US History Midterm

New France

 the French colony in North America

French and Indian War

fort battle between Britain and France in North America (1754-1763)

George Washington

a 22 year old officer that established an outpost known as Fort Necessity 

William Pitt

the new  energetic, self-confident politician selected by King George II to be the new leader of Britain’s army after being angered by the French victories

French and Indian War

began in 1754 and ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The war provided Great Britain enormous territorial gains in North America, but disputes over subsequent frontier policy and paying the war's expenses led to colonial discontent, and ultimately to the American Revolution.

Pontiac

a leader of the Odawa tribe located in the area of modern-day Ontario, Canada, and the Great Lakes region. He led a rebellion against the British colonists after they expanded their military presence in the Great Lakes area during and after the French and Indian War.

Proclamation of 1763

a proclamation issued that banned all settlements west of the Appal__**a**__chians to prevent any further conflicts with the Native Americans.

George Grenville

the prime minister in 1763 appointed by King George III

Sugar act

enforced in 1764 that halved the duty on foreign-made molasses, placed duties on certain imports, and strengthened the enforcement of the law allowing prosecutors to try smuggling cases in a vice-admiralty court instead of a more sympathetic colonial court

France; empire

____ __was Great Britain’s biggest rival in the struggle to build a world__ ___ in the 1750s. 

British; 1754

The French and Indian War was a war between the ____ __and French; started in North America in__ ___.

French; alliances

Despite being greatly outnumbered, the _____ __had several early victories because of their__ _______ with several Native American tribes. 

Washington; British

The French continued to win the battles against ______ __during 1755 and 1756 although Washington went into battle as an aide to the__ _____ general Edward Braddock. 

William; Iroquois

_____ __Pitt supported Britain through victories over the French which led the__ _____ to become allies with them. 

Ohio; Pontiac; British

While Great Britain claimed ownership of the ____ __River, the Native Americans under their leader__ ____ __took back several__ ________ forts. 

Massachusetts; ships

The royal governor of __________ __allowed British officials to search any colonial homes,__ _____, or buildings.

debt; colonists

Due to the _____ __acquired during the war, the__ ______ were suspected for smuggling goods.

North; colonial policy; colonies

The French and Indian War resulted in the French giving up their ____ __American territory to the British. It also marked a shift in__

_____-______ __Britain started passing more laws to control the__ ______-. 

Samuel Adams

helped organize the Sons of Liberty, signed the Declaration of Independence, and was governor of Massachusetts.

sons of liberty

a group of instigators and provocateurs in colonial America who used an extreme form of civil disobedience—threats, and in some cases actual violence—to intimidate loyalists and outrage the British government.

Stamp Act Congress

also known as the Continental Congress of 1765; in the fall of 1765, American colonists convened a Stamp Act Congress in New York and called for a boycott of British imports. The congress was attended by twenty-seven delegates from nine states, whose mandate was to petition the king and Parliament for repeal of the tax without deepening the crisis.

stamp act

The act required the colonists to pay a tax, represented by a stamp, on various forms of papers, documents, and playing cards. It was a direct tax imposed by the British government without the approval of the colonial legislatures and was payable in hard-to-obtain British sterling, rather than colonial currency.

committees of correspondence

a means of spreading news and information about the Patriot cause and mobilizing opposition to British policies in cities, towns and rural communities throughout the colonies

Stamp; British

The ___ __Act was a law that required colonists to pay for__ ___ only taxes for all legal documents. In March 1965, Prime Minister George Grenville passed this act. It created a new tax on paper items.

King George III

one of the longest reigning British Monarchs. He oversaw the conquest of an empire in the Seven Years' War, and the loss of the American Colonies in the War of Independence.

Martial Law

the temporary substitution of military authority for civilian rule and is usually invoked in time of war, rebellion, or natural disaster. When martial law is in effect, the military commander of an area or country has unlimited authority to make and enforce laws.

First Continental Congress 1774

convened in Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between September 5 and October 26, 1774. Delegates from twelve of Britain's thirteen American colonies met to discuss America's future under growing British aggression.

