Empire in Crisis
Britain and France fought for control of this region, which became the center of the French and Indian War.
The Ohio River Valley
This 1765 law taxed newspapers, licenses, legal documents and other printed materials.
Stamp Act
Fighting at these two Massachusetts towns in April 1775 began the Revolutionary War.
Lexington and Concord
This document created the first national government of the United States.
AOC
Alexander Hamilton defended the creation of this institution by citing the Necessary and Proper Clause.
The Bank of The US
This agreement ended the French and Indian War in 1763 and greatly expanded British territory in North America.
The Treaty of Paris of 1763
Britain passed the Intolerable Acts in response to this colonial protest.
The Boston Tea Party
This American victory convinced France to openly support the United States.
The Battle of Saratoga
Identify two major weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation.
Congress could not directly tax, regulate interstate commerce, enforce its laws or maintain a dependable military. The government also lacked a president and national court system.
Why was Washington’s response to the Whiskey Rebellion politically significant?
By sending federal troops to enforce the tax, Washington demonstrated that the new government could enforce its laws. This contrasted with the weakness of the government during Shays’ Rebellion.
This British policy prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The Proclamation of 1763
This pamphlet by Thomas Paine argued that independence from Britain was logical and necessary.
Common Sense
This 1781 American and French victory resulted in the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and effectively ended major fighting.
The Battle of Yorktown
This law established a process for creating new states.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
This 1795 agreement followed the Battle of Fallen Timbers and opened much of present-day Ohio to American settlement.
The Treaty of Greenville
Why did many Indigenous nations develop stronger relationships with the French than with British colonists?
French colonists focused more on trade and established fewer permanent settlements. British colonists wanted Indigenous land for farming and settlement.
How did John Locke influence the Declaration of Independence?
Locke argued that people possessed natural rights and could overthrow a government that failed to protect them. Jefferson adapted these ideas into the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Why did some enslaved people support the British while others fought for the Patriots?
Lord Dunmore and other British officials offered freedom to enslaved people who escaped Patriot owners and joined Britain. Others served in Patriot forces because they supported independence or hoped military service would bring freedom.
How did the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise address different disputes over representation?
The Great Compromise settled the conflict between large and small states by creating a population-based House and an equal-representation Senate. The Three-Fifths Compromise counted three-fifths of the enslaved population when determining representation and taxation, increasing the political power of slave states.
How did foreign affairs contribute to the creation of the first political parties?
Federalists generally favored Britain and supported neutrality, while Democratic-Republicans sympathized with revolutionary France. Disputes over Jay’s Treaty and the conflict with France deepened the division.
How did Britain’s victory in the French and Indian War create new conflict with its American colonies?
The war increased British debt, leading Parliament to impose new taxes and enforce greater control. Colonists also resented restrictions on western settlement and believed Britain was violating their rights.
What disagreement over political authority stood behind the colonial slogan “no taxation without representation”?
Colonists argued that only their elected colonial assemblies could tax them. Parliament claimed the authority to make laws and impose taxes throughout the British Empire.
Give one way revolutionary ideals changed American society and one way inequality continued after independence.
northern gradual emancipation, wider political participation or republican motherhood. Possible continuity: slavery expanded in the South, women lacked formal political rights or settlers continued taking Indigenous land.
How did Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagree over the Constitution, and what helped secure ratification?
Federalists supported a stronger national government. Anti-Federalists feared centralized power and the lack of protections for individual liberties. The Federalists promised to add a Bill of Rights, helping secure ratification.
How did the Alien and Sedition Acts produce a debate over federal and state power?
The Federalist government used the laws to restrict immigrants and criticism of the government. Jefferson and Madison responded with the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, arguing that states could judge or nullify unconstitutional federal laws.