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.