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APUSH IDs
APUSH Exam IDs
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mayflower Compact | 1620, first agreement for self government in America, Plymouth colony |
| William Bradford | A Pilgrim, the second governor of the Plymouth colony, developed land ownership and helped colonist get out of debt and survive hardships |
| Pilgrims vs Puritans | Pilgrims:separatists who believed Church of England could not be reformed; fled to America Puritans:wanted to adopt reforms to purify Church; King gave them right to settle in Mass. Bay area |
| Massachusetts Bay Colony | 1629-Puritans settled with permission from King Charles; established political freedom and representative government |
| Puritan migration | Puritans coming to America in 1630s and 40s; population of Mass. Bay Colony grew to 10x its earlier population |
| Church of England (Anglican Church) | National church of England established by King Henry VIII; contained both Roman Catholic and Protestant ideas. |
| John Winthrop (1588-1649) | 1629-Became the first gov. of Mass. Bay Colony (1630-1649). Believed the colony was best governed by a small group of skillful leaders - not total democracy. Helped organize New England Confederation in 1643, serving as its first president. |
| Congressional Church, Cambridge Platform | Congressional Church was formed by separatists who felt the Anglican Church retained too many Roman Catholic beliefs. Pilgrims were members of GC. The Cambridge Platform stressed morality over church dogma. |
| Contrast Puritan colonies with others | Puritan colonies were self-governed with each town having its own govt that held the people to strict Puritan beliefs. Only those who had achieved grace ("elect" or "saints") were full church members, could vote, or hold public office. |
| Anne Hutchinson | Preached the idea that God communicated directly to individuals instead of through church elders. She was forced to leave Massachusetts in 1637. |
| Roger Williams, Rhode Island | 1635-He left Mass. colony and purchased the land from a neighboring Indian tribe to found the colony of Rhode Island. Rhode Island was the only colony at the time to offer complete religious freedom. |
| Half-Way Covenant | Allowed children of full members of the Puritan Church to participate in some church affairs, despite not achieving grace themselves. |
| Thomas Hooker | Clergyman, one of the founders of Hartford. Called "the father of American democracy" because he said that people have a right to choose their magistrates. |
| Fundamental Orders of Connecticut | Set up a unified government for the towns of the Connecticut area (Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield). First constitution written in America. |
| Massachusetts School Law | First public education legislation in America. It declared that towns with 50+ families had to hire a schoolmaster and that towns with over 100 families had to found a grammar school. |
| Harvard founded | 1636 - Founded by a grant from the Massachusetts general court. Followed Puritan beliefs. |
| New England Confederation | 1643-Formed to provide for the defense of the four New England colonies, and also acted as a court in disputes between colonies. |
| King Philip's War | 1675-Series of battles in New Hampshire between the colonists and the Wompanowogs, led by chief King Philip. Started when colonist tried to assert jurisdiction over Indians. Colonists won with help from the Mohawks, opening up land for expansion. |
| Dominion of New England | 1686-The British govt combined the colonies of Mass., Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut into a single province headed by a royal gov. The Dominion ended in 1692, when the colonists revolted and drove Gov. Andros out. |
| Joint stock company | A company made up of a group of shareholders. Each shareholder contributes some money to the company and receives some share of the company's profits and debts. |
| Virginia: purpose, problems | Formed by the Virginia Company as a profit earning venture; starvation was the major problem (90% died in the first year) and survivors left. |
| Virginia: failures, success | The Company had trouble attracting new settlers, even after offering private land ownership. The Virginia Company went bankrupt and Virginia went to the crown, not becoming successful until tobacco production and exportation. |
| Headright System | Headrights were parcels of land consisting of about 50 acres which were given to colonists who brought indentured servants into America. They were used by the Virginia Company to attract more colonists. |
| John Smith | Helped found & govern Jamestown. His leadership and strict discipline helped Virginia colony get through the difficult first winter. |
| John Rolfe, tobacco | He was one of the English settlers at Jamestown. He discovered how to successfully grow tobacco in Virginia and cure it for export, which made Virginia an economically successful colony. |
| Slavery Begins | 1619-The first African slaves in America arrive in the Virginia colony |
| House of Burgesses | 1619- The Virginia House of Burgesses formed, the first legislative body in colonial America. |
