Period 3 APUSH

French and Indian War

Conflict between Britain and France over control of the Ohio River Valley; Britain’s victory led to massive war debt and new colonial taxes.

Albany Plan of Union (1754)

Benjamin Franklin’s proposal for colonial unity for defense; rejected, but foreshadowed later unity.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Ended the French and Indian War; Britain gained French lands in North America, removing France as a threat.

Salutary Neglect

British policy of loosely enforcing trade laws before 1763; its end angered colonists.

Proclamation of 1763

Banned colonial settlement west of the Appalachians to avoid Native conflict; angered colonists.

Navigation Acts

British laws restricting colonial trade to English ships; increased colonial resentment.

Sugar Act (1764)

Tax on sugar and molasses; first law aimed at raising revenue, not regulating trade.

Stamp Act (1765)

Direct tax on printed materials; sparked widespread protests.

Stamp Act Congress

Colonial meeting asserting “no taxation without representation.”

Virtual Representation

British claim that Parliament represented all subjects; rejected by colonists.

Declaratory Act (1766)

Asserted Parliament’s right to tax colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxes on imported goods like tea and glass; revenue funded British officials.

Nonimportation Agreements

Colonial boycotts of British goods.

Boston Massacre (1770)

British soldiers killed five colonists; used as propaganda against Britain.

Committees of Correspondence

Colonial communication networks spreading resistance ideas.

Tea Act (1773)

Gave British East India Company tea monopoly; led to protest.

Boston Tea Party

Colonists dumped British tea into harbor to protest taxation.

Intolerable (Coercive) Acts

Punitive laws targeting Massachusetts; unified colonies.

First Continental Congress (1774)

Colonial meeting to coordinate resistance; petitioned the king.

Second Continental Congress (1775)

Organized the Continental Army and moved toward independence.

Lexington and Concord

First battles of the American Revolution.

Common Sense (1776)

Thomas Paine’s pamphlet advocating independence and republicanism.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Document asserting natural rights and colonial independence.

Natural Rights

Enlightenment idea that people are born with rights like life and liberty.

Social Contract

Government exists to protect people’s rights; can be overthrown if it fails.

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army.

Battle of Saratoga (1777)

Turning point; convinced France to support the colonies.

Treaty of Alliance (1778)

France officially allied with the U.S.

Valley Forge

Winter encampment highlighting colonial perseverance.

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

Final major battle; British surrender.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Ended the Revolutionary War; recognized U.S. independence.

Republican Motherhood

Women’s role in raising virtuous citizens.

Abigail Adams

Advocated for women’s rights (“Remember the Ladies”).

African Americans in the Revolution

Fought on both sides; some gained freedom.

Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation

Promised freedom to enslaved people who fought for Britain.

Native Americans

Mostly sided with Britain to resist colonial expansion.

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. government; weak central authority.

Weaknesses of Articles

No taxing power, no standing army, unanimous consent required.

Land Ordinance of 1785

Established system for selling western land.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Created process for admitting new states and banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Shays’ Rebellion (1786)

Farmers’ uprising against debt; exposed weaknesses of Articles.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

Meeting to revise Articles; resulted in new Constitution.

Virginia Plan

Proposed representation based on population.

New Jersey Plan

Proposed equal representation for states.

Great Compromise

Bicameral legislature: House by population, Senate equal.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Counted enslaved people as 3/5 for representation.

Federalism

Power divided between national and state governments.

Separation of Powers

Divided government into three branches.

Checks and Balances

Each branch limits the others’ power.

Elastic Clause

Allows Congress to make laws “necessary and proper.”

French Revolution

Influenced U.S. politics and foreign policy.

Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)

U.S. stayed neutral in European wars.

Jay’s Treaty

Improved relations with Britain; angered Democratic-Republicans.

Pinckney’s Treaty

Opened Mississippi River to U.S. trade.

XYZ Affair

French officials demanded bribes; increased tensions.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Limited immigration and free speech; controversial.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Asserted states could nullify federal laws.

Election of 1800

Peaceful transfer of power from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans.