AP U.S. History: Unit 3 - Revolution and the Early Republic

A comprehensive flashcard deck covering AP U.S. History Unit 3: the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and the Early Republic through Washington and Adams.

What was the Albany Plan of Union (1754), and who proposed it?

Proposed by Benjamin Franklin at a meeting of delegates from seven colonies, it was an early attempt at colonial unity to discuss colonial cooperation and relations with the Iroquois Confederacy, though both colonial assemblies and British officials rejected it.

What was the Ohio Company and why did it heighten imperial tensions prior to the French and Indian War?

Founded in 1747 by wealthy Virginia investors seeking land in the Ohio River Valley for trade, it directly threatened French territorial claims in North America.

What military role did George Washington play at the start of the French and Indian War in 1754?

In 1754, he led an expedition against French forces in the Ohio Valley and surrendered at Fort Necessity.

What territorial concessions were made in the Treaty of Paris (1763)?

Britain received Canada and French mainland territory east of the Mississippi River, while Spain received French Louisiana west of the Mississippi and New Orleans.

What was Pontiac's Rebellion (1763 - 1766), and what major British policy did it motivate?

It was an armed resistance by Indigenous nations led by Pontiac against British policies and colonial expansion following France's defeat, which motivated Britain to issue the Proclamation of 1763.

What boundary was established by the Proclamation of 1763?

It restricted colonial settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains in order to reduce frontier violence, manage Indigenous relations, and lower defense costs.

What legal instruments did attorney James Otis challenge during the early imperial crisis?

He challenged writs of assistance while defending colonial rights.

What was the significance of the Declaratory Act (1766)?

It was passed by the British Parliament directly following the Stamp Act crisis to reassert British authority over the American colonies.

What political view did Thomas Hobbes articulate in Leviathan regarding the social contract and monarchy?

Hobbes argued that in the state of nature there would always be conflict, leading humans to surrender some freedom under a social contract to an absolute sovereign or strong monarch whose power cannot be revolted against.

What core political concept did Jean-Jacques Rousseau argue must guide legitimate political authority?

He argued in The Social Contract that political authority must be guided by the general will, acting in accordance with the collective interests and common good of the citizens.

What key political doctrine did Baron de Montesquieu propose in The Spirit of Laws?

He advocated for the separation of powers into legislative, executive, and judicial branches, supported by checks and balances so that power checks power.

According to John Locke, what are all individuals' inherent natural rights?

Life, Liberty, and Property.

What core freedoms did Voltaire argue that government must protect?

Individual rights, religious tolerance, and freedom of the press under a constitutional government.

How did Benjamin Rush's view of the American Revolution differ from the war itself?

Rush believed the Revolution extended beyond the military conflict, as Americans still needed to establish their new system of government after winning independence.

On what date did the opening battles of Lexington and Concord occur?

April 19th, 1775.

What decisive battle in September/October 1777 helped convince France that the Americans could win the war?

The Battle of Saratoga.

What was the primary message of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, published on January 10th, 1776?

It attacked monarchy, called for complete American independence, and challenged the idea that America needed Britain for economic prosperity.

What was the purpose and impact of Thomas Paine's The American Crisis (December 19th, 1776)?

It encouraged Americans and soldiers to remain committed to the fight and was read to Washington's troops before crossing the Delaware and fighting the Battle of Trenton.

Who trained the Continental Army into a professional fighting force during the winter encampment at Valley Forge (1777 - 1778)?

Baron Friedrich von Steuben.

Which American woman disguised herself as a man to serve in the Continental Army and received an honorable discharge in 1783?

Deborah Sampson.

In what years did Pennsylvania and Massachusetts legally end slavery during the Revolutionary era?

Pennsylvania in 1780 and Massachusetts in 1783.

What were the primary powers granted to Congress under the Articles of Confederation?

Congress could declare war, conduct diplomacy and foreign affairs, make treaties, and manage western territories, but could not tax or regulate interstate commerce.

What was Shays' Rebellion (1786 - 1787) and why was it significant?

An uprising by indebted Massachusetts farmers seeking debt and tax relief, which exposed the weaknesses of the central government under the Articles of Confederation.

How did the Great (Connecticut) Compromise resolve representation disputes at the 1787 Constitutional Convention?

It created a bicameral legislature consisting of a population-based House of Representatives and a Senate with equal representation (two senators per state).

What did the Three-Fifths Compromise mandate?

Enslaved people were counted as three-fifths of a person when calculating a state's total population for congressional representation and direct taxation.

What limit was placed on congressional power by the Slave Trade Compromise?

Congress was prohibited from banning the importation of enslaved people before 1808.

Which state was the first to ratify the United States Constitution on December 7, 1787?

Delaware.

What was the main argument presented by James Madison in Federalist No. 10?

That a large republic was the best way to control the dangerous effects of factions.

What does Federalist No. 51 emphasize regarding the structure of government?

It explains how the separation of powers and checks and balances prevent government tyranny and abuses of power.

What does the Full Faith and Credit Clause in Article IV of the Constitution require?

It requires each state to respect and honor the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states.

What principle is established by the Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights?

Powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the states, cementing federalism.

Who were the four department heads appointed to George Washington's original cabinet?

Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State), Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of the Treasury), Henry Knox (Secretary of War), and Edmund Randolph (Attorney General).

What court structure was established by the Judiciary Act of 1789?

A three-tiered federal court system composed of the Supreme Court (one chief justice and five associate justices), circuit courts, and district courts, along with the office of attorney general.

What agreement was struck in the Compromise of 1790 to secure passage of Hamilton's financial plan?

Southern representatives agreed to the federal assumption of outstanding state war debts in exchange for locating the permanent national capital along the Potomac River (Washington, D.C.).

What constitutional clause did Alexander Hamilton use to defend the creation of the Bank of the United States in 1791?

The Necessary and Proper Clause, utilizing a loose interpretation of the Constitution.

What was the domestic outcome of the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania?

Washington sent a federal militia force to suppress the uprising, proving that the new federal government possessed the power to enforce its laws.

What rights and borders were secured by the United States in Pickney's Treaty (1795)?

Negotiated with Spain, it gave the U.S. access to the Mississippi River and New Orleans and recognized the Mississippi River as the boundary between the U.S. and Spanish territory.

What two key warnings did George Washington deliver in his 1796 Farewell Address?

He warned the nation against the divisive dangers of political parties and advised against forming permanent foreign alliances.

What undeclared conflict broke out between the United States and France following the XYZ Affair?

The Quasi-War (1798 - 1800), which was an undeclared naval conflict.

What doctrine did the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798 - 1799) put forward in opposition to the Alien and Sedition Acts?

The idea that individual states could judge the constitutionality of federal laws and nullify unconstitutional federal actions to protect their citizens.

What did the ideology of Republican Motherhood emphasize regarding women's roles?

It expanded expectations for women to educate future virtuous citizens of the republic, though women remained excluded from formal political participation.

What were the requirements for statehood established under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

A territory required 60,000 free inhabitants, had to draft a state constitution ensuring religious freedom and trial by jury, and was strictly prohibited from allowing slavery.

What was the decisive 1794 military engagement in the Northwest Indian War that led to the Treaty of Greenville?

The Battle of Fallen Timbers, which broke organized Native American resistance in the Northwest Territory and forced the cession of large portions of present-day Ohio.