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APUSH 1700s-1800s

Terms in this set (64)

The Enlightenment
1700s: Connects to the idea of Deism, in which the universe was created by God and then abandoned; everything can be reasoned. Dictated that human reason was adequate to solve mankind's problems and God was not an active force. This idea moved from Europe and became the seed of culture in the New World. Writers include: Isaac Newton, John Locke, and René Descartes (I think, therefore, I am).
Georgia
Chartered in 1732: James Oglethorpe chartered the colony. Settlers included those who paid their own way to receive the best land grants. Some settlers were financed by the colony's board of trustees, including bands of British prisoners. After wars with European empires began, Georgia served as a buffer between South Carolina and Florida.
John Peter Zenger
1697-1746: German American newspaper publisher and printer. His acquittal of libel charges in NYC established legal precedent for freedom of press. The Supreme Court under Chief Justice Warren (1953-1969) would later reinvigorate free press rights. The case of New York Times vs Sullivan (1964) strengthened the protection of the press against libel cases brought by public figures.
The First Great Awakening
1720s-1740s: A series of emotional religious revivals that occurred in the colonies. Preachers spread messages of personal repentance and emphasized faith as a way to avoid hell. Suggests an equality between God and the Bible. George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards became its most dynamic preachers.
Jonathan Edwards
1703-1758: Preacher of the Great Awakening who emphasized personal religious experience, predestination, and dependance of man upon God and divine grace. "Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God" was his most widely read sermon.
French and Indian War
1748-1763: Rivalry between France, Britain, and various Native American tribes over land in the Ohio region. One of many wars fought between France and England through the world at the time. Battles continued on European and American fronts until Britain gained control of Canada. In these conflicts, George Washington first appeared as a military leader.
Albany Plan
1754: Delegates of seven colonies met in New York to discuss plans for collective defense. The Pennsylvanian delegate, Benjamin Franklin, proposed a plan for an intercolonial government, but the plan was rejected by the legislature as demanding too great a surrender of power. While other colonies showed no support for his plan, it was an important precedent for the concept of uniting in the face of a common enemy.
William Pitt
1708-1778: Britain's capable and energetic prime minister. After several defeats, he lead Britain to victory with the French empire in North America by focusing on their headquarters in Canada. The Treat of Paris of 1763 ended hostilities.
Treaty of Paris, 1763
1763: Ended Seven Years (French and Indian) War. From France, Britain took Canada an some of what would become the United States east of the Mississippi River. France lost all North American land. Spain took the Louisiana Territory. The treaty marked the end of salutary neglect (British Parliament had ignored the colonies), allowing them to develop their character without inference.
Benjamin Franklin
1706-1790: Colonial writer, scientist, diplomat, printer, and philosopher. Published the Pennsylvania Gazette and wrote Poor Richard's Almanac. Served in the Second Continental Congress and was a drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Writs of Assistance
1750s-1770s: Court orders that authorized customs officials to conduct non-specific searches to stop colonial smuggling. Allowed for the searching of homes, warehouses, and shops. James Otis served as a prosecutor that argued against these searches. Later, the Fourth Amendment would protect citizens against "unreasonable searches and seizures."
Impact of the French and Indian War on British Colonial Policy
1712-1770: Britain set out to solve the large national debt incurred in recent conflicts. It created a series of acts that raised taxes on American goods, leading to rebellious activities in the colonies. Acts include: the Proclamation of 1763, Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Quartering Acts.
Proclamation of 1763
1763: A result of Pontiac's Rebellion, a Native American uprising against the British for their mistreatment. Forbade white settlements west of the Appalachians to reduce friction between Native American and the settlers.
Sugar Act
1764: Taxed goods imported to America to raise revenue for England. Meant to assist England in recouping the debt it had taken on during the French and Indian War. Taxed goods such as wine, cloth, coffee, and silk.
