| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Land of Opportunity | New people could own land in America, causing the need for slavery. |
| Navigation Acts | 1650. Acts restricting trade (colonies could only trade with England), saying what could be traded, and only letting colonists sail in certain places. |
| Salutary Neglect | During the French and Indian War when England was too busy to care about the colonies. Throughout this time, America flourished. |
| Albany Congress | 1754. Meeting that renewed the alliance with the Iroquois. Seven colonies attended. Meeting the idea of the King. |
| Albany Plan Of Union | 1754. Plan to create a congress (the purpose being to unite the colonies) based off of the Iroqois system. |
| French and Indian War | 1755-1763. French vs. English war over land. Indians involved. |
| Proclamation Line | 1763. Line drawn down Appalachians to stop people moving west. |
| Sugar Act | 1764. England needed money. The act taxed colonists, justifying it as them paying for protection. Replaced the Molasses Act of 1733. |
| Stamp Act | 1765. Act which allowed tax on paper products. Tax had been used in England and was moved to the colonies. |
| Declaratory Act | 1766. Act stating Parliament could still make laws for the Americans. |
| Townshend Acts | Acts allowing external goods (imports) to be taxed. Replaced Stamp Act. Put into action because Benjamin Franklin said colonists would approve, but lied. |
| Boston Massacre | 1770. The killing of five colonists by British soldiers in Boston. |
| Boston Tea Party | 1773. The dumping of tea in Boston Harbor in protest of the cheap tea being sold by the East India Company that was putting American merchants out of business. |
| Intolerable Acts | 1774. Acts that were meant to punish the Bostonians after the Tea Party. Stated that Boston's port would be closed, some of the Boston Assembly's power would be taken, towns would be forbidden to hold meetings, and British officials accused of serious crimes (punishable by death) could request a trial in Nova Scotia or London. |
| Quebec Act | 1774. Act that was meant to organize the colonies, but instead just cut off western land claims of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, and New York. Within the cut-off area, a government was set up with no representative assembly and favored the Catholic church. |
| Taxation without Representation | Phrase that become a motto of the colonists. Means that they shouldn't be taxed without being able to elect people to government. |
| First Continental Congress | 1774. Meeting to discuss how to enforce a boycott of British goods, an idea proposed by Massachusetts. They also tried to bargain with Parliament for their rights. To try and get their way, they allowed England to regulate trade like they had with the Navigation Acts. |
| Non-Importation Agreement | Agreement stating that all colonies would cease trade with Great Britain. |
| Battle of Lexington and Concord | 1775. Battle that took place in Lexington and Concord, where colonists from all over sprung into action to stop the British from taking supplies from Concord. |
| Second Continental Congress | 1775. Meeting where colonists, instead of begging for equal rights, demanded them. Also started to gather an army and navy. |
| Battle of Bunker Hill | 1775. Battle that took place on Breed's Hill. Colonists were sent to fortify Bunker Hill, but instead wound up at Breed's Hill. The next day, the British decided to drive them off the hill, resulting in a battle. |
| Olive Branch Petition | Peace treaty sent to the King of England, which he declined. |
| Common Sense | Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, stating that the colonists should break off from England. It was published in 1776. |
| Declaration of Independence | Document stating that the colonies were breaking off from England. Written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson. |
| Articles of Confederation | First constitution of the United States. Created a very weak government, causing the Constitution to be written. Written during the War, but became effective in 1781. |
| Annapolis Meeting | 1786. Meeting that spurred the Constitutional Convention, the idea of Alexander Hamilton. Delegates met to discuss the economic trouble and lack of government throughout the states. |
| Constitutional Convention | 1787. Meeting where the Constitution was written. |
| Representation | The issue of whether votes in the legislature should be based on population or just a set number per state. |
| Virginia Plan | Plan written by James Madison and presented by Edmund Randolph that stated there would be two houses in the legislature, each one having representation based off of population. |
| New Jersey Plan | Plan written and presented by William Paterson, stating that there would be one legislative house with each state having one vote. |
