APUSH Semester Review
EUROPEAN POWERS Period 3, 1754-1800 Key concept 3.3 Migration within North America and competition over resources, boundaries, and trade intensified conflicts among peoples and nations. II. The continued presence of European Powers in North America challenged the United States to find ways to safeguard its borders, maintain neutral trading rights, and promote its economic interests. B) War between France and Britain resulting from the French Revolution presented challenges to the United States over issues of free trade and foreign policy and fostered political disagreement. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITION European powers in north America during the late 18th century included the Spanish, French, and British, a continuity from the start of New World colonization and exploration. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY These European powers grew in influence, fostering cultural diffusion and settlement of land. Competition of resources between european powers followed as territorial and bordering conflicts began. In addition, foreign issues in Europe impacted the Americans' thoughts on foreign alliances and international trade.
SEVEN YEARS' WAR/FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.1 British attempts to assert tighter control over its North American colonies and the colonial resolve to pursue self-government led to a colonial independence movement and the Revolutionary war. I. The competition among the British, French, and American Indians for economic and political advantage in North America culminated in the Seven Years' War ( the French and Indian War) B) British achieved a major expansion of its territorial holdings by defeating the French, but at tremendous expense, setting the stage for imperial efforts to raise revenue and consolidate control over the colonies. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM HISTORY.STATE.GOV https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war The French and Indian War was the North American conflict in a larger imperial war between Great Britain and France known as the Seven Years' War. The French and Indian War began in 1754 and ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The French and Indian War resulted from ongoing frontier tensions in North America as both French and British imperial officials and colonists sought to extend each country's sphere of influence in frontier regions. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY The French and Indian war was caused by the competition for land, resources and influence in America. In the end, Britain triumphed and thus was able to gain territory in North America, but this led to the end of salutary neglect as Britain started to enforce more rules and increase control. In some ways, the aftermath of this war led to the American Revolution, as disputes over frontier policy and taxes (to end the war debt) led to colonial discontent and eventually the war for independence.
NEW CONSTITUTIONS - STATE AND FEDERAL Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. II. After declaring independence, American political leaders created new constitutions and declarations of rights that articulated the role of the state and federal governments while protecting individual liberties and limiting both centralized power and excessive popular influence. A) Many new state constitutions placed power in the hands of the legislative branch and maintained property qualifications for voting and citizenship. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM US HISTORY.COM http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h360.html Following the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, the American colonies became independent states. Royal and proprietary charters were thrown aside and new state constitutions drafted. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S HISTORY With an independent nation, came independent states, so the new states (former 13 colonies) composed new constitutions at the state level to maintain order and establish justice and provide basic rights of Liberty etc for the people of the specific state. This way, states rights and power remained in tact even with the growth of central government.
AMERICAN REVOLUTION Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. I. The ideals that inspired the revolutionary cause reflected new beliefs about politics, religion, and society that had been developing over the course of the 18th century. E) The American Revolution and the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence reverberated in France, Haiti, and Latin America, inspiring future independence movements. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution The American Revolution was an event of political upheaval that took place between 1765 and 1783 during which colonists in the Thirteen American Colonies rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy, overthrew the authority of Great Britain, and founded the United States of America. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY The 13 British colonies in North America were successfully able to break away from Britain and create their own nation independent from their mother country. With the end of salutary neglect and the debt of the French and Indian war, Britain's policies grew strict and taxes were unfairly levied with no consent from the colonists. This caused discontent and eventually led to the war after acts of rebellion (boycotting/disobeying taxes and acts and Boston Tea Party), violent skirmishes, (Boston Massacre) and the division of public into loyalists and patriots. On the other hand though, after the war was won by American colonists, this sparked hope and motivation for other countries and led the way for potential independence movements. (France, Haiti, and Latin America)
ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. II. After declaring independence, American political leaders created new constitutions and declarations of rights that articulated the role of the state and federal governments while protecting individual liberties and limiting both centralized power and excessive popular influence. B) The Articles of Confederation unified the newly independent states, creating a central government with limited power. After the revolution, difficulties over international trade, finances, interstate commerce, foreign relations, and internal unrest led to calls for a stronger central government. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confederation The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, were an agreement among all thirteen original states in the United States of America that served as its first constitution. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY This document first defined the United States government by including ideals and philosophies of the American Revolution. Yet, it also implied the difficulty involved in democratic government. The central power of government was rendered weak as a result while states had the majority of power. Congress could not establish taxes, so this weak government under the Articles allowed for the Constitution to be established.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Period 3, 1754-1800 Key concept 3.1 British attempts to assert tighter control over its North American colonies and the colonial resolve to pursue self-government led to a colonial independence movement and the Revolutionary war. II. The desire of many colonists to assert ideals of self government in the face of renewed British imperial efforts led to a colonial independence movement and war with Britain. C) The effort for American independence was energized by colonial leaders such as, Benjamin Franklin, as well as by popular movements that included the political activism of laborer, artisans, and women. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. He was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and facilitated many civic organizations, including Philadelphia's fire department and a university. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY Benjamin Franklin helped compose the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He participated in the Albany congress and submitted the Albany Plan of Union to help create a unified colonial alliance.
