Period 3: The American Revolution and Founding Era

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French and Indian War

American theater of the Seven Years’ War; Britain and colonists fought France and Native American allies over the Ohio River Valley; ended with British victory and expanded territorial claims east of the Mississippi.

Albany Plan of Union

Benjamin Franklin’s 1754 proposal to unite the colonies for defense and other common purposes; precursor to colonial unity.

Join or Die

Franklin’s cartoon promoting colonial unity during the French and Indian War.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Ended the French and Indian War; France ceded most North American territories to Britain; Britain’s boundary extended to the Mississippi.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

Native American uprising in the Ohio Valley after the war, prompting greater British military presence and new policies.

Salutary neglect ends

Britain shifts from lax enforcement to tighter imperial control after the war.

Proclamation of 1763

Prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to stabilize relations with Native Americans.

Sugar Act (1764)

First revenue-raising duty on the colonies, taxing sugar and molasses to pay war debts.

Stamp Act (1765)

Direct tax on printed materials in the colonies, sparking widespread colonial resistance.

Stamp Act Congress

1765 colonial assembly that organized resistance and petitions against the Stamp Act.

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

Grassroots groups leading protests, boycotts, and pressure against British policies.

No taxation without representation

Colonists’ slogan arguing Parliament lacked authority to tax without colonial representation.

Declaratory Act (1766)

Parliament asserted its authority over the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever.'

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxes on tea, glass, paper, and lead; reinforced customs enforcement in ports.

Boston Massacre (1770)

Clash between colonists and British troops; five colonists killed; fueled anti-British sentiment.

Tea Act (1773)

Gave the East India Company a monopoly on tea; forced colonists to purchase British tea.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor in protest of tax-and-trade policy.

Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) (1774)

Punitive laws in response to the Tea Party, targeting Massachusetts and colonial self-government.

Boston Port Act

Closed Boston Harbor until damages from the Tea Party were paid.

Quartering Act

Required colonists to provide housing for British troops.

First Continental Congress (1774)

Delegates from 12 colonies met to coordinate response to Coercive Acts; discussed boycott.

Patriots

Colonists who supported independence from Britain.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown.

Lexington and Concord (1775)

First military engagements of the American Revolution; “the shot heard ’round the world.”

Second Continental Congress (1775)

Managed the war effort, declared independence, and formed the Continental Army.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Formal assertion of independence from Britain; articulated natural rights and grievances.

Continental Army

Colonial military force led by George Washington; fought the British and helped win independence.

Valley Forge

Wartime winter encampment (1777-78) where Washington kept the army together and veteranized leadership.

Saratoga

Turning point of the war; American victory secured a crucial alliance with France.

Yorktown

Final major victory; Cornwallis surrendered; effectively ended the Revolutionary War.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Ended the Revolutionary War; Britain recognized American independence and ceded land east of the Mississippi.

Enlightenment

European intellectual movement emphasizing reason and natural rights; inspired colonial thought and the Revolution.

Common Sense

Pamphlet by Thomas Paine arguing for independence and using plain language to explain Enlightenment ideas.

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. constitution; created a weak central government with limited powers (no tax power, no executive).

Northwest Ordinance

Outlined governance and pathway to statehood for the Northwest Territory; banned slavery there.

Land Ordinance of 1785

Set a system for surveying and selling western lands, establishing townships.

Shays’ Rebellion

1786-87 Massachusetts farmer uprising highlighting weaknesses of the Articles and prompting calls for a stronger central government.

Constitutional Convention

1787 Philadelphia meeting that drafted a new framework (the U.S. Constitution).

Great Compromise

Created a bicameral legislature: Senate with equal representation and House by population.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Slaves counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.

Federalism

Division of powers between national and state governments.

Checks and Balances

Each branch can limit the powers of the others to prevent tyranny.

The Federalist Papers

Essays supporting ratification of the Constitution, written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who demanded a Bill of Rights to protect liberties.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments; protect individual liberties; originally not extended to women.

George Washington

First U.S. President; unanimously elected; set presidential precedents and formed the Cabinet.

Cabinet

Presidential advisors (e.g., Jefferson—State; Hamilton—Treasury; Knox—War).

Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)

Washington’s policy of staying neutral in European conflicts.

Whiskey Rebellion

1794 domestic uprising against the whiskey tax; federal troops suppressed it to show federal authority.

Farewell Address

Washington warned against entangling alliances and political parties; urged national unity.

Federalists

Support a strong central government; favored commerce and a centralized economy.

Democratic-Republicans

Advocated states’ rights and agriculture; preferred limited federal power and ties to France.

XYZ Affair

French demanded bribes to meet with U.S. diplomats; led to anti-French sentiment and the Quasi-War.

Alien and Sedition Acts

1798 laws restricting immigration and suppressing opposition; seen as violating civil liberties.

Election of 1800

Jefferson defeated Adams; a peaceful transfer of power marked the rise of Democratic-Republicans.

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration of Independence; third U.S. President; future founder of Democratic-Republicans.

John Adams

Second U.S. President; Federalist; played a central role in early foreign policy and the XYZ Affair.