AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP US HISTORY UNIT 2 REVIEW Flashcards

AP US HISTORY

Terms : Hide Images
519599201mercantilisman economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought
519599202Stamp Act 1765Was issued in order to raise revenues to support the new British military force. Mandated the use of stamped paper certifying the payment of taxes. Colonist were angrily aroused and felt that this act was jeopardizing the basic right of the colonists as Englishmen.
519599203Sons of LibertyA radical political organization for colonial independence which formed in 1765 after the passage of the Stamp Act. They incited riots and burned the customs houses where the stamped British paper was kept. After the repeal of the Stamp Act, many of the local chapters formed the Committees of Correspondence which continued to promote opposition to British policies towards the colonies. The Sons leaders included Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
519599204Declaratory Act 1766this Act repealed the Stamp Act, but stated that Great Britain can rule the colonies anyway she sees fit (with date)
519599205Boston MassacreThe first bloodshed of the Amercan Revolution, as British guards at the Boston Customs House opened fire on a crowd killing five americans
519599206Tea Act 1773Allowed East India Company to avoid navigation taxes when exporting tea to colonies and gave them power to monopolize tea trade; this angered colonists and threatened merchants and the colonial economy.
519599207Coercive Acts 17741. Closed Boston port until destroyed tea paid for. 2. stopped town meetings. 3. Appointed a military government for Massachusetts. 4. Trials of government officials will be in England.
519599208First Continental CongressDelegates from all colonies except georgia met to discuss problems with britain and to promote independence
519599209Lexington and Concordthe first battle of the American Revolution (April 19, 1775)
519599210Battle of Bunker Hillthe first important battle of the American War of Independence (1775)
519599211Paxton BoysThey were a group of Scots-Irish men living in the Appalachian hills that wanted protection from Indian attacks. They made an armed march on Philadelphia in 1764. They protested the lenient way that the Quakers treated the Indians. Their ideas started the Regulator Movement in North Carolina.
519599212writs of assistanceIt was part of the Townshend Acts. It said that the customs officers could inspect a ship's cargo without giving a reason. Colonists protested that the Writs violated their rights as British citizens.
519599213Declaration of IndependenceThis document was adopted on July 4, 1776. It established the 13 American colonies as independent states, free from rule by Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson wrote the majority of this document.
519599214Battle of SaratogaTurning point of the American Revolution. It was very important because it convinced the French to give the U.S. military support. It lifted American spirits, ended the British threat in New England by taking control of the Hudson River, and, most importantly, showed the French that the Americans had the potential to beat their enemy, Great Britain.
519599215General Cornwallisthe British general who defied an order and was trapped at Yorktown forcing his surrender; he called Washington an old fox
519599216John JayFirst chief justice of the Supreme Court
519599217Articles of ConfederationThis document, the nation's first constitution, was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1781 during the Revolution. The document was limited because states held most of the power, and Congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control coinage.
519599218Northwest OrdinanceEnacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states
519599219James MadisonStrict constructionist, 4th president, father of the Constitution, leads nation through War of 1812
519599220Anti-federalistsopponents of a strong central government who campaigned against the ratification of the Constitution in favor of a confederation of independant states
519599221John LockeEnglish philosopher who advocated the idea of a "social contract" in which government powers are derived from the consent of the governed and in which the government serves the people; also said people have natural rights to life, liberty and property.
519599222Declaration of Causesa document which was a justification of their taking arms.
519599223Richard Henry LeeMember of the Second Continental Congress who urged Congress to support independence; signer of the Declaration of Independence.
519599224Sugar Act of 1764An act that raised tax revenue in the colonies for the crown. It also increased the duty on foreign sugar imported from the West Indies.
519599225virtual representationBritish governmental theory that Parliament spoke for all British subjects, including Americans, even if they did not vote for its members
519599226Stamp Act Congressgroup of colonists who protested the Stamp Act, saying that Parliament couldn't tax without colonist' consent
519599227Charles TownshendBritish Prime Minister. Influenced Parliament to pass the Townshend Acts.
519599228non-importation agreementsA form of protest against British policies; colonial merchants refused to import British goods.
