Period 3: 1754-1800
British imperial attempts to reassert control over its colonies and the colonial reaction to these attempts produced a new American republic, along with struggles over the new nation’s social, political, and economic identity. Topics may include:
- The Seven Years’ War
- The American Revolution
- The Articles of Confederation
- The Creation and Ratification of the Constitution
- Developing an American Identity
- Immigration to and Migration within America
Image Source: A detail from A View of Part of the Town of Boston in New-England and Brittish Ships of War Landing Their Troops, 1768, a broadside by Paul Revere and Christian Remick, printed in Boston, 1770. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC02873)
![Period 3: 1754–1800 (AP US History) (1) Period 3: 1754–1800 (AP US History) (1)](https://i0.wp.com/ap.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/styles/hero_banner_redesign/public/2024-01/GLC02873_ViewBostonBritishShipsLandingTroopsPaulRevere1770.png?h=64264c1c&itok=tJ4WTyCO)
10–17% Exam Weighting
Resources by Period:
- Period 1: 1491–1607
- Period 2: 1607–1754
- Period 3: 1754–1800
- Period 4: 1800–1848
- Period 5: 1844–1877
- Period 6: 1865–1898
- Period 7: 1890–1945
- Period 8: 1945–1980
- Period 9: 1980–Present
Period 3: 1754–1800
Key Concepts
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.
3.2: The American Revolution’s democratic and republican ideals inspired new experiments with different forms of government.
3.3: Migration within North America and competition over resources, boundaries, and trade intensified conflicts among peoples and nations.
The Seven Years’ War
The state of the English colonies
1755
Newspaper article drumming up support for the British in the French and Indian War
- Primary Source
Proclamation of 1763
1763
Proclamation limiting White settlement and interaction with Indigenous peoples
- Primary Source
The French and Indian War
by Andrew Robertson
Watch a discussion of how Americans' view of themselves as British changed.
- Video
The American Revolution
The Bloody Massacre
1770
Paul Revere's propaganda representing the Boston "Massacre"
- Primary Source
Poem on tyranny and slavery
1772
Poem by Phillis Wheatley published in her 1773 book of poetry
- Primary Source
Unruly Americans in the Revolution
by Woody Holton
Learn about the role of ordinary citizens in the fight for independence.
- Essay
The American Revolution, 1763–1783
by Pauline Maier
Learn more about the American Revolution from a timeline and a comprehensive essay.
- Essay
The Stamp Act
1765
Tax requiring colonists to pay for a stamp on printed materials to help subsidize British troops in the colonies
- Primary Source
A report on reaction to the Stamp Act
1765
Merchant and rising politician from Nova Scotia covers colonial impressions of the new tax
- Primary Source
Taxation and Representation
by Gordon S. Wood
Watch a discussion of the connection between taxation and representation in the leadup to the Revolutionary War.
- Video
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
1775
Broadside detailing the “Bloody Butchery by the British Troops"
- Primary Source
Lord Dunmore's Proclamation
1775
The British threat to free enslaved Virginians
- Primary Source
The Declaration of Independence
1776
A unique copy printed in South Carolina by patriotic printer Peter Timothy
- Primary Source
The Indians’ War of Independence
by Colin G. Calloway
Learn about the role of American Indians during the Revolutionary War.
- Essay
No Way Out
by James Kirby Martin
Learn the reasons for Cornwallis's loss at Yorktown and America’s victory in the War for Independence.
- Essay
The American Revolution
by Pauline Maier
Watch a discussion of why the British were blamed for the Revolutionary War.
- Video
The Siege of Pensacola
by Kathleen Duval
Read about Bernardo de Gálvez's efforts to recruit free Black men and Native Americans for Spain's fight against the British.
- Essay
Lockean Liberalism and the American Revolution
by Isaac Kramnick
Learn about the influence of Enlightenment philosopher John Locke.
- Essay
The Articles of Confederation
Understanding the Articles of Confederation
by Denver Brunsman
Watch a discussion of the context and key components of the Articles of Confederation.
