AP U.S. History - Unit 3 Overview
Major Theme
- Transformation from British colonies to an independent nation
- Development of a distinct national identity
- Time Period: 1754 to 1800
Key Events and Concepts
French and Indian War (1754-1763)
- Part of the Seven Years' War
- Conflict over the Ohio River Valley
- Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union proposed
- British victory led to Treaty of Paris (1763)
- French ousted from North America
- Louisiana Territory to Spain
- British gain land east of the Mississippi
Post-War Consequences
- Colonists pushed west, increasing conflict with American Indians
- Royal Proclamation of 1763: forbade settlement west of Appalachians
- War debt led to British taxation on colonies
Taxation Without Representation
- British implemented stricter enforcement of Navigation Acts
- Quartering Act of 1765 required colonists to house soldiers
- Sugar Act taxed coffee, wine, luxury goods
- Stamp Act of 1765 taxed paper items
- Virtual Representation vs. actual representation debate
- Sons and Daughters of Liberty opposed taxes
- Stamp Act Congress petitioned for repeal
- Repeal followed by Declaratory Act asserting British control
Further Tensions
- Townshend Acts taxed imports like paper, tea
- Organized protests and boycotts, women played key role
- Boston Massacre (1770): symbol of British tyranny
- Boston Tea Party (1773) retaliated against Tea Act
- Coercive/Intolerable Acts punished colonies
Road to Independence
- Continental Congress of 1774: resistance to British violations
- Enlightenment influences: natural rights, social contract
- Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" advocated for independence
- Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson (1776)
Revolutionary War
- Continental Army led by George Washington
- Battle of Saratoga convinced French to ally with America
- British surrender at Yorktown (1781)
Post-Revolution Government
- Articles of Confederation: weak central government
- Northwest Ordinance of 1787: plan for territories, abolished slavery
- Shays' Rebellion exposed weaknesses of the Articles
- Constitutional Convention (1787) led to new Constitution
Constitution and Ratification
- Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists debates
- Great Compromise: bicameral Congress
- Three-Fifths Compromise on slave representation
- Federalist Papers advocated for Constitution
- Bill of Rights promised to appease Anti-Federalists
- Constitution ratified in 1789
American Culture and Society
- Desire to define a distinct American culture
- Republican motherhood: women to raise virtuous sons
First U.S. Government
- George Washington's presidency set precedents
- Alexander Hamilton's financial policies, including a national bank
- Whiskey Rebellion showed government's new strength
- Emergence of political parties: Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans
Foreign Affairs and Internal Tensions
- XYZ Affair strained relations with France
- Alien and Sedition Acts opposed by Democratic-Republicans
- Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions argued for state nullification
Relations with Britain, Spain, and American Indians
- Indian Trade and Intercourse Act regulated settler-Indian relations
- Pinckney Treaty settled U.S.-Spain border at 31st parallel
Slavery in the New Nation
- Regional attitudes towards slavery
- Growth of free black population in the North
- African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia
- Southern entrenchment of slavery, expansion into western territories
This summary covers the key points and themes of Unit 3 in AP U.S. History, detailing the transformation from British colonies to an independent nation, the challenges faced in creating a new government, and the development of American culture and identity.