Period 3.4-3.6 APUSH

battle of saratoga

Key American Revolution battle fought at Saratoga, New York. The patriot victory there in October 1777 provided hope that the colonists could triumph and increased the chances that the French would formally join the patriot side.

valley forge

Valley Forge refers to the site of the Continental Army's winter encampment from 1777 to 1778 during the American Revolutionary War, where they faced severe hardship but underwent crucial training and reorganization under General George Washington

battle of yorktown

Decisive battle in which the surrender of British forces on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively sealed the patriot victory in the American Revolution.

treaty of paris

1783 treaty that formally ended the American Revolution.

statue of religious freedom

1786 Virginia Assembly statute that ensured the separation of church and state and largely guaranteed freedom of religion. Many other states followed Virginia’s lead.

ratified

Formally adopted or approved.

articles of confederation

Plan for national government proposed by the Continental Congress of 1777 and ratified in March 1781. The Articles of Confederation gave the national government limited powers, reflecting widespread fear of centralized authority, and were replaced by the Constitution in 1789.

treaty of fort stanwix

intended to serve as a peace treaty between the Americans and the Iroquois, as well as secure other Indian lands farther west

northwest ordinance

1785 act of the confederation congress that provided for the survey, sale, and eventual division into states of the Northwest Territory. A 1787 act then clarified the process by which territories could become states.

shay’s rebellion

1786 rebellion by western Massachusetts farmers caused primarily by economic hardships in the aftermath of the American Revolution.

constitutional convention

Meeting to draft the United States Constitution in Philadelphia from May to September of 1787. This document established the framework for a strong federal government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

virginia plan

Plan put forth at the beginning of the 1787 Constitutional Convention that introduced the ideas of a strong central government, a bicameral legislature, and a system of representation based on population.

new jersey plan

A proposal to the 1787 Constitutional Convention that highlighted the needs of small states by creating one legislative house in the federal government and granting each state equal representation in it.

three-fifths compromise

Compromise between northern and southern delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention to count enslaved persons as three-fifths of a free person in deciding the proportion of representation in the House of Representatives and taxation by the federal government.

naturalization

The process by which a noncitizen becomes a citizen of a nation.

electoral college

A group comprised of electors who vote in the formal election of the president and vice president after the general election votes are tallied. The electoral college was a compromise between determining the president via a direct popular vote or via congressional vote.

federalist

Supporters of ratification of the Constitution, many of whom came from urban and commercial backgrounds.

anti-federalists

Opponents of ratification of the Constitution. They were generally from more rural and less wealthy backgrounds than the Federalists.

the federalist papers

85 essays by Federalists Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Published in newspapers throughout the U.S., The Federalist Papers promoted the ratification of the Constitution.