Revolutionary War: Terms and Concepts

• Terms, concepts, questions, and individuals for review for the second exam

Terms and Concepts

• Mercantilism refers to an economic theory promoting governmental regulation of a nation's economy to increase state power at the expense of rival national powers
• The Parliament's Coercive Acts were a series of laws passed in response to the Boston Tea Party, aimed at punishing Massachusetts and asserting British authority
• The "Father of the Constitution" is James Madison
• The New Jersey Plan advocated for equal representation of states in a unicameral legislature
• The Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the United States, establishing a weak central government and granting significant autonomy to the individual states
• The British march on Lexington and Concord took place in April 1775, marking the start of the American Revolutionary War
• Minutemen were civilian colonists who independently organized to form well-prepared militia companies self-trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies
• Battle of Cowpens signifies a decisive American victory in January 1781 during the Revolutionary War
• The Tea Act of 1773 allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies, undercutting American merchants and leading to the Boston Tea Party
• Jeffersonian Republicans refers to a political party advocating for states' rights, limited government, and agrarianism
• The XYZ Affair involved a diplomatic incident between French and American officials in 1797-1798, leading to a quasi-war between the two nations
• The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition
• Publius describes the pen name used by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay when writing The Federalist Papers advocating for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution
• The Northwest Ordinance established a system for governing the Northwest Territory, including provisions for statehood and prohibiting slavery
• The Virginia Plan proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on population
• The Battle of Saratoga marked a turning point in the Revolutionary War, leading to French recognition of American independence and support
• "Unalienable rights" refers to rights that cannot be taken away or denied, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
• Colonial militiamen refers to colonists who served as part-time soldiers in local militias, defending their communities
• The Battle of Bunker Hill refers to an early battle in the Revolutionary War, resulting in a British victory despite heavy casualties
• Social Compact refers to an agreement among individuals to cooperate for social benefits by sacrificing some individual freedom to state authority
• The significance of Yorktown indicates the Battle of Yorktown, a decisive victory for the Americans and French in 1781, leading to British surrender and the end of the Revolutionary War
• The overriding of a presidential veto indicates the process by which a legislative body passes a bill into law over the president's refusal to sign it
• Ratifying treaties refers to the process by which a country formally approves a treaty, making it officially binding

Review Questions

• Pontiac's Rebellion was a Native American uprising against British rule in the Great Lakes region in 1763-1766, sparked by dissatisfaction with British policies after the French and Indian War
• The Boston Massacre refers to an incident in 1770 where British soldiers killed five colonists, escalating tensions between Britain and the colonies
• American's opposed taxes after the French and Indian War due to feeling they were being unfairly burdened with the cost of the war, despite having no representation in Parliament
• The greatest form of resistance in the colonies to the British was boycotts, which exerted economic pressure on British merchants and the government
• Anti-Federalists were skeptical of the Constitution because they feared it gave too much power to the central government and lacked protection for individual rights
• The Articles of Confederation's primary purpose was to create a unified government among the newly independent states, while preserving state sovereignty
• The Patriots perceived the Church of England as a symbol of British authority and oppression

Individuals

• Patrick Henry delivered a famous speech against the Stamp Act, advocating for colonial rights and resistance to British taxation
• Issac Barre's famous phrase was in response to William Pitt, the Elder defending the colonies that the colonists were "sons of liberty", which was later taken up as a phrase by colonists
• John Adams' best decision of his presidency was his pursuit of peace with France
• Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia, and one of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War
• Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was a Prussian and later American military officer that served as inspector general and major general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War
• Charles Townshend was a British politician who implemented policies such as the Townshend Acts, which imposed taxes on goods imported into the American colonies
• Thomas Jefferson is credited with his biggest contribution of writing the Declaration of Independence
• George Washington delivered his Farewell Address, warning against political factions and advocating for national unity; he served as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and endured hardship at Valley Forge; he accepted British surrender in 1781
• Francis Marion served as a military officer in the American Revolutionary War and was known as the "Swamp Fox" due to his irregular warfare tactics
• Alexander Hamilton advocated for a strong central government, fiscal policies, and the establishment of a national bank