| Bacon's Rebellion | 1676-Nathaniel Bacon led other western Virginia settlers, who had formed an army, to defeat Doeg Indians then burn Jamestown after Gov. Berkley tried to appease the Doegs after they attacked western settlements. Ended suddenly when Bacon died. |
| Georgia: reasons, successes | 1733-Georgia was formed as a buffer between the Carolinas and Spanish-held Florida. It was a military-style colony, but also served as a heaven for the poor, criminals, and persecuted Protestants. |
| James Ogelthorpe | Founder and governor of the Georgia colony. He ran a tightly-disciplined, military-like colony. Slaves, alcohol, and Catholicism were forbidden in his colony |
| Carolinas | 1665-Charles II granted this land to pay off a debt to some supporters. They instituted headrights and a representative govt to attract colonists. South grew wealthy because of ties to sugar islands, while the poorer North was mostly farmers. later split. |
| Staple crops in the South | Tobacco was grown in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. Rice was grown in South Carolina and Georgia. Indigo was grown in South Carolina. |
| Pennsylvania, William Penn | 1681-William Penn received a land grant from Charles II, and used it to form a colony that would provide a haven for Quakers. His colony, Pennsylvania, allowed religious freedom. He allowed anyone to emigrate to Pennsylvania. |
| New York:Dutch, 1664 English | New York belonged to the Dutch, but King Charles II gave the land to his brother, the Duke of York, in 1664. When the British came to take the colony, the Dutch, who hated their Governor, quickly surrendered to them. |
| Five Nations or Iroquois Confederation | Federation of tribes occupying norther NY: the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Seneca, the Onondaga, and the Cayuga. Added Tuscarora tribe in 1720. Most powerful and efficient NA Indian organization during 1700s/ |
| Crops in the Middle Colonies | The middle colonies produced staple crops, primarily grain and corn. |
| New York and Philadelphia as urban centers | NY became an important urban center due to its harbor and rivers, which made it an important center for trade. Philly was a center for trade and crafts, and attracted many immigrants. As urban centers, both played role in American Independence. |
| Benjamin Franklin | Printer, author, inventor, diplomat, statesman, and Founding Father. One of the few Americans who was highly respected in Europe, primarily due to his discoveries in the field of electricity. |
| Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island | Pennsylvania:Founded by William pen, a Quaker, to provide protection for Quakers. Maryland:Formed as a colony where Catholics would be free from persecution. Rhode Island:Formed to provide a haven for all persecuted religions. |
| Great Awakening(1739-1744) | Puritanism had declined by the 1730s, and people were upset about the decline in religious piety. The Great Awakening was a sudden outbreak of religious fervor that swept through the colonies. One of the first events to unify the colonies. |
| Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" | Part of the Great Awakening, Edwards gave gripping sermons about sin and the torments of Hell. |
| George Whitefield | Credited with starting the Great Awakening, also a leader of the "New Lights" |
| Old Lights, New Lights | The "New Lights" were new religious movements formed during the Great Awakening and broke away from the congregational church in New England. The "Old Lights" were the established congregational church. |
| Lord Baltimore | Founded Maryland and offered religious freedom to all Christian colonists. He did so because he knew that members of Catholicism would be a minority in the colony. Maryland Act of Toleration (1649)- guaranteed religious freedom to all Christians |
| Deism | The religion of Enlightenment(1700s). Followers believed that God existed and had created the world, but that afterwards He left it to run by its own natural laws. Denied that God communicated to man or in any way influenced his life. |
| Mercantilism | Economic policy of Eu. in 1500s-1700s. Govt exercised control over industry and trade with the idea that national strength and economic security comes from exporting more than importing. Great Brit exported and forced colonies to buy goods. |
| Navigation Acts of 1650, 1660, 1663, 1669 | British regulations designed to protect British shipping from competitions. Said that British colonies could only import goods if they were shipped on British-owned vessels and at least 3/4 of the crew of the ship were British |
| Triangular Trade | The backbone of New England's economy during the colonial period. Ships from New England sailed first to Africa, exchanging rum for slaves. The slaves were shipped from Africa to the Caribbean and traded for sugar and molasses, which was used to make rum. |
| Molasses Act, 1773 | British legislation which taxed all molasses, rum, and sugar which the colonies imported from countries other than Britain and her colonies. The act angered the New England colonies, which imported a lot of molasses. Brits could not enforce, merchs ignore |
| Currency Act, 1764 | This act applied to all colonies. It banned the production of paper money in the colonies in an effort to combat the inflation caused by Virginia's decision to get itself out of debt by printing more money. |