Sons; Samual; Parliament

 The colonial reaction to the Stamp Act was to organize a secret resistance group called the ___ __of Liberty. Led by__ ____**Adams**

Townshend; tea; Britain

The _____ __Acts were a set of indirect taxes on items such as glass, led, paint, and paper. It also included a__ 3 cent tax on ____, which was the most common drink in the colonies. These Acts created a new tax on imported materials from__ ______. 

Women; goods; Boston

The colonial response to the Townshend Acts was rage and resistance. Samual Adams along with American ____ __of every rank boycotted British__ ______.  In response to the British seizing the Liberty, the British stationed 2,000 RedCoats in__ ______. 

Massacre; jobs; soldiers

 The Boston ____ __was a fight that broke out against__ __*. At the end of the fight, Attucks and 4 others were left dead in the snow.  The competition for jobs was high between both the colonists and poorly paid*__ ________. 

Tea; committee

The colonial response to the  Boston Massacre was that the colonists were enraged by the British opening fire on what they believed were ¨defenseless citizens¨. It Caused outrage and was a leading factor into the Boston __ __Party. It also started a communication__ _____ to communicate with the colonies. 

Tea; colonial; British

The _____ __Act gave the British special tea exceptions while the__ ___ __merchants were not allowed to sell their tea. This eliminated the competition for the__ _____ because the colonial tea merchant couldn´t sell the tea anymore.  This action led to the Boston Tea Party. 

Boston Tea Party

a political protest that occurred on December 16, 1773, at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. American colonists, frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company into the harbor.

tea; harbor

The colonial response to the ____ Act was that the colonists rebelled and dumped 18,000 pounds of tea into Boston __________. This act led to the Intolerable acts placed on the colonists. 

Intolerable;soldiers

 The ______ __Acts were a set of laws that restricted the colonists from many things. For example, Boston Harbor was shut down and British__ _______ were allowed to vacate colonists’ homes. This enraged the colonists because they felt like they had no say in their rights. 

protest; colonial; rights

The colonial response to the Intolerable Acts was to take a stand against Great Britain and ______. They also wrote down a declaration of__ ____ __rights that they believed they should have. The intolerable acts led to the Declaration of Independence because the colonists wanted basic__ _____. 

quartering act

stated that Great Britain would house its soldiers in American barracks and public houses.

Battle of Lexington and Concord

* marked the start of the American War of Independence (1775-83). Politically disastrous for the British, it persuaded many Americans to take up arms and support the cause of independence.


* a gunshot went off forcing the British to attack. Some of the colonists were killed and the rest fled. The gunshot was the first shot of the American Revolution and the start of the war.

Second Continental Congress

during the revolutionary war the continental congress came together in May of 1775 to approve the declaration of independence

Olive Branch Petition

a document sent from the Second Continental Congress to King George proposing the restoration of friendly relations(reconciliation) between the colonies and Britain.

Common Sense

a pamphlet published in Thomas Paine in 1776, calling for a separation of the colonies from Britain

Thomas Jefferson

a virginia lawyer known for his intelligence and was chosen to express the committee’s points and wrote the declaration of independence

Declaration of Independence

document written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 where the colonies declared to be independent from Britain

Patriots

the colonists that supported independence from Britain

Loyalists

those who opposed independence and remained loyal British subjects

thomas paine

he published Common Sense, a strong defense of American Independence from England. He traveled with the Continental Army and wasn't a success as a soldier, but he produced The American Crisis (1776-83), which helped inspire the Army.

John Locke

pioneered the ideas of natural law, social contract, religious toleration, and the right to revolution that proved essential to both the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution that followed.

colonial; Britain

The ____ __leaders were unsure whether their next move would be peace or to attack__ _______.

Second; John

The ______ __Continental Congress led to the agreement to approve of the declaration of independence but__ ___ Adams was the only one who did not approve.

Bunker; Revolutionary

The Battle of _____ __Hill was one of the deadliest in the__ _____ war and took place north of Boston near Bunker Hill. 

