Studied by 6 people
The two sides of the French and Indian War
British and French; more so French allied with Indians
What was the cause of the French and Indian War?
Territorial disputes between the French and the British in the Ohio River Valley cause the war to begin in 1754
Albany Congress
Delegates from several British colonies met to discuss a more organized colonial response to frontier defense and westward expansion
Why was the Iroquois Confederacy important?
The British had plans to ally with them
Why were the Indians willing to ally with the European forces?
in hopes to maintain SOME control of North America
Albany Plan of Union (1754)
Plan proposed by Benjamin Franklin that sought to unite the 13 colonies in a council of representatives for trade, military, and other purposes; the plan was turned down by the colonies & the Crown.
Impressment of American sailors
Britain forcing American sailors believed to be of British origin into the British navy, regardless of their citizenship, seen as mockery of American sovereignty.
Peace of Paris (1763)
Ended French and Indian War
<b>Terms:</b>
Britain gained all of French Canada & all territory south of Canada & east of the Mississippi River.
France & Spain lost their West Indian colonies.
Britain gained Spanish Florida.
Spain gained French territory west of the Mississippi, including control of the port city of New Orleans.
Pontiac's Rebellion
A 1763 conflict between Native Americans and the British over settlement of Indian lands in the Great Lakes area due to westward expansion
Proclamation of 1763
the law said that the colonists could not move in the land west of the Appalachian Mountains in hopes of avoiding conflict with the Indians
Salutary Neglect
An English policy of not strictly enforcing laws in its colonies causing the colonists to believe they had more freedom than they actually did
Navigation Acts
Laws that governed trade between England and its colonies. Colonists were required to ship certain products exclusively to England. These acts made colonists very angry because they were forbidden from trading with other countries.
George Grenville's Plan
1) Stricter enforcement of current laws
2) Extend wartime provisions into peacetime
3) Quartering Act of 1765
Quartering Act of 1765
kept British soldiers stationed in colonies, colonists responsible for soldier's food and housing
Sugar Act
law passed by the British Parliament setting taxes on molasses and sugar imported by the colonies
Stamp Act
1765; law that taxed printed goods, including: playing cards, documents, newspapers, etc.
Currency Act
prohibited colonies from issuing paper money, destabilized colonial economy
Taxation without representation
Reason why colonists went to war with England. Colonists thought it was unfair to be taxed by a government that they didn't have a voice in.
Virtual Representation
British governmental theory that Parliament spoke for all British subjects, including Americans, even if they did not vote for its members
Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty
Organizations that led protests, helped American soldiers, instated a boycott, and generally resisted the British.
Stamp Act Congress
A meeting of delegations from many of the colonies, the congress was formed to protest the newly passed Stamp Act. It adopted a declaration of rights as well as sent letters of complaints and petitions to the king and Parliament, and it showed signs of colonial unity and organized resistance.
Parliament repealed __________ and ___________ in 1766
Stamp Act and Sugar Act
Declatory Act 1766
Passed at the same time that the Stamp Act was repealed, the Act declared that Parliament had the power to tax the colonies both internally and externally, and had absolute power over the colonial legislatures.
Townshend Acts (1767)
tax on imports into the colonies, including tea, glass etc
How did the Townshend Acts affect American homes?
rather than importing goods, women and men began producing their own goods in the colonies
Boston Massacre (1770)
An incident in which British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists who were teasing and taunting them; four colonists were killed.
Soldiers were put on trial and were defended by John Adams
Tea Act of 1773
Law passed by parliament allowing the British East India Company to sell its low-cost tea directly to the colonies - undermining colonial tea merchants; led to the Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party (1773)
American colonists calling themselves the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Mohawk Native Americans, boarded three British ships and dumped British tea into the Boston harbor.
Coercive Acts (1774)
British actions to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party; they included closing the port of Boston, revoking Massachusetts's charter, trying all British colonial officials accused of misdeeds outside the colony, and housing British troops in private dwellings. In the colonies, these laws were known as the Intolerable Acts, and they brought on the First Continental Congress in 1774.
First Continental Congress (1774)
The legislative assembly composed of delegates from the colonies (except Georgia) who met before the Revolution to address and discuss Britain's continued legislative tyranny
John Locke
English philosopher (participated in the Enlightenment) who argued that people have natural rights; Govern with consent of the governed
Montesquieu
French political philosopher who advocated the separation of executive and legislative and judicial powers; republican form of government is the best for the people's liberty
Check and Balances
system by which each branch of goverment check or control the actions of the other branches
Common Sense
1776: a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that claimed the colonies had a right to be an independent nation; full of Enlightenment thought
Second Continental Congress (1775)
a convention of delegates from the 13 Colonies, managed the colonial war effort, sent The Olive Branch Petition , moved incrementally towards independence, adopted the Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson), acted as the De Facto National government.
