APUSH Study Guide Flashcards
John Adams
Leader in the Continental Congress, advocate for independence, co-author of the Declaration of Independence, and future President.
Samuel Adams
Founding member of the Sons of Liberty, vocal critic of British policies, key figure in organizing protests.
Lord Dunmore
Governor of Virginia, issued Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation offering freedom to slaves who joined the British army.
Benjamin Franklin
Key diplomat, inventor, and Founding Father. Supported colonial unity and later negotiated the Treaty of Paris (1783).
Alexander Hamilton
Strong federalist, co-author of the Federalist Papers, advocate for a strong central government.
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of Independence, leader in the early republic, advocate for agrarianism and limited government.
Thomas Paine
Author of Common Sense, a pamphlet advocating for independence.
George Washington
Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, eventual first President of the United States.
Who was King George III and Parliament?
Monarch of Great Britain and the legislative body that imposed taxes and laws on the colonies.
Sons of Liberty
Radical group that organized protests against British policies.
How did the American Revolution (1775-1783)?
Tensions over British taxation and governance without representation.
Articles of Confederation (1777-1781)
Desire for a loose union of states with limited central authority after independence.
Boston Massacre (1770)
Rising tensions between British soldiers and colonists, particularly in Boston.
Boston Tea Party (1773)
Colonists’ anger over the Tea Act, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies.
What is Chattel Slavery?
Chattel slavery is a system where people are treated as property to be bought, sold, and owned permanently, with their children automatically enslaved as well.
Common Sense (Thomas Paine)
The growing frustration over British rule and the desire for independence.
Continental Congress (First and Second)
First Continental Congress (1774): Met to protest the Intolerable Acts, organize a boycott, and petition the king.
Second Continental Congress (1775-1781): Led the Revolutionary War, created the Continental Army, and declared independence.
Debt Repayment from the Seven Years’ War
Britain’s debt from the war led to increased taxes on the American colonies (e.g., the Stamp Act, Tea Act).
What was the Enlightenment?
Philosophical movement promoting reason, liberty, and the idea of natural rights.
Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) (1774)
In response to the Boston Tea Party, Britain imposed these punitive measures to reassert control over the colonies.
Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation (1775)
Lord Dunmore’s attempt to suppress rebellion by offering freedom to slaves who fought for Britain.
Mercantilism
Britain’s policy of using colonies to benefit the mother country’s economic interests.
What are Natural Rights?
Enlightenment thinkers argued that individuals had inherent rights to life, liberty, and property.
Navigation Acts of 1763
Britain’s attempt to tighten control over colonial trade to benefit the British economy.
Olive Branch Petition (1775)
The colonies’ desire to avoid full-scale war and make one last attempt at reconciliation with Britain.
What was the Proclamation of 1763?
To avoid conflict with Native Americans, Britain restricted colonial expansion westward after the Seven Years’ War.
What was Salutary Neglect?
Britain’s informal policy of not strictly enforcing colonial laws during the early 18th century.
Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War, 1754-1763)
Territorial disputes between Britain and France, particularly over control of North America.
What is a Social Contract?
Enlightenment thinkers, particularly John Locke, argued that government’s legitimacy came from the consent of the governed.
Somerset’s Case (1772)
A British court decision ruling that slavery was not legally supported in England.
Sovereignty
Disputes over who should have ultimate authority over the colonies – Britain or the colonies themselves.
Stamp Act (1775)
Britain’s need to raise revenue after the Seven Years’ War.
“Taxation without Representation”
Colonists objected to paying taxes imposed by Parliament without having elected representatives in it.
Tea Act (1773)
Aimed to help the struggling British East India Company by allowing it to sell surplus tea directly to the colonies.
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
The demand for cheap labor in the colonies, particularly in the South.
Quartering of Soldiers (by Writ of Assistance)
British efforts to maintain control over the colonies through military presence.
Abigail Adams
Advocate for women’s rights and education, urged her husband to “remember the ladies.”
Benedict Arnold
General in the American Revolution who switched sides and fought for the British.
Lyman Beecher
Clergyman, influential in the Second Great Awakening, promoted moral reforms.
Aaron Burr
Vice president under Thomas Jefferson, killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, later tried for treason.
Charles G. Finney
Leader in the Second Great Awakening, known for passionate preaching and social reform.
John Jay
First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, helped establish judicial review and supported federalism.
Loyalists
Colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the American Revolution, opposed independence.
James Madison
Fourth U.S. president, key figure in drafting the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
John Marshall
Fourth Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, strengthened federal government through key rulings.
James Monroe
Fifth U.S. president, known for the Monroe Doctrine, opposing European interference in the Americas.
Marquis de Lafayette
French aristocrat who helped American colonies in the Revolution, trusted ally of Washington.
Who were the Patriots?
Colonists who fought for independence from Britain during the American Revolution.
Adams-Onis Treaty (1819)
Treaty between the U.S. and Spain (1819), ceding Florida to the U.S. and establishing boundaries.
