APUSH SAQ Ultimate Study Guide

Pre-Columbian American era

The period in American history before European contact, specifically before 1492.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer whose landing in Hispaniola in 1492 initiated sustained European contact with the Americas.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607.

Seven Years’ War

Also known as the French and Indian War, it began in 1754 and marked a large-scale imperial conflict in North America.

Declaration of Independence

Document adopted in 1776 declaring the American colonies' independence from British rule.

George Washington

The first President of the United States, inaugurated in 1789 under the Constitution.

Thomas Jefferson

Elected in 1800; his election is noted for the peaceful transfer of executive power.

First Great Awakening

A wave of religious revivalism in the 1730s and 1740s aiming to revitalize colonial spirituality.

Albany Plan of Union

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 for a mutual defense pact among the colonies, which was ultimately rejected.

Sons of Liberty

A group formed to resist British taxation, known for protest actions against the Stamp Act.

Stamp Act Congress

A gathering in 1765 organized by James Otis to coordinate resistance against the Stamp Act.

Declaratory Act

An act enacted by Parliament in 1766 affirming its authority to legislate for the colonies.

John Dickinson

A Pennsylvania lawyer known for his influential essays opposing British taxation without representation.

Townshend Acts

1767 legislation imposing duties on imported goods, leading to colonial resistance.

Boston Massacre

A confrontation in 1770 where British soldiers killed five colonists, intensifying anti-British sentiment.

Boston Tea Party

A protest in 1773 where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor in response to taxation without representation.

Coercive Acts

Legislation passed in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, severely restricting self-governance.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The treaty that formally ended the Revolutionary War, recognizing American independence.

Articles of Confederation

The first written constitution for the United States, creating a weak central government.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the British crown during the American Revolution.

Continental Army

The military force established by the colonies to fight against British rule during the Revolutionary War.