Unit 3 Terms

Albany Plan of Union

A 1754 proposal to unite the colonies under one government for defense and cooperation.

Alien and Sedition Acts

1798 laws that limited immigration and free speech, targeting government critics.

Antifederalist

People who opposed the Constitution and wanted stronger state governments.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. government with weak central power and strong states.

Bank of the United States

A national bank created to manage government money and stabilize the economy.

Battle of Bunker Hill

Early Revolutionary War battle showing colonists could fight the British.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

A 1794 U.S. victory over Native Americans in the Northwest Territory.

Battle of Saratoga

1777 victory that convinced France to support the colonies.

 Battle of Yorktown

1781 battle that ended the Revolutionary War with American victory.

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments protecting individual freedoms.

Boston Massacre

1770 killing of colonists by British soldiers that fueled anti-British anger.

Boston Tea Party

1773 protest where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

Checks and balances

System where each branch of government limits the others’ power.

Coercive (Intolerable) Acts

Harsh British laws punishing Massachusetts after the Tea Party.

Committee of correspondence

Groups that spread information and organized colonial resistance.

 Continental Congress

 Colonial governing body during the Revolution.

Constitutional Convention

1787 meeting that created the U.S. Constitution.

Currency Act

British law banning colonial paper money.

Daughters of Liberty

Women who supported boycotts of British goods.

Declaration of Independence

1776 document declaring independence from Britain.

Declaratory Act

British law stating Parliament had full authority over colonies.

Democratic-Republican Party

Political party favoring states’ rights and agriculture.

Dunmore’s Proclamation

British promise of freedom to enslaved people who joined them.

Electoral College

System used to elect the U.S. president.

The Federalist Papers

Essays supporting ratification of the Constitution.

Federalist

People who supported the Constitution and strong national government.

French Revolution

1789 uprising in France that influenced American politics.

Guerrilla tactics

Irregular fighting methods like ambushes used in war.

Indian Trade and Non-Inter C Act

Laws regulating trade and relations with Native Americans

Intolerable Acts

Harsh British Law to punish Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party.

Jay Treaty

1794 agreement that avoided war with Britain but was unpopular.

Loyalist

Colonist who remained loyal to Britain.

Minuteman

 Colonial soldier ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

Naturalization

Process of becoming a citizen.

Naturalization Act

Law setting rules for citizenship in the U.S.

Neutrality Proclamation

Washington’s statement keeping the U.S. out of foreign wars.

New Jersey Plan

Proposal for equal state representation in Congress.

Northwest Ordinances (1785 & 1787)

Laws organizing western lands and banning slavery there.

Patriot

Colonist who supported independence.

Peace of Paris (1783)

Treaty ending the Revolutionary War.

 Pinckney Treaty

795 agreement with Spain giving U.S. access to the Mississippi River.

Proclamation Line of 1763

British rule banning settlement west of the Appalachians.

Quartering Act

 Law requiring colonists to house British soldiers.

Québec Act

British law extending Quebec and favoring Catholics.

Republican motherhood

 Idea that women should raise virtuous citizens.

Salutary neglect

Britain’s loose enforcement of colonial laws before 1763.

Second Continental Congress

 Managed the war and moved toward independence.

 Separation of powers

Division of government into branches with different roles.

Shays’s Rebellion

1786 uprising showing weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Sons of Liberty

Group that organized resistance to British policies.

Speculator

Person who risks money hoping for profit.

Stamp Act

1765 tax on printed materials.

Statute of Religious Freedom

Virginia law guaranteeing religious freedom.

Sugar Act

1764 tax on sugar and molasses.

Tea Act

1773 law giving British tea a monopoly.

Three-fifths compromise

Counted enslaved people as 3/5 for representation.

Townshend Acts

Taxes on imports like glass and tea.

Treaty of Greenville

 1795 treaty opening Ohio to settlement.

Valley Forge

Harsh winter camp that strengthened the Continental Army.

 Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Claimed states could nullify federal laws.

Virginia Plan

Proposal for representation based on population.

Virginia Resolves

 Protest against the Stamp Act.

Virtual representation

British claim colonists were represented in Parliament.

Whiskey Rebellion

1794 protest against a federal tax showing government strength.

XYZ Affair

1797 incident increasing tensions with France.