US History Study Guide: Colonial America to the Early Republic

A complete deck of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, events, and constitutional concepts from Colonial America through the Early Republic.

Jamestown

The 1st permanent English settlement in North America, named after James I, established under a charter to find gold, precious metals, and a water route to Asia.

House of Burgesses

Established in 1619 in Jamestown as the first representative self-government in the American colonies.

Indentured Servitude

A system of labor involving a contract for 5 to 10 years, in which individuals were not full citizens of the community and lacked government representation.

Pilgrims

Separatists who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620 with 102 passengers, abandoned the Anglican Church, and drafted the Mayflower Compact for self-government.

Puritans

Non-separating reformers led by John Winthrop who arrived in 1630 across 11 ships to build a model religious community ('city upon a hill').

Mayflower Compact

A document drafted in 1620 by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower to establish a system of self-government.

John Winthrop's 'City Upon a Hill'

A speech intended to encourage Puritans to create a model religious community rooted in brotherhood and responsibility to God, which shaped the concept of American exceptionalism.

American Exceptionalism

The belief that America has a special role or serves as a model for other nations to follow.

Thomas Hooker

A dissenter who left Massachusetts Bay Colony, advocated for universal male Christian suffrage, checks and balances, and the principle that authority relies on the free consent of the governed.

Roger Williams

A dissenter banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony who advocated for complete separation of church and state, individual freedom of conscience, and fair land purchases from Native Americans before founding Rhode Island.

Anne Hutchinson

A religious dissenter banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637 for claiming direct communication with God and hosting scripture groups that challenged societal norms.

Pequot Wars

A territorial and economic conflict pitting New England colonists, Narragansetts, and Mohegans against the Pequots over land control, furs, and wampum.

French and Indian War

A conflict from 1754 to 1763 between the British and French in North America (part of the Seven Years' War) that resulted in a British victory and massive war debt.

Proclamation Line of 1763

A royal boundary established by King George III on October 7, 1763, prohibiting American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Stamp Act

A 1765 direct tax on paper goods imposed by the British Parliament on the American colonies to pay off debt from the French and Indian War.

Boston Massacre

A 1770 incident where British troops fired into a crowd of colonial protesters who were throwing rocks and snowballs.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest against British taxes in which colonists disguised as Native Americans dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

Coercive/Intolerable Acts

A series of disciplinary laws passed by Parliament in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party by replacing its local government.

Quartering Act

A 1774 law allowing British authorities to seize empty buildings and barns to house British troops in the colonies.

First Continental Congress

A 1774 meeting of leaders from twelve colonies who gathered to protest British laws and instruct local militias to prepare for armed conflict.

Battle of Lexington & Concord

The 1775 initial military engagements of the Revolutionary War ('shot heard around the world'), sparked when British troops moved to seize colonial weapons stockpiles.

Thomas Paine

Radical author of 'Common Sense' who used scientific and rational metaphors to persuade colonists to cast aside bias and separate from Great Britain.

Abigail Adams

Early advocate for women's rights who famously urged her husband to 'remember the ladies' when creating new laws for the nation.

Phillis Wheatley

The first African American female poet, who was sold into slavery and earned praise from George Washington for her written works.

Patrick Henry

A Virginia leader famous for his March 1775 speech declaring 'Give me liberty, or give me death!', which persuaded Virginia to organize an independent militia.

Declaration of Independence

The 1776 document written by Thomas Jefferson, inspired by John Locke's ideas on natural rights and consent of the governed, formally declaring separation from Great Britain.

Battle of Yorktown

The 1781 final major battle of the Revolutionary War, in which British General Cornwallis surrendered, prompting peace negotiations.

Paris Peace Conference (1783)

The 1783 treaty ending the Revolutionary War, in which Great Britain recognized U.S. independence and established borders extending west to the Mississippi River.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, creating a loose alliance of sovereign states with a weak central government and strong state power.

Great Compromise

An agreement at the 1787 Constitutional Convention establishing a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives (based on population) and the Senate (equal representation with 2 members per state).

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement at the Constitutional Convention to count three-fifths of the enslaved population for both congressional representation and direct taxation.

Federalism

A political philosophy supporting a strong national government and constitutional system, advocated by leaders like Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.

Anti-Federalism

A political stance opposing a strong federal government in favor of state sovereignty and a Bill of Rights, championed by Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry.

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution that safeguard individual liberties and rights.

Congressional Veto Override

The constitutional procedure by which Congress can pass a bill into law over a presidential veto with a $\frac{2}{3}$ majority vote in both houses.

Washington's Cabinet

The group of executive department heads created under President Washington, consisting of Thomas Jefferson (State), Alexander Hamilton (Treasury), Henry Knox (War), and Edmund Randolph (Attorney General).

Washington's Farewell Address

President Washington's parting message advising the nation to preserve unity and avoid political parties, foreign entanglements, regional divisions, and excessive debt.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1791–1794 rebellion by western Pennsylvania farmers against a federal whiskey tax, suppressed by federal troops sent by Washington to demonstrate the central government's power to enforce laws.

Election of 1800

A presidential election resulting in Thomas Jefferson's victory over John Adams, marking the first peaceful transfer of power between opposing political parties.

Twelfth Amendment

A constitutional amendment passed following the 1800 electoral tie that required electors to cast separate votes for President and Vice President.

Louisiana Purchase

The April 30, 1803 land deal with France that acquired approximately 830 square miles of territory for $15 million (about $0.04 per acre), doubling the size of the United States.

Marbury v. Madison

The landmark 1803 Supreme Court case that established the power of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.