Academic Decathlon - Social Science 2022-2023

Smallpox

A highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, weakness, and skin eruption with pustules that form scabs; responsible for killing Native Americans.

Jamestown, Virginia

the first permanent English settlement, founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company for economic reasons

Algonquian

A group or nation in the northeast that included the Lenape, Montauk, Machican, and Adirondack. They speak the Algonquian language.

Three Sisters

corn, beans, squash

Iroquois Confederacy

An alliance of five northeastern Amerindian peoples (after 1722 six) that made decisions on military and diplomatic issues through a council of representatives. Allied first with the Dutch and later with the English, it dominated W. New England.

Missionaries

a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country.

Anglicization

the process by which the English colonies
in North America increasingly expressed a shared British identity in their political and judicial systems, material culture, economies, religious systems, and engagements with the British Empire

Material culture

the totality of physical objects created
by a people for daily life, including tools, art, buildings, and other everyday objects

Ohio Company of Virginia

a large land investment in Ohio Valley, in 1745 attempted to break the French and Indian hold on the Ohio valley by sending an expedition against Fort Duquesne.

Militia

a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.

Seven Years War

(1756-1763 CE) Known also as the French and Indian war. It was the war between the French and their Indian allies and the English that proved the English to be the more dominant force of what was to be the United States both commercially and in terms of controlled regions.

Albany Congress (1754)

Intercolonial congress summoned by the British government to foster greater colonial unity and assure Iroquois support in the escalating war against the French.

Battle of Jumonville Glen

The Battle of Jumonville Glen, also known as the Jumonville affair, was the opening battle of the French and Indian War fought on May 28, 1754 near what is present-day Hopwood and Uniontown in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

Treaty of Paris 1763

Ended French and Indian War, France lost Canada, land east of the Mississippi, to British, New Orleans and west of Mississippi to Spain

Pontiac's War

A 1763 conflict between Native Americans and the British over settlement of Indian lands in the Great Lakes area

Royal Proclamation of 1763

prohibited American settlement west of the Appalachians

Puritans

A religious group who wanted to purify the Church of England. They came to America for religious freedom and settled Massachusetts Bay.

New England Colonies

The term for the colonies of Massachusetts bay, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire

Patriots

American colonists who were determined to fight the British until American independence was won

Stamp Act of 1765

This act required colonists to pay for an official stamp, or seal, when they bought paper items.

George Grenville

Became the Prime Minister of England in 1763; proposed the Sugar & Stamp Acts to raise revenue in the colonies in order to defray the expenses of the French & Indian War & to maintain Britain's expanded empire in America.

Stamp Act Congress (1765)

Twenty-seven delegates from 9 colonies met from October 7-24, 1765, and drew up a list of declarations and petitions against the new taxes imposed on the colonies.

Parliament

the lawmaking body of British government

Virtual Representation

British governmental theory that Parliament spoke for all British subjects, including Americans, even if they did not vote for its members

Whig

British party more responsive to commercial and manufacturing interests.

Declaratory Act

Act passed in 1766 after the repeal of the stamp act; stated that Parliament had authority over the the colonies and the right to tax and pass legislation "in all cases whatsoever."

Townshend Acts

A tax that the British Parliament passed in 1767 that was placed on leads, glass, paint and tea

Artisan

a skilled worker who practices a trade or craft,
such as a silversmith or blacksmith

autonomy

the quality or state of being self-governing;
refers to nations and individuals

Bunker Hill

(June 17, 1775) Site of a battle early in the Revolutionary War. This battle contested control of two hills (Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill) overlooking Boston Harbor. The British captured the hills after the Americans ran-out of ammunition. "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes!" Battle implied that Americans could fight the British if they had sufficient supplies.

Regulars

A name that referred to British soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

Boston Non-Importation Agreement

A formal collective decision made by Boston based merchants and traders not to import or export items to Britain.

Sons of Liberty

A radical political organization for colonial independence which formed in 1765 after the passage of the Stamp Act. They incited riots and burned the customs houses where the stamped British paper was kept. After the repeal of the Stamp Act, many of the local chapters formed the Committees of Correspondence which continued to promote opposition to British policies towards the colonies. The Sons leaders included Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.

