to communicate and coordinate resistance to British policies and share information among towns.

Intolerable Acts

A series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, designed to punish Massachusetts and assert British authority.

Quebec Act

A 1774 British law that expanded the boundaries of Quebec and granted religious and political freedoms to French Catholics, which was seen as a threat by some American colonists.

John Locke - Social Contract

An Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas on government, including the concept of a social contract between rulers and the governed, influenced American political thought.

Thomas Paine - Common Sense

A pamphlet published in 1776 by Thomas Paine that argued for American independence from Britain and had a significant impact on public opinion.

First Continental Congress

A gathering of delegates from twelve American colonies in 1774 to discuss grievances against Britain and coordinate colonial resistance.

Lexington & Concord

The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War in April 1775, where colonial militia clashed with British troops in Massachusetts.

Patriots v. Tories

Patriots were American colonists who supported independence from Britain during the American Revolution. Tories were colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown.

Battle of Trenton

A pivotal battle during the American Revolution in 1776 where General George Washington and his forces crossed the icy Delaware River to launch a surprise attack on Hessian mercenaries in Trenton, New Jersey, boosting American morale.

Battle of Saratoga

A significant American victory in 1777 during the American Revolution, where American forces under General Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates defeated British troops, leading to France openly supporting the American cause.

Yorktown

The site of the decisive Battle of Yorktown in 1781, where American and French forces, led by General George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau, defeated British General Cornwallis, effectively ending the American Revolutionary War.

Treaty of Paris

The 1783 treaty that officially ended the American Revolutionary War. Britain recognized American independence and ceded territory east of the Mississippi River to the United States.

Republican Motherhood

An ideology in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that emphasized women's roles as moral educators and nurturers of virtuous citizens, contributing to the success of the new American republic.

Articles of Confederation

The first written constitution of the United States, adopted in 1777 and in effect from 1781 to 1789, which established a weak central government with limited powers.

Land Ordinance of 1785/1789

Legislation that established a system for surveying and selling western lands in the newly acquired territories, providing a structured way for settlers to acquire land.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A law that organized the Northwest Territory (land north of the Ohio River) and set the conditions for the admission of new states to the Union while prohibiting slavery in the region.

Shays’ Rebellion

A 1786-1787 uprising by Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays, protesting against high taxes and economic hardships, highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Constitutional Convention

A gathering of delegates from 12 states in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which resulted in the drafting of the United States Constitution.

Annapolis Convention

A meeting held in 1786 in Annapolis, Maryland, with the aim of addressing trade issues and recommending a constitutional convention to revise the Articles of Confederation.

James Madison

One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, often called the "Father of the Constitution" for his influential role in drafting the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Alexander Hamilton

A Founding Father and one of the authors of the Federalist Papers, Hamilton was a key figure in advocating for a strong federal government, co-authoring the Constitution and serving as the first Secretary of the Treasury.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a central (national) government and individual state governments, with each having its own distinct powers and responsibilities.

Separation of Powers

The division of government into distinct branches (typically executive, legislative, and judicial) to prevent any one branch from accumulating too much power.

Checks and Balances

A system within a government where each branch has the ability to limit or control the actions of the other branches, ensuring a balance of power.

Virginia Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention that favored larger states, calling for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention that favored smaller states, calling for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state.

Great Compromise

Also known as the Connecticut Compromise, it created a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with equal representation for each state.

3/5ths Compromise

A compromise at the Constitutional Convention that counted each enslaved individual as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of determining a state's representation in the House of Representatives and taxation.

Commercial Compromise

A compromise at the Constitutional Convention that allowed Congress to regulate interstate and foreign commerce while protecting the slave trade for 20 years.

Electoral College System

The method by which the United States elects its president, where each state has a certain number of electoral votes based on its congressional representation.

Federalists v. Anti-Federalists

Federalists supported the ratification of the Constitution and a strong federal government, while Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution, fearing it would infringe on individual liberties.

Amendment Process

The procedure outlined in the Constitution for making changes or additions to the document, involving approval by two-thirds of both houses of Congress or a convention called for by two-thirds of state legislatures.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee fundamental rights and protections to individuals and limit the powers of the federal government.

Democratic-Republicans

A political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison that opposed the Federalist Party and advocated for a more limited federal government, agrarianism, and strict interpretation of the Constitution.