APUSH Unit 2 Skill Practice Packet

Flashcards based on key terms and concepts from the APUSH Unit 2 Skill Practice Packet.

French and Indian War (Seven Years' War)

A major conflict (1754-1763) between Great Britain and France over North American territory, resulting in British victory and increased debt, which led to new taxes on the colonies.

Proclamation of 1763

Issued by King George III, it forbade colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, aiming to prevent conflicts with Native Americans but angering colonists eager for land.

Stamp Act (1765)

A British tax on all printed materials (legal documents, newspapers, playing cards) in the colonies, requiring a stamp to prove payment. It was met with widespread protest and eventually repealed.

Townshend Acts (1767)

A series of British acts imposing duties on imported goods like glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. They provoked colonial boycotts and resistance, leading to British troop deployment.

Boston Massacre (1770)

A confrontation in which British soldiers fired into a crowd of protesting colonists, killing five. This event fueled anti-British sentiment and propaganda.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

A protest by American colonists against the British Tea Act, in which colonists disguised as Native Americans boarded British ships and dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) (1774)

A series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, designed to punish Massachusetts and strengthen British control.

First Continental Congress (1774)

A meeting of delegates from twelve of the thirteen British colonies (Georgia not present) in Philadelphia to discuss a unified response to the Intolerable Acts.

Lexington and Concord (1775)

The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. British troops marched to seize colonial arms, leading to skirmishes with colonial militias (Minutemen).

Common Sense (1776)

A widely influential pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, advocating for American independence from Great Britain and arguing for republican government.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

A formal statement written by Thomas Jefferson declaring the thirteen American colonies independent from Great Britain, outlining grievances and principles of self-governance.

Battle of Saratoga (1777)

A decisive American victory in the Revolutionary War, which convinced France to form a military alliance with the United States.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The peace treaty that officially ended the American Revolutionary War, recognizing American independence and defining its new borders.

Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)

The first governing document of the United States, which established a weak central government and strong state governments. It proved ineffective due to its limitations.

Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787)

An armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers, led by Daniel Shays, protesting high taxes and debt collection. It highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

A meeting of delegates in Philadelphia that drafted the U.S. Constitution, designing a stronger federal government with a system of checks and balances.

Federalists

Supporters of the proposed U.S. Constitution, who advocated for a strong central government. Key figures included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the proposed U.S. Constitution, who feared a strong central government and advocated for greater state power and a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.

Federalist Papers

A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, arguing in favor of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and explaining its philosophy.

Bill of Rights (1791)

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms to citizens, added to appease Anti-Federalists.

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

A tax protest by farmers in western Pennsylvania against the federal excise tax on whiskey. It was suppressed by federal troops under President Washington, demonstrating the strength of the new federal government.

Washington's Farewell Address (1796)

President George Washington's final message to the nation, warning against political factions (parties), sectionalism, and permanent foreign alliances.

XYZ Affair (1797-1798)

A diplomatic incident between French and American envoys, where French agents (X, Y, and Z) demanded bribes from American diplomats to negotiate. It led to an undeclared naval war with France (Quasi-War).

Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

A series of four laws passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress, aimed at suppressing dissent and limiting immigration during the Quasi-War with France. They increased presidential power and restricted free speech.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798-1799)

Political statements drafted by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, respectively, in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts. They argued that states had the right to nullify unconstitutional federal laws.

Republican Motherhood

An 18th-century concept that emphasized the role of women in instilling republican values in their children and maintaining civic virtue in the new nation.

Judiciary Act of 1789

Legislation that established the federal court system, including the Supreme Court, circuit courts, and district courts, fulfilling a constitutional mandate.

Hamilton's Financial Plan

Alexander Hamilton's program to stabilize the American economy, including the federal assumption of state debts, creation of a national bank, and promotion of manufacturing through tariffs.

First Bank of the United States (1791)

Proposed by Alexander Hamilton, this national bank aimed to provide a stable currency and facilitate government financial operations. Its constitutionality was debated by Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

Democratic-Republican Party

Led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, this political party advocated for states' rights, a strict interpretation of the Constitution, agrarianism, and limited federal government power.

