AP U.S. History Unit 3: 1754-1800 - The Road to Revolution and America Secedes from the Empire

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, events, acts, battles, and ideological concepts of Unit 3 (1754-1800), including the Road to Revolution and the Revolutionary War.

Mercantilism

Economic theory that was based on acquiring the most gold and silver.

Republicanism

Political theory of representative government; influential to 18th century American political thought.

Seven Years' War

Global conflict between European nations from 1756-1763.

French & Indian War

Nine-year war between British, French, and Native American allies in North America.

Albany Congress

Intercolonial congress to foster greater colonial unity.

Battle of Quebec

Historic British victory that marked the beginning of the end of French rule in North America.

Pontiac's War

Bloody campaign by Ottawa to drive British out of Ohio Country; brutally crushed by British troops who distributed blankets infected with smallpox.

Proclamation of 1763

Act of Parliament that prohibited settlement west of the Appalachians that contributed to rising resentment of British rule.

Sugar Act

First tax levied on the colonists that was later lowered substantially due to widespread protests.

Quartering Act

Required colonies to provide food and housing for British troops.

Stamp Act

Widely unpopular tax on paper goods that led to mass protests and revolutionary principle of "no taxation without representation".

Stamp Act Congress

Assembly of delegates who drafted a petition to repeal the Stamp Act that helped ease sectional suspicions and promoted intercolonial unity.

Nonimportation agreements

Boycotts against British goods that were the most effective form of protest against British policies.

Sons of Liberty

Patriotic group that played a central role in agitating against the Stamp Act by terrorizing tax collectors.

Daughters of Liberty

Patriotic groups that focused on making goods at home to avoid British imports.

Declaratory Act

Reaffirmed Parliament's unqualified sovereignty over colonies; largely ignored in colonies.

Townshend Acts

Taxes on a variety of imported goods like glass, lead, and paper that sparked more colonial protests.

Boston Massacre

Clash between unruly Bostonian protesters and British soldiers that left five colonists dead.

Committees of Correspondence

Local groups created to coordinate opposition to British policies through exchanging letters/pamphlets.

Boston Tea Party

Protest where colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts

Series of punitive measures passed in retaliation for the Boston Tea Party.

First Continental Congress

Convention of delegates in Philadelphia in response to the Intolerable Acts.

The Association

Nonimportation agreement that called for the complete boycott of British goods.

Lexington & Concord

First battles of the Revolutionary War where colonial militias successfully defended munitions stores.

Valley Forge

George Washington's winter camp that led to hundreds of colonial soldiers dying and reflected how poorly supplied the Continental Army was.

Salutary Neglect

Long-term policy lasting approximately 150 years during which Britain allowed the American colonies to govern themselves before ending it after the Seven Years' War.

Second Continental Congress

Representative body of delegates from all 13 colonies that drafted the Declaration of Independence and managed the colonial war effort.

Battle of Bunker Hill

Fought on the outskirts of Boston, ended in the colonial militia's retreat with high British casualties.

Olive Branch Petition

Conciliatory measure adopted by Continental Congress seeking an end to hostilities; ignored by King George III.

Hessians

German troops hired to fight against the colonists, an act which strengthened the resolve of the colonists.

Common Sense

Thomas Paine's pamphlet urging the colonies to declare independence; helped convince many colonists to support revolution.

Declaration of Independence

Formal pronouncement of independent rule, which allowed Americans to appeal for foreign aid and would inspire revolutionary movements worldwide.

Patriots

Colonists who supported the American Revolution; also known as "Whigs".

Loyalists

American colonists who opposed the Revolution and maintained loyalty to the king; sometimes referred to as "Tories".

Battle of Long Island

Battle for control of New York, where British troops overwhelmed the colonial militias and retained control of the city for most of the war.

Battle of Trenton

George Washington's surprise victory against German Hessians that raised his army's morale and set the stage for future victories.

Battle of Saratoga

Decisive colonial victory in upstate New York, which helped secure French support for the Revolution.

Model Treaty

Sample treaty drafted by Continental Congress as guide for American diplomats; reflected desire to foster commercial rather than military or political partnerships.

Battle of Yorktown

George Washington, with support from French army and navy, forced the surrender of British General Cornwallis that paved the way for peace and the war's end.

Treaty of Paris

Formal peace treaty that ended the Revolutionary War; the British ceded territory east of the Mississippi while the Americans restored Loyalist property.

Doubly Radical

The characterization of Thomas Paine's Common Sense because it called not only for independence, but also for the creation of a new kind of political society: a republic.

John Locke

Enlightenment thinker associated with natural rights (1680-1700) whose philosophy shaped Americans' understanding of republican government and individual liberty.

First Great Awakening

Religious revival period (1730-1740s) that fostered a strong tradition of religious beliefs, strengthening Americans' view of themselves as a people blessed with liberty.