Colonial Foundations & Early Gov't
Signed in 1620, this agreement formed a government elected by colonists and served as the earliest form of self-government in North America
What is the Mayflower Compact?
Published in 1776, this viral pamphlet by Thomas Paine argued in plain language that it was time for the colonies to break away from British rule.
What is Common Sense?
The "Shot Heard 'Round the World" was fired at these two Massachusetts locations on April 19, 1775, marking the start of the Revolutionary War.
What are Lexington and Concord?
Adopted during wartime urgency, this was the first written constitution of the United States, creating a loose alliance of sovereign states.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
Recognized as the "Father of the Constitution," he played a leading role during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.
Who is James Madison?
Established in 1619, this Virginia body was the first representative lawmaking assembly in the colonies.
What is the Virginia House of Burgesses?
This 1763 rule restricted colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains in order to conciliate Native Americans, frustrating colonists who fought in the French and Indian War.
What is the Proclamation Line of 1763?
He drew heavily on John Locke's ideas when drafting the Declaration of Independence, incorporating unalienable rights like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Who is Thomas Jefferson?
An uprising of angry, debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers led by a Revolutionary War veteran that exposed the national government's inability to maintain order or raise an army.
What is Shay's Rebellion?
Supported by small states, this plan called for a unicameral legislature where every state had equal representation regardless of population.
What is the New Jersey Plan?
English noblemen forced King John to agree to this 1215 document, establishing limits on royal power and guaranteeing rights like trial by jury
What is the Magna Carta?
Paul Revere created an engraving of this March 5, 1770 conflict that was widely used as propaganda to unite colonists against British military rule.
What is the Boston Massacre?
This 1777 battle served as the turning point of the war because it convinced France and Spain to form alliances and send military support to the colonies.
What is the Battle of Saratoga?
A major success under the Articles of Confederation, this 1787 law established a process for new states to join the Union and banned slavery in the new territory.
What is the Northwest Ordinance?
Also known as the Connecticut Compromise, this agreement created a bicameral legislature with representation by population in the House and equal representation in the Senate.
What is the Great Compromise?
This Enlightenment philosopher wrote that government exists to protect natural rights—life, liberty, and property—and derives power from the consent of the governed.
Who is John Locke?
Also known as the Coercive Acts, Parliament passed these punitive laws to punish Massachusetts following the Boston Tea Party.
What are the Intolerable Acts?
General Washington led his troops across the icy Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 to carry out a victorious surprise attack against Hessian forces in this town.
What is the Battle of Trenton?
Under the Articles of Confederation, changing or amending the national framework was virtually impossible because it required this type of vote from the states.
What is a unanimous vote (all 13 states)?
This agreement settled how enslaved people would be counted toward a state's total population for representation in the House of Representatives and taxation.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Passed in 1649 in Maryland, this act mandated religious toleration for all Christian denominations and served as a predecessor to the First Amendment.
What is the Maryland Toleration Act?
Enacted in 1765, this was the first internal tax directly levied on American colonists, taxing printed materials like legal documents and playing cards.
What is the Stamp Act?
Negotiated by Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay, this 1783 treaty officially recognized the independence of the United States and set its borders.
What is the Treaty of Paris?
Three major weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation included a lack of an executive branch, no power to enforce laws, and this financial limitation (________________________).
HINT: All Americans pay this.
What is the lack of power to collect taxes?
This group opposed ratification of the Constitution because they feared a powerful national government and demanded a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.
Who are the Anti-Federalists?