May The
The warm climate and fertile soil in this colonial region supported large plantations growing cash crops like tobacco and rice.
Southern Colonies
This act, passed by Parliament in 1765, required colonists to pay a tax on printed materials, sparking widespread protest.
Stamp Act
This document, signed in 1776, declared the American colonies’ independence from Britain.
This 1786 rebellion of farmers in Massachusetts showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Shays' Rebellion
This amendment guarantees freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
First Amendment
This set of proposals, presented at the Constitutional Convention, aimed to resolve the issue of representation in Congress, with one plan favoring large states and another favoring smaller states.
Great Compromise
This principle of the U.S. Constitution divides government into three branches to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power.
Separation of Power
This key event in 1787 led to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, as leaders recognized the need to revise the Articles of Confederation.
Constitutional Convention
This individual was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress and played a crucial role in leading the American forces to victory during the American Revolution.
George Washington
The New England Colonies' economy relied heavily on this industry, due to their long coastline and abundant forests.
Shipbuilding
This group, formed in response to the Stamp Act, used protests, boycotts, and sometimes violent tactics to oppose British policies and became one of the most prominent resistance groups during the lead-up to the American Revolution.
Sons of Liberty
This French leader, who came to power after the Revolution, played a key role in solidifying French support for America, including the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
Napoleon Bonaparte
This power allows the Supreme Court to declare laws or executive actions unconstitutional, ensuring that all branches of government adhere to the Constitution.
Judicial Review
This influential pamphlet, published in 1776 by Thomas Paine, helped galvanize public support for the American Revolution by advocating for independence from Britain.
Common Sense
This 1754 conflict began as a struggle over control of the Ohio River Valley.
French & Indian War
This 1763 British policy prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, hoping to avoid conflicts with Native American tribes, but it angered colonists who had hoped to expand westward.
Proclamation Line of 1763
This document, sent to King George III in 1775 by the Continental Congress, was an attempt to avoid war and seek a peaceful resolution, but it was ultimately rejected by the king.
Olive Branch Petition
The Middle Colonies earned this nickname due to their production of wheat and grains.
Breadbasket
This political system, central to the U.S. Constitution, divides power between a national government and state governments, ensuring that both levels of government share authority over the country.
Federalism
This law established a system for surveying and distributing western lands, which helped raise revenue for the government and set up territories that would eventually become states.
Land Ordinance of 1785
This treaty officially ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized the United States' independence, granting it territory up to the Mississippi River.
Treaty of Paris
To win the U.S. presidential election, a candidate must secure at least this many electoral votes.
270
The winter of 1777-1778 at this camp was one of the darkest periods for the Continental Army.
Valley Forge
This type of legislature, consisting of two separate chambers, was adopted in the U.S. Constitution and is reflected in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Bicameral Legislature
This company controlled tea trade and was involved in the Boston Tea Party, which angered American colonists.
British East India Company