American History Key Terms and Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historical terms, figures, events, and legal documents from early American history up through the War of 1812.

Navigation Acts

Laws passed by British Parliament beginning in the 1600s that regulated trade in the American colonies to benefit Britain and control colonial trade by requiring certain goods to be traded according to British rules and transported on British ships, increasing British control over the colonies.

Salutary Neglect

A period mainly before 1763 when Britain loosely enforced its trade laws in the American colonies, allowing colonists to become used to governing themselves.

French and Indian War

A 1754–1763 war between Britain and its colonies against France and its allies over control of North American land and resources. Britain won, and emerged as the greatest power in north America, but fell into major debt.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

A 1763 agreement signed in Paris between Britain, France, and Spain that officially ended the French and Indian War and made Britain the dominant power in North America.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

A 1763 Native American resistance movement led by Pontiac in the Great Lakes and western frontier to stop British expansion onto Native lands.

Royal Proclamation of 1763

An order issued by King George III in 1763 limiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to reduce conflict with Native Americans.

Stamp Act

A 1765 tax passed by British Parliament on printed materials in the American colonies to raise money, causing widespread protests.

Sons of Liberty

A group of colonial Patriots and protesters formed beginning in 1765 to oppose the Stamp Act and other British policies through protests and boycotts.

Boston Massacre

A March 5, 1770 confrontation in Boston between British soldiers and colonists where soldiers fired into the crowd, which Patriots used as propaganda against Britain.

Committees of Correspondence

A communication network created by colonial Patriots, including Samuel Adams, starting in Massachusetts in 1772 to exchange information and unite colonial resistance.

Boston Tea Party

A December 16, 1773 protest by Boston Patriots against the Tea Act and British taxation, where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

Coercive Acts

A series of punitive laws passed by British Parliament in 1774 to punish Boston for the Tea Party by closing Boston Harbor and increasing British control.

Lexington and Concord

The first major battles of the American Revolution, fought between British troops and American minutemen in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775.

Common Sense

A 1776 pamphlet written by Thomas Paine arguing that Americans should become independent from Britain and criticizing monarchy.

Declaration of Independence

A statement created by the Second Continental Congress and drafted mainly by Thomas Jefferson, adopted on July 4, 1776, formally declaring American independence from Britain.

Marbury v. Madison

An 1803 Supreme Court case involving William Marbury, James Madison, and John Marshall that established the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review.

John Marshall

A Federalist who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1801–1835, strengthening the power of the federal government and Supreme Court.

Barbary Pirates

North African pirates who attacked American ships in the Mediterranean in the early 1800s and demanded tribute, leading to the First Barbary War when Jefferson refused to pay.

Louisiana Purchase

The 1803 purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France for about $15 million under Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte to control the Mississippi River and expand westward.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

An 1804–1806 expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Northwest to explore the Louisiana Territory.

Impressment

The practice mainly before the War of 1812 where the British navy stopped American ships and forced sailors into British service.

The Chesapeake Incident

An 1807 attack off the coast of Virginia where British forces fired on the USS Chesapeake and took several sailors to search for deserters.

Embargo Act (1807)

An 1807 law supported by Thomas Jefferson that stopped American trade with foreign countries, which hurt the American economy instead of forcing Britain and France to yield.

Tecumseh’s Indian Confederacy

An alliance formed in the Northwest Territory in the early 1800s by Tecumseh and several Native American tribes to resist American expansion.

War Hawks

Younger members of Congress around 1811–1812, including Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Felix Grundy, who pushed Congress toward war with Britain.

Treaty of Ghent

A treaty signed in Ghent, Belgium, in 1814 that ended the War of 1812 and restored pre-war conditions between the United States and Britain.

Battle of New Orleans

A major American victory in January 1815 led by Andrew Jackson against British forces, boosting American nationalism.

Hartford Convention

An 1814–1815 meeting in Hartford, Connecticut, of New England Federalists who opposed the War of 1812 and proposed seven constitutional amendments to limit Republican and Southern influence.

Northwest Ordinance

A 1787 law passed by Congress that organized the Northwest Territory, set a process for statehood, and banned slavery in the territory.

Shays’ Rebellion

A 1786–1787 rebellion in western Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays against high taxes and debt, showing the weakness of the Confederation government.

James Madison

A Virginia delegate and Founding Father who was a key leader at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, helping develop the Virginia Plan and create the Constitution.

Virginia Plan

A proposal presented in 1787 by James Madison and Virginia delegates for a stronger national government with three branches and representation based on population.

New Jersey Plan

A plan presented in 1787 by William Paterson for a national government with equal representation for each state to protect smaller states.

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in 1787–1788 to convince Americans to ratify the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, added in 1791 and drafted by James Madison, protecting individual rights and freedoms from government abuse.

Alexander Hamilton

A Founding Father, Federalist, and first Secretary of the Treasury who created financial plans in the 1790s to strengthen the national government and economy.

Bank of the United States

A national bank established in 1791 by Alexander Hamilton and the federal government to manage government money and stabilize finances.

Jay’s Treaty

An agreement negotiated by John Jay with Great Britain in 1794 to settle remaining Revolutionary War issues and avoid another war.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 rebellion by western Pennsylvania farmers against a federal tax on whiskey, which George Washington suppressed using federal troops.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Four laws passed in 1798 under President John Adams during tensions with France that restricted immigrants and limited criticism of the federal government.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

Resolutions written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in 1798–1799 arguing that states could challenge federal laws they believed were unconstitutional.

Election of 1800

A presidential election resulting in Thomas Jefferson becoming president after a tie with Aaron Burr was broken by the House of Representatives, marking a peaceful transfer of power.

Articles of Confederation

The first permanent plan of government for the U.S., ratified in 1781, creating a weak national government that could not tax, enforce laws, or regulate trade.

Battle of Saratoga

A 1777 American victory in New York over British General John Burgoyne that convinced France to form an alliance with the United States.

Battle of Yorktown

The 1781 victory in Virginia where American and French forces forced General Cornwallis to surrender, effectively ending Britain's hope of winning the war.

Continental Army

The organized, full-time American army created by the Continental Congress in 1775 and commanded by George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

George Washington

The commander of the Continental Army from 1775–1783 who led American forces to victory by avoiding major defeats and wearing down the British military.

Marquis de Lafayette

A young French military officer and aristocrat who volunteered to fight for the Americans, served as a trusted aide to Washington, and strengthened the French alliance.

Tories

American colonists, also called Loyalists, who supported Great Britain during the American Revolution and wished to remain part of the British Empire.

Treaty of Alliance

A 1778 agreement between the United States and France where France agreed to provide military support until American independence was achieved.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The September 3, 1783 peace agreement between Great Britain and the U.S. that officially ended the Revolutionary War and established the Mississippi River as the western boundary.

Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

A 1786 law written by Thomas Jefferson in Virginia protecting freedom of religion and preventing the government from forcing religious practices.