Daughters of Liberty

This organization supported the boycott of British goods. They urged Americans to wear homemade fabrics and produce other goods that were previously available only from Britain. They believed that way, the American colonies would become economically independent.

Boston Massacre (1770)

The Massacre was the 1770, pre-Revolutionary incident growing out of the anger against the British troops sent to Boston to maintain order and to enforce the Townshend Acts. The troops, constantly tormented by irresponsible gangs, finally on March 5, 1770, fired into a rioting crowd and killed five men: three on the spot, two of wounds later. The

Tea Act of 1773

Gave the East India Company an unfair business advantage over colonial merchants.

Boston Tea Party

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

Intolerable Acts

in response to Boston Tea Party, 4 acts passed in 1774, Port of Boston closed, reduced power of assemblies in colonies, permitted royal officers to be tried elsewhere, provided for quartering of troops in barns and empty houses

First Continental Congress

Delegates from all colonies except georgia met to discuss problems with britain and to promote independence

Quebec Act (1774)

Established Roman Catholicism as the official religion of Quebec, set up a government for Quebec and set the border at the Ohio River

Battles of Lexington and Concord

The battles of Lexington and Concord initiated the Revolutionary War between the American colonists and the British. British governor Thomas Gage sent troops to Concord to stop the colonists who were loading arms. The next day, on April 19, 1775, the first shots were fired in Lexington, starting the war. The battles resulted in a British retreat to Boston

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

1775; An important battle that took place in northern New York. This fort was captured by colonists led by Benedict Arnold. It was important because it controlled the main route between Canada and the Hudson River and it held valuable weapons (especially cannons). First colonial victory!!!

Gnadenhutten Massacre

On March 8, 1782, Pennsylvania militiamen massacred ninety-six Natives, mainly women and children, at the Christian Moravian mission at Gnadenhutten, Ohio.

Loyalists

American colonists who remained loyal to Britain and opposed the war for independence

Battle of Yorktown

Last major battle of the Revolutionary War. Cornwallis and his troops were trapped in the Chesapeake Bay by the French fleet. He was sandwiched between the French navy and the American army. He surrendered October 19, 1781.

Battle of Kings Mountain

Patriot (mountain men) vs. British and American Loyalists. Patriots won through guerilla warfare. Switched the momentum from the British to the Americans in the South.

conditional surrender

surrender where the surrendering party demands certain terms from the victor

confederacy

union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action; also called an alliance or a league, these unions were created to deal with critical issues related to defense, foreign relations, or trade.

guerilla

refers to irregular or unconventional warfare, often carried out by independent units engaging in harassment or sabotage

mercenaries

professional soldiers hired to serve in a
foreign army

Lord Dunmore's Proclamation

An offer by the British governor and military commander in Virginia for freedom to any slave who escaped to his lines and bore arms for the king.

Sir Henry Clinton

He replaced Howe in 1778, and then decided to move his army back to NY, and order Cornwallis to return to Yorktown after a bad defeat. Washington trapped him and he surrendered

Siege of Savannah

American Revolution battle in Georgia; loss for Georgia as the militia and continental army failed to retake Georgia's capital city from British control

Benedict Arnold

American General who was labeled a traitor when he assisted the British in a failed attempt to take the American fort at West Point.

Culper Spy Ring

A group of spies that pretend to be normal people and collect information for George Washington, commander of the Continental Army who proved capable of using many different tactics to win the war.

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

Black Loyalists

slaves who joined the British cause because of the promise of freedom

Boston King

a former slave who fought on the side of the British and gained his freedom, settling in Nova Scotia

Black Patriots

African Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War hoping that it would bring an end to slavery.

Jack Sisson

Participated in a bold raid on British military headquarters in Newport, Rhode Island.

James Armistead Lafayette

A slave from Virginia who served in the Continental Army and was given his freedom after the war.

Mary Ludwig Hays

Patriot known for her brave service on the battlefield; nicknamed "Molly Pitcher"

Margaret Cochran Corbin

Pennsylvanian who accompanied her husband when he joined the Continental Army. After he died in battle, she took his place

pensions

retirement payments

Philisburg Proclamation

A 1779 proclamation that declared that any slave who deserted a rebel master would receive protection, freedom, and land from Great Britain.

