Period 3 - 1754-1800

British imperial attempts to reassert control over its colonies and the colonial reaction to these attempts produced a new American republic, along with struggles over the new nation’s social, political, and economic identity.

Ohio Valley

A region significant during the French and Indian War and the expansion of European settlements.

French & Indian War / Seven Years’ War

A conflict between Britain and France, fought in North America from 1754 to 1763.

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

William Pitt

British statesman who led the country during the French and Indian War.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

The agreement that ended the French and Indian War, ceding vast territories to Britain.

Pontiac’s War

A rebellion by Native American tribes against British rule in 1763.

Proclamation of 1763

British law that prohibited American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Albany Plan of Union

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies.

Virtual representation

The idea that colonists were represented in Parliament even though they did not vote for its members.

Sugar Act

A 1764 law aimed at reducing smuggling in the British colonies by lowering the tax on molasses.

Currency Act

A 1764 act that restricted the colonies from producing their own money.

Stamp Act

A 1765 law requiring all documents to carry a tax stamp.

Sons of Liberty

A secret organization formed to oppose British policies and taxes.

Declaratory Act

A law passed in 1766 stating that Parliament had the right to legislate for the colonies.

Townshend Acts

A series of acts passed in the late 1760s that taxed goods imported to the colonies.

Daughters of Liberty

A female organization that supported the American Revolution by producing homemade goods.

Boston Massacre

A confrontation in 1770 in which British soldiers killed five colonial civilians.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest against British taxes where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts

A series of punitive laws passed in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party.

Continental Congress

A gathering of colonial representatives that coordinated resistance against British policies.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

The first military engagements of the American Revolution in April 1775.

Battle of Bunker Hill

A major battle during the Revolutionary War that demonstrated colonial resilience.

Continental Army

The army established by the Second Continental Congress to fight the British.

Common Sense

A pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating independence from Britain.

Declaration of Independence

The document adopted on July 4, 1776, asserting American independence from Britain.

Thomas Jefferson

The principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States.

Lord Dunmore’s proclamation

A 1775 announcement offering freedom to enslaved people who fought for the British.

Battle of Saratoga

A pivotal battle in 1777 that led to French support for the American Revolution.

Valley Forge

The site of the Continental Army's winter encampment in 1777-78.

Treaty of Alliance with France

The 1778 agreement that formalized France's support for the American cause.

Battle of Yorktown

The final battle of the Revolutionary War in 1781, leading to British surrender.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The agreement that officially ended the American Revolution.

Abigail Adams

Wife of John Adams and advocate for women's rights.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

Separation of church and state

The principle of keeping government and religious institutions separate.

Free labor

Labor performed by individuals who are not bound to a master.

Inflation

A general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.

Free trade

Trade between countries without tariffs or restrictions.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution.

State constitutions

Documents that outline the structure and principles of government for each state.

Abolition

The movement to end slavery.

Freedom petitions

Legal documents seeking the emancipation of enslaved people.

Phillis Wheatley

The first published African American female poet.

Gradual emancipation

The process of phasing out the practice of slavery over time.

Free Blacks

Individuals of African descent who were not enslaved.

Coverture

A legal doctrine whereby a woman's legal rights were subsumed by her husband upon marriage.

Republican motherhood

The idea that women played an important role in teaching civic virtue to their children.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, adopted in 1781.

Land Ordinance of 1785

Legislation that set up a system for settling the Northwest Territory.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

An act that established a framework for settling and governing the Northwest Territory.

Shays’ Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786-87 protesting economic injustices and the inability to pay debts.

Constitutional Convention

The gathering in 1787 that produced the current U.S. Constitution.

James Madison

The 'Father of the Constitution' and fourth President of the United States.

Virginia & New Jersey Plans

Proposals for the structure of the U.S. government debated at the Constitutional Convention.

Electoral College

The body that formally elects the President and Vice President of the United States.

Federalism

A system of government where power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.

Separation of powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches.

Checks and balances

The system that ensures no branch of government becomes too powerful.

⅗ Clause US Constitution

The constitutional provision that counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for representation.

Ratification

The official approval of the Constitution or an amendment.

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays promoting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing individual rights.

First Amendment

Part of the Bill of Rights, protecting freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

Alexander Hamilton

The first Secretary of the Treasury and chief architect of American financial policy.

Bank of the United States

A national bank established in 1791 to stabilize the economy.

Strict constructionists

Individuals who advocate a literal interpretation of the Constitution.

French Revolution

A revolution in France from 1789 that led to the end of monarchy and the rise of democracy.

Impressment

The practice of forcing individuals into military service, particularly the British forcing American sailors.

Jay’s Treaty

A 1794 agreement between the U.S. and Britain that resolved some disputes but was unpopular.

Two-party system Federalists vs. Republicans

The political competition between the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 uprising in Pennsylvania against the tax on whiskey.

Washington’s Farewell Address

George Washington's advice against political factions and foreign alliances.

Alien & Sedition Acts, 1798

Laws that allowed the government to deport foreigners and penalize those who criticized it.

VA and KY resolutions

Declarations that states had the right to nullify federal laws believed to be unconstitutional.