POLITICAL DEMOCRACY Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. I. The ideals that inspired the revolutionary cause reflected new beliefs about politics, religion, and society that had been developing over the course of the 18th century. C) During and after the American Revolution, an increased awareness of inequalities in society motivated some individuals and groups to call for the abolition of slavery and greater political democracy in the new state and national governments. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy Democracy, or democratic government, is a system of government in which all the people of a state or nation are involved in making decisions about its affairs, typically by voting to elect representatives to a parliament or similar assembly as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary. Democracy is further defined as (a:) "government by the people; especially : rule of the majority (b:) " a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY The development of politics democracy in the new republic provided political equality for all citizens; each had an equal voice and vote on a matter. Political democracy led to concepts of popular sovereignty and increased participation of the common public in politics and government policy making.
DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN PARTY - THOMAS JEFFERSON AND JAMES MADISON Period 3, 1754-1800 Key concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. III. New forms of national culture and political institutions developed in the United States alongside continued regional variations and differences over economic, political, social, and foreign policy issues. B) Political leaders in the 1790s took a variety of positions on issues such as the relationship between the national government and the states, economic, policy, foreign policy, and the balance between liberty and order. This led to the formation of political parties - most significantly the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, and the Democratic - Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic-Republican_Party The Democratic-Republican Party was the American political party in the 1790s of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison formed in opposition to the centralizing policies of the new Federalist party. It came to power in 1800, and dominated national and state affairs until the 1820s, when it faded away. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY The Democratic Republican political party developed as a response to the Federalist Party formation in order to advocate for states rights. Jefferson opposed a national bank and protective tariff and though he strictly followed the constitution through strict interpretation, he gains the Louisiana Purchase and continued to use the national bank to manage expenditures and other financial assets.
FEDERALISTS PARTY - ALEXANDER HAMILTON Period 3, 1754-1800 Key concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. III. New forms of national culture and political institutions developed in the United States alongside continued regional variations and differences over economic, political, social, and foreign policy issues. B) Political leaders in the 1790s took a variety of positions on issues such as the relationship between the national government and the states, economic, policy, foreign policy, and the balance between liberty and order. This led to the formation of political parties - most significantly the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, and the Democratic - Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_Party The Federalist Party was the first American political party. It existed from the early 1790s to 1816 (the era of the First Party System); its remnants lasted into the 1820s. The Federalists called for a strong national government that promoted economic growth and fostered friendly relationships with Great Britain, as well as opposition to revolutionary France. The party controlled the federal government until 1801, when it was overwhelmed by the Republican opposition led by Thomas Jefferson. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY The Federalists political party marked the beginning of the 2 political party system even though Washington warned against it in his farewell address. The Federalists favored the strong central government (loose interpretation of constitution )and developed the Hamilton plan(protective tariff, national bank, government assumes total debt -> taxes).
GEORGE WASHINGTON - FIRST U.S. PRESIDENT, CONTINENTAL ARMY GENERAL Period 3, 1754-1800 Key concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. III. New forms of national culture and political institutions developed in the United States alongside continued regional variations and differences over economic, political, social, and foreign policy issues. A) During the presidential administrations of George Washington and John Adams, political leaders created institutions and precedents that put principles of the constitution into practice. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington George Washington was the first President of the United States (1789-97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He contributed in the convention that drafted the current United States Constitution. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY George Washington established many precedents, such as 2 presidential terms and addressing the president as Mr. President. He strongly led the patriots against Britain in the fight for independence and earned it for the nation after the war. Also, Washington warned of foreign policy/alliance dangers and internal conflict or divisiveness caused by political parties in his farewell address.
JOHN ADAMS Period 3, 1754-1800 Key concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. III. New forms of national culture and political institutions developed in the United States alongside continued regional variations and differences over economic, political, social, and foreign policy issues. A) During the presidential administrations of George Washington and John Adams, political leaders created institutions and precedents that put principles of the constitution into practice. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams John Adams was an American lawyer, author, statesman, and diplomat. He served as the second President of the United States (1797-1801), the first Vice President (1789-1797), and as a Founding Father, was a leader of American independence from Great Britain. Adams was a political theorist in the Age of Enlightenment who promoted republicanism and a strong central government. Adams played a leading role in persuading Congress to declare independence by assisting Thomas Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY John Adams helped solidify American national identity by supporting the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and by strongly advocating republican and democratic ideals.