Declaration of Independence
1776 statement, issued by the Second Continental Congress, explaining why the colonies wanted independence from Britain.
Patriot Cause
Patriots, who comprised around 80% of the colonial population, resented the British government's imposition on the colonies, and worked towards revolution.
Loyalists
American colonists who remained loyal to Britain and opposed the war for independence
Continental Army
Army formed in 1775 by the Second Continental Congress and led by General George Washington; and they lost most of the time because they were inexperienced
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Christmas eve when Washington crossed the Delaware and secretly surrounded the sleeping Hessian soldiers.
Battle of Saratoga
American victory over British troops in 1777 that was a turning point in the American Revolution because the victory convinced France to ally with the U.S.
Battle of Yorktown (1781)
Last major battle of the American Revolution.
Prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the conflict.
Treaty of Paris 1783
This treaty ended the Revolutionary War, recognized the independence of the American colonies, and granted the colonies the territory from the southern border of Canada to the northern border of Florida, and from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River
How did the American Revolution affect women?
Women helped greatly during the war (farming, keeping the house, etc) and some even dressed as men to take up arms and fight
Ladies Association of Philadelphia
An organization that raised funds to assist American soldiers, showing how the Revolution propelled women into new forms of political activism.
Nancy Hart
Legendary war woman of the American Revolution; her most famous account was her tricking and killing of a group of Tories.
Republican Motherhood
The idea that American women had a special responsibility to cultivate "civic virtue" in their children
French Revolution (1789)
Reacting to the oppressive aristocracy, the French middle and lower classes overthrew the king and asserted power for themselves in a violent and bloody revolution. This uprising was inspired by America's independence from England and the Enlightenment ideas.
National Assembly of France
Governing body of France that succeeded the Estates-General in 1789 during the French Revolution. It was composed of, and defined by, the delegates of the Third Estate.
Haitian Revolution
Toussaint l'Ouverture led this uprising, which in 1790 resulted in the successful overthrow of French colonial rule on this Caribbean island. This revolution set up the first black government in the Western Hemisphere and the world's second democratic republic (after the US). The US was reluctant to give full support to this republic led by former slaves.
Articles of Confederation
1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade, laws had to be agreed on by 9 out of 13 states) largely influence by existing state Constitutions (which focused power in the legislative branch)
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Created the Northwest Territory (area north of the Ohio River and west of Pennsylvania), established conditions for self-government and statehood, and permanently prohibited slavery
Shay's Rebellion (1786)
This MA conflict caused criticism of the Articles of Confederation; farmers were having trouble paying taxes because of inflation after fighting in the Revolution;
Constitutional Convention
The meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution.
Who wrote the Constitution?
James Madison
Virginia Plan
A strong national legislature with two chambers, the lower chamber to be chose by the people and the upper chamber to be chose by the lower. A strong national executive to be chose by the legislature, and a national judiciary to be chose by legislature. Representatives based on population
New Jersey Plan
The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population.
Great Compromise
1787; This compromise was between the large and small states of the colonies. The Great Compromise resolved that there would be representation by population in the House of Representatives, and equal representation would exist in the Senate. Each state, regardless of size, would have 2 senators. All tax bills and revenues would originate in the House. This compromise combined the needs of both large and small states and formed a fair and sensible resolution to their problems.
Three-Fifths Compromise
Compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.
Ratification of the Constitution
required 9 out of 13 states to ratify (approve) it to become law.
Federalists
Supporters of the U.S. Constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption.
Federalist Papers
A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail.
Bill of Rights, 1791
Popular term for the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The amendments secure key rights for individuals and reserve to the states all powers not explicitly delegated or prohibited by the Constitution.
Federalism
The sharing of power between the national and state government
Supremacy Clause
Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.
enumerated powers
Powers specifically given to Congress in the Constitution; including the power to collect taxes, coin money, regulate foreign and interstate commerce, and declare war.
seperation of powers
dividing the powers of government among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches
Poor Richard's Almanac
Widely read annual pamphlet edited by Benjamin Franklin. Best known for its proverbs and aphorisms emphasizing thrift, industry, morality, and common sense.
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
Measure enacted by the Virginia legislature prohibiting state support for religious institutions and recognizing freedom of worship. Served as a model for the religion clause of the first amendment to the Constitution.
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