APUSH Period 3 ID Terms

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Pontiac's Rebellion

Rebellion started by a loose confederation of Native Americans in the Great Lakes region immediately after the French and Indian War. Indian Nations joined together to try and drive British soldiers and settlers out of the region. To establish peaceful relations, the British passed the Proclamation of 1763 banning the colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Virtual Representation

Idea that the members of Parliament reserved the right to speak for the interest of all British subjects rather than for the interest of only the district that elected or for the regions since only about 1/3 of Englishmen had voting rights. Representatives in Parliament represented all of the English Empire and that voting was not critical to the concept or representation, difference in representatives between the Colonies and England was most evident in the phrase "no taxation without representation."

Proclamation of 1763

Act passed by Britain prohibiting colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, it was a direct response from the British to Pontiac's rebellion and the costly venture of the rebellion specifically right after the French and Indian war. Created colonial anger specifically from those colonists residing in the western areas of the northern colonies.

Irquois Confederation

Also called the Iroquois League or Five Nations, these tribes accepted the Great Law of Peace that allowed them to work together to better themselves. They were a major power broker in New York through the Ohio Valley up until their breakup after the Revolutionary War. Mainly independent of both the French and British, after the end of the Convent Chain. Would often fight "mourning wars" with the goal being to capture males from other tribes to "replace" fallen sons or husbands. Captives would be taken into the Iroquois tribe.

Stamp Act Congress

Required the colonist to purchase stamps for bills, newspapers, pamphlets, and other business and legal documents. 9 of the 13 colonists sent representatives to meet in N.Y to discuss what action should be taken against the Stamp Act. Adapted a declaration of rights which included the first written list of demands and it showed signs of colonial unity and organized resistance. The Association which helped enforce non-importation agreements and successfully got the Stamp Act repealed.

Boston Tea Party

A political protest in Boston, Massachusetts where American colonists, angry at Britain for imposing "taxation without representation," dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Team a monopoly to sell tea in the colonies thus undermining the colonial tea smugglers. The Boston Tea Party led to England passing the Coercive Acts which furthered the idea of the necessity of independence.

Boston Massacre

A reaction to the increased taxes imposed by the Township Acts and the presence of British Troops in stationed in Boston. A crowd of angry colonists were protesting outside of the Boston customs house (tax collection house) and it left 5 colonists dead and others wounded. John Adams successfully defended the British solders won the acquittal of Caption Thomas Preston. This case was the first case where reasonable doubt was used as a defense.

Committees of Correspondence

Groups of governments established by various towns or assemblies of the American colonies to exchange information with each other, mold public opinion , and take joint action against the British. This was an important step in the continuing unification of the colonies and were helpful enforcing boycotts of various English goods.

Sons of Liberty

American patriots such as Sam Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere, this group used both violent and non-violent means to harass British officials and loyalists and protest against British rule. Both the Sons and Daughters of Liberty would often hols spinning bees to make the cloth that was being boycotted.

Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania

A series of essays written by John Dickinson that helped turn colonial opinion against the Townshed Acts. All essays were signed simply, A Farmer. He argues that Parliament had the authority to regulate trade buy only the colonists could pass taxes for raising revenue.

1st Continental Congress

In response to the Parliament's enactment of the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts, 12 of the 13 colonies meet in Philadelphia in 1774 to discuss a unified response. A group known as the Association was created to enforce the boycotts. This was another major step in the unification of the colonies. This Congress to boycott British goods until the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts were repealed, and issued a Deceleration of rights, affirming its loyalty to the British Crown but disputing the British Parliament's right to tax the colonies.

2nd Continental Congress

Meeting of all 13 colonies in 1775 in which the Continental Congress took over the duties of a functioning federal government. They established a Continental Arm, printed paper, pursued all alliance with France, and drafted a Deceleration of Independence.

Articles of Confederation

Agreement of the original 13 colonies to create a federal government would be represented equally and the federal government would be significantly limited in its power. The government was created during the Revolutionary War out of the belief that a stronger government was needed to defeat Britain. Major accomplishments under the Articles were the land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Major weaknesses included an inability to tax, couldn't regulate foreign or interstate commerce, and no executive or judicial branches.