Strict Constructionism

A legal philosophy followed by Democratic-Republicans, asserting that the federal government could only do what was explicitly permitted by the Constitution.

Loose Constructionism

A legal philosophy followed by Federalists, asserting that the federal government could take actions not explicitly forbidden by the Constitution, especially if necessary to fulfill its duties.

Jay's Treaty (1794)

A controversial treaty between the U.S. and Great Britain, aimed at resolving issues left over from the American Revolution, including British occupation of western posts and impressment of American sailors.

Pinckney's Treaty (Treaty of San Lorenzo, 1795)

A treaty between the U.S. and Spain that granted American ships free navigation of the Mississippi River and the right of deposit at New Orleans, and established the northern boundary of Florida.

Election of 1800 (Revolution of 1800)

A peaceful transition of power from the Federalist party (John Adams) to the Democratic-Republican party (Thomas Jefferson), establishing a precedent for democratic transfers of power.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

A land deal in which the United States, under President Thomas Jefferson, bought approximately 828,000 square miles of territory from France, doubling the size of the nation.

Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)

An expedition commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and map the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase territory and find a water route to the Pacific Ocean.

Impressment

The British practice of forcibly drafting American sailors into the Royal Navy, a major cause of tension leading to the War of 1812.

Embargo Act of 1807

A law passed by President Jefferson that prohibited American ships from trading in all foreign ports, intending to pressure Britain and France but severely damaging the American economy.

War Hawks

A group of young, nationalistic members of Congress, primarily from the South and West (e.g., Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun), who advocated for war against Great Britain in the early 1810s.

Tecumseh's Confederacy

An alliance of Native American tribes in the Old Northwest Territory, led by Shawnee chief Tecumseh, that resisted American expansion and sought to preserve Native lands and culture.

Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)

A confrontation between U.S. forces under William Henry Harrison and Tecumseh's Confederacy, resulting in a U.S. victory and a setback for Native American resistance.

War of 1812 (1812-1815)

A conflict between the United States and Great Britain, fought over issues such as impressment, trade restrictions, and British support for Native American resistance. Ended with the Treaty of Ghent.

Treaty of Ghent (1814)

The peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, restoring pre-war boundaries and establishing a commission for boundary disputes.

Battle of New Orleans (1815)

A decisive American victory over the British in the War of 1812, led by Andrew Jackson, fought after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent but before news of its signing reached the combatants.

Hartford Convention (1814-1815)

A meeting of Federalist delegates from New England states to discuss grievances concerning the War of 1812 and states' rights. It led to the decline of the Federalist Party due to its perceived disloyalty.

Era of Good Feelings (1815-1825)

A period following the War of 1812 characterized by a sense of national purpose and unity, political harmony under President James Monroe, and the decline of partisan political conflict.

American System

Proposed by Henry Clay, this economic plan aimed to promote American manufacturing, create a national bank, and fund internal improvements (roads, canals) through protective tariffs.

Second Bank of the United States (1816)

A national bank chartered after the War of 1812 to help stabilize the nation's currency and economy. Its constitutionality and power would later be challenged.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

A landmark Supreme Court case that affirmed the implied powers of Congress by upholding the constitutionality of the Second Bank of the United States and limiting states' ability to tax federal entities.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

A Supreme Court case that strengthened the federal government's power over interstate commerce, ruling that federal law takes precedence over state law in matters affecting multiple states.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

An agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, and prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Purchase territory north of the 36°30′ parallel, temporarily resolving the issue of slavery's expansion.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

A U.S. foreign policy statement prohibiting further European colonization or intervention in the Americas, and asserting U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

Corrupt Bargain (1824)

The accusation made by supporters of Andrew Jackson that Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams conspired to make Adams president in the Election of 1824 in exchange for political appointments.

Sectionalism

Loyalty to one's own region or section of the country, rather than to the country as a whole, a growing divide between North, South, and West in the early 19th century.