French and Indian War
Which two European powers fought for control of North America during the French and Indian War?
England and France
What famous slogan did colonists use to protest British taxes imposed without their consent?
"No taxation without representation."
Who wrote Common Sense, the pamphlet that encouraged colonists to support independence from Britain?
Thomas Paine.
What was the first national framework of government established by the United States before the Constitution?
Articles of Confederation
Who became the first president of the United States under the Constitution in 1789?
George Washington
What 1754 proposal, largely written by Benjamin Franklin, called for the British colonies to unite under a central government for defense?
The Albany Plan of Union
Which British law passed in 1765 placed a tax on printed materials, including newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards?
The Stamp Act.
Which Enlightenment philosopher argued that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property and that government depends on the consent of the governed?
John Locke.
What major financial weakness prevented the national government from raising money effectively under the Articles of Confederation?
Congress lacked the power to directly collect taxes and depended on voluntary contributions from the states.
Which secretary of the Treasury proposed creating a national bank and having the federal government assume state debts?
Alexander Hamilton
What 1763 treaty ended the French and Indian War and gave Britain control of Canada?
The Treaty of Paris of 1763.
What 1773 protest involved colonists destroying British tea by dumping it into Boston Harbor?
The Boston Tea Party.
Which American victory in 1777 convinced France to enter the Revolutionary War as an ally of the United States?
The Battle of Saratoga.
What 1786–1787 uprising by Massachusetts farmers exposed weaknesses in the national government and increased support for a stronger federal government?
Shays' Rebellion.
What 1794 uprising against a federal tax demonstrated the new national government's ability to enforce its laws?
The Whiskey Rebellion.
Why did Britain begin imposing new taxes on the American colonies following the French and Indian War?
Britain accumulated a large war debt and wanted the colonies to help pay for the war and the costs of maintaining the empire.
What name did colonists give the British laws passed in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party?
The Intolerable Acts (also known as the Coercive Acts).
What was Republican Motherhood, and how did it change expectations for women after the American Revolution?
Republican Motherhood was the belief that women should educate their children to become informed, virtuous citizens. It encouraged women's education but did not grant women equal political rights.
What compromise at the Constitutional Convention created a two-house Congress to settle disagreements between large and small states?
The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise). It created a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with equal representation for each state.
What controversial laws passed during John Adams' presidency increased federal power over noncitizens and criminalized certain criticism of the federal government?
The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798.
Why did the Proclamation of 1763 anger American colonists despite Britain's victory in the French and Indian War?
It prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, frustrating colonists who wanted western land. Britain intended to reduce conflict with Native Americans.
What meeting took place in 1774 in response to the Intolerable Acts, and how did it demonstrate growing colonial unity?
The First Continental Congress. Delegates from 12 colonies coordinated resistance, including a boycott of British goods, demonstrating increasing cooperation against British policies.
Explain how the American Revolution expanded ideas about liberty while failing to create equality for all Americans.
The Revolution promoted natural rights and republican government, encouraging reforms such as gradual abolition in some northern states. However, slavery continued, women remained largely excluded from political participation, and Native Americans faced continued loss of land.
Explain how the Three-Fifths Compromise increased the political power of slaveholding states.
The compromise counted three-fifths of the enslaved population when determining representation in the House of Representatives. This increased the representation and political influence of slaveholding states without granting enslaved people political rights.
How did the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions challenge the federal government, and what constitutional debate did they help establish?
Written by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, the resolutions argued that states could challenge federal laws they considered unconstitutional, specifically the Alien and Sedition Acts. They helped intensify the debate over states' rights versus federal authority, including the idea of nullification.