John Locke

A political philosopher in the Enlightenment. He put forth the idea that humans were born tabula rasa (blank slate) and that their experiences largely shaped how they developed and the idea of devine right to natural rights to life, liberty, and property. He heavily influenced the ideas leading to the American Revolution.

Bill of Rights

Written by James Madison as a means of quelling the Antifederalist fears that the new federal government under the Constitution would not be oppressive to the states' or peoples' rights. First 10 amendments to the Constitution that protect three categories of human rights, 1. Right of conscience, 2. Right of the accused, and 3. Rights of property. The first 10 amendments are predominantly "negative rights" or limitations on federal power.

Adam Smith

Scottish economist, known as the father of modern economics, who was famous for arguing against the theory of mercantilism. In his book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), he proposed the ideas of an invisible hand which described how free-markets were self-regulating based on 3 economic laws. 1. Law of competition 2. Law of supply and demand 3. Law for self-interest. In his book, The Wealth of Nations (1776). He stated that humans were self-serving by nature but that as long as every individual were to seek fulfillment of her/his own self-interest, the material needs of the whole society would be met.

Hamilton's Financial Plan (resumption/national bank/tariffs)

Alexander Hamilton, as Secretary of the Treasury, proposed a series of ideas for how to make the new country under the constitution financially stable and give the federal government the power and authority to bind the states together. Hamilton argued that the federal government should assume all of the state debts thereby linking the citizenry ti the federal government. Hamilton also argued for the creation of a national bank that would establish a universal currency and the use of tariffs to raise revenue and potentially stimulate the growth of American manufacturing.

Proclamation of Neutrality

Issued by George Washington , this declared out neutrality in the war between France and Britain. Washington felt the United Stated was too weak to to enter another war so quickly after the Revolution. Hamilton was pleased, he was pro-British specifically as a trading partner and argued Thomas Jefferson who felt that we had an obligation to aide France since they had helped us win our independence. Jefferson resigned his position as secretary of state because of this.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

The final battle in the Northwest Indian Wars. Upon losing , the Indians were forced to sign the Treaty of Greenville, which effectively gave the Americans control of the Northwest Territory.

Shay's Rebellion

Uprising in western Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays. former Revolution War soldier and farmer over high taxes on land in an economic downtime. They closed down the courts to prevent foreclosures and forced payment of debt. The uprising convinced many of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a stronger federal government.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Passed by the Federalist congress in anticipation of the Quasi-War with France, the Alien act increased the naturalization period ( time you have to live in the US before becoming a citizen) and allowed the deportation of non-citizens for behaving suspiciously or if they were from a country that the US was at war with. Sedition acts criminalized harsh or malicious speech against the US government which was a significant challenge to free-speech. They were often used against Democratic-Republic newspapers who were critical of John Adams and the Federalists.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson drafted these responses in secret to the Alien Acts and Sedition Acts.

Jay's Treaty

Was meant to avoid being brought into the War going on between England and France. The treaty called for an evacuation of British forces out of the American Northwest, repayment of American debts owned to Britain, and an agreement to cease trading with France for the duration of the war. The treaty was very unpopular and interpenetrated as very pro-Britain by both the French and the Democratic-Republicans.

Pinckney's Treaty

Also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo, this treaty between Spain and the US gave American's navigation rights of the Mississippi and use of the port of New Orleans. Spain agreed to this treaty in part fear of an English-American alliance (Jay's Treaty) and with guaranteed use of the Mississippi River, American settlement continued to move westward towards the Mississippi River boundary.

Land Ordinance 1785

This ordinance established the division of the Northwest Territory into 5 states (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin) and divided each of those into regions into sellable plots. The act reserved 1 in every 36 plots to be set aside for schools.

Northwest Ordinance 1787

This ordinance established a government for the Northwest Territory, set up the guidelines for admitting new states, listed a Bill of Rights for those living in the Territory, and banned slavery in the Northwest Territory. It established federal expansion of the United Stated instead of state expansion and set the precedent that the federal government could limit the expansion of slavery.

Republican Motherhood

The early American idea that women, though excluded from direct participation in politics, held an important civic role by raising virtuous ans educated sons who would become informed citizens int he republic. Emerging after the American Revolution, this concept tied women's domestic responsibility to the health of the new notation, reinforcing the expectation that women cultivate morality, patriotism, and civic values within the household. It reflected the Enlightenment-inspired belief that a stable republic depended on an educated son and moral citizenry. The significance lies in how it subtly expanded women's roles in society. While it did not lead to formal political rights, it encouraged greater access to education for women and helped lay groundwork for he 19th-century women's rights.