AMERICAN INDIANS Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.3 Migration within North America and competition over resources, boundaries, and trade intensified conflicts among peoples and nations. I. In the decades after American independence, interactions among different groups resulted in competition for resources, shifting alliances, and cultural blending. A) Various American Indian groups repeatedly evaluated and adjusted their alliances with Europeans, other tribes, and the U.S., seeking to limit migration of white settlers and maintain control of tribal lands and natural resources. British alliances with American Indians contributed to tensions between the U.S. and Britain (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States In the United States, Native Americans were considered to be people whose pre-Columbian ancestors were indigenous to the lands within the nation's modern boundaries. These peoples were composed of numerous distinct tribes, bands, and ethnic groups. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY American Indians, an important part of the culture present in the US, were many times pushed off their land by colonists who had little regard for previous treaties. There were some interactions between settlers with trading but there was also territorial/border skirmishes and disputes. Many American Indian groups developed relations with European powers to help limit the Americans' movement westward.
NORTHWEST ORDINANCE Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.3 Migration within North America and competition over resources, boundaries, and trade intensified conflicts among peoples and nations. I. In the decades after American independence, interactions among different groups resulted in competition for resources, shifting alliances, and cultural blending. C) As settlers moved westward during the 1780s, Congress enacted the Northwest ordinance for admitting new states; the ordinance promoted public education, the protection of private property, and a ban on slavery in the Northwest territory. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Ordinance The Northwest Ordinance created the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory of the United States, from lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains, between British Canada and the Great Lakes to the north and the Ohio River to the south. The upper Mississippi River formed the Territory's western boundary. It established the precedent by which the Federal government would be sovereign and expand westward with the admission of new states, rather than with the expansion of existing states and their established sovereignty under the Articles of Confederation. The prohibition of slavery in the territory had the practical effect of establishing the Ohio River as the boundary between free and slave territory in the region between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S HISTORY The Northwest ordinance allowed new states to be admitted to the republic. Also the northwest territory set aside for state lands were characterized by public education, and no slavery, which already started to separate regions into free and slave. This division helped set the stage for national competition over admitting free and slave states, the basis of a critical question in American politics in the 19th century until the Civil War.
REPUBLICAN MOTHERHOOD Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. I. The ideals that inspired the revolutionary cause reflected new beliefs about politics, religion, and society that had been developing over the course of the 18th century. D) In response to women's participation in the American Revolution, Enlightenment ideas, and women's appeals for expanded roles, an ideal of "republican motherhood" gained popularity. It called on women to teach republican values within the family and granted women a new importance in American political culture. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_motherhood "Republican Motherhood" is a 20th-century term for an attitude toward women's roles present in the emerging United States before, during, and after the American Revolution (c. 1654 to 1920). It centered on the belief that the patriots' daughters should be raised to uphold the ideals of republicanism, in order to pass on republican values to the next generation. In this way, the "Republican Mother" was considered a custodian of civic virtue responsible for upholding the morality of her husband and children. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY This concept of teaching republican values to children allowed women to participate more in the political and social atmosphere. Women's roles expanded and thus a certain respect and honor was held for mothers who taught their children the government principles. Also, women started to have greater influence in political culture.
SLAVERY Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. II. After declaring independence, American political leaders created new constitutions and declarations of rights that articulated the role of the state and federal governments while protecting individual liberties and limiting both centralized power and excessive popular influence. D) The Constitutional Convention compromised over the representation of slave states in Congress and the role of the federal government in regulating both slavery and the slave trade, allowing the prohibition of the international slave trade after 1808. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery Slavery is a legal or economic system in which principles of property law are applied to humans allowing them to be classified as property, to be owned, bought and sold accordingly, and they cannot withdraw unilaterally from the arrangement. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY Slavery was an essential part of Southern living as the south relied on solely agriculture and farming to survive. Slavery provided the labor for the land so slavery was common and widespread throughout the south. Because of high population of slaves in the south, differing views on representation formed and in the end the 3/5 Compromise was established. After international slave trade was banned, smuggling took place and slavery continued in the families of African Americans for generations. The expansion of slavery in the south also gave way to sectionalism.
