AP US History Unit 3 Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes provided.

French and Indian War

A conflict that began due to British colonists encroaching on French territory in the Ohio River Valley, part of the larger Seven Years' War.

Albany Plan of Union

Proposed by Benjamin Franklin, it called for a more centralized government for the colonies to better coordinate Western defense. It was rejected due to taxation concerns.

Peace of Paris (1763)

Treaty that ended the French and Indian War, resulting in France being ousted from North America and Britain doubling its land holdings.

Royal Proclamation of 1763

Forbade colonists from taking land in the Ohio River Valley west of the Appalachian Mountains, aiming to reduce tensions with American Indians.

Taxation Without Representation

The colonists' argument against British taxes, claiming it unjust without representation in Parliament.

Salutary Neglect

British policy of loosely enforcing laws in the colonies, allowing them to manage their own affairs.

Navigation Acts

Laws regulating colonial trade that were more strictly enforced by the British to generate revenue.

Quartering Act of 1765

Required colonists to provide housing and food for British soldiers stationed in the American colonies.

Sugar Act

Imposed taxes on coffee, wine, and other luxury items, and enforced existing taxes on molasses.

Stamp Act of 1765

Taxed all paper items like newspapers and playing cards, leading to widespread colonial resistance.

Virtual Representation

British argument that colonists were represented in Parliament because members represented all British citizens.

Sons of Liberty

Groups that sprang up in the colonies dedicated to the repeal of the Stamp Act.

Stamp Act Congress

Assembly of delegates from nine colonies that petitioned the British Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act.

Declaratory Act

Act passed by Parliament stating they had the right to pass any law they wanted in the colonies.

Townshend Acts

Levied new taxes on items imported to the colonies like paper, glass, and tea.

Boston Massacre

Incident where British soldiers in Boston shot and killed several colonists, increasing tensions.

Tea Act of 1773

Gave the British East India Company exclusive rights to buy and ship tea in the colonies, angering colonists.

Boston Tea Party

Protest where colonists disguised as American Indians dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts

Acts passed by Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, including the closure of Boston Harbor.

Patriots

Colonists who organized themselves into armed groups and resisted further British tyranny.

Continental Congress

Meeting of leaders from the colonies to resist violations of their liberties by Parliament.

Natural Rights

Rights endowed to all human beings by God that cannot be taken away by government.

Social Contract

Agreement between the government and the people, where the people give power to the government to protect their natural rights.

Republicanism

Belief in a republican form of government with separation of powers to check and balance power.

Thomas Paine

Author of Common Sense, which argued for independence from Britain.

Common Sense

Pamphlet that advocated for American independence from Britain.

Declaration of Independence

Formal declaration written by Thomas Jefferson declaring independence from Britain, influenced by Enlightenment thought.

Loyalists

Colonists who opposed independence and wanted to remain loyal to Britain.

Continental Army

Army assembled by the Continental Congress, led by George Washington.

Battle of Saratoga

American victory that convinced the French to ally with the Americans against the British.

Battle of Yorktown

Decisive battle where the British army surrendered, leading to American independence.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, which gave most power to the states.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Legislation that provided a plan for how territories could become states and abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Shays' Rebellion

Rebellion led by Daniel Shays, displaying the weakness of the Articles of Confederation.

Constitutional Convention

Meeting called to revise the Articles of Confederation, which resulted in a new constitution.

Federalists

Those who supported a stronger central government.

Anti-Federalists

Those who opposed an increase in the federal government's power and favored state power.

Virginia Plan

Plan that argued for representation by population.

New Jersey Plan

Plan that argued that states should be represented equally.

Great Compromise

Compromise that created a bicameral congress with the House of Representatives represented by population and the Senate with equal votes per state.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Compromise that counted three-fifths of the enslaved population for representation purposes.

Federalist Papers

Essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison to convince the public of the merits of the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

Enumerated individual liberties and protections of the individual against the federal government.

Republican Motherhood

The idea that women could influence political realities by raising virtuous sons instructed in the principles of liberty.

Alexander Hamilton

First Secretary of the Treasury who introduced policies like assuming state debts and creating a national bank.

Elastic Clause

Clause in the Constitution that Congress has the right to make any law that is necessary and proper to carry out its responsibilities.

Whiskey Rebellion

Rebellion by poor frontier farmers against a tax on whiskey, crushed by federalized state militias.

Washington's Farewell Address

Address in which Washington cautioned against political parties and foreign alliances.

XYZ Affair

Incident where French diplomats demanded a bribe before negotiating with American delegates.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Acts that made it easier to deport non-citizens and illegal to criticize the government publicly.