Second Continental Congress

Political authority that directed the struggle for independence beginning in 1775.

Olive Branch Petition

On July 8, 1775, the colonies made a final offer of peace to Britain, agreeing to be loyal to the British government if it addressed their grievances (repealed the Coercive Acts, ended the taxation without representation policies). It was rejected by Parliament, which in December 1775 passed the American Prohibitory Act forbidding all further trade with the colonies.

Proclamation of Rebellion

issued by George III; declaring that the Americans were in "open and avowed rebellion" and calling upon all military and civil officers and subjects to aid and assist "in the suppression of such rebellion"

Common Sense

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that claimed the colonies had a right to be an independent nation

Lee Resolution

was an act of the Second Continental Congress declaring the United Colonies to be independent of the British Empire

Declaration of Independence (1776)

The fundamental document establishing the US as an independent nation, adopted on July 4, 1776. It declared the 13 colonies independent from Britain, offered reasons for the separation laid out the principles for which the Revolution was fought

Committee of Five

Chosen to create a document that gave reasons for separation from England (Declaration of Independence); Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston

Articles of Confederation

A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War.

Northwest Ordinance

Enacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states

Shay's Rebellion

Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.

Constitutional Convention

Meeting in 1787 of the elected representatives of the thirteen original states to write the Constitution of the United States.

New Jersey Plan

A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress

Virginia Plan

Virginia delegate James Madison's plan of government, in which states got a number of representatives in Congress based on their population

Connecticut Compromise

Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)

Federalists

supporters of the Constitution

Antifederalists

Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government, generally.

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

The first ten amendments to the Constitution

Whiskey Rebellion

In 1794, farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled against Hamilton's excise tax on whiskey, and several federal officers were killed in the riots caused by their attempts to serve arrest warrants on the offenders. In October, 1794, the army, led by Washington, put down the rebellion. The incident showed that the new government under the Constitution could react swiftly and effectively to such a problem, in contrast to the inability of the government under the Articles of Confederation to deal with Shay's Rebellion.

XYZ Affair

A 1797 incident in which French officials demanded a bribe from U.S. diplomats

Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

passed by Federalists, signed by President Adams;; increased waiting period for an immigrant to become a citizen from 5 to 14 years, empowered president to arrest and deport dangerous aliens, & made it illegal to publish defamatory statements about the federal government or its officials.

Yeoman farmers

middle class farmers that owned land. Yeoman farmers and urban artisans supported the American Revolution and were the largest beneficiaries.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

The U.S. Army defeated the Native Americans under Shawnee Chief Blue Jacket and ended Native American hopes of keeping their land that lay north of the Ohio River

Treaty of Greenville (1795)

Drawn up after the Battle of Fallen Timbers. The 12 local Indian tribes gave the Americans the Ohio Valley territory in exchange for a reservation and $10,000.

Plantation System

A system of agricultural production based on large-scale land ownership and the exploitation of labor and the environment. This system focused on the production of cash crops and utilized slave labor.

Atlantic Slave Trade

Lasted from 16th century until the 19th century. Trade of African peoples from Western Africa to the Americas. One part of a three-part economic system known as the Middle Passage of the Triangular Trade.

Cotton Gin

A machine for cleaning the seeds from cotton fibers, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793

Eli Whitney

Invented the cotton gin

Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant)

Mohawk leader who demanded that Britain give his people land, the land he received is the largest Six Nations Reserve and still exists today north of Lake Erie

Judith Sargent Murray

A writer and early feminist thinker prominent in the years following the American Revolution.

Abigail Adams

Wife of John Adams. During the Revolutionary War, she wrote letters to her husband describing life on the homefront. She urged her husband to remember America's women in the new government he was helping to create.

Dr. Benjamin Rush

"father of American medicine," signer of the Declaration of Independence

Emma Willard

Early supporter of women's education, in 1818. She published Plan for Improving Education, which became the basis for public education of women in New York. 1821, she opened her own girls' school, the Troy Female Seminary, designed to prepare women for college.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Overthrew the French revolutionary government (The Directory) in 1799 and became emperor of France in 1804. Failed to defeat Great Britain and abdicated in 1814. Returned to power briefly in 1815 but was defeated and died in exile.