History Terms

Stamp Act 1765

British law requiring colonists to buy special stamped paper for newspapers, legal documents, playing cards, and other items. It was the first direct tax on the colonies and sparked widespread protests.

Direct Representation

Having your own elected representatives who speak for you.

Virtual Representation

The British claim that Parliament already represented everyone in the empire, even people who couldn’t vote for its members.

Tyranny

is a cruel or absolute rule by a government that ignores the rights of the people.

Townshend Duties (1767)

A series of taxes imposed by the British Parliament on essential goods imported into the American colonies, such as glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea

John Dickinson

A Pennsylvania lawyer and political writer who argued against British taxes while still hoping for peace with Britain.

Virtue

The qualities that make someone a "good" or ideal human being.

Coercive Acts 1774

Were harsh laws passed by the British Parliament to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.

Thomas Paine

Writer who inspired ordinary people to support independence.

Declaration of Independence

The document (July 4, 1776) that officially declared America free from Britain.

Battle of Saratoga

The turning-point victory that convinced France to help America.

Articles of Confederation

The first written constitution and plan of government for the United States

Shay’s Rebellion

An armed uprising of indebted farmers and Revolutionary War veterans in western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787.

National Bank

A commercial bank chartered, supervised, and regulated by the federal government rather than individual state authorities.

Jay’s Treaty

A 1794 agreement between the United States and Great Britain that settled post-Revolutionary disputes and kept the young U.S. out of war with Britain.

Alien & Sedition Acts

Four laws passed in 1798 by a Federalist-controlled U.S. Congress and signed by President John Adams.

Louisiana Purchase 1803

Massive land deal where the US bought 828,000 square miles of territory from France for $15 million

Embargo Act of 1807

Was a U.S. law signed by President Thomas Jefferson that completely banned American ships from trading in all foreign ports.

Tecumseh

A influential Shawnee chief, orator, and military leader who united multiple Native American tribes in a confederacy to resist U.S

Aaron Burr

American politician and third U.S. Vice President who killed Alexander Hamilton in a 1804 duel in New Jersey and was later tried for treason after plotting in the western territories.

Northwest Ordinance 1787

Law passed by the Confederation Congress that organized the Northwest Territory and banned slavery there to create an orderly system for new states.

Philip Phile

German American composer in Philadelphia who wrote “The President’s March” in the 1790s, later known as the patriotic song “Hail Columbia.”

John Adams

Massachusetts Founding Father who served as the 2nd U.S. President from 1797 to 1801 after helping lead the Revolution and serving as the 1st Vice President.

Balanced Government

System where power is divided among 3 branches or social groups so that no single person or group can control everything

Anti-Federalists

A person who opposed the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and wanted a weaker national government

Report on Public Credit 1790

Economic plan by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton that proposed paying off the U.S. Revolutionary War debt to build national financial trust

Martha Ballard

Martha Ballard was a midwife in early America (late 1700s–early 1800s) who kept a detailed diary of her work delivering babies and daily life.

Whiskey Rebellion

A protest by farmers in western Pennsylvania in the 1790s against a new tax on whiskey. President George Washington sent troops to stop it and proved the new government was strong.