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APUSH 1750-1800

Terms in this set (55)

Albany Plan (1754)
-delgates of seven colonies met in New York to discuss plans for collective defense
-Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan for intercolonial government (rejected by colonial legislatures as demanding too great a surrender of power)
-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
-led Britain to virtually destroy the French empire in North America by focusing on the French headquarters in Canada
-Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended hostilities
Treaty of Paris (1763)
-ended Seven Years War
-Britain took Canada and some of what would become the U.S. east of the Mississippi River from France
-France lost all of its North American holdings
-Spain took the Louisiana Territory
-treaty marked the end of salutary neglect, a relationship in which the British Parliament had somewhat ignored the colonies, allowing them to develop their character without interference
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
-created a series of acts that raised taxes on American goods, leading to rebellious activites in the colonies
-Acts included the Procolmation of 1763, Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Quartering Act
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
-Enlightenment thinker
-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, warehouse, and shops
-James Otis argues that these searches were contrary to natural law
-later, the 4th Amendment would protect citizens against "unreasonable searches and seizures"
Proclamation of 1763
-result of Pontiac's Rebellion, a Native American uprising against the British for their mistreatment
-forbad white settlement west of the Appalachians to reduce friction between Native Americans and the settlers
-stated that Native Americans owned the land on which they were residing
-outraged colonists believed that the successful outome of the French and Indian War should have allowed settlement in the Ohio Valley
Sugar Act (1764)
-taxed goods imported to America to raise revenue for England (debt from French and Indian War)
-strictly enforced, unlike the Molasses Act of 1733
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 negativel because they feared having a standing army in their towns, and they disliked the additional expenses it caused
-after U.S. Constitution, 3rd Amendment protected citizens against the stationing of troops in their homes
Stamp Act (1765)
-internal tax to raise revenue
-required Americans to use "stamped" paper for legal documents, newpapers, and playing cards
Declatory 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
-suggested that Britain might pass more restricitve acts in the near future
Samuel Adams (1722-1803)
-revolutionary resistance leader in Massachusetts
-headed the Sons of Liberty in Massachusets
-worked with the committees of correspondence, which provided communication about resistance among colonies
Stamp Act Congress (1765)
-delegates of seven colonies met in New York to discuss plans for defense
-adoped 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 the direct taxes of the Stamp Act
-led to boycotts by Boston merchants and served as a 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
-meant to be a response to the colonial claim on "no taxation without representation," meaning that parliament was itself a representation of those being taxed
Boston Massacre (1770)
-occured when the British attempted to enforce the Townshend Acts
-British soldiers killed five Bostonians
-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 and sell it at a bargain
-because the cheap tea undercut the costs of local merchants, colonists opposed these shipmentsl they turned back ships, left shipments to rot, and held ships in port
-Boston Tea Party (Decempter 1773), where citizens, dressed as Native Americans, destroyed tea on the British ships
The Intolerable Act (The Coercive Acts) (1774)
-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 of crimes in Massachusetts to be tried elsewhere
Methods of Colonial Resistance (1770s)
-colonists reacted first with restrained and respectful petitions against the British, suggesting "taxation without representation is tyranny"
-colonial governments organized "committees of correspondence" to share their view of British actions with neighboring colonies and with foreign governments; this was the start of political organization among the colonies
-colonial merchants then boycotted British goods
-colonists finally turned to violence
-some colonists continued to follow British comman and became English "Loyalists"
First Continental Congress (September-October 1774)
-meeting in Philadelphia of colonial representatives to denounce the Intolerable Acts and 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 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
The Second Continental Congress (May 1775)
-colonial representative meeting in Philadelphia, over which John Hancock presided
-group was torn between declaring independence and remaining under British powerr
-Moderates forced the adoption of the Olive Branch Petition, a ltter to King George III appealing one final time for a resolution to all disputes; the king refused to read it
-the Congrss sent George Washington to command the army around Boston
-American ports were opened in defiance of the Nagvigation Acts
-The Congress wrote the Declaration of Independence
Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775)
-Bunker Hill was an American post overlooking Boston
-the stronghold allowed Americans to contain General Gage and his troops
-the colonists twice turned bac a British frontal assault, and they held off the British until the Bunker Hill force ran out of ammunition and was overrun
-American strong dfeense led to strengthened morale
Common Sense (January 1776)
-pamphlet published by Thomas Paine that called for immediate independence from Britain
-sold throughout the colonies, where it gained popularity
-helped weaken resistance in the Continental Congress toward independence)
Lee's Resolutions (1776)
-presented to Second Continental Congress
-urged Congress to declare independence and were accepted July 2, 1776
-"That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States"
Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)
-document restating political ideas justifying the separation from Britain