| Salem Witch Trials | Several accusations of witchcraft led to sensational trial in Salem, Mass. at which Cotton Mather presided as the chief judge. 18 people were hanged as witches. Afterwards, most admitted that the trials and executions had been a terrible mistake |
| Indentured Servants | People who could not afford passage to the colonies could become indentured servants. Another person would pay their passage, and in return the indentured servant would set that person for a set time - usually seven years - and then be free. |
| Poor Richard's Almanack | first published in 1732, written by Ben Franklin, it was filled with witty, insightful, and funny bits of observation and common sense advise. Most popular almanac in the colonies. |
| Phillis Wheatly (1754-1784) | An African domestic in the colonies, and a well-known colonial poet. Her poetry was ornate and elaborate. |
| Ann Bradstreet (1612-1692) | A Puritan and the first colonial poet to be published. the main subjects of her poetry were family, home, and religion |
| Magna Carta, 1215 | An English document drawn up by nobles under King John which limited the power of the king. It has influenced later constitutional document in Britain and America |
| Salutary Neglect | Prime Minister Robert Walpole's policy in dealing with the American colonies. He was primarily concerned with British affairs and believed that unrestricted trade in the colonies would be more profitable for England than would taxation of the colonies. |
| The Enlightenment | A Philosophical movement which started in Eu in the 1700s and spread to the colonies. Emphasized reason and scientific method. Many members favored Deism. |
| Theories of representative government in legislatures: virtual representation, actual representation | Virtual representation means that a representative is not elected by his constituents, but he resembles them in his political beliefs and goals. Actual representation means that a representative is elected by his constituents. The colonies had virtual. |
| Proprietary, charter, and royal colonies | Proprietary colonies were founded and controlled by the proprietor. Charter colonies were founded by a govt charter granted to a company or a group of people. The Brit govt had some control over charter colonies. Royal colonies were formed by the King. |
| Town Meetings | A purely democratic form of govt common in the colonies, and the most prevalent form of local govt in New England. In general, the town's voting population would meet once a year to elect officers, levy taxes, and pass laws. |
| John Peter Zenger Trial | Zenger published articles critical of British governor William Cosby. He was taken to trial but found not guilty. The trial set a precedent for freedom of the press in the colonies. |
| John Locke (1632-1704) | Wrote that all human beings have a right to life, liberty, and property, and that the govt exists to protect those rights. Govt was based upon an unwritten "social contract" between the rulers and people. People have right to rebel if govt fails. |
| A democratic society or not? | Founding Fathers established a democratic republic, not a pure democracy. Indirect democracy in which people elect representatives. |
| Land claims and squabbles in North America | The British controlled the colonies on the east coast, and the French held the land around the Mississippi and west of it. Both the British and the French laid claim to Canada and the Ohio Valley region. |
| British Colonization v French | The British settle mainly along the coast, where they started farms, towns, and governments. As a general rule, whole families emigrated. The British colonies had little interaction with the local Indians - besides occasional fighting. |
| French Colonization v British | The French colonized the interior, where they controlled the fur trade. Most of the French immigrants were single men, and there were few towns and only loose govt authority. The French and Indians lived closely, trading and sometimes marrying. |
| French and Indian War (1756-1763) | Part of the Seven Years' War in Europe. Britain and France fought for control of Canada and Ohio Valley region. Algonquin and Mohawk w/ French, rest of Iroquois w/ Britain. Colonies under Britain. Britain won; gained Fr. Canada and India and Sp. Florida. |
| Albany Plan of Union, Benjamin Franklin | During the French and Indian War, Franklin wrote this proposal for a unified colonial govt which would operate under the authority of the British govt. |
| General Braddock | British commander in French and Indian War. He died in Battle of Fallen Timbers, making George Washington take his place to lead British forces. |
| William Pitt (1708-1778) | British secretary of state during the French and Indian War. He brought the British/colonial army under tight British control and started drafting colonists, which led to riots. |
| Fort Pitt, Fort Duquesne | Fort Duquesne became one of the principal French outposts in the Ohio Valley, and in 1754 the French troops there destroyed British Fort Necessity, after Washington surrendered it to them. Brits rebuilt it as Fort Pitt in 1758. |
