AP US History Unit 3 Flashcards

Unit 3: 1754-1800

French and Indian War (1754)

  • Started due to British colonies' encroachment on French territory.
  • Early British losses due to lack of colonial unity.
  • Albany Plan of Union:
    • Proposed a central government for the colonies.
    • Rejected but served as a template for future unification efforts.

Peace of Paris (1763)

  • Ended the French and Indian War with a British victory.
  • France ceded territory, increasing British land holdings.
  • Consequences:
    • Colonists pushed westward, exploring the Ohio River Valley.
    • Increased tensions with Native Americans.

Royal Proclamation of 1763

  • Forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains (Ohio River Valley).

British Debt & Colonial Taxation

  • War was costly, leading to increased British debt.
  • British Parliament imposed taxes on colonies without representation, seen as tyranny.
  • Salutary Neglect:
    • Colonists felt they were managing their affairs without British input.

Acts Passed by British Parliament

  • Navigation Act:
    • Taxes on imported goods (already established in Unit 2).
    • Led to increased smuggling.
  • Quartering Act of 1765:
    • Imperial troops stationed in the colonies.
  • Sugar Act:
    • Taxes on coffee, wine, and other imported goods.
  • Stamp Act of 1765:
    • Taxes on newspapers, letters, etc.
    • Marking point for colonists; sparked significant resistance.

Colonial Resistance

  • Virtual Representation:
    • British claim that colonists were represented in Parliament, which colonists rejected.
  • Sons and Daughters of Liberty:
    • Resisted British policies.
  • Stamp Act Congress:
    • Led to the repeal of the Stamp Act due to threats against tax collectors.
  • Declaratory Act:
    • British assertion of full authority to pass laws for the colonies.

Townshend Acts

  • Taxes on glass, sugar, paper, etc.
  • Increased protests and boycotts of British goods.
  • Women produced their own goods and brewed herbal tea.

Boston Massacre (1770)

  • Harassment of British soldiers led to the wounding and killing of 11 colonists.
  • Sign of increasing British tyranny.

Boston Tea Party

  • Colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes.
  • Led to the passage of the Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts).

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts)

  • Closure of Boston Harbor until tea was paid for.
  • New Quartering Act.
  • Patriots armed groups against British tyranny.

Continental Congresses

  • First Continental Congress:
    • Focused on resisting further British violations.
    • Enlightenment ideas:
      • Natural rights (freedom, religion, speech).
      • Social contract (people's power to overthrow government).
      • Separation of powers.
  • Second Continental Congress:
    • Influenced by Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," advocating for independence.
    • Thomas Jefferson selected to write the Declaration of Independence.

Declaration of Independence

  • Based on Enlightenment ideas, natural rights, social contract, and separation of powers.
  • Focused power in the legislative branch.
  • Independence declared on July 4, 1776.

American Revolution

  • Continental Army formed, led by George Washington.
  • Early struggles due to lack of resources and immunity.
  • Battle of Saratoga:
    • Turning point; French alliance formed.
  • Battle of Yorktown:
    • British surrender, leading to American independence.

Loyalists

  • Opposed independence and remained loyal to Britain.

Articles of Confederation (1781)

  • First attempt at a national government.
  • Weaknesses:
    • One legislative body.
    • Minimal federal power to tax or enforce laws.

Constitutional Convention

  • Revised Articles of Confederation, leading to the creation of the Constitution.
  • Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists:
    • Anti-Federalists opposed Constitution due to lack of a Bill of Rights.
    • Federalists supported Constitution with three branches of government.
    • Federalist Papers: persuasive essays supporting the new Constitution.
  • Bill of Rights added to address Anti-Federalist concerns.
  • Virginia Plan:
    • Representation based on population.
  • New Jersey Plan:
    • Equal representation for each state.
  • Three-Fifths Compromise:
    • Three-fifths of the enslaved population counted for representation.
  • Northwest Ordinance:
    • Established rules for colonizing territories, including abolishing slavery in the North.

Shay's Rebellion

  • Farmers' rebellion that highlighted the weakness of the Articles of Confederation.

Whiskey Rebellion

  • Protest against whiskey taxes.
  • Demonstrated federal power, contrasting with the weakness shown during Shay's Rebellion.

Emerging Ideals

  • Republican Motherhood:
    • Mothers responsible for raising good citizens while staying in the home.
  • Hamilton's National Bank:
    • Controversial proposal to create a national bank.
  • Necessary and Proper Clause:
    • Congress has the power to make all laws "necessary and proper" for carrying out its enumerated powers.
  • George Washington's Farewell Address:
    • Advocated for avoiding foreign entanglements.

XYZ Affair

  • French demanded a bribe from American diplomats.

Alien and Sedition Acts

  • Restricted immigration and freedom of speech (criticism of the government).
  • Led to the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions in opposition.