-Thomas Jefferson and his comittee 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 America 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's Leadership 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 he Delaware on December 25, 1776
-sruvived tough winter at Valley Forget; Washington strengthened his troops during the winter and gained tremendous respect among the men
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 that 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 mesaures that led to the American Revolution
-led British forces during the American Revolution
-the British defeat culminated with Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown (1781)
Western Land Cessions (1781-1787)
-the original thirteen states ceded their western land claims to the new federal government
-the states that lacked western land claims feared that stateswith claims could grow in size, skewing representation in the federal government
-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 British recognized the United States' independence and outlined its borders
-the U.S. received all lands east of the Mississippi River, north of Florida, and south of the Great Lakes
-The Unites States agreed that Loyalists were not to be persecuted
Land Ordinance of 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
-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; slaves 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)
-negotiated Treaty of Paris and Jay's Treaty
-First Chief Justice of Supreme Court
-wrote portions of The Federalist Papers
Shay's Rebellion (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 recollection
-citizens of Boston raised an army and suppressed the rebels
-Americans felt pressure to strengthen the government and avoid future violence
-the rebellion servest as a catalyst for writing the Constitution
The Constitution of the United States (signed Sept 1787, ratified June 1788)
-drafted at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787
-included a preamble and seven articles
-created a stronger federal government
-the Bill f Rights constitutes the first ten amendments, and it protects individual rights and freedoms
Elastic Clause and the Tenth Amendment (1791)
-10th Amendment restricts the federal government to those powers delgated to it by the Constitution and gives all other powers to the states, or the people
-Article 1, 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 & The New Jersey Plan (1787)
-Virginia Plan: presented by Edmund Randolph and written by James Madison, it called for a bicamral 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 Paterson, it called for a unicameral legislature with equal represntation for each state
-formed the basis of the modern American legislative structur
Great 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, the Virginia Plan, and other proposals
-included the Three-Fifths Compormise, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for purposed of apportioning representaiton 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 included Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, and northeastern business groups
-"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
-supporters included Geroge Mason, Patrick Hnery, and George Clinton
-many 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)
-unanimously elected
-his leadership led to a standard of a strong presidency with control of foreign policy and the power to veto Congress's legislation
-declared the Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793, keeping the United States neutral in the European wars
-his Farewell Address in 1797 warned aginst entangling alliances, recommended isolationism, and warned of political party factions
Judiciary Act of 1789
-provided for a 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 excise tax and tariffs
-opponents, including Jefferson, saw his programs as aiding a small, elite group at the expense of the average citizen
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 hand s of commoner; supported by Southern agriculture and frnotiersmen
-"strict interpretation" of the Constitution
Eli Whitney (1765-1825)
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
-led to an "American system" of manufacture, where those laborers with less skill could use tools and templates to make identical parts
Jay's Treaty (1794)
-an attempt to settle the conflict between the United States and England over commerce, navigation, and violations of the Treaty of Paris of 1783
-provided for eventual evacuation by the British of their posts in the Northwest, but it allowed them to continue their 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 texes on which Hamilton's revenue program was based
-a group of farmers terrorized the taex 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 Unites States and Spain
-free navigation of the Mississippi River was given to the United States
-United States gained area north of Florida that had been in dispute (present-day Mississippi and Alabama)
-gave western farmers the "right of deposity: 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
John Adams (1797-1800)
-led the country through the XYZ affair, the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
-kept the nature 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 negotioans with the French Minister
-the United States refused the bribe and suspended trade with the French
-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
-used to silence Jeffersonian Republican critics of the Federalists and was indicative of the poisoned relations between the two groups
-acted the strength of the First Amendment and limited the freedom of the press
-the Federalists gained a reputation as being a less democratic group, quickening their demise as a political organization
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798-1799)
-response by Jeffersonian Republicans to the Alien and Sedition ACts
-suggested that states should have the pwoer within their territory to nullify federal law
-stated that federal government had no right to exercise powers not specifically delegated to it
-represented a future argument that would be used when secession and Civil War threatened the country
-called into question the paradox of the Elastic Clasue and the 10th 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 soverignty over the seas
-these violations would escalate and lead to the War of 1812
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