APUSH Unit 3 Review Notes

French and Indian War

  • Part of the 7 Years' War (1754-1800).
  • Cause: British worried about French encroachment.
  • Albany Plan of Union: Called for a more centralized government for the colonies but was rejected.
  • British won, signing the Peace of Paris in 1763. French were ousted, and British land holdings more than doubled.

Consequences of the War

  • Westward push by colonists.
  • Intensified native relations, leading to Pontiac's Rebellion.
  • Proclamation of 1763: Forbade colonists from taking land, frustrating them.
  • Expensive war led to British debt, resulting in taxation without representation.
  • Stricter enforcement of Navigation Acts.
  • Quartering Act of 1765: Troops stationed in colonies.
  • Sugar Act: Imposed taxes on goods; enforcing molasses tax.
  • Stamp Act of 1765: Tax on all paper items.
  • Colonists resisted through the Stamp Act Congress, petitioning for repeal.
  • Parliament repealed Stamp/Sugar Act but passed the Declaratory Act.

Townshend Acts (1767)

  • New taxes on imported items.
  • Organized protests and boycotts.
  • Boston Massacre (1770): British soldiers killed/wounded colonists.
  • Boston Tea Party: Response to Tea Act.
  • Tea Act: Gave British East India Company exclusive rights.
  • Coercive Acts: Closed Boston Harbor.
  • Continental Congress (1774): Agreed to resist violations of liberties.

Principles that Influenced US

  • Enlightenment/Natural Rights/Social Contract.
  • Separation of Powers (Checks and balances).

Articles of Confederation

  • No executive or judicial branches.
  • Limited power to tax.
  • Westward Migration: Many people were squatting on land without legal ownership.
  • Northwest Ordinance of 1787: Plan for territories to become states; abolished slavery in the northwest territory.
  • Shays' Rebellion: Showed weaknesses of Articles.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

  • Revised Articles.
  • Federalists (urban) vs. Anti-Federalists (rural).
  • Virginia Plan: Representation by population.
  • New Jersey Plan: Equal representation.
  • The Great Compromise: Bicameral Congress.
    • House of Reps: Representation by population size.
    • Senate: Equal representation (two votes per state).
  • Slavery in New Gov: 3/53/5 compromise.

Road to Independence

  • Continental Congress: Decided independence was the only way.
  • Thomas Paine: "Common Sense" advocated for independence.
  • Thomas Jefferson: Wrote the Declaration of Independence.
  • Opposition: Loyalists.

American Revolution

  • Continental Army was ill-equipped.
  • Foreign Ally (1777): Battle of Saratoga convinced the French to ally.
  • Defeat at Battle of Yorktown (1781).

Forming Independent Nation

  • Articles of Confederation (1781): Power in the legislative branch.

New Constitution

  • Robust central government, split into 3 branches.
  • Federalist Papers: Supported ratification.
  • Bill of Rights added.
  • Constitution went into effect in 1789.

Distinctive American Culture

  • Post-revolution: Desire to have a distinct culture.
  • Republican Motherhood: Women raising virtuous sons.

Politics

  • Washington = president, John Adams = VP.
  • Established Treasuries (War/State/Justice).
  • Hamilton as Secretary of Treasury: Consolidated war debts and created a National Bank.
  • Whiskey Rebellion: Showed the success of federal power.
  • Opposing federalists: DR (Jefferson/Madison).
  • Washington's Farewell Address: Cautioned against political parties, isolation.