Stamp Act
1765: An internal tax used to raise revenue for Britain. Required Americans to use "stamped" papers for legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards, among other goods. Revenue from this tax was to be used for the support of the British soldiers protecting the colonies.
Quartering Act
1765: Act that required the colonies in which British troops were stationed to provide soldiers with bedding and other basic needs. Colonists reacted negatively because they feared having a standing army in their towns and disliked the expenses. After the emergence of the United States Constitution, the Third Amendment protected citizens against the stationing of troops in their homes.
Declaratory Act
1766: Act giving Britain the power to tax and make laws for Americans in all cases. Followed repeal of the Stamp Act, which colonists had seen as a victory. This act suggested that Britain might pass more restrictive acts in the near future.
Samuel Adams
1722-1803: Revolutionary resistance leader in Massachusetts. Along with Paul Revere, he headed the Sons of Liberty in Massachusetts. Worked with the committees of correspondence, which provided communication about resistance among the colonies. Attended both the First and Second Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence.
Stamp Act Congress
October 1765: Delegates of seven colonies met in New York to discuss plans for defense. Adopted the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which stated that freeborn Englishmen could not be taxed without their consent.
Townshend Acts
1767: Created by British Prime Minister Charles Townshend (Grenville's replacement). Formed a program of taxing items imported into the colonies, such as paper, lead, glass, and tea. Replaced direct taxes of the Stamp Act. Led to boycotts by Boston merchants and served as key contributor to the Boston Massacre.
Virtual Representation
1770s: English principle stating that the members of parliament represented all of Britain and the British Empire, even though members were only elected by a small number of constituents. This idea was meant to be a response to the colonial claim of "no taxation without representation," meaning that parliament was itself a representation of those being taxed.
Boston Massacre
March 5, 1770: Occurred when British attempted to enforce Townshend Acts. British soldiers killed five Bostonians. John Adams provided the legal defense for the soldiers. Though the British soldiers acted more or less in self-defense, anti-Royal leaders used the massacre to spur action in the colonies.
Tea Act and Boston Tea Party
1773: The Tea Act was a concession that allowed the British East India Company to ship tea directly to America to sell at a bargain. Because the cheap tea undercut the costs of local merchants, colonists opposed these shipments; they turned back ships, left shipments to rot, and held ships in port. Lead to the Boston Tea Party in December, where citizens dressed as Native Americans destroyed tea on British ships by dumping it into the harbor.
The Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
1774: Names given by colonists to the Quebec Act and a series of acts by the British in response to the Boston Tea Party. Closed the port of Boston to all trade until citizens paid for the lost tea. Increased the power of Massachusetts' Royal governor at the expense of the legislature. Allowed Royal officials accused for crimes in Massachusetts to be tried elsewhere.
Methods of Colonial Resistance
1770s: Colonists reacted first with restrained and respectful petitions against British ("taxation without representation is tyranny"). Colonial government organized "committees of correspondence" to share views on British actions with neighboring colonies and foreign governments. Then boycotted British goods, and finally turned to violence against customs officials and merchants who violated the boycott. Some colonists who continued to follow Britain command became English "Loyalists."
First Continental Congress
September-October 1774: Meeting in Philadelphia of colonial representatives to denounce the Intolerable Acts to petition the British Parliament. A few radical members discussed breaking from England. Created Continental Association and forbade the importation and use of British goods. Agreed to convene a Second Continental Congress in May 1775.
Battles of Concord and Lexington
April 1775: Concord- Site was suspected by British General Gage of housing a stockpile of colonial weaponry. Paul Revere, William Dawes, and others detected movement of British troops toward Concord and warned militia and gathered Minutemen at Lexington. Lexington- Militia and Royal infantry fought, and the colonial troops withdrew.
Minutemen
1700s: Young soldiers, usually 20-25 who were the first armed militia to arrive at the battle. They were called Minutemen because they could, supposedly, be ready for battle in under a minute.
