AP US History Unit 3 Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from AP US History Unit 3 (1754-1800).

French and Indian War

Conflict beginning in 1754 over British colonists encroaching on French territory (Ohio River Valley), part of the larger Seven Years' War.

Albany Plan of Union

Proposed by Benjamin Franklin during the French and Indian War, calling for a more centralized colonial government for better defense coordination, but was rejected due to taxation concerns.

Peace of Paris (1763)

Treaty that ended the French and Indian War, resulting in the French being ousted from North America, and the British more than doubling their land holdings.

Royal Proclamation of 1763

Forbade colonists from taking land in the Ohio River Valley (west of the Appalachian Mountains), frustrating colonists who sought westward expansion.

Salutary Neglect

British policy of loosely enforcing laws in the American colonies, allowing the colonists to manage their own affairs, which ended after the French and Indian War.

Quartering Act of 1765

Required colonists to house and feed British troops stationed in the American colonies, even after the French and Indian War.

Sugar Act

Imposed taxes on coffee, wine, and other luxury items in the colonies, and also enforced a tax on molasses.

Stamp Act of 1765

Tax on all paper items, such as newspapers, playing cards, and contracts; led to debates about taxation without representation.

Virtual Representation

British argument that colonists were represented in Parliament because members represented all British citizens, not just localities; rejected by colonists.

Stamp Act Congress

Assembly of delegates from nine colonies in New York, who petitioned the British Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act because taxation without representation was tyranny.

Declaratory Act

Passed by Parliament after the repeal of the Stamp Act, asserting their right to pass any law they wanted in the colonies.

Townshend Acts

Levied new taxes on items imported to the colonies, such as paper, glass, and tea, leading to organized boycotts.

Boston Massacre

Incident in 1770 where British soldiers fired on a group of colonists, resulting in casualties and heightened tensions.

Boston Tea Party

Protest in 1773 against the Tea Act, where colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)

Passed by Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party, closing down Boston Harbor and approving a new quartering act.

Continental Congress

Gathering of leaders from the colonies to resist further violations of their liberties by Parliament, while still seeking to remain British subjects.

Natural Rights

Enlightenment idea that all human beings are endowed with certain rights by God, that a government can never take away.

Social Contract

Enlightenment idea that the power to govern is in the hands of the people, who give power to a government to protect their natural rights.

Republicanism

Enlightenment influenced belief in the superiority of a republican form of government, with separation of powers and checks and balances.

Common Sense

Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776, arguing for American independence from Britain.

Declaration of Independence

Formal declaration written by Thomas Jefferson, adopted by the Continental Congress, asserting the independence of the American colonies and influenced by Enlightenment thought.

Loyalists

Colonists who opposed independence and wanted to remain loyal to Britain.

Battle of Saratoga

Decisive victory for the Patriots in 1777, which convinced the French to ally with the Americans against the British.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, which placed all power in the legislative body, with no executive office or national military force, and limited power to tax.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Provided a plan for how unformed territories could be occupied and then applied to the union for statehood, and abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Shays' Rebellion

Uprising led by Daniel Shays, displaying the weakness of the Articles of Confederation and leading to the call for a constitutional convention.

Federalists

Faction who were more urban folks with a commercial background, wanting a stronger central government.

Anti-Federalists

Faction who were more rural folks, liking the states having the power, and opposed an increase in the federal government's power.

Great Compromise

Compromise reached during the Constitutional Convention, creating a bicameral Congress with representation by population in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Compromise that counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation in the House.

Federalist Papers

Essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison to convince the American public of the merits of the Constitution.

Republican Motherhood

Idea that women could best influence political realities by raising virtuous sons instructed in the principles of liberty.

Alexander Hamilton

First secretary of the treasury, who introduced sweeping policies such as the federal government assuming state debts and the creation of a national bank.

Whiskey Rebellion

Rebellion by poor frontier farmers against the tax on whiskey, crushed by federalized state militias, demonstrating the power of the new federal government.

Washington's Farewell Address

Cautioned against the formation of political parties and their divisive effects, and against getting entangled in foreign alliances.

XYZ Affair

Incident where three French diplomats demanded a bribe from American delegates before negotiations could begin, leading to outrage in the United States.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Passed by the Federalist-dominated Congress, making it easier to deport non-citizens and illegal to criticize the government publicly.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Argued that any law passed by the federal government that is blatantly unconstitutional can be nullified by the states.

Pinckney Treaty

Decided once and for all where the border was between The US and Spain which was established at the thirty first parallel.