Term
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Definition
When: 1754-1763
Who: French and Indians vs. British
What: War fought over colonies
Why: Tensions between French/Indians and English
Significance: French lose everything in North America, English claim everything, upsets American Indians. Also put Britain in debt. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1763
Who: French/Indians, British, King George III
What: The treaty that ended the French and Indian War.
Why: To end the war
Significance: French lose most everything, Britain gains
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Term
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Definition
When: 1763
Who: King George III
What: A line that forbade colonists to settle beyond Appalachian Mountains.
Why: To ease tensions between colonists and Indians.
Significance: Created the Paxton Boys conflict, in which a group of PA colonists crossed the Proclamation Line and attacked a normally peaceful Indian tribe. |
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Term
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Definition
When: January, 1765
Who: Government of Great Britain
What: A tax on all paper goods
Why: British government needed more money because they were in debt from the French and Indian War.
Significance: Led to Stamp Act Congress
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Term
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Definition
When: Fall, 1765
Who: Stamp Act Congress
What: A Congress that was formed with the intention of repealing the Stamp Act.
Why: The colonists did not like the Stamp Act.
Significance: Led to Declaratory Act. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1766
Who: British government
What: An act declaring that the colonists had no rights, Britain was sovereign over the colonies.
Why: The British government was angry at the colonists for repealing the Stamp Act.
Significance: Basically declared that the colonists had no rights (civil, legal, etc.) that a normal British citizen would have. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1765
Who: British government
What: Law that stated colonists had to house British soldiers if asked.
Why: British government wanted to assert control over colonists.
Significance: Led to NY Assembly, which refused the act. However, Parliament responds in 1767 with the Restraining Act which forbade the NY Assembly from meeting. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1767
Who: British government
What: Tax on everything in the colonies
Why: British government needed more revenue.
Significance: Led to the 1st boycott of British imports. Also made soldiers occupy New York and Boston which led to the Boston Massacre.
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Term
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Definition
When : 1764
Who: British government
What: Tax on sugar in the colonies
Why: Parliament needed more money from the colonies.
Significance: First tax on the colonies |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1773
Who: British government
What: Tax on tea on the colonies
Why: Parliament still needed more money from the colonies.
Significance: Created huge backlash in the colonies, led to the Boston Tea Party.
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Term
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Definition
When: 1773
Who: Colonists vs. British government
What: When colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor in protest of the Tea Act.
Why: The colonists were fed up with all the taxes imposed on them, so they rebelled.
Significance: Angered British government, led to Revocation of Rights, which said that colonists could not have trial by jury and no representation in Parliament. Also created a national identity for the colonists. |
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Term
Intolerable (Coercive) Acts |
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Definition
When: 1774
Who: Lord North (Prime Minister of Great Britain)
What: Law that closed Boston Harbor in response to the Boston Tea Party, stationed troops all over Boston.
Why: To punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.
Significance: Outraged colonists, final straw. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1775-1783
Who: Colonists vs. British Empire
What: War fought between colonists and the British to gain American Independence.
Why: Colonists were fed up with British government, particularly all the taxes imposed on them.
Significance: Granted America to be a free and independent country from Great Britain. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1776
Who: Thomas Paine
What: A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine during the Revolutionary War to try and convince colonists to fight.
Why: Not all colonists were in support of the Revolution at the time, Thomas Paine's Common Sense was meant to persuade the skeptics.
Significance: Convinced colonists to rebel against Britain. |
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Term
Articles of Confederation |
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Definition
When: 1781
Who: Primarily Benjamin Franklin
What: Created first outline of American government after the Revolution. Under this, there was no central arny, no executive branch, no President, 9/13 states had to agree to do anything, no taxation, and no Supreme Court.
Why: America needed an independent government, and the Articles of Confederation had the outline for that.
Significance: Led to the Constitution and creation of a real government in America.
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Term
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Definition
When: 1787
Who: 55 delegates, but mostly James Madison.
What: Supreme law of the United States. Set up the entire governmental structure and laws for America. Created the 3 branches of government (judicial, executive, legislative). Created a republic (representative democracy).