| Wolfe, Montcalm, Quebec | 1759 - British general James Wolfe led an attack on Quebec, the French, under Marquis de Montcalm, fought off the initial attack, but the British recovered ant took Quebec in a surprise night attack in Sept. 1759 |
| Treaty of Paris, 1763 | Treaty between Britain, France, and Spain, which ended the Seven Years War. France lost Canada, the land east of the Mississippi, some Caribbean Islands and India to Britain. France also gave New Orleans and the land west of the Mississippi to Spain. |
| Pontiac's Rebellion, 1763 | An Indian uprising after the French and Indian war, led by an Ottowa chief named Pontiac. They opposed British expansion into the western Ohio Valley and began destroying British forts in the area. The attacks ended when Pontiac was killed. |
| Proclamation of 1763 | A proclamation by the British govt which forbade British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, and which required any settlers already living west of the mountains to move back east. |
| Paxton Boys | 1763 - A mob of Pennsylvanian frontiersmen led by the Paxtons who massacred a group of non-hostile Indians |
| Navigation Acts | A series of Brit regulations which taxed goods imported by the colonies from places other than Britain, or otherwise tried to control colonial trade. Increase Brit-colonial trade and tax revenues. Reinstated after Fr. and Indian war to pay off war debts |
| Greenville's Program | As Prime Minister, he passed the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765 to help finance the cost of maintaining a standing force of Brit troops in the colonies and believed in reducing financial burden on the British by enacting new taxes in colonies |
| Sugar Act, 1764 | First law passed by Parliament that raised tax revenues in the colonies for the crown. It increased duty on foreign sugar imported from the West Indies. Made it illegal for colonies to buy from non-British Caribbean colonies. |
| Non-importation | A movement under which the colonies agreed to stop importing goods from Britain in order to protest the Stamp Act |
| Stamp Act | March 22, 1765 - required that all legal or official docs used in the colonies had to be written on special, stamped British paper. So unpopular, London merchants eventually got Parliament to repeal in 1776 |
| Stamp Act Congress, 1765 | 27 delegates from 9 colonies met from Oct. 7-24, 1765, and drew up a list of declarations and petitions against the new taxes imposed on the colonies |
| Admiralty Courts | Stamp Act and Sugar Act offenses were tried in this court. Juries were not allowed and the burden of proof was on the defendant. All were assumed to be guilty until proven innocent. |
| Patrick Henry (1736-1799) | Urged colonies to fight for Independence. "Give me liberty or give me death. Instrumental in adoption of the Bill of Rights to Constitution. Opponent of Constitution. Antifederalist. |
| Sons of Liberty | Violent group that often took matters in to its own hands. "Liberty, Property and No Stamps" Tar and feathered those who violated the non-importation agreements. Leaders included Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. |
| Internal Taxes | taxes which arose out of activities that occurred within the colonies. the Stamp Act was one such tax. Many colonists and Englishmen felt that Parliament did not have the authority to levy internal taxes on the colonies. |
| External Taxes | taxes that arose out of activities that occurred outside of the colonies, such as customs and duties. The Sugar Act is one such tax. Many who objected the internal taxes felt Parliament had the authority to levy external taxes on imported goods. |
| Declaratory Act, 1766 | Passed at the same time that the Stamp Act was repealed, the Act declared that Parliament had the power to tax the colonies both internally and externally, and had absolute power of colonial legislature. |
| Quartering Act | March 24, 1765 - Required the colonists to provide food, lodging, and supplies for the British troops in the colonies. |
| Townshend acts, reaction | A series of revenue measure, passed by Townshend in 1767, which taxed quasi-luxury items imported into the colonies, including paper, lead, tea and paint. The colonial reaction was outrage and they instituted another movement to stop importing Brit goods |
| Sam Adams (1722-1803) | A Massachusetts politician who was a radical fighter for colonial independence. Helped organized the Sons of Liberty and the Non-Importation Commission, which protested the Townshend Acts. Believed to have led Boston Tea Party. +Bill of Rights |
| The Association | Military organization formed by Franklin which formed fighting units in Penn. and erected two batteries on Delaware River. |
| Repeal of the Townshend Acts | 1770 - Prime Minister Lord North repealed the Townshend Acts, except for the tax on Tea |
| Boston Massacre, 1770 | On March 4, 1770, a group of colonials started throwing rocks and snowballs at some British soldiers; the soldiers panicked and fired their muskets, killing a few colonials. This outraged the colonies and increased the anti-British sentiment. |
| Crispus Attucks (1723-1770) | One of the colonials involved in the Boston Massacre, and the first to die. He became a Martyr. |
