Key Terms of the American Revolutionary Era

Articles of Confederation

An agreement among the thirteen original states, approved in 1781, that provided a loose federal government before the present Constitution went into effect in 1789. There was no chief executive or judiciary, and the legislature of the Confederation had no authority to collect taxes.

Common Sense

Sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.

Declaration of Independence

The proclamation made by the Second American Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which asserted the freedom and independence of the 13 Colonies from Great Britain.

Hessian

A native of Hesse; a German mercenary serving in the British forces during the American Revolution.

Loyalist

A person who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution, supporting the sovereign or the existing government during the revolt.

Second Continental Congress

The Second Continental Congress convened on May 10, 1775, and governed the colonies throughout the War for Independence. Once the Articles of Confederation were passed, it became known as the Congress of the Confederation.

Shays's Rebellion

An uprising led by a former militia officer, Daniel Shays, which broke out in western Massachusetts in 1786. Shays's followers protested the foreclosures of farms for debt and briefly succeeded in shutting down the court system. Although the rebellion was easily overcome, it persuaded conservatives of the need for a strong national government and contributed to the movement to draft the Constitution.

Alien and Sedition Acts

A series of laws, passed during the presidency of John Adams at the end of the eighteenth century, that sought to restrict the public activities of political radicals who sympathized with the French Revolution and criticized Adams's Federalist policies. In response, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson wrote the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which asserted states' rights.

The Great Compromise

The agreement by which Congress would have two houses:

• The Senate: Each state receives equal representation (two senators).
• The House of Representatives: Representation is based on population.

Federalism

A system of government in which entities such as states or provinces share power with a national government.