Unit 2: The American Revolution & Early Republic

Unit 2 MCQ Exam (35-40 questions)

Stono Rebellion

Took place in 1739 in South Carolina; a slave rebellion that led to stricter slave codes

Seven Years’ War/French & Indian War

Global conflict (1756–1763); in North America, British vs French + Native allies; ended with British victory and Treaty of Paris 1763

Enlightenment

European intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, secularism, and questioning traditional authority, including religion

Great Awakening

Religious revival movement promoting religious tolerance, diversity, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state

Republicanism

Belief that power comes from citizens and their elected representatives; promotes civic engagement and anti-monarchy ideals

Liberalism

Ideology supporting individual rights, government accountability, and democracy; rejects monarchy and tyranny

Salutary Neglect

Unofficial British policy of relaxed enforcement, allowing colonial self-governance

Treaty of Paris 1763

Ended the Seven Years’ War; Britain gained French territory in North America

Proclamation Line of 1763

Prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to reduce conflict with Native tribes

Sugar Act of 1764

Taxed sugar and molasses, especially important for food preservation; aimed at raising revenue

Stamp Act of 1765

Taxed all paper goods; required colonists to buy stamps to prove tax payment; affected all colonists directly

Daughters of Liberty

Women who supported the boycott of British goods and made homemade goods as a protest

Sons of Liberty

Secret society formed to oppose British policies; organized protests and resisted the Stamp Act

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxed imports like glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea; led to colonial protests

Boston Massacre

1770 confrontation in which British soldiers killed five colonists; used as anti-British propaganda

Tea Act 1773

Created a monopoly for the British East India Company; allowed direct tea sales to colonies, bypassing merchants

Boston Tea Party

Colonists protested the Tea Act by dumping 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor

Intolerable Acts

Series of punitive laws passed in response to the Boston Tea Party; restricted colonial self-government

First Continental Congress

Delegates met in 1774 to organize colonial resistance to the Intolerable Acts

Second Continental Congress

Governing body during the Revolution; managed the war effort and adopted the Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

1776 document declaring separation from Britain; listed grievances and justified independence

Lexington and Concord

First battles of the Revolutionary War in 1775; "shot heard 'round the world"

Strengths/Weaknesses of the Continental Army

Strengths: motivated, home advantage, French aid; Weaknesses: poorly trained, low supplies, no navy

Battle of Saratoga

Turning point of the war; American victory convinced France to join as an ally

Battle of Yorktown

Final major battle; British surrender effectively ended the Revolutionary War

Treaty of Paris 1783

Officially ended the Revolutionary War; recognized American independence and defined boundaries

East & West Florida

Land returned to Spain after the Treaty of Paris 1783; not part of the new United States

Republicanism

Belief in citizen-elected government and civic participation; power rests with the people

Liberalism

Promotes individual rights and freedoms; calls for government accountability

Nationalism

Strong pride and loyalty to one's nation; desire for national independence and unity

Egalitarianism

Belief in the equality of all people, especially in political and social rights

Suffrage

The right to vote; gradually expanded beyond land-owning men

Sovereignty

The ultimate authority to govern; in the U.S., rests with the people

Republican Motherhood

Belief that women should raise virtuous, informed citizens to support the republic

Federalism

System of government where power is shared between national and state governments

Federalists & Anti-Federalists

Federalists supported the Constitution; Anti-Federalists wanted a Bill of Rights and weaker central government

Strengths/Weaknesses of Articles of Confederation

Strengths: first U.S. government; Weaknesses: weak central power, no tax authority, no army, couldn’t issue currency

Depression & War Bonds

Economic collapse after war; Congress couldn’t pay debts or war bonds, leading to unrest

First Ordinance of 1784

Divided NW Territory into 7 self-governing districts; could become states when population grew

Land Ordinance of 1785

Set rules for surveying, selling NW Territory; reserved land for schools; land too expensive for most

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Set up process for new states; guaranteed rights like religion, trial by jury, and banned slavery in NW territory

Shay’s Rebellion

1786 rebellion of farmers over taxes and debts; revealed weakness of Articles of Confederation

Constitutional Convention

1787 meeting to revise the Articles; resulted in the creation of the U.S. Constitution

Virginia Plan

Proposal for representation based on population; favored large states

New Jersey Plan

Proposal for equal representation regardless of size; favored small states

⅗ Compromise

Agreement to count 3 of every 5 enslaved people for taxation and representation

The Slave Trade Clause

Allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808 as a compromise in the Constitution

Hamilton’s Financial Plan

Proposed national bank, assumption of state debts, and excise taxes to stabilize U.S. economy

Whiskey Rebellion

Farmers protested whiskey tax; Washington used force to show federal power

Impact of George Washington’s Presidency

Set precedents: neutrality, 2 terms, strong executive leadership

Benjamin Franklin & American Philosophical Society

Inventor, diplomat, Enlightenment thinker; helped gain French support in Revolution

King George III

British monarch during the American Revolution; rejected colonial demands

Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa

Leader of Native resistance to British postwar policies in the Great Lakes area

Thomas Paine

Author of *Common Sense* and *The American Crisis*; encouraged support for independence

Abigail Adams

Advocate for women's rights; urged husband John Adams to “remember the ladies”

Esther de Berdt Reed

Organized women’s efforts to support the Continental Army during the war

Deborah Sampson

Dressed as a man to fight in the Continental Army; symbol of female patriotism

Anna Smith Strong

Member of the Culper Spy Ring during the Revolution; used laundry as coded messages

Alexander Hamilton

Federalist leader; author of *The Federalist Papers*; first Secretary of the Treasury

Joseph Brandt

Mohawk leader who sided with the British during the Revolution

James Madison

"Father of the Constitution"; helped write the Bill of Rights and *The Federalist Papers*

Framers

Delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention and helped draft the U.S. Constitution

George Washington

Commander of Continental Army; first U.S. President; set many presidential precedents