The Second Continental Congress
May 1775: Colonial representative meeting in Philadelphia, over which John Hancock presided. The group was torn between declaring independence and remaining under British power. Moderates forced the adoption of the Olive Branch Petition, but the King refused to receive it. The Congress sent George Washington to command the army around Boston. American ports were opened in defiance of the Navigation Acts. The Declaration of Independence was written.
Olive Branch Petition
1775: A letter to King George III appealing one final time for a resolution to all disputes. He refused to receive the letter.
Battle of Bunker Hill
June 17, 1775: An American post overlooking Boston. The stronghold allowed Americans to contain General Gage and his troops. The colonists twice turned back a British frontal assault, and they held off the British until the Bunker Hill force ran out of ammunition and was overrun. American strong defense led to strengthened morale.
Common Sense
January 1776: Pamphlet published by Thomas Paine that called for immediate independence from Britain. It was sold throughout the colonies where it gained popularity. Common Sense helped to weaken resistance in the Continental Congress toward independence.
Lee's Resolutions
1776: Presented to Second Continental Congress by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. Urged Congress to declare independence and were accepted July 2, 1776. Said, "These United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states."
Declaration of Independence
Adopted July 4, 1776: Document restating political ideas justifying the separation from Britain. Thomas Jefferson and his committee had the duty of drafting for the Continental Congress. John Locke's influences served as a foundation for the document. The final product lacked provisions condemning the British slave trade and a denunciation of the British people that earlier drafts had contained.
Articles of Confederation
Submitted July 1776, ratified 1781: Framework for an American national government in which states were given the most power. Permitted the federal government to make war, offer treaties, and create new states. There was no federal power to levy taxes, raise troops, or regulate commerce. Congressional revision of the articles created a weak national government.
George Washington in the American Revolution
1775-1781: Named Commander-in-Chief of Continental Forces in June 1775 by the Second Continental Congress. Forced British to evacuate Boston in March 1776. Defeated British at Trenton, New Jersey, after crossing the Delaware on December 25, 1776. Survived tough winter at Valley Forge (1777-1778); Washington strengthened his troops during the winter and gained tremendous respect among the men. General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington on October 19, 1781.
Battle of Saratoga
1777: American Revolution battle fought in northern New York. The British planned to end the American Revolution by splitting the colonies along the Hudson River, but they failed to mobilize properly. The British ended up surrendering, allowing for the first great American victory. Demonstrated that the British could more easily hold the cities, but they would have trouble subduing the countrysides. Considered a turning point, as French aid began after this battle.
Charles Cornwallis
1738-1805: British military and political leader. Was a member of Parliament. Opposed the tax measures that led to the American Revolution. Led British forces during the American Revolution. The British defeat culminated with Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown in 1781.
Western Land Cessions
1781-1787, Georgia in 1802: The original thirteen states ceded their western land claims to the new federal government. States lacking western land claims feared that the states with claims could grow in size, skewing representation in the federal government. Before signing the United States Constitution, these states demanded that those with claims cede the land. Ordinances in 1784 and 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 organized the ceded areas in preparation for statehood. New states were organized and admitted to the Union. This policy strengthened the ties of the western farmers to the central government.
Treaty of Paris
1783: Peace settlement that ended the Revolutionary War. The United States was represented by Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay. Britain recognized the United States' independence and outlined its borders. They received all land east of the Mississippi River, north of Florida, and south of the Great lakes. Agreed that Loyalists were not to be persecuted.
Land Ordinance of 1785
1785: An act of Congress that sold western lands in order to settle that territory and to earn revenue for the federal government. Organized the distribution of land into townships and set aside a section of each township to be used for public education.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
1787: Described how the land north of the Ohio River should be divided and helped to create five new states. Held that states would be admitted to the Union when the number of free inhabitants reached 60,000; slavery and involuntary servitude were not allowed in these states. Set a precedent of how states could join the Union and stood as a successful accomplishment by a federal government that had been seen before as ineffective.
