APUSH Unit 3 Terms

Albany Plan of Union

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 aimed at uniting the colonies for trade, military, and other purposes, suggesting a centralized colonial government.

Peace of Paris

The 1763 treaty that ended the French and Indian War, ceding Canada and lands east of the Mississippi River to Britain.

Royal Proclamation of 1763

An order issued by Britain that forbade American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, aiming to stabilize relations with Native Americans.

Salutary Neglect

A British policy in the 17th and 18th centuries that relaxed enforcement of strict regulations, allowing the American colonies to flourish economically and develop self-governance.

Quartering Act of 1765

A law that required American colonists to provide housing and supplies to British troops stationed in the colonies.

Sugar Act

A law passed by Britain in 1764 that imposed duties on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies, aiming to raise revenue and reduce smuggling.

Stamp Act

A 1765 law that required colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper used, including legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards, aimed at raising revenue for Britain.

Virtual Representation

The British policy asserting that colonists were represented in Parliament through their members, regardless of not having direct representatives.

Declaratory Act

A 1766 law passed by the British Parliament that asserted its authority to create laws for the American colonies "in all cases whatsoever," following the repeal of the Stamp Act.

Townshend Acts

A series of 1767 laws that imposed duties on imported goods such as glass, tea, and paper, aiming to raise revenue and assert British control over the colonies.

Boston Massacre

A deadly confrontation in 1770 between British soldiers and a crowd of colonists in Boston, resulting in the deaths of five colonists and increasing anti-British sentiment.

Boston Tea Party

A political protest by the Sons of Liberty in December 1773, where colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act.

Intolerable Acts

A series of punitive laws passed in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, aimed at increasing British control and punishing Massachusetts.

Continental Congress

A gathering of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies starting in 1774, to coordinate colonial resistance against British rule and later to govern the colonies.

Common Sense

A revolutionary pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776, advocating for American independence from Britain and encouraging colonists to break free from monarchical rule.

loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the British crown during the American Revolutionary War, opposing independence and supporting British policies.

Battle of Saratoga

A significant turning point in the American Revolutionary War, fought in 1777, where American forces defeated the British, leading to French support for the American cause.

Battle of Yorktown

The final major battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought in 1781, where American and French forces achieved a decisive victory against the British, leading to the surrender of General Cornwallis.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the United States, ratified in 1781, which established a weak central government and ultimately led to its replacement by the Constitution in 1789.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A law that established a framework for governing the Northwest Territory, promoting orderly westward expansion and outlining the process for admitting new states to the Union.

Shays’ Rebellion

An uprising in 1786-1787 led by farmers in Massachusetts protesting economic injustices and the lack of government response, highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

federalists

Supporters of the Constitution who advocated for a strong central government and argued for its ratification during the debates in the late 1780s.

anti-federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who favored states' rights and were concerned about the potential for a strong central government, advocating for a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.

Virginia Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention that outlined a strong national government with three branches and a bicameral legislature, favoring larger states by basing representation on population.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, favoring smaller states by ensuring that they had the same voting rights as larger states.

Great Compromise

The agreement made during the Constitutional Convention that established a bicameral legislature, combining elements of both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans, providing proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

3/5ths Compromise

An agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention that determined how slaves would be counted for taxation and representation, counting each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person.

Federalist Papers

A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay advocating for the ratification of the United States Constitution and explaining the principles behind the document. John Jay got sick after writing 5, James Madison wrote 29, and Hamilton wrote…THE OTHER 51!

Whiskey Rebellion

a 1794 uprising by farmers in Pennsylvania against the federal excise tax on whiskey, illustrating tensions between federal authority and local resistance.

democratic republicans

A political party formed in the early 1790s led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, advocating for states' rights and an agrarian-based economy.

XYZ Affair

A diplomatic incident in 1797-1798 where French agents demanded bribes from American diplomats, leading to widespread anti-French sentiment and the Quasi-War.

Alien and Sedation Acts

Laws passed in 1798 that restricted immigration and curtailed free speech, targeting perceived threats to national security.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolution

Political statements in 1798 asserting that states have the right to nullify federal laws they deem unconstitutional.

Indian Trade and Intercourse Act

A series of laws enacted in the early 19th century regulating trade between Native American tribes and non-Indians, aimed at protecting Native American lands and rights.

Pinckney Treaty

A 1795 agreement between the United States and Spain, which defined the boundaries between the two nations and granted Americans the right to navigate the Mississippi River.