AP US History Period 3 (1754-1800) Flashcards

Comprehensive review flashcards covering major topics, political developments, philosophical ideals, and conflicts in Period 3 (1754-1800) of AP US History.

What was the primary cause of the Seven Years War (French and Indian War)?

Disputed control over the Ohio River Valley between Great Britain and France with her American Indian allies.

What major policy shift resulted from Great Britain's massive war debt following the Seven Years War?

Great Britain abandoned its policy of salutary neglect and implemented tighter control, regulation, and direct taxes on the American colonies.

What was the main purpose of the Proclamation Line of 1763?

To forbid British colonists from settling west beyond the Appalachian Mountains in order to avoid costly conflicts with American Indians.

How did British Prime Minister George Grenville respond to colonial arguments against taxation without representation?

He argued that colonists had virtual representation in Parliament, as members of Parliament represented all British subjects regardless of location.

What was the role of the Committees of Correspondence formed in the 1770s?

To create a network across the colonies that organized, coordinated, and rapidly spread information regarding British grievances and resistance.

Which three British actions in 1774 were labeled by colonists as the Intolerable (Coercive) Acts?

Closing Boston Harbor until destroyed tea was paid for, enforcing a new Quartering Act, and imposing martial control over Massachusetts following the Boston Tea Party.

What Enlightenment concepts heavily influenced the justification for the American Revolution?

John Locke's natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the social contract theory, which asserts that people have the right to overthrow a tyrannical government.

What was the core message of Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet Common Sense?

It argued that British tyranny made independence inevitable and called for the creation of a republican government in place of a monarchy.

Where were the first military battles of the American Revolutionary War fought in 1775?

Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

Which battle marked the turning point of the Revolutionary War and led to a formal alliance with France?

The Battle of Saratoga in 1777.

What were the primary outcomes of the Treaty of Paris of 1783?

It formally ended the American Revolutionary War, recognized the independence of the United States, and doubled the land holdings of the new nation.

What was the concept of Republican Motherhood?

The belief that women held a crucial role in the new republic by thoroughly educating their sons in principles of liberty, virtue, and republican governance.

What was the significance of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 under the Articles of Confederation?

It established a process for admitting new states from the Northwest Territory, set aside land for public schools, and banned slavery in the region.

What were the primary structural weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

The federal government lacked the power to tax, raise a standing army, regulate interstate or foreign commerce, or effectively enforce federal laws.

How did Shays' Rebellion in 1786 impact the governance of the United States?

By demonstrating the central government's inability to maintain public order or assist states during armed uprisings, it convinced leaders of the need for a stronger constitution.

How did the Great Compromise resolve representation in the federal legislative branch?

It created a bicameral legislature consisting of a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with equal representation (two per state).

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?

An agreement at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the enslaved population in a state would count toward total representation in the House of Representatives.

What main arguments were presented by the Anti-Federalists during the constitutional ratification debates?

They opposed a strong federal government, feared federal tyranny over state authority, and insisted on adding a Bill of Rights to safeguard individual freedoms.

What precedents were established by President George Washington during his administration?

The establishment of a presidential cabinet of advisers, serving a maximum of two four-year terms, and delivering a Farewell Address.

What key warnings did President George Washington outline in his 1796 Farewell Address?

He warned against forming divisive political parties, entering entangling foreign military alliances, and allowing regional/sectional interests to divide the nation.

How did Hamiltonian Federalists and Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans differ on economic and constitutional policy?

Federalists favored a strong central government, a national bank, manufacturing tariffs, and broad constitutional interpretation; Democratic-Republicans supported states' rights, strict constitutional interpretation, an agrarian economy, and opposed the national bank.

What did the federal response to the 1791 Whiskey Rebellion demonstrate?

It proved that the new government under the Constitution possessed the centralized authority and military power necessary to enforce federal laws and suppress insurrection.

What was the purpose of the Alien and Sedition Acts passed under President John Adams in 1798?

To restrict activities of non-citizens by extending residency requirements and making it illegal to publish false or malicious statements against the federal government.

What doctrine was introduced by the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts?

The doctrine of nullification, asserting that individual states have the authority to declare unconstitutional federal laws null and void.

What were the results of the Battle of Fallen Timbers and the Treaty of Greenville in 1794?

US forces defeated an alliance of American Indians in northwestern territory, resulting in a treaty that ceded control of the Ohio territory for US settlement.

What were the primary terms of Pinckney's Treaty of 1796 with Spain?

Spain granted the United States navigation rights on the Mississippi River, access to the port of New Orleans, and formally settled southern border boundaries.