French & Indian War
1754–1763 war between Britain and France for control of North America; British victory ended French power but Britain's war debt led to colonial taxation.
Causes of RevolutionProclamation of 1763
British decree banning colonial settlement west of the Appalachians to avoid Native conflicts; angered colonists who felt they had won the war.
Causes of RevolutionAlbany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin's 1754 proposal for colonial unity during the French and Indian War; rejected but an early step toward cooperation.
Causes of RevolutionStamp Act
1765 British tax on printed materials; first direct tax on colonists; sparked widespread protests and the cry 'no taxation without representation.'
TaxationTownshend Acts
1767 British taxes on imported goods (glass, paper, tea); prompted colonial boycotts organized by the Sons of Liberty.
TaxationSons of Liberty
Secret colonial organization led by Samuel Adams that organized protests, boycotts, and acts of defiance like the Boston Tea Party.
ResistanceBoston Massacre
1770 incident where British soldiers killed 5 colonists; patriots like Paul Revere used it as propaganda to inflame anti-British sentiment.
ResistanceBoston Tea Party
1773 protest in which colonists dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act and East India Company monopoly.
ResistanceIntolerable Acts
1774 harsh British laws punishing Massachusetts after the Tea Party; closed Boston Harbor, suspended self-government — united the colonies against Britain.
ResistanceCommon Sense
1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine arguing for American independence in plain language; sold 500,000 copies and turned colonial opinion decisively toward independence.
IndependenceDeclaration of Independence
1776 document drafted by Jefferson; based on Locke's natural rights theory; declared the colonies free from Britain and outlined the principles of self-government.
IndependenceBattle of Saratoga
1777 American victory that convinced France to ally with the United States; French support was crucial to ultimate victory.
Revolutionary WarTreaty of Paris (1783)
Ended the Revolutionary War; Britain recognized American independence and ceded territory east of the Mississippi River to the United States.
Revolutionary WarArticles of Confederation
America's first constitution (1781); created a weak central government with no power to tax or regulate commerce; its failures led to the Constitution.
New GovernmentShays' Rebellion
1786–87 uprising of Massachusetts farmers protesting taxes and debt; exposed the Articles of Confederation's weakness and pushed leaders toward a new constitution.
New GovernmentNorthwest Ordinance
1787 Articles of Confederation law establishing how new territories north of the Ohio River would become states; banned slavery there.
New GovernmentGreat Compromise
1787 Constitutional Convention agreement creating a bicameral legislature: House (based on population) and Senate (equal representation per state).
ConstitutionThree-Fifths Compromise
Constitutional agreement counting each enslaved person as 3/5 of a free person for representation and taxation — preserved slavery in the new government.
ConstitutionFederalists
Supporters of the Constitution led by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay (authors of the Federalist Papers); favored a strong central government.
ConstitutionAnti-Federalists
Opponents of the Constitution led by Patrick Henry and George Mason; feared centralized power and demanded a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.
ConstitutionBill of Rights
First 10 amendments to the Constitution (1791); guarantees free speech, religion, due process, and other individual rights; added to satisfy Anti-Federalists.
ConstitutionHamilton's Financial Plan
Treasury Secretary Hamilton's plan: federal assumption of state debts, a national bank, protective tariffs, and excise taxes; strengthened federal government and split it into political factions.
Early RepublicWhiskey Rebellion
1794 Pennsylvania farmers' uprising against Hamilton's excise tax on whiskey; Washington led 13,000 troops to crush it, demonstrating federal strength.
Early RepublicWashington's Farewell Address
1796 presidential address warning against permanent foreign alliances and political parties; shaped American foreign policy for over a century.
Early RepublicAlien & Sedition Acts
1798 Federalist laws letting the president deport non-citizens and criminalizing criticism of the government; Republicans responded with Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.
Early Republic