Independence Movements Review

American Revolution

This political revolution began with the Declaration of Independence in 1776 where American colonists sought to balance the power between government and the people and protect the rights of citizens in a democracy.

Salutary Neglect

an English policy of relaxing the enforcement of regulations in its colonies in return for the colonies' continued economic loyalty

Mercantilism

An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought

Navigation Acts

Laws that governed trade between England and its colonies. Colonists were required to ship certain products exclusively to England. These acts made colonists very angry because they were forbidden from trading with other countries.

French and Indian War

(1754-1763) War fought in the colonies between the English and the French for possession of the Ohio Valley area. The English won.

New England Colonies

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire

Middle Colonies

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware

Southern Colonies

Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

Proprietary Colonies

Colonies under the authority of individuals granted charters of ownership by the king.

House of Burgesses

the first elected legislative assembly in the New World established in the Colony of Virginia in 1619, representative colony set up by England to make laws and levy taxes but England could veto its legistlative acts.

Mayflower Compact

1620 - The first agreement for self-government in America. It was signed by the 41 men on the Mayflower and set up a government for the Plymouth colony.

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

Continental Army

Army formed in 1775 by the Second Continental Congress and led by General George Washington

Patriots

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

Loyalists

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

Yeoman Farmers

Independent and hardworking farmers in the south, lived and worked on smaller-sized farms with their families.

Sons of Liberty

A radical political organization for colonial independence which formed in 1765 to promote opposition to British policies towards the colonies.

Samuel Adams

American Revolutionary leader and patriot, Founder of the Sons of Liberty and one of the most vocal patriots for independence; signed the Declaration of Independence

Thomas Paine

American Revolutionary leader who wrote "Common Sense"(born in England), supported the American colonist's fight for independence and supported the French Revolution (1737-1809)

George Washington

1st President of the United States; commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1732-1799)

John Adams

America's first Vice-President and second President. Sponsor of the American Revolution in Massachusetts, and wrote the Massachusetts guarantee that freedom of press "ought not to be restrained."

Benjamin Franklin

American intellectual, inventor, and politician He helped to negotiate French support for the American Revolution.

Alexander Hamilton

1789-1795; First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration of Independence, Founding Father, 3rd President of the United States

Stamp Act Crisis

Tax on stamps and printed materials in colonies to pay for keeping troops there and paying off war debts angered many colonists because of taxation without representation and led to protesting and violence; often by the Sons of Liberty.

First Continental Congress

September 1774, delegates from twelve colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia to discuss a response to the Intolerable Acts

Second Continental Congress

Convened in May 1775, the Congress opposed the drastic move toward complete independence from Britain.

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 but was rejected by British parliament

John Locke

English philosopher who advocated the idea of a "social contract" in which government powers are derived from the consent of the governed and in which the government serves the people; also said people have natural rights to life, liberty and property.

Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions.

Colony

A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than completely independent.

Minutemen

Member of a militia during the American Revolution who could be ready to fight in sixty seconds

Shays' 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.

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

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

King George III

King of England during the American Revolution

General Cornwallis

British general who fought the Patriots in the south; surrounded at Yorktown and surrendered to George Washington

Hessians

German soldiers hired by George III to smash Colonial rebellion, proved good in mechanical sense but they were more concerned about money than duty.

Louisiana Purchase

1803 purchase of the Louisiana territory from France. Made by Jefferson, this doubled the size of the US.

Pontiac's Rebellion

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

Monroe Doctrine

an American foreign policy opposing interference in the Western hemisphere from outside powers

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country

Liberalism

A belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity.

Manumission Laws

In 1782, the Virginia assembly passed a manumission act, which allowed individual owners to free their slaves; and within a decade, planters had released ten thousand slaves.

Nativism

the policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants.

Sedition Acts

Unconstitutional act that gave the president the power to prohibit "treasonous" speech; made it illegal to speak or write anything "false, scandalous and malicious" against the President or the government

Protective Tariff

A tax on imported goods that raises the price of imports so people will buy domestic goods

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)

Federalist

A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.

Anti-Federalist

those who opposed ratification of the Constitution

Free Trade

international trade left to its natural course without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions.

Corporate Colonies

Colonies operated by joint-stock companies during the early years of the colonies, such as Jamestown

East India Company

An English company formed in 1600 to develop trade with the new British colonies in India and southeastern Asia.

James Madison

"Father of the Constitution," Federalist leader, and fourth President of the United States.

Tories

a person who supported the British cause in the American Revolution; a loyalist

Self-Determination

The ability of a government to determine their own course of their own free will

Authoritarian

A government in which one leader or group of people holds absolute power.

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

Bourbon Reforms

A series of economic, administrative and religious measures instituted by the Bourbon monarchs (1700-1824) in the Spanish American colonies.

Cash Crop

a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower.

Caudillismo

Government by charismatic figures who rule through personal power rather than the functioning of public institutions.

Conquistadors (conquerors)

Knights, soldiers and explorers of the Spanish Empire and the Portugese Empire

Creoles

Descendents of Spanish-born but born in Latin America; resented inferior social, political, economic status.

Penninsulares

Pure Spanish people who were appointed by the king to have political authority over everyone in their colonies

Mestizo

The term used by Spanish authorities to describe someone of mixed native American and European descent.

Mullato

a person of mixed African and European descent

Republicanism

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed.

Racial Hierarchy

a system of stratification that focuses on the belief that some racial groups are either superior or inferior to other racial groups

Miguel Hidalgo

Mexican priest who led peasants in call for independence and improved conditions

Grito De Dolores

fiery speech given by priest Father Miguel Hidalgo in 1810, started Mexico's independence movement

Ferdinand VII

King of Spain from 1813 to 1833. Restored the Bourbon dynasty in Spain. Agreed to observe the liberal constitution of 1812.

Coup d'etat

A sudden overthrow of the government by a small group

Hacienda

Large, self-sufficient farming estate formed by Spanish colonists

Mita System

Andean labor system based on shared obligations to help kinsmen and work on behalf of the ruler and religious organizations.

Jose de San Martin

South American general and statesman, born in Argentina: leader in winning independence for Argentina, Peru, and Chile; protector of Peru

Simon Bolivar

The most important military leader in the struggle for independence in South America. Born in Venezuela, he led military forces there and in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. "El Libertador"

Toussaint L'Ouverture

Leader of the Haitian Revolution. He freed the slaves and gained effective independence for Haiti despite military interventions by the British and French.

Haitian Revolution

A major influece of the Latin American revolutions because of its successfulness; the only successful slave revolt in history; it is led by Toussaint L'Ouverture.