John Jay
1745-1829: Member of First and Second Continental Congress. Negotiated Treaty of Paris and Jay's Treaty. First Chief Justice of Supreme Court. Wrote portions of The Federalist Papers.
Shays' Rebllion
1786-1787: During a period of economic depression, Daniel Shays led a group of farmers to stop the courts from seizing a farmer's land and enacting debt collection. Citizens of Boston raised an army and suppressed the rebels. Americans felt pressure to strengthen the government and avoid future violence. The rebellion served as a catalyst for writing the Constitution.
The Constitution of the United States
Signed September 17, 1787, ratified by the required nine states June 21, 1788: Drafted at teh Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. Included a preamble and seven articles. Created a stronger federal government. The Bill of Rights constitutes the first ten amendments, and it protects individual rights and freedoms.
Elastic Clause and the Tenth Amendment
Ratified 1791: The Tenth Amendment restricts the federal government to those powers delegated to it by the Constitution and gives all other powers to the states, or the people. Article I, Section 8 grants the federal government the power to make all laws "which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers." The conflict between these two ideas is the determination of which group, the federal government or the states and their people, has the right to exercise powers that have not been expressly delegated to the central government.
The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan
July 1787: Virginia Plan- Presented by Edmund Randolph and written by James Madison. Called for a bicameral legislature based on a state's population, and it suggested that both the chief executive and judiciary should be chosen by legislature.
New Jersey Plan- Presented by William Patterson, it called for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each states.
The plans were united in the Great Compromise. They formed the basis of modern American legislative structure.
Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
1787: Called for a bicameral legislative system in which the House of Representatives would be based on population and the Senate would have equal representation in Congress. Combined pieces of the New Jersey Plan, Virginia Plan, and other proposals. Included the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of apportioning representation and called for direct taxation on the states.
Federalists
1788: Americans who advocated centralized power and constitutional ratification. Used The Federalist Papers to demonstrate how the Constitution was designed to prevent the abuse of power. Supporters of Federalist platforms included Alexander Hamilton, James madison, John Jay, and northeast business groups. Believed that the government was given all powers that were not expressly denied to it by the Constitution. They had a "loose interpretation" of the Constitution.
Anti-Federalists
1780s-1790s: Those against the adoption of the Constitution; they were suspicious of political actions that would limit freedom and of a centralized government that would rule at a distance. George Mason, Patrick Henry, and George Clinton were Anti-Federalists. Many of them would come to oppose the policies of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists. The Jeffersonian Republican Party absorbed many of the Anti-Federalists after the Constitution was adopted.
George Washington
1789-1797: First president, was unanimously elected, and served two terms. His leadership led to a standard of strong presidency with control of foreign policy and the power to veto Congress's legislation. Declared the Proclamation of Neutrality in April 1793, keeping the United States neutral in the European wars. His Farewell Address in 1796 warned against entangling alliances, recommended isolationism, and warned of political party factions.
Judiciary Act of 1789
1789: Provided for Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and five associates. Established the office of the Attorney General. Created federal district courts and circuit courts.
Alexander Hamilton
1757-1804: First Secretary of Treasury. Proposed the federal assumption of state debts, the establishment of a national bank, and the federal stimulation of industry through an excise tax and tariffs. Opponents, including Jefferson, saw his programs as aiding a small, elite group at the expense of the average citizen. Hamilton died from wounds sustained in a pistol duel with Aaron Burr, Jefferson's vice president.
Jeffersonian Republicans (Democratic-Republicans)
1792-1860: Political party that absorbed the Anti-Federalists. Proponents included Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Favored states' rights and power in the hands of commoners; supported by Southern agriculture and frontiersmen. Believed that the federal government was denied all powers that were not expressly given to it by the Constitution (a "strict interpretation" of the document). Supported the French Revolution's ideals, but they were against the Revolution's bloody radicalism.