| John Adams | Mass. attorney and politician. Strong believer in independence. Argued against the Stamp Act and was involved in many patriot groups. Urged the Second Continental Congress to declare Independence. Helped draft and pass Declaration of Independence. Pres. 2 |
| Carolina Regulators | western frontiersmen who in 1768 rebelled in protest of the high taxes imposed by the Eastern colonial govt on NC, crushed by military force in 1771. In SC - vigilantes who fought outlaws on western frontier and disbanded when courts were established. |
| Gaspee Incident | Jun, 1772, the British customs ship Gaspee ran aground off the colonial coast. When the British went ashore for help, colonials burned the ship. They were sent to Britain for Trial. Colonial outrage led to formation of Committees of Correspondence. |
| Governor Thomas Hutchinson of Mass. | Boston-born merchant who served as Royal Gov of Mass from 1771-1774. Supported Parliament's right to tax colonies and his home had been burned during a Stamp Act riot. EIC ship decision precipitated Boston Tea Party. Fled to England in 1774. |
| Committees of Correspondence | Started as a group of private citizens in Mass., RI, and NY who, in 1763, began circulation info about opposition to Brit trade measures. The first govt-organized committee appeared in Mass. in 1764. Other colonies followed to exchange info. ++Gaspee. |
| Tea Act, East India Company | The Tea Act gave the East India Company a monopoly on the trade in tea, made it illegal for the colonies to buy non-British made tea, and forced the colonies to pay the tax of 3 cents/pound |
| Boston Tea Party, 1773 | British ships refused to leave until they'd unloaded tea. In protest of the Tea Act, a band of colonists, led by Sam Adams, disguised as Indians, rowed out to the boat and dumped the tea chests into the harbor. Generally approved by colonists. |
| Coercive Acts | Passed in response to Boston Tea Party, include Boston Port Act, Mass. Govt Act (disbanded Boston Assembly),Quartering Act, and Administration of Justice Act (removed power of colonial courts to arrest royal officers) |
| Boston Port Act | One of the Coercive Acts, which shut down the Boston Harbor until Boston repaid the East India Company for lost tea |
| Quebec Act | Quebec Act recognized the Roman-Catholic church in Quebec. Colonials took it as a sign that Britain was planning to impose Catholicism upon the colonies. |
| First Continental Congress (FCC) response to Qc Act | FCC met to discuss concerns over Parliaments dissolution of NY, Mass., and VA Assemblies. FCC rejected plan for unified govt, stated grievances called Dec. of Rights,resolved to prepare militias,new non-import. Feb. 1775,colonies are declared in rebellion |
| Continental Association | Created by the First Continental Congress, it enforced the non-importation of Brit goods by empowering local Committees of Vigilance in each colony to fine or arrest violators. Meant to pressure Britain to repeal the Coercive Acts. |
| Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1774 | Brits, in search of Sam Adams and John Hancock. British marched on Lexington, where they thought colonists had weapons, and then on Concord to find Adams and Hancock and were forced back. *START OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. |
| Paul Revere, William Dawes | They rode through the countryside warning militias before Lexington and Concord. Revere was detained shortly after setting out. Thanks to warning, militias were able to take Brits by surprise. |
| George Washington | He had led troops during the Fr. and Indian War, and had surrendered Fort Necessity to the French. He was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, and was much more successful than before. |
| Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill) | Bunker Hill was an American post overlooking Boston; the stronghold allowed Americans to contain General Gage and his troops. Colonists defended hill twice, until third time they ran out off ammo and gave it up. Strengthened morale. June 17, 1775 |
| Olive Branch Petition | July 8, 1775, colonies made a final offer of peace to Britain, agreeing to be loyal if the Brit govt addressed their grievances. Rejected by Parliament, which passed American Prohibitory Act - no trade with colonies. |
| Thomas Pain: Common Sense | A Brit. citizen, he wrote Common Sense (Jan. 1, 1776) to encourage the colonies to seek independence. It spoke out against the unfair treatment of the colonies and was instrumental in turning public opinion in favor of the Revolution. |
| Natural Rights Philosophy | Proposed by John Locke; said that humans had, by nature, certain rights, such as rights to life, liberty, and property. |
| George III | Became King of England in 1760, and reigned during the American Revolution |
| Richard Henry Lee's Resolution of June 7, 1776 | Stated that the colonies should be independent and sever all political ties with Britain. It was adopted by Congress and was the first step toward independence. |
| Abigail Adams | Wife of John Adams. During the Revolutionary War, she wrote letters to her husband describing life on the homefront. She urged her husband to remember America's women in the new govt. |
| Thomas Jefferson | He was a delegate from Virginia at the Second Continental Congress and wrote the Declaration of Independence. He later served as the third president of the US. |