- Video
The Articles of Confederation
1777
Establishment of the first US government balancing state and national interests
- Primary Source
The Creation and Ratification of the Constitution
George Washington on the Constitutional Convention
1787
Letter to Henry Knox discussing Shays’ Rebellion and the upcoming Constitutional Convention
- Primary Source
Two versions of the Preamble to the Constitution
1787
Drafts showing the shift from a confederation of states to a united country
- Primary Source
Ratification of the US Constitution in New York
1788
Broadside of the Constitution with Washington’s letter of support
- Primary Source
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
by Carol Berkin
Watch a discussion of the arguments between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
- Video
Calling the Constitutional Convention
by Carol Berkin
Watch a discussion of why the Constitutional Convention was called.
- Video
Slavery and the American Revolution
by James Oliver Horton
Watch a discussion on the American Revolution in relation to African enslavement.
- Video
The Legal Status of Women, 1776–1830
by Marylynn Salmon
Learn about the rights of women in the founding era.
- Essay
Developing an American Identity
George Washington on the abolition of slavery
1786
Letter to John Francis Mercer describing Washington's private views on slavery
- Primary Source
Hamilton’s Report on the Subject of Manufactures
1791
A report advocating tariffs to protect American industry from foreign competition
- Primary Source
Washington's Most Significant Act
by Gordon S. Wood
Watch a discussion of the importance of George Washington stepping down as general.
- Video
George Washington’s reluctance to become president
1789
Letter to Henry Knox as Washington prepares to travel to his inauguration
- Primary Source
George Washington’s First Inaugural Address
1789
Washington explaining the fundamental principle of the American democratic revolution
- Primary Source
The Righteous Revolution of Mercy Otis Warren
by Ray Raphael
Explore the role of writer Mercy Otis Warren in the fight for independence and equality.
- Essay
The Supreme Court Then and Now
by A. E. Dick Howard
Read about the development of judicial review through US history.
- Essay
Women and the Revolution
by Carol Berkin
Watch a discussion of the significance of women in the leadup to the American Revolution.
- Video
The Significance of the American Revolution
by Gordon S. Wood
Watch a discussion of the transformative nature of the American Revolution
- Video
The League of the Iroquois
by Matthew Dennis
Learn about the Six Nations and Tripartite Agreement.
- Essay
Immigration to and Migration within America
A Nation of Immigrants from the Outset
by James Basker and Sofia Melnychuck
Learn about the economic and religious diversity of the Continental Congress and signers of the Declaration of Independence.
- Essay
Receipt for land purchased from the Six Nations
1769
Document outlining the acquisition of land with Native leaders' names
- Primary Source
Hispanics in the United States: Origins and Destinies
by Rubén G. Rumbaut
Read about Spanish migration to the Americas from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries.
- Essay
The impact of Horse Culture
by Elliott West
Read the return of the horse to the Americas, indigenous migration, and the hunting of buffalo.
- Essay
Early America’s Jewish Settlers
by Eli Faber
Read about the causes and consequences of early Jewish migration to North America.
- Essay
American History Timeline: 1754-1800
Image Citations
Listed in order of appearance in the sections above
The Seven Years’ War
The Seven Years’ War
- Maryland Gazette, May 22, 1755. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC08719.
- George III. Proclamation, October 7, 1763. Broadside. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC05214.
- Leonard, Ephraim. "To Joseph Hall, 'Captain of a military foot Company in the Town of Taunton,'" August 11, 1757. Manuscript. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC01450.199.01.
The American Revolution
The American Revolution
- Revere, Paul. The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King-Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Reg. Boston, 1770. Broadside. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC01868.
- Unidentified Artist. A Portrait of Phyllis Wheatley. 1773, Engraving on Paper. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC06154.
- Dawe, Philip. The Bostonian's Paying the Excise-man, or Tarring & Feathering. London, 1774. Engraving. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC04961.01.
- Trumball, John. Declaration of Independence. Washington D.C., 1826. Oil on Canvas, U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
- Stamp Act, 1765, 5 Geo. 3, c. 1. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC00769.
Hinshelwood, Archibald. Letter to Joshua Mauger, August 19, 1765. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC03902.061. - US Congress. Instructions to the Commanders of private Ships or Vessels of War, which shall have Commissions or Letters of Marque and Reprisal, authorising them to make Captures of British Vessels and Cargoes, April 3, 1776. s.l., ca. 1777-1778. Broadside. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC00038.02.
- Russell, Ezekiel. Bloody Butchery by the British Troops. Salem, MA, 1775. Broadside. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC04810.
- Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly Advertiser, No. 1674 (January 4, 1774) - No. 1725 (December 27, 1775) [with gaps]. Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC01706_00124.
- Continental Congress. Declaration of Independence, 1776. Washington DC, 1823. Facsimile engraving by William J. Stone. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC00154.02.
- George III. Proclamation, October 7, 1763. Broadside. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC05214.
- Baillie, James S. Surrender of Cornwallis. New York, 1845. Lithograph. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC02918.02.
- Pendleton, Edmund. Letter to James Madison, April 17, 1765. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC00099.026.
- Godefroy, François. Recueil d'estampes représentant les différents evenémens de la Guerre qui a procuré l'indépendance aux Etats Unis de l'Amérique. Paris, ca. 1784. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC06551.
- Locke, John. Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. London: Eliz. Holt, 1690. The Gilder Institute of American History. GLC00320.
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation
- Continental Congress. Articles of Confederation. Lancaster, PA, 1777. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC04759.
- Continental Congress. Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the States of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Boston, MA, 1777. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC00268.
The Creation and Ratification of the Constitution
The Creation and Ratification of the Constitution
- Washington, George. Letter to Henry Knox, February 3, 1787. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC02437.09410.
- Constitutional Convention. Committee of Detail. US Constitution [printing of first draft], August 6, 1787. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC00819.01.
- Constitutional Convention. US Constitution. Albany, NY, 1788. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC07866.
- Carrington, Edward. Letter to Henry Knox, March 13, 1788. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC02437.03821.
- Pendleton, Edmund. Letter to James Madison, August 12, 1787. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC00099.123.
- Régnier, Claude, engraver. Life of George Washington--The Farmer. Lemercier. Paris, ca. 1853. Lithograph based on a painting by Junius Brutus Stearns. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
- Unidentified artist, engraver. Mercy Warren. s.l., n.d. Engraving based on a painting by John Singleton Copley. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC08878.0726.
Developing an American Identity
Developing an American Identity
- Régnier, Claude, engraver. Life of George Washington--The Farmer. Lemercier. Paris, ca. 1853. Lithograph based on a painting by Junius Brutus Stearns. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
- Hamilton, Alexander. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, on the Subject of Manufactures. New York, 1791. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC00891.
- Washington, George. Farewell Address. In Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser, September 19, 1796. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC00185.
- Washington, George. Letter to Henry Knox, April 1, 1789. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC02437.09410.
- Washington, George. First Inaugural Address. Gazette of the United States, May 2, 1789. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC03518.
- Warren, Mercy Otis. Letter to Catharine Macaulay, December 29, 1774. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC01800.01.
- Harris & Ewing. Supreme Court Justices. Washington DC, ca. 1940. Photograph. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC02929.01.
- Rogers, J., engraver. Moll Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth. New York, 1856. Engraving based on a painting by D. M. Carter. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC08878.0067.
- Trumbull, John, painter, Washington Lays Down His Sword. Washington D.C., 1826. Oil on Canvas. Capital Rotunda, Architect of the Capital.
- Cusick, David (Tuscarora). Three Iroquois: Atotárho Protected by Black Snakes, Flanked by Deganawida(?) Offering Wampum and Hiawatha(?). ca. 1827. Watercolor and ink over graphite on paper. Collections of the New-York Historical Society.
Immigration to and Migration within America
Immigration to and Migration within America
- Sadd, Henry S., engraver. The First Prayer in Congress. New York, John Neale, 1848. Engraving based on a painting by T. H. Matteson. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
- Iroquois Nation. Six Nations. Receipt for land sale signed with the totems of fourteen Indigenous leaders. [Lancaster, PA], 1769. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC02548.
- Sahagún, Bernardino de. Historia general de las coasas de nueva España [General History of the Things of New Spain]: The Florentine Codex. s.l., 1577. Library of Congress.
- Martinez, Julian. Buffalo Hunter, ca. 1920-1925, watercolor, ink, and pencil on paperboard, sheet: 11 1/8 x 14 1/4 in. (28.4 x 36.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Corbin-Henderson Collection, Gift of Alice H. Rossin, 1979.144.84
- Lazarus, Emma. "The New Colossus." 1883. Manuscript bound in journal. Courtesy of the American Jewish Historical Society, New York and Newton Centre, Massachusetts.
- Period 2: 1607–1754
- Period 4: 1800–1848