519599229committees of correspondenceOrganization founded by Samuel Adams consisting of a system of communication between patriot leaders in New England and throughout the colonies
519599230Intolerable Acts 17741774 closed harbor untio damage were paid and order can be ensued + British official if they killed someone they get trial by jury in Britian where they were likely not to get charged. (in response when the colonist threw the tea)
519599231John AdamsAmerica's first Vice-President and second President. Sponsor of the American Revolution in Massachusetts, and wrote the Massachusetts guarantee that freedom of press "ought not to be restrained."
519599232Second Continental CongressThey organized the continental Army, called on the colonies to send troops, selected George Washington to lead the army, and appointed the comittee to draft the Declaration of Independence
519599233Thomas PaineRevolutionary leader who wrote the pamphlet Common Sense (1776) arguing for American independence from Britain. In England he published The Rights of Man
519599234Pontiac's RebellionA 1763 conflict between Native Americans and the British over settlement of Indian lands in the Great Lakes area
519599235Benjamin FranklinPrinter, author, inventor, diplomat, statesman, and Founding Father. One of the few Americans who was highly respected in Europe, primarily due to his discoveries in the field of electricity.
519599236Admiral de Grassethe French naval commander/ helped the troops in the Navy trap and cut off Cornwallis
519599237Treaty of Paris 1783The British recognized the independence of the United States. It granted boundaries, which stretched from the Mississippi on the west, to the Great Lakes on the north, and to Spanish Florida on the south. The Yankees retained a share of Newfoundland.
519599238Land Ordinance of 1785A law that divided much of the United States into a system of townships to facilitate the sale of land to settlers.
519599239Annapolis ConventionOriginally planning to discuss the promotion of interstate commerce, delegates from five states met at Annapolis in September 1786 and ended up suggesting a convention to amend the Articles of Confederation
519599240Virginia ResolutionWritten anonymously by Jefferson and Madison in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, they declared that states could nullify federal laws that the states considered unconstitutional.
519599241Constitutional Conventionmeeting of delegates in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which produced the new U.S. Constitution
519599242Quartering Act of 1765Act forcing colonists to house and supply British forces in the colonies; created more resentment; seen as assault on liberties.
519599243Proclamation Act 1763Act passed by England prohibiting colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains
519599244Townshend Acts 1767Taxed luxury items imported into the colonies; colonists outraged and started another movement to stop importing Br. goods
519599245George IIIEnglish monarch at the time of the revolution. He was the main opposition for the colonies due to his stubborn attitude and unwillingness to hear out colonial requests/grievances.
519599246Samuel AdamsFounder of the Sons of Liberty and one of the most vocal patriots for independence; signed the Declaration of Independence
519599247Quebec ActSigned in 1774, intended to reorganize the way these British territories were governed
519599248George WashingtonVirginian, patriot, general, and president. Lived at Mount Vernon. Led the Revolutionary Army in the fight for independence. First President of the United States.
519599249Common Sensea pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that claimed the colonies had a right to be an independent nation
519599250circular letterA letter circulated in 1767 in reaction to the Townshend Act. It urged colonists to jointly sign a petition of protest and was influential in causing colonists to work together against the British.
519599251Battles of Trenton and PrincetonWashington crossed Delaware, surprised Hessians at Trenton, went on to win at Princeton...gave new hope to Americans after defeats in New York
519599252Nathaniel GreeneQuaker-raised American general who employed tactics of fighting and then drawing back to recover, then attacking again. Defeated Cornwallis by thus "fighting Quaker".
519599253YorktownThe last major battle of the war in which Charles Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington. The French helped us. The was over, and colonists had won!
519599254Shay's Rebellionwas led by Daniel Shays it was a protest against the land being taken away and the taxes that they had just worked so hard to get rid of
519599255Alexander HamiltonDelegate to the Constitutional Convention and leader of the Federalists; first secretary of the treasury.
519599256Thomas Hobbeswrote "Leviathan" and believed people were naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish; he also believed only a powerful governemnt could keep an orderly society
519599257Prohibitory ActOn July 8, 1775, the colonies made a final offer of peace to Britain, agreeing to be loyal to the British government if it addressed their grievances (repealed the Coercive Acts, ended the taxation without representation policies). It was rejected by Parliament, which in December 1775 passed the American Prohibitory Act forbidding all further trade with the colonies.

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!