Sugar Act (1764)

British law passed that lowered the tax on molasses but increased enforcement of customs duties to raise revenue for the empire after the costly French and Indian War. The acts marked the first time Parliament explicitly sought to tax the colonists for the purpose of revenue, tightening mercantile control and cracking down on widespread smuggling. Colonial merchants and political leaders saw it as a direct threat to colonial autonomy. It represented the beginning of Britain's shift from salutary neglect to strict imperial enforcement. Colonists protested that taxation without representation violated their rights as Englishmen. setting the stage for escalating resistance. The Sugar Act is important because it marked the first real break in trust between Britain and the colonies, igniting debates that eventually culminated in revolution.

Tea Act

A British law passed that granted the struggling British East India Company the right to sell tea directly to the American colonies at a reduced price, bypassing colonial merchants. While the act technically lowered the price of tea, it reaffirmed Parliament's authority to tax the colonists by maintaining the small duty from the earlier Townshed Acts. Many colonists viewed it as a thinly veiled attempt to get them to accept taxation without representation. The significance was that it triggered the Boston Tea Party, this was an act of diffidence.

Intolerable Acts

Also known as the Coercive Acts, were a series of punitive laws passed in response to the Boston Tea Party. They included the Boston Port Act (closing Boston Harbor), the Massachusetts Government Act (restricting colonial sell government), the Administration of Justice Act (allowing royal officials accused of crimes to be tired in Britain) , the Quartering Act (requiring colonists to house British troops). They were designed to punish Massachusetts and reassert imperial control. They united the colonies against Britain rather than isolating Massachusetts, the laws ignited the First Continental Congress, these acts are often seen as the final breaking point in colonial-British relations.

Kentucky Resolution

Jefferson took a stronger step saying that a state had the right to cancel, repeal, or nullify a federal act if it is deemed to be unconstitutional. This theory would be the cornerstone of southern beliefs leading into the Civil War. Paired with the Virginia Resolution.

Virginia Resolution

Madison argued that a state had a right to interpose (act as a buffer between the Federal government and the citizen and therefore should not enforce these acts because they infringed on the 1st amendment right of free speech/press. Paired with the Kentucky Resolution.

Thomas Paine

A radical writer and pamphleteer who wrote Common Sense, which powerfully argued for American Independence. It attacked monarchy as illegitimate and urged the colonists to embrace the natural rights philosophy. His work appealed to a broad audience, including ordinary farmers and artisans, making the case for independence more persuasive than elite political writings alone. He embodies the influence of Enlightenment ideas on American revolutionary thought and demonstrates how popular media could mobilize widespread political action.

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

This rebellion was a tax revolt in western Pennsylvania in 1794, sparked by Alexander Hamilton’s excise tax on distilled spirits. Frontier farmers, who often converted surplus grain into whiskey, saw the tax as unfairly targeting small producers while favoring wealthy eastern distillers. Protest escalated into violent resistance, with rebels intimidating tax collectors and threatening secession from the United States. The significance lies in how President George Washington responded by personally leading federal troops to suppress the revolt. The swift and peaceful authority, especially compared to the weakness of the Articles of Confederation during Shays’ Rebellion. This symbolizes the challenges of early nationhood, the tensions between frontier and coastal interests, and the federal government’s ability to enforce laws under the new system.

Manumission Societies

These were organizations formed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to promote the voluntary emancipation of enslaved people and to advocate for the gradual end of slavery in the United States. Rooted in Revolutionary ideals of liberty and natural rights, these societies emerged most prominently in the Upper South and the North after the American Revolution. The Pennsylvania Abolition Society (founded in 1775 and revived in 1784) and the New York Manumission Society (Founded in 1785 by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton) were among the most influential. These groups worked to petition legislatures, assist freedmen, and promote gradual emancipation laws. These reflect the tension between Revolutionary rhetoric of freedom and the persistence of slavery. While they helped secure gradual emancipation laws in states like Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, they also revealed the limits of antislavery progress in the new nation, as slavery remained entrenched in the South.