American Independence and Constitutional Principles

Historical vocabulary terms covering pre-Columbian exploration, the settlement of Jamestown, the causes of the American Revolution, and early constitutional principles.

Brendan

An Irish monk and navigator who chronicled crossing the Atlantic to North America; rock glyphs in West Virginia are said to be Gaelic evidence of his arrival.

Saint Augustine

The first permanent settlement by non-indigenous people in the Americas.

Jamestown

A colony started in 1607 by 100 men and boys on three ships: the Susan Constantin, the Godspeed, and the Discovery.

Mayflower Compact

The first recorded social contract in the colonies, established in 1620 to define how the colonists would rule themselves and generate wealth.

Seven Years War

A global conflict from 1756 to 1763 involving the French, Spanish, British, and others, which left Britain as the world's dominant superpower but also in deep debt.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

The treaty at the end of the Seven Years War in which Spain ceded Florida to Britain.

Apalachicola River

The geographical feature on the Panhandle that split East Florida from West Florida.

15 Colonies

The actual number of British colonies in North America during the revolutionary era, including the 13 original colonies plus East Florida and West Florida.

Loyalists

The stance of the Floridian colonies during the American Revolution, choosing to stay loyal to Britain because they relied on British Red Coats for protection from Native Americans and slaves.

Stamp Act

A direct tax requiring colonists to pay for a stamp on anything with writing, including playing cards, marriage licenses, and property documents.

No Taxation Without Representation

The mantra used by colonists arguing that, according to British law, Parliament could only tax those who were represented in the legislature.

East India Tea Company

A massive global company that the British government attempted to keep afloat by selling tea directly to consumers, bypassing colonial shopkeepers and sparking the Boston Tea Party.

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

The first, very loose, and weak form of government for the United States.

Shays' Rebellion

A 1787 uprising led by a former revolutionary officer involving 10,000 militia members protesting farm foreclosures and high taxes.

Constitutionalism

The idea of limited government, where powers are defined and restricted by a constitution to prevent the infringement of individual liberties.

Bicameralism

A legislature evolved from the British Parliament consisting of two assemblies; the term is derived from the Roman 'chimera' meaning a domed room where treasure (tax money) was kept.