SPANISH MISSIONS - CALIFORNIA Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.3 Migration within North America and competition over resources, boundaries, and trade intensified conflicts among peoples and nations. I. In the decades after American independence, interactions among different groups resulted in competition for resources, shifting alliances, and cultural blending. E) The Spanish, supported by the bonded labor of the local American Indians, expanded their mission settlements into California; these provided opportunities for social mobility among soldiers and led to the new cultural blending. (Source: 2015 college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_missions_in_California The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of 21 religious outposts; established by Catholic priests of the Franciscan order between 1769 and 1833, to expand Christianity among the Native Americans northwards into what is today the U.S. state of California. The missions were part of a major effort by the Spanish Empire to extend colonization into the most northern and western parts of Spain's North American claims. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY New cultures and religions were spread throughout America causing diffusion and interaction of groups. In particular, the American Indians, were used as local bonded labor for the Spanish.
FEDERALIST PAPERS Period 3, 1754-1800 Key concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. II. After declaring independence, American political leaders created new constitutions and declarations of rights that articulated the role of the state and federal governments while protecting individual liberties and limiting both centralized power and excessive popular influence. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Federalist_Papers The Federalist Papers are a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY This series of papers written by Federalists discussed the support for the US constitution and outlined their preferred form of government in order to gain popular support and thus ratification of the proposed Constitution.
CONSTITUTION Period 3, 1754-1800 Key concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. II. After declaring independence, American political leaders created new constitutions and declarations of rights that articulated the role of the state and federal governments while protecting individual liberties and limiting both centralized power and excessive popular influence. C) Delegates from the states participated in a Constitutional Convention and through negotiation, collaboration, and compromise proposed a constitution that created a limited but dynamic central government embodying federalism and providing for a separation of powers between its three branches. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America.The Constitution delineates the national frame of government. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY The writing of the Constitution first began as a way to amend and tweak the articles of confederation but the constitutional convention ended up writing an entire new document - the US Constitution. Concepts of federalism were included in this document along with the separation of powers and the development of 3 government branches - judiciary, legislative, and executive. Overall this document symbolizes national identity. The acceptance of this document sparked controversy as some opposed it's greater central power of government. Anti federalists opposed the constitution and believed states rights should be superior while Federalists accepted the Constitution and the strong federal government power. Eventually, a Bill of Rights is added to convince the Anti-federalists to ratify the constitution and secure their individual liberties.
ENLIGHTENMENT IDEALS - THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICAN POLITICAL IDEALS, NATURAL RIGHTS Period 3, 1754-1800 Key concept 3.1 British attempts to assert tighter control over its North American colonies and the colonial resolve to pursue self-government led to a colonial independence movement and the Revolutionary war. II. The desire of many colonists to assert ideals of self government in the face of renewed British imperial efforts led to a colonial independence movement and war with Britain. B) Colonial leaders based their calls for resistance to Britain on arguments about the rights of British subjects, the rights of the individual, local traditions of self-rule, and the ideas of the Enlightenment (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence The Declaration of Independence is the statement adopted by the Continental Congress meeting at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they formed a new nation—the United States of America. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY The diffusion of enlightenment thought allowed for inspiration in political activists and those who desired freedom and liberty from Britain. Enlightenment ideas united people in the fight for independence from Britain by emphasizing rights of the ruled, and ideologies of self-government.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. I. The ideals that inspired the revolutionary cause reflected new beliefs about politics, religion, and society that had been developing over the course of the 18th century. B) The colonists' belief in the superiority of republican forms of government based on the natural rights of the people found expression in Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence. The ideas on these documents resonated throughout American history, shaping Americans' understanding of the ideas on which the nation was based. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence The Declaration of Independence is the statement adopted by the Continental Congress meeting at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they formed a new nation—the United States of America. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY This document was the first to proclaim independence for colonists, who collaboratively developed and wrote the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence established rights and certain ideals that were deemed important to society, such as liberty and equality. This document set the foundation of American values.
THOMAS PAINE'S COMMON SENSE Period 3, 1754-1800 Key Concept 3.2 The American Revolution's democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government. I. The ideals that inspired the revolutionary cause reflected new beliefs about politics, religion, and society that had been developing over the course of the 18th century. B) The colonists' belief in the superiority of republican forms of government based on the natural rights of the people found expression in Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence. The ideas on these documents resonated throughout American history, shaping Americans' understanding of the ideas on which the nation was based. (Source: 2015 revised college board content outline for AP US History)
DEFINITIONS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_(pamphlet) Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775-76 that inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain in the summer of 1776. SIGNIFICANCE TO U.S. HISTORY Thomas Paine was effectively able to convey the immediate need for independence from Britain to Loyalists who desired to continue to be under Britain's rule. Common sense convinced colonists to fight for independence by incorporating biblical allusions to appeal to the audience and evoke certain feelings and thoughts of grievances toward Britain. This popular document connected the idea of independence with creating a distinct American political identity.
