Key Events and Concepts in American History

These flashcards cover key events, figures, and concepts from early American history, useful for exam preparation.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, adopted in 1781, establishing a weak central government.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791, guaranteeing essential rights and freedoms.

Boston Massacre

A violent confrontation in 1770 between British soldiers and colonial civilians, resulting in the death of five colonists.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest by American colonists against the British Tea Act in which tea was dumped into Boston Harbor.

Common Sense

A 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating for American independence from Britain.

Constitutional Convention

A 1787 meeting to revise the Articles of Confederation that resulted in the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

Continental Army

The military force formed by the Second Continental Congress in 1775, led by George Washington.

Crispus Attucks

An African American man often regarded as the first casualty of the American Revolution during the Boston Massacre.

Declaration of Independence

A document adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the American colonies independent from Britain.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason and individual rights that influenced American democratic ideas.

Federalists and Anti-federalists

Groups that supported a strong central government and the U.S. Constitution versus those who opposed it.

French and Indian War

A conflict between Britain and France from 1754 to 1763 influencing colonial policies due to Britain's debt.

Great Compromise

A plan creating a bicameral legislature during the Constitutional Convention, balancing representation by state population.

Intolerable Acts

Punitive laws passed by Britain in 1774 aimed at punishing the colonies for the Boston Tea Party.

Jamestown Settlement

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

Land Ordinances

Laws establishing a system for surveying and selling land in western territories, including the Northwest Ordinance.

Lexington and Concord

The first battles of the Revolutionary War fought in April 1775, marking the start of open conflict.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that encouraged European nations to increase wealth through trade and colonies.

Navigation Acts

British laws in the 17th and 18th centuries restricting colonial trade to favor England.

Olive Branch Petition

A 1775 appeal by American colonists to King George III to address grievances, rejected by the king.

Pontiac's Rebellion

A 1763 uprising by Native American tribes against British policies following the French and Indian War.

Proclamation of 1763

A British law prohibiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to avoid Native American conflict.

Salutary Neglect

The British policy of relaxed enforcement of parliamentary laws in the colonies prior to the French and Indian War.

Saratoga

A 1777 turning point battle in the Revolutionary War that secured French support for the American cause.

Second Continental Congress

A 1775 gathering of colonial delegates that organized war efforts and adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Shays’ Rebellion

A 1786 armed uprising in Massachusetts protesting economic injustices, highlighting weaknesses in the Articles.

Stamp Act

A 1765 British law taxing printed materials in the colonies, prompting widespread protest.

Three-fifths Compromise

An agreement during the 1787 Constitutional Convention on how enslaved people would be counted for representation.

Treaty of Paris 1783

The agreement that ended the American Revolutionary War, recognizing U.S. independence and expanding its territory.

Valley Forge

A military camp in Pennsylvania where the Continental Army endured a harsh winter during the Revolutionary War.

Yorktown

The site of the final major battle of the American Revolutionary War, leading to British surrender in 1781.