Enlightenment and Rights
John Locke's idea that government's legitimacy comes from the people's consent, and that they can be justifiably overthrown if they violate citizens' rights.
What is the Social Contract?
The primary colonial protest strategy against the Townshend Acts, which taxed imported goods like tea and glass.
What was the widespread boycott of British goods?
This was the first national constitution of the United States.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
The system of government established by the Constitution that divides power between a central authority and state governments.
What is Federalism?
The first President of the United States who established the Cabinet system of advisors.
Who is George Washington?
The three unalienable rights listed in the Declaration of Independence.
What are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness?
This battle is considered the turning point of the war because its outcome convinced France to formally ally with the American colonies.
What is the Battle of Saratoga?
This major legislative success under the Articles provided a systematic method for admitting new states to the Union on an equal footing.
What is the Northwest Ordinance?
This agreement settled the debate over representation in Congress by creating a bicameral legislature: the House (population) and the Senate (equal).
What is the Great Compromise?
This domestic crisis of 1794 saw President Washington personally lead troops to assert the federal government's authority to enforce its tax laws.
What was the Whiskey Rebellion?
The Virginia statesman credited as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
Who is Thomas Jefferson?
The colonial rallying cry that expressed the belief that Parliament could not impose taxes without an elected colonial voice.
What is "No taxation without representation?"
This uprising of Massachusetts farmers protesting debt and foreclosures demonstrated the national government's inability to maintain order and enforce laws.
What was Shays’ Rebellion?
The series of 85 essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay to convince the public, especially in New York, to ratify the Constitution.
What are the Federalist Papers?
The two key warnings George Washington delivered in his Farewell Address.
What are political parties and permanent foreign alliances?
The section of the Declaration that lists specific complaints against King George III and British policies like the Quartering Act.
What are the Grievances?
George Washington's winter encampment that tested the resilience and endurance of the Continental Army under harsh conditions.
What is Valley Forge?
This crucial power was lacking in the central government under the Articles, leading to perpetual financial instability and war debt.
What is the power to levy or collect taxes?
The group who opposed the Constitution and demanded the inclusion of a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.
Who are the Anti-Federalists?
This controversial 1798 legislation under John Adams was criticized for violating the First Amendment right to free speech by limiting criticism of the government.
What are the Alien and Sedition Acts (or the Sedition Act)?
This 18th-century European intellectual movement provided the philosophical basis for the Revolution, emphasizing reason and individualism.
What is the Enlightenment?
This 1765 act was a direct tax on all legal and official printed materials in the colonies, which led to immediate and widespread protest.
What was the Stamp Act?
The general principle of government under the Articles, which prioritized the authority of individual states over a central national authority.
What is State Sovereignty (or Weak Central Government)?
This agreement settled how enslaved persons would be counted for the purposes of both representation in the House and direct taxation.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
The diplomatic incident under the Adams administration involving French demands for a bribe before negotiating a treaty, which nearly led to war.
What was the XYZ Affair?