Terms
act of forcing captured American sailors to serve in the British navy
Impressment
system that keeps each branch of government from exercising too much power by limiting, or checking, the powers of the other branches
Checks and Balances
Colonial militiamen who were ready to fight at a moment's notice
Minutemen
also known as the Anglican church
Church of England
the upper house of Congress with each state represented by two senators
Senate
colonies governed by a charter granted by the king to joint-stock companies
Charter Colony
colonies given by the king to individuals or groups
Proprietary Colonies
individuals who favored fighting the British
Patriots
the last colony added to the United States; set up as a separator from the Spanish in Florida; debtors and criminals sent here to work off debts
Georgia
law requiring colonies to house British troops in barracks, stables, taverns, and empty building and to provide some supplies
Quartering Act
colonies the king had direct control over
Royal Colonies
formally approve
Ratify
of England; the last king to the Colonies
King George III
Patriots took possession of this and Breed’s Hill; British army began fighting and eventually won, however, they suffered many casualties
mercantilist policies passed by Britain between 1651 and 1733 to control colonial trade
Navigation and Trade Acts
principle attempting to ensure that no branch of the government has too much power
Separation of Powers
those who favored the adoption of the Constitution
Federalist
lawyer, killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, tied with Thomas Jefferson with the most electoral votes and became his Vice President
Aaron Burr
town in Pennsylvania where George Washington and the Continental army holed up for winter of 1777-78; army was trained here by Baron von Steuben and re-supplied
Valley Forge
document that describes how a government is to work
Constitution
corporations where groups of Englishmen pooled money and allowed others to buy shares of stock; business in which failure meant the loss of the amount invested and success meant the profits were split according to the number of shares; forerunners of modern corporations
Joint Stock Companies
agreement the Pilgrims made for establishing the first self-government in the United States
Mayflower Compact
helped Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys gain control of Fort Ticonderoga, when he wasn’t given proper acknowledgement (he thought), he became a traitor to the U.S.
Benedict Arnold
located on Lake Champlain in New York; taken over by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys
Battle of Fort Ticonderoga
called the Coercive Acts by the British; closed the port of Boston until the cost of the destroyed tea was paid, allowed royal officials charged with crimes to be tried in London or in another colony, changed Massachusetts’ charter and gave British officials more control, and passed a new Quartering Act
The Intolerable Acts