Six Seven Years War (UNIT 2)

Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War)

Fought between England and France, 1756–1763; in the colonies called the French and Indian War; began over control of the Ohio River Valley and led to France’s withdrawal from North America; prompted Parliament to tax colonies, fueling the American Revolution.

Pontiac's Rebellion

1763 Indian uprising in the Ohio Valley that led Britain to restrict colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains with the Proclamation of 1763.

Proclamation of 1763

British decree banning colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to make peace with Native Americans; colonists largely ignored it.

Salutary neglect

British policy before 1763 of lax enforcement of trade and colonial regulations; its end contributed to the Revolution and independence.

Sugar Act (1764)

Tax measure designed to raise revenue by strengthening the Molasses Act; established new customs rules and tried smugglers in vice-admiralty courts; first revenue-raising tax rather than regulatory.

Stamp Act (1765)

Tax on printed materials and other items; viewed as an internal tax and unlawful by colonists, fueling protest.

Sons of Liberty

Colonial street gangs formed during the Stamp Act crisis to enforce boycotts and resist the tax; leaders of revolutionary activity and intimidation of British officials.

Samuel Adams

Leader of the Sons of Liberty; supported independence; key figure in the Boston Tea Party and Continental Congress.

Stamp Act Congress (1765)

Meeting in New York City where nine colonies petitioned the Crown and organized a boycott, promoting colonial unity.

Declaratory Act (1766)

Parliament’s assertion of sovereignty over colonial taxation and policies after repealing the Stamp Act.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxes on imports like paper, glass, and tea; aimed to raise revenue and address colonial resistance to internal taxation.

Boston Massacre

March 1770 clash in which British soldiers killed five colonists; used to galvanize anti-British sentiment.

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)

1774 measures punished Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party: closed Boston Port, revoked Massachusetts charter, tried officials in Britain, and allowed housing of troops; spurred the First Continental Congress.

Continental Army

Unified American army established by the Continental Congress in 1775, led by George Washington; distinct from local militias.

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army; pivotal leader whose integrity helped sustain the colonial cause.

George III

King of England during the American Revolution; policies toward the colonies hardened over time.

Virtual representation

British theory that Parliament represented all Englishmen regardless of residence; colonies rejected this as inadequate representation.

John Dickinson

Conservative colonial leader who wrote Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania; advocated rights and conciliation; helped draft the Articles of Confederation.

Loyalists (Tories)

Colonists loyal to Britain; often older and educated Anglicans; hoped to pacify but were inadequately organized.

Patrick Henry

Early advocate of independence; opposed Stamp Act; famous for saying, “Give me liberty, or give me death.”

Thomas Paine (Common Sense)

Author of the 1776 pamphlet Common Sense arguing for independence and providing a clear rationale for breaking from Britain.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Formal assertion of independence approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776; explained the reasons for separation.

Thomas Jefferson

Lead author of the Declaration of Independence; articulated the colonies’ justification for independence and rights-based government.

Battle of Saratoga

October 1777 turning point of the Revolution; American victory that secured French alliance and bolstered the cause for independence.

Battle of Yorktown

October 1781 decisive siege in Virginia; Cornwallis’s surrender led to negotiations and eventual independence.

John Jay

Chief diplomat in the Treaty of Paris (1783); secured American goals for independence despite French/Spanish interference.

Republican motherhood

Ideology urging women to teach republican values at home, elevating women’s civic role and education.

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. framework for a central government with limited powers; proved inadequate, spurring calls for a stronger union.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Established how new territories in the Northwest would become states; outlawed slavery there and provided a path to statehood.

Annapolis Convention (1786)

Meeting to discuss interstate commerce; led to the call for a constitutional convention to revise the Articles.

Shays’s Rebellion

1786–1787 uprising in western Massachusetts highlighting weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and fueling calls for a stronger central government.

New Jersey Plan

Proposed unicameral Congress with equal representation for each state; preserved some Articles structure but broadened federal powers.

Virginia Plan

Proposal for a federal government with two houses of Congress based on population, favoring larger states.

James Madison

Key architect of the Constitution; organized the Annapolis Convention; authored the Virginia Plan; helped draft amendments that became the Bill of Rights.

Constitutional Convention (Philadelphia, 1787)

Convention that produced the U.S. Constitution; addressed the weaknesses of the Articles and created a new framework for the government.

Great Compromise

Bicameral Congress with representation by population in the House and equal representation in the Senate to resolve representation disputes.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for purposes of taxation and representation.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution’s ratification; feared centralized power and preferred stronger state governments.

Separation of powers

Founding principle dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Federalism

Distribution of power between national and state governments.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments to the Constitution protecting individual rights and limiting federal and state powers.

Ratification

Process by which states approve the Constitution; nine states needed for it to go into effect.

Federalist Papers

85 essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay advocating for ratification and outlining constitutional principles.

Federalists

Supporters of ratification; favored a strong central government and pro‑business policies.

Alexander Hamilton

Strong nationalist and first U.S. Treasury Secretary; advocate for a powerful central government and the Federalist Party; pro‑loose construction.

Loose constructionist

Belief that the Constitution allows broader governmental powers through the Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause.

Strict constructionist

Belief in a narrow reading of the Constitution, limiting federal power and preserving states’ rights.

Whiskey Rebellion

1794 uprising in western Pennsylvania against a tax on whiskey; federal government under Washington suppressed it to demonstrate enforcing laws.

Jay’s Treaty (1794)

Agreement with Britain: Britain evacuated forts on the Great Lakes; U.S. paid pre‑Revolution debts; ratified amid partisan opposition.

Pinckney's Treaty (1795)

Agreement with Spain that opened the Mississippi to navigation and guaranteed deposit rights in New Orleans.

Farewell Address

Washington’s address warning against entangling alliances and political factions; foundational to later isolationist thought.

Federalist Party

Political party led by Hamilton favoring a strong central government, commercial interests, and close ties to Britain.

Democratic-Republican Party

Political party led by Jefferson advocating states’ rights, limited central power, and pro-France alignment.

John Adams

Early American leader; played a key role in the Continental Congress; served as the first Vice President and second President; supported neutrality and signed the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws allowing deportation of aliens, extended residency requirements, and restricting speech/press to suppress political opposition.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Responses by Madison and Jefferson arguing states could nullify federal laws they believed exceeded constitutional powers.

XYZ Affair

Diplomatic incident in which French officials demanded a bribe before negotiations; fueled anti-French sentiment and war hysteria in the U.S.