-
Intolerable acts
A series of acts, or statutes, published by the British Parliament, imposing unjust and overbearing taxes on the colonists in order to raise money to put toward their tremendous amount of debt from the Seven Years' war. The Quartering Act forced the colonists to house British troops against their will, the tea act put a tax on tea, the stamp act required all goods to be stamped. This drove the founding fathers to write the DOI. -
Minutemen
These were self-trained militiamen of the colonies, who fought in the colonies for the American cause against the British. -
Declaration of Independence
The DOI was the document that separated the colonies from their parent country, Great Britain. The purpose of the Revolution was initially to merely gain back their rights and to not break completely free, however after the Intolerable acts and many bloody battles, the Colonists decided that independence was the only viable option. -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Common Sense was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776 that used persuasive language to inspire the American Colonies to want to break free from Britain. This was easily one of the most influential and significant documents of this time period. -
Prohibitory Act
Prohibited all trade between England and America, and cut the colonies out of the King's protection. Designed to attack the colonists' economical success to weaken them. -
Battle of Saratoga
This battle was a crucial turning point for the Continental Army and was fought in 2 main fights: Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights. The redcoats technically won the farm, however, they had twice as many casualties and were unable to continue. -
Land of Ordinance
Adopted by Congress to create a standardized system in which citizens could purchase title to land in the uncharted West Americas. Helped to organize the trade, purchase, and division of all the land that was claimed from Great Britain. -
Checks and Balances
The concept was invented to create an accountability system between the 3 branches of government: judicial, legislative, and executive. The system prevented one branch from having too much power over the other. It keeps our democracy safe from corruption. -
3/5 Compromise
This was a compromise made between the South and the North when deciding if a slave should be counted as a person for population and tax purposes. They decided that a slave would be worth 3/5 of a white man. -
New Jersey Plan
The NJ plan would give all federal power to the states, not through the representatives, as well as an equal representation of every state in terms of the number of representatives it is allowed to have. -
Virginia Plan
This plan was created to establish a bicameral government system, that included the three branches we know today as well as state representation dependent on state size. -
Judiciary Act
The act that established the Supreme Court and left Congress the ability to create lower federal courts if they desired. -
Federalists
believed in a strong central government, a strong army, industry, and loose interpretation of the Constitution -
Bill of Rights
A document published after the Constitution was founded, which gives the Americans their inalienable rights, such as freedom of religion, press, gun ownership, etc. -
Anti-federalists
which opposed extension of the powers of the federal Government. -
Jay Treaty
Agreed that the disputes between Britain and the US would cease, so America could have the chance to build their country and economy in peace -
Alien and Sedition Act
The act produced 4 laws in response to an almost guaranteed war with France. They limited immigration policies and the freedom of speech and were highly controversial among the public. -
XYZ Affair
The diplomacy-related incident that led to a "war" between the US and France, known as the Quasi-War. The Convention of 1800 settled this dispute. -
Revolution of 1800
Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams in the presidential race of 1800 and this was a huge shift, from the Federalist Party to the Democratic-Republican Party, that led to riots and other uproars of violence -
National Bank
they were to circulate a stable, uniform national currency secured by federal bonds deposited by each bank with the comptroller of the currency
