US History I – Midterm Review Vocabulary

required colonists to purchase special stamped paper for every legal document, newspaper, or pamphlet

founder of the Sons of Liberty

indirect taxes on imported materials like glass, lead, and paint

small battle between a few colonists and British guards (resulted in the death of Crispus Attucks)

used to communicate with other colonies about threats to American liberties

colonists revolted by dressing up as Indians and dumping 18,000 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor

king of England

one law shut down the Boston Harbor, another ordered quartering to be legal

rule imposed by the military

civilian soldiers

a group that discussed and represented the people

urged an immediate return to the former harmony between Britain and the colonies

a pamphlet, written by Thomas Paine, that explained the people's complaints with King George III

a virginia lawyer who was chosen to express the commitee's points in the Declaration of Independence

document that described the people's rights

people that were supporters of Independence

those who opposed independence and remained loyal to the Crown

the site of the Continental Army's camp during the winter of 1777-1778

location where the Continental Army attacked and killed 30 Hessians and held 918 captive

where General Burgoyne surrendered his battered army to General Gates on October 17, 1777

rising prices

location of the British surrender on October 19, 1781

french military leader that helped out with the wars in the US

a prussian military drillmaster that made the Continental Army into a stronger fighting force

confirmed U.S. independence and set the boundaries of the new nation

a government in which citizens rule through their elected representatives

set of laws in which state governments were supreme in some matters while the national government was supreme in other matters

established a plan for surveying the land

provided a precedure for dividing the land into territories

the protest of farmers because of their debt problems

called a meeting to discuss issues of interstate trade

offered a large two-house Congress to satisfy both small and big states

called for three-fifths of a state's slaves to be counted as population

a system of government that divided power between national government and state governments

branch of government that makes laws

branch of government that carrys out laws

branch of government that interprets the law

governmental system that prevents one branch from dominating the others

group of electors chosen by the states that would cast ballots for the candidates

official approval

supporters of the Constitution

group who did not support the Constitution because they opposed having such a strong central government

a list of amendments, or rights, that were guaranteed to citizens of the U.S.