| July 4, 1776 and the Declaration of Independence | The Declaration of Independence was signed by the Second Continental Congress on July 4. It dissolved the colonies' ties with Britain, listed grievances against King George III, and declared colonies to be and independent nation. |
| Lafayette | Marquis de Lafayette was a French major general who aided the colonies during the Revolutionary War. He and Baron von Steuben (a Prussian general) were the two major military experts who helped train the colonial armies. |
| George Rogers Clark (1752-1818) | Frontiersman who helped remove the Indians from the Illinois territory in May, 1798 |
| Benedict Arnold | He was an American General during the Revolutionary War (1776). He prevented the British from reaching Ticonderoga. Later, in 1778, he tried to help the British take West Point and the Hudson River but he was found out and declared a traitor. |
| John Paul Jones (1747-1792) | Revolutionary War naval officer. His ship, the Bonhomme Richard, was sunk in a battle with the British ship Serapis, but he managed to board and gain control of the Serapis. |
| French Alliance of 1778 | France, being Britain's rival, hoped to weaken her by teaming up with the colonies after being persuaded by colonial victory at Saratoga. |
| Saratoga | 1777, British Gen. Burgoyne attacked southward from Canada hoping to link up with General Howe in NY, cutting the colonies in half.He was defeated by Horatia Gates, surrendering entire Brit army of the north. Got French on colonies side. |
| Valley Forge | Site at which Continental Army camped during winter of 1777/78. Many casualties due to harsh winter. Chosen as it could defend Continental Congress. |
| Yorktown, Lord Cornwallis | Yorktown was the site where the Cornwallis surrendered after the American siege and the British were blocked at the sea. Joint fight b/w Colonial and French. Final large battle of the War. |
| Treaty of Paris, 1783 | This treaty ended the Revolutionary War, recognized the independence of the American colonies, granted the colonies territory from the southern border of Canada to the northern border of Florida, and from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi river. |
| Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay | They were the American delegates who signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783 |
| Social Impact of the war | The Revolutionary War saw emergence of the first anti-slavery groups, and many of the northern states abolished slavery after the war. Women gained small status increase for their efforts in the war, but they were primarily valued as mothers of the future |
| Disestablishment, Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom | 1779- Written by Thomas Jefferson, his statute outlawed an established church and called for separation of Church and State |
| New state constitutions | First set of constitution drafted by individual states placed most of govt power in legislature, no executive, to avoid tyranny. After the constitution was passed, the states abandoned these and wrote new ones with more balance of power. |
| Articles of Confederation: powers, weaknesses, successes | the AoC delegated most of the powers to the individual states, but left the fed govt the power over war, foreign policy, and issuing money. Weakness was that they gave the fed govt so little power it couldn't keep the country united. *Northwest Ordinance. |
| Constitution | The document which established the present federal govt of the US and outlined its powers. It can be changed through amendments. |
| Constitution: Legislature | One of the three branches of govt, the legislature makes the laws. There are two parts, the House and the Senate. |
| Constitution: House of Representatives | One of the two parts of Congress, considered the 'lower house'. Representatives are elected directly by the people, with the number of representatives for each state determined by its population. |
| Constitution: Senate | The other part of Congress, considered the 'upper house'. Senators were originally appointed by state legislatures, but now they are elected directly by the people. Each state has two senators. |
| Constitution: Supremacy clause | Article VI of the Constitution, which declares the Constitution, all federal laws passed pursuant to its provisions, and all federal treaties, to be the supreme law of the land, which override any state laws or state constitutional provisions to contrary |
| Constitution: Checks and Balances | Provisions made so each of the three branches can check the power of the other too, so no one branch can become too powerful. |
| Constitution:Separation of Power | Powers of the govt are divided between 3 branches: executive, legislative, and judiciary. |
| Maryland, cession of western land claims | Western land claims were claimed by many states, meaning many states claimed the same strips of land. The Continental Congress was trying to get states to ratify the AoC, but Maryland would not until all states abandoned western claims. |
| Northwest posts | British fur-trading posts in the Northwest Territory. Their presence in the US led to continued British-American conflicts. |