Eli Whitney
1765-1825: Inventor and manufacturer. Invented the cotton gin in 1793, revolutionizing the cotton industry and increasing the need for slaves. Established first factory to assemble muskets with interchangeable, standardized parts. His innovations led to an "American system" of manufacture, where those laborers with less skill could use tools and templates to make identical parts; also, the manufacture and assembly of parts could be done separately.
Jay's Treaty
An attempt to settle conflict between United States and England over commerce, navigation, and violations of the Treaty of Paris 1783. Provided for eventual evacuation by the British of their posts in the Northwest, but allowed them to continue fur trade. Allowed for the establishment of commissions to settle United States-Canadian border disputes and United States-Britain losses during the Revolutionary War. The generous terms to Britain upset Americans because these were promises that had been made and not fulfilled in the Treaty of Paris of 1783.
Whiskey Rebellion
1794: Western whiskey farmers refused to pay taxes on which Hamilton's revenue program was based. A group of farmers terrorized the tax collectors, and Washington responded with a federalized militia. George Washington and Alexander Hamilton rode out to Pennsylvania themselves to emphasize their commitment. First test of federal authority. Established federal government's right to enforce laws.
Pinckney Treaty
1795: Signed by the United States and Spain. Free navigation of the Mississippi River was given to the United States. Gained area north of Florida that had been in dispute. Gave western farmers the "right of deposit" in New Orleans, enabling them to use the port for their goods and making it easier for them to get their goods to the east. The United States would later make the Louisiana Purchase, which would cement this right of deposit.
Early American Literature and Art
1600s-1700s: Early writings promoted the benefits of colonization to both Europeans and to the colonies themselves; authors included John Smith and William Penn.
Religious issues and the Great Awakening provided material for written works by John Winthrop, Edward Winslow, Roger Williams, Jonathan Edwards, and George Whitefield.
The political issues of revolution influenced writing in the mid 1700s, including works by Samuel Adams, Benjamin, Franklin, and Thomas Paine.
Post-war writings, such as The Federalist Papers, explored the system of American values and governmental structure.
The first American novel, published 1789, was William Hill Brown's "The Power of Sympathy."
Art copied European style but featured portraits of important Americans; famous artists included John Trumbull, Charles Peale, Benjamin West, and John Copley.
Gilbert Stuart painted the portrait of George Washington that is now on the on-dollar bill.
John Adams
1797-1800: Second president, first vice president, a diplomat and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Led the country through the XYZ affair, the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Kept the nation from war during his tenure as president.
XYZ Affair
1798: The United States wanted an end to French harassment of American shipping. To settle the issue, French representatives demanded a bribe from the United States just to open negotiations with French Minister Talleyrand. The United States refused the bribe and suspended trade with France. Led to the creation of the American Navy.
Alien and Sedition Acts
1798-1799: Legislation enacted by the Federalists to reduce foreign influences and increase their power. New hurdles to citizenship were established. Broadened power to quiet print media critics. The legislation was used to silence Jeffersonian Republican critics of the Federalists and was indicative of the poisoned relations between the two groups. These acts tested the strength of the First Amendment and limited the freedom of the press. The Federalists gained a reputation as being a less domestic group, quickening their demise as a political organization.
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
1798-1799: Response by Jeffersonian Republicans to the Alien and Sedition Acts. Included text written by Jefferson and Madison. Suggested that states should have the power within their territory to nullify federal law. Stated that the federal government had no right to exercise powers not specifically delegated to it. The resolutions represented a future argument that would be sued when secession and Civil War threatened the country. Called into question the paradox of the Elastic Clause and the Tenth Amendment.
The Napoleonic Wars
1799-1815: War between Napoleon's France and the other European powers, led by Britain. Both sides tried to prevent neutral powers, especially the United States, from trading with their enemy. American ships were seized by both sides and American sailors were "impressed," or forced, into the British navy. The United States was angered by this violation of the "freedom of the seas" principle, which holds that outside its territorial waters, a state may not claim sovereignty over the seas. These violations would escalate and lead to the War of 1812.
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