| The Great Compromise/Connecticut Compromise | Plan proposed by Roger Sherman, William Samuel Johnson, and Oliver Ellsworth that suggested combining the Virginia and New Jersey plans. There would be two houses, one house having representation based off of population, the other having representation based off of the state. Also included the three branches of government. |
| 3/5 Compromise | Compromise stating that slaves would be worth 3/5 of a normal person for representation and taxation reasons. |
| Legislative Branch | Branch of government that includes the two houses of Congress: The House of Representatives and the Senate. Its powers were to pass laws, declare war, enact texes, etc. House of Reps was in charge of passing bills to raise money. Senate was in charge of approving treaties and setting up appointments. |
| Executive Branch | Branch of government that includes the President, Vice President, and the Cabinet. President's powers are to control armed forces, negotiate treaties, and choose officials. Most everything had to be approved. |
| Judicial Branch | Branch of government that mainly consists of the Supreme Court. Its powers are to make sure everything done is just concerning the Constitution. |
| System of Checks and Balances | System in the government where different branches have to approve things other branches do, in order to make sure everything is right and true to the Constitution. |
| Constitution | Document written in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, stating what the government would be like and laying down the ground rules, so officials in the future could do what had to be done but still have it be just. |
| Triangular Trade | The trade system where the Americans sell their rough goods to England, who then sell finished goods to Africa, who then sell slaves to America. |
| Samuel Adams | Founder of the Sons of Liberty. Active participant in movements against the British. Was skilled in the art of propaganda. |
| Committees of Correspondence | 1772. Committees that helped spread the word of the actions of the British and Sons of Liberty. Founded by Sam Adams. |
| Sons of Liberty | Radical group that helped work towards independence by defying British laws and spreading propaganda. |
| John Adams | Lawyer that represented the British soldiers that were involved in the Boston Massacre. Also became a significant player for working toward independence in 1776. |
| East India Company | The company's financial troubles led to the Boston Tea Party. British gave them rights to sell really cheap tea to colonists, putting American merchants out of business. |
| Paul Revere | Silversmith who is famous for his midnight ride in 1775, warning the colonists of the approaching British. |
| William Dawes | Rode with Paul Revere in 1775, but not as famous. |
| George Washington | Wealthy man of Virginia who became the general of the Continental Army. First president of the United States. |
| Tory/Loyalist | A person who was allied with or supported the British during the Revolution. |
| Patriot/Whig | A person who believed in independence and was against the British during the Revolution. |
| Federalist | A person who believed in the Constitution/having one main government run the states. |
| Anti-Federalist | A person who was against the Constitution/wanted each state to run their own government. |
| Minutemen | The colonial militias who were ready to fight in a 'minute's' instance. |
| Thomas Jefferson | Writer of the Declaration of Independence. The third president of the United States. |
| King George III | King of England who placed all the acts on the colonists and caused them to revolt. |
| Benjamin Franklin | Highly praised scholar who helped the colonies break free in many ways. Served in the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention. |
| Sovereignty | Supreme power of authority. |
| Alexander Hamilton | Attendee of the Annapolis Meeting who suggested the Constitutional Convention. |
| James Madison | Writer of the Virginia Plan and an attendee of the Constitutional Convention. |
| Edmund Randolph | Presenter of the Virginia Plan and an attendee of the Constitutional Convention. |
| John Hancock | One of the wealthiest men in the colonies, earning his wealth through smuggling. Ally of Sam Adams and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Served nine terms as the Massachusetts governor. |
| Charles C. Pinckney | Attendee of the Constitutional Convention from South Carolina who was an advocate for slavery. Was formerly a general in during the Revolution. |
| Oliver Ellsworth | Attendee of the Constitutional Convention from Connecticut who helped write the Connecticut Compromise with Roger Sherman. |
| Roger Sherman | Attendee of the Constitutional Convention from Connecticut who helped write the Connecticut Compromise with Oliver Ellsworth. |
| William Paterson | Attendee of the Constitutional Convention from New Jersey who wrote the New Jersey plan. |
Combine with other sets
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