Why: America needed a supreme law and a central government.
Significance: Made the supreme law of the land and the government structure which still exists today. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1791
Who: James Madison
What: First 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Includes: 1st Amendment (right to freedom of speech/gathering/press/religion), 2nd Amendment (right to bear arms), 3rd Amendment (protection from quartering of troops), 4th Amendment (protection from unreasonable search/seizure), 5th Amendment (eminent domain), 6th Amendment (trial by jury, speedy trial), 7th Amendment (civil trial by jury), 8th Amendment (no excessive bail/no cruel or unsual punishment), 9th Amendment (protection of rights not in Constitution), 10th Amendment (power of the states and people).
Why: The Constitution was not perfect, and needed some Amendments.
Significance: Created some of the most notable laws in America and granted special rights to all American citizens. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1794
Who: PA farmers, George Washington
What: Group of PA farmers rebelled against tax collectors. Washington was worried about it, sent 13,000 troops to crush rebellion.
Why: Farmers unhappy with taxes, Washington was scared of a revolt.
Significance: Was Washington killing democracy by crushing the rebellion? |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1794
Who: Designed by Alexander Hamilton, negotiated by John Jay.
What: After Britain seized US ships with French goods, John Jay was sent to negotiate a deal. It gave Britain favored nation status, and Britain gave up the Great Lakes.
Why: John Jay and Alexander Hamilton were very pro-British Federalists.
Significance: Angered Democratic-Republicans, showed US was not neutral. Also worries French. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1798
Who: John Adams
What: Diplomatic relations with France break, French agents allegedly demand bribe from American diplomats. Adams names the agents "X, Y, and Z." Adams uses this as an excuse to attack the French in an undeclared maritime war (Quasi War).
Why: John Adams was very pro-British, hated the French.
Significance: Broke relations with France. Led to Alien and Sedition Acts. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1798
Who: Passed by Federalists
What: Laws that prohibited any speaking out against the government, revoked the freedom of press, and banned immigrants from entering the US.
Why: Fear caused by the XYZ Affair created a paranoid government.
Significance: Unconstitutional, led to the VA+KY Resolutions and the Nullification Crisis. |
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Term
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions |
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Definition
When: 1798/1799
Who: State governments of VA+KY. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
What: The Virginia and Kentucky legislatures declared the Alien and Sedition Acts unconstitutional. The also advocated for states' rights and the right to nullify any federal law.
Why: VA+KY stated that any state could nullify a federal law if they wanted to. In this case, the laws were unconstitutional.
Significance: Led to a big "states' rights vs. federal power" debate. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1800
Who: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Aaron Burr.
What: Thomas Jefferson beats John Adams, but ties with Aaron Burr. Alexander Hamilton convinces House to vote for TJ. This peaceful transition of power is known as the Revolution of 1800.
Why: Needed a new president, peaceful exchange of power.
Significance: Big deal because there were no real problems in the exchange of power. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1820
Who: James Monroe
What: A compromise declaring Missouri a slave state, Maine a free state, and the Mason Dixon line was created (north no slavery, south slavery).
Why: It was an era of compromise, and this was one of the compromises.
Significance: Created balance between free and slave states. Also made it so the South had slaves and the North did not. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1785
Who: US Congress
What: Implemented a system by which the government surveyed land. Individuals could buy 640 acres at $1 per acre.
Why: Government wanted to encourage land settlement and development.
Significance: Created more settlements, generated more revenue for the government. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1803
Who: Thomas Jefferson
What: Bought 828,000 square miles of land from France for 15 million dollars.
Why: Need for more land.
Significance: Essentially drove out most of the French from North America except for New Orleans. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1794
Who: Eli Whitney
What: He created the cotton gin, which revolutionized how farmers picked and made cotton products.
Why: Really important invention
Significance: Created the entire cotton industry in the South. |
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Term
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Definition
When: 1790
Who: Samuel Slater
What: Samuel Slater created the 1st cotton textile mill to run on water-power.
Why: This is an important part of the technological revolution.
Significance: He was the first to use water-power in his mills. |
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