| Land Ordinance of 1785 | A major success of the AoC. Provided for the orderly surveying and distribution of land. |
| Northwest Ordinance, 1787 | Major success of the AoC. Set up the framework of a govt for the NW territory. The Ordinance provided that the Territory would be divided into 3-5 states, outlawed slavery in territory, and set 60,000 as the minimum population for statehood. |
| Shay's Rebellion (Winter of 1886/87) | Poor, indebted landowners in Mass. blocked access to courts and prevented the govt from arresting or repossessing the property of those in debt. the fed govt was too weak to help Boston removed the rebels. Showed weakness in AoC and need for stronger govt |
| 1780's Depression | Caused by a post-war decrease in production and increase in unemployment and also caused by tough interstate commerce rules which decreased trade. |
| Noah Webster (1758-1843) | Wrote some of the first dictionaries and spellers in the US. His books, which became the standard for the US, promoted American spellings and pronunciations, rather than British |
| Philadelphia Convention for the Constitution (Constitutional Convention. | May 25, 1787, the convention recommended by the Annapolis Convention was held in Philly. All states except RI sent delegates, and George Washington served as president. Lasted 16 weeks, produced Constitution, largely drafted by James Madison |
| James Madison, "Father of the Constitution" | His proposals for an effective govt became the Virginia Plan, which was the basis for the Constitution. He was responsible for drafting most of the language of the Constitution. |
| Great Compromise, 1787 | Created bicameral legislature by compromising the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. |
| Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, Connecticut Plan | VA - Two house congress, representation based on population NJ - one house congress w/ equal representation CT - two house congress in which both types of representation would be applied, AKA the Compromise Plan |
| North-South Compromise | North given full fed protection of trade and commerce. South given permanent relief from export taxes and no halt in slave import for -20yrs, plus national capital in South. Slaves counted as 3/5 of a person in state population, gave South ++ in House. |
| Slavery and the Constitution: slave trade, 3/5 clause | The South's slave trade was guaranteed for at least 20 years after the ratification of the Constitution. Slaves were considered 3/5 of a person when determining the state population. |
| Procedures for amendments | An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed if 2/3 of Congress or 2/3 of state legislatures vote for it. The amendment may be added to the Constitution by a 3/4 vote of state legislatures or state conventions. |
| Beard thesis, his critics | Charles Austin Beard wrote in 1913 that the Constitution was written to protect the economical interests of the writers, and to benefit the financial speculators who purchased govt bonds in Rev. War. Met much criticism. |
| Antifederalists | Opposed ratification of Constitution b/c it didn't protect individual rights and gave +power to fed govt. Instrumental in getting Bill of Rights. After ratification, became Democratic-Republican party. |
| Supporters of the Constitution | Federalists, mostly wealthy and opposed anarchy. Leaders included Jay, Hamilton, and Madison, who wrote the Federalist Papers in support of the Constitution. |
| Opponents of the Constitution | Antifederalists, mostly commoners afraid of strong central govt and being taken advantage of. Included Patrick Henry and Sam Adams. |
| The ratification fights, especially in Mass., NY, and VA | Mass. farmers opposed ratification b/c they felt it protected trade more than agriculture, but Mass. 6th to ratify. NY was opposed, Federalist Papers published there to gain support. VA and NY would not ratify w/o Bill of Rights |
| The Federalist Papers, Jay, Hamilton, and Madison | This collection of essays by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, explained the importance of a strong central govt. It was published in NY to ratify the Constitution. |
| "The Federalist, #10" | This essay from the Federalist Papers proposed setting up a republic to solve the problem of a large democracy |
| Bill of Rights adopted, 1791 | The first ten amendments to the Constitution which guarantee basic individual rights |
| President George Washington | Established many of the presidential traditions, including two terms. He was against political parties and strove for political balance in govt by appointing political adversaries to govt positions. |
| Vice-President John Adams | A Federalist, he had little say in Washington's administration |
| Judiciary Act, 1789 | Created the federal court system, allowed the president to create federal courts and to appoint judges |
| Sec. of the Treasury Hamilton | A leading Federalist, he supported industry and strong central govt. He created the National Bank and managed to pay off the US's early debts through tariffs and the excise tax on whiskey |
| Sec. of State Jefferson | Democratic-Republican who opposed Hamilton ideas. Washington tended to side with Hamilton, so Jefferson resigned. |
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Gopple25