Key Concepts of American History

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A document declaring the thirteen American colonies' independence from British rule, adopted on July 4, 1776.

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Declaration of Independence

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An English philosopher whose ideas on natural rights and government influenced the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence.

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John Locke

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A meeting held in 1787 to address the problems of the weak central government under the Articles of Confederation, leading to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.

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Constitutional Convention

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The 1765 British law that taxed printed materials in the American colonies, sparking protest and contributing to the American Revolution.

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Stamp Act

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A series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party, which fueled colonial anger and resistance.

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Intolerable Acts

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Assemblies of delegates from the American colonies that coordinated resistance to British policies and eventually declared independence.

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Continental Congresses

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A 1773 protest by American colonists against British taxation, during which they dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

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Boston Tea Party

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An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that established a two-house legislature, with representation based on population in one house and equal representation in the other.

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Great Compromise

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A proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislative branch with representation based on state population.

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Virginia Plan

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A proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state.

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New Jersey Plan