Olive; colonists; relationship

The ____ __Branch Petition was sent by the__ ____ __to King George requesting to return to their__ ______ of normal peace.

independence

The colonists declared _______ from Britain through the Declaration of Independence.

George; Lexington

In the anonymous 50-page pamphlet, Thomas Paine attacked King ____ __III and clarified that his own attack against the king had begun with__ _______ and Concord.

Jefferson; 1776

A Declaration was written by Thomas _______ declaring the colonies of American Independence in July of ______-.

Native; freedom

The conflict of choosing a side presented more problems for other groups such as ____ __Americans who thought colonials settlers were more of a threat to their lands than the British and African Americans  because the King promised them__ _____ if they fought for the crown.

congress; Common; Locke’s

In May of 1755, the _____ __agreed that the colonies would declare independence from Britain. Britain and the colonies continue to go fight back and forth until Thomas Paine’s pamphlet,__ _____ __*Sense*____, and John__ ____ ideas helped Thomas Jefferson propose the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence. On July 4th of 1776 the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the congress and read to a crowd in front of Independence Hall. Although the colonies declared independence, many colonists still chose different sides.

Yorktown; British; peace

The Battle of _______ __was the last great battle of the American Revolutionary War. It is where the__ _____ __Army surrendered and the British government began to consider a__ ______ treaty. British General Cornwallis moved army to Yorktown on VA coast.

* **ended the Revolutionary war; General Lord Cornwallis surrendered his sword after retreating to Yorktown**

Paris; independence; Mississippi

The treaty of ____ __was an agreement in__ 1783 which the British recognized America’s ______; Set the U.S.-Canada border – U.S. reached__ ______ River'; **British to leave** frontier forts; **.S. to return property** to Loyalists; British to return escaped slaves in Canada

Proclamation of 1763

**the British told Americans they could not move west of the Appalachian Mountains.  Britain didn’t want trouble with the Natives. The Colonists felt they had the right to move where they wanted.** 

debt; colonists

**The French and Indian war left Britain with a lot of _____** __**and they felt the**__ **______ should help pay including stamp act.**

ammunition; Revere; British

In the Battle of Lexington and Concord British General Gage had made a plan to go to Lexington and destroy all the hidden _________ __in 1775. Doctor Warren sent for Paul__ _____, a member of the Sons of liberty, to warn Adams and Hancock that the__ ____ troops were on their way to Lexington .  (H.S) This was the first major battle of the Revolution showing the British that the Americans had a chance. 

Gage; bunker

When British General Thomas _____ found out the militiamen had dug in on Breed’s hill, he sent out 2,400 troops to march up Breed’s hill and attack the militiamen. At the end of the battle, the colonists lost 450 men while Britain lost more than 1,000 soldiers. HS: The battle of _______hill was one of the most deadliest battles in the American Revolution.

Trenton; Delaware

 At the Battles of ______ __and Princeton, on Christmas night of 1776, Washington led 2,400 men in rowboats across the mostly frozen__ ____ River. That night the soldiers drank too much rum and in a surprise attack on the enemy they managed to kill 30 British soldiers and captured 918 red-coats. HS: Eight days later Washington led the army to another victory against 1,200 British that were in Princeton. 

Howe’s; France; Saratoga

 During the Battle of Saratoga, General John Burgoyne, one Howe’s fellow generals, came up with a plan to lead an army from Canada to Albany to join forces with _____ __army in order to isolate New England. On October 17,1777, Burgoyne surrendered his army to Gates because his army had been surrounded at__ _____. (H.S) This battle gave the Americans the spirit they needed to continue with the war and gave _______ confidence in them to support them. 

French; Yorktown; Paris

In 1780 the Marquis de Lafeyette came up with a plan for the ___ __and American armies to join forces. Around 17,000 American and French armies surrounded the British on the__ ______ __peninsula and continued to attack them day and night for 3 weeks. HS: The Battle of Yorktown led to the signing of the Treaty of__ ______. 

Adams; Spain; independence

Benjamin Franklin, John ____ __and John Jay forced Britain to recognize them as an independent country.  The treaty of Paris included the countries Britain, France,__ ____ __and the U.S. (H.S)This treaty sparked a new era for the U.S and inspired people around the world to look into democratic governments and wars for__ _______.  

Articles of Confederation

A document, adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1777 and finally approved by the states in 1781, that outlined the government of the new U.S . The government shared fundamental powers. State governments were supreme in some matters, while the national government was supreme in other matters.

crisis; laws; large; financial; soldiers

Weaknesses of the articles of confederation:

* In times of _____, there was not a single leader to represent the country.
* It was more difficult to pass _____ __because they had to have at least 70% of the states agree to the change. Also, small states were equal to large states, so it was unfair to the people in__ ____ states.
* It created ________ problems because many times the states did not pay what the federal government requested. Countries needed money to function.
* They did not have enough ________ because it was not required to be part of the army.
* It would be difficult to solve disputes between the states. 
* All changes to the Confederation were nearly impossible. 

states

Overall the main weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that the _______ had more power than the Federal government. 

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

a law that established a procedure for the admission of new states to the Union

Land Ordinance of 1785

a law that established a plan for surveying and selling the federally owned lands west of the Appalachian Mountains

war; treaties; money

Strengths of the Articles of Confederation:

* Congress could declare ____, and start an army and navy.


* They could make peace and sign ________.
* Congress can borrow ______.

Shays’s Rebellion

an uprising of debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers protesting increased state taxes in 1787

James Madison

a political leader from Virginia who although was quiet, was known as the “father of the constitution”

Roger Sherman

a connecticut politician who created the Connecticut Compromise

Great Compromise

the Constitutional Convention’s agreement to establish a two-house national legislature, with all states having equal representation in one house and each state having representation based on its population in the other house

Three-Fifths Compromise

the Constitutional Convention’s agreement to count three-fifths of a state’s slaves as population for purposes of representation and taxation. 

virginia plan

Madison’s Plan proposed a two-house, legislature, with membership based on each state’s population. The voters would elect members of the lower house, who would then elect members of the upper house.

New Jersey Plan

William Paterson’s Plan proposed a single-house congress with equal representation.

Checks and balances

the provisions in the U.S. Constitution that prevent any branch of the U.S. government from dominating the other two branches

Legislative branch

the branch of government that makes laws.

Executive branch

the branch of government that administers and enforces the laws.

Judicial branch

the branch of government that interprets the laws and the Constitution.

constitution; Confederation; representation

Delegates from most of the states in the colonies gathered at the Philadelphia State House in 1786 to discuss creating a _________. All the delegates agreed the Articles of__ ____ __was weak so they created a strong constitution that gave fair__ ________ to the states and the government. 

Federalists

supporters of the Constitution and of a strong national government.

Antifederalist

an opponent of a strong central government.

The Federalist

a series of essays defending and explaining the Constitution, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

John Jay

* served as the key negotiator at the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized the independence of the United States.
* The New York native drafted the state's first constitution in 1777

Alexander Hamilton

was a founding father of the United States, who fought in the American Revolutionary War, helped draft the Constitution, and served as the first secretary of the treasury.

James Madison

made a major contribution to the ratification of the Constitution by writing The Federalist Papers, along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. In later years, he was referred to as the “Father of the Constitution.”

Bank of the United States

either of the national banks, funded by the federal government and private investors, established by Congress, the first in 1791 and the second in 1816

Bill of Rights

the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution added in 1791 and consisting of a formal list of citizens’ rights and freedoms.

The Judiciary Act of 1789

a law that established the federal court system and the number of Supreme Court justices and that provided for the appeal of certain state court decisions to the federal courts

Cabinet

the President’s chief advisors

Alien and Sedition acts

a series of four laws enacted in 1798 to reduce the political power of recent immigrants to the United States.

bill of rights

the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, added in 1791 and consisting of a formal list of citizens’ rights and freedoms

neutrality

a refusal to take part in a war between other nations

Cotton Gin

a machine for cleaning the seeds from cotton fibers, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793.

nationalism

a devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation.