---
title: "Leisler's Rebellion: APUSH Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "Leisler's Rebellion (1689-1691) was Jacob Leisler's seizure of New York after the Glorious Revolution toppled the Dominion of New England. Why it matters for APUSH Unit 2 and how it compares to Bacon's Rebellion."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/leislers-rebellion"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP US History"
unit: "Unit 2"
---

# Leisler's Rebellion: APUSH Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

Leisler's Rebellion (1689-1691) was an uprising in colonial New York in which militia captain Jacob Leisler took control of the government after news of England's Glorious Revolution and the collapse of the Dominion of New England, exposing ethnic, class, and religious divisions among colonists.

## What It Is

Leisler's Rebellion was New York's local version of the [Glorious Revolution](/apush/key-terms/glorious-revolution "fv-autolink"). In 1688, the Glorious Revolution drove out the Catholic King James II, and Parliament offered the throne to the Protestant rulers William and Mary. James had been the force behind the [Dominion of New England](/apush/key-terms/dominion-of-new-england "fv-autolink"), a super-colony that merged New York with the New England colonies under one royal governor and no elected assembly. When news of James's fall reached America in 1689, Boston colonists jailed the Dominion's governor, Edmund Andros, and the whole structure fell apart. In New York, Jacob Leisler, a German-born merchant and militia captain, led the local militia in seizing the fort at the southern tip of Manhattan. He declared loyalty to William and Mary and ran the colony for about two years.

The rebellion split New York along lines that already existed. Leisler drew support from Dutch residents, artisans, and smaller traders who resented the wealthy, increasingly Anglicized merchant elite that had been favored under James II. [Anti-Catholic](/apush/unit-5/sectional-conflict-before-civil-war/study-guide/Klx3eOhZBS11qtWKIvH2 "fv-autolink") fear fueled the movement, since many colonists believed James's officials were plotting with Catholic France. When the new royal governor sent by William and Mary arrived in 1691, Leisler hesitated to hand over the fort. He was arrested, convicted of treason, and hanged. Parliament later cleared his name, but the bitterness between "Leislerians" and "anti-Leislerians" shaped New York politics for decades.

## Why It Matters

Leisler's Rebellion lives in [Unit 2](/apush/unit-2 "fv-autolink") (Colonial Development, 1607-1754), mainly in Topic 2.7 (Colonial Society and Culture) with a secondary tie to Topic 2.4 (Transatlantic Trade). It supports [APUSH](/apush "fv-autolink") 2.7.B, which asks you to explain how the diverging goals of European leaders and colonists affected how colonists saw their relationship with Britain. The CED's essential knowledge (KC-2.2.I.E) names self-rule, trade, and frontier defense as the issues colonists complained about, and Leisler's uprising hits all three. It also supports APUSH 2.7.A, because the rebellion shows ethnic pluralism (KC-2.2.I.A) and Anglicization (KC-2.2.I.B) colliding in one colony. New York was still heavily Dutch, and the fight was partly about who would run things as the colony became more English. Thematically, this is an early data point for the America in the World and Politics and Power themes, showing colonists acting on political ideas (Protestant liberty, a right to local government) decades before the Revolution.

## Connections

### [Bacon's Rebellion (Unit 2)](/apush/key-terms/bacons-rebellion)

These are the two big colonial uprisings of the late 1600s, and the exam loves to set them side by side. Bacon's (1676, Virginia) was about frontier settlers, Native land, and the gap between poor whites and the planter elite. Leisler's (1689, New York) was triggered by events in England and split the colony along ethnic and religious lines. Both show that colonial elites and ordinary colonists did not want the same things.

### Dominion of New England and the Glorious Revolution (Unit 2)

Leisler's Rebellion is the New York chapter of the Dominion's collapse. James II tried to tighten imperial control by eliminating colonial assemblies; when he fell, colonists from Boston to Manhattan took it as permission to throw out his officials. The takeaway is that colonists already treated self-government as something they were entitled to, which is the root of the resentment that grows into [Unit 3](/apush/unit-3 "fv-autolink").

### [Anglicization (Unit 2)](/apush/key-terms/anglicization)

The CED says the colonies gradually became more English in politics and culture. Leisler's Rebellion shows that process was contested. New York's Dutch-speaking craftsmen and traders lined up behind Leisler, while the English-oriented merchant elite opposed him. [Anglicization](/apush/key-terms/anglicization "fv-autolink") was not just a smooth cultural drift; in New York it was a fight over power.

### [Atlantic economy (Unit 2)](/apush/key-terms/atlantic-economy)

Leisler was a merchant, and much of the hostility behind the revolt came from who controlled New York's trade. The elite that profited most under James II's governors were the ones Leisler's supporters wanted gone. This links the rebellion to [Topic 2.4](/apush/unit-2/transatlantic-trade/study-guide/UcqUNsSk8bGifGh838TY "fv-autolink"): disputes over who benefited from transatlantic commerce could turn into political violence.

## On the AP Exam

Leisler's Rebellion is a supporting detail, not a headline term, so expect it to appear as evidence rather than as the main subject. In multiple-choice, it typically shows up in a stimulus set about the Glorious Revolution, the Dominion of New England, or colonial unrest, where the correct answer involves colonists asserting rights to self-government or divisions within colonial society. In a short-answer or long essay question about colonial resistance to imperial control before 1754, it is a strong piece of specific evidence, especially paired with Bacon's Rebellion to show a pattern. No released FRQ has used the term verbatim, but it fits neatly into the kind of continuity-and-change argument that asks how colonial attitudes toward British authority developed between the 1600s and the 1760s. The job is to use it correctly: name the date (1689), the trigger (Glorious Revolution and the Dominion's collapse), and the significance (ethnic, class, and religious divisions plus an early claim to local political autonomy).

## Leisler's Rebellion vs Bacon's Rebellion

Both are late-1600s colonial revolts against local elites, which is why they blur together. Bacon's Rebellion (1676, Virginia) started on the frontier over Native American policy and pitted landless former indentured servants against Governor Berkeley's planter friends; its big consequence was Virginia's shift toward enslaved African labor. Leisler's Rebellion (1689, New York) was sparked by news from England, was driven by anti-Catholic fear and Dutch-versus-English tension, and ended with Leisler's execution for treason. Quick test: if the question mentions the frontier or indentured servants, it is Bacon's; if it mentions the Glorious Revolution or the Dominion of New England, it is Leisler's.

## Key Takeaways

- Leisler's Rebellion happened in New York from 1689 to 1691, when militia captain Jacob Leisler seized power after the Glorious Revolution in England brought down the Dominion of New England.
- The revolt revealed divisions inside colonial society, with Dutch residents, artisans, and small traders backing Leisler against a wealthy, English-oriented merchant elite.
- Anti-Catholic fear was a major driver, since colonists worried that James II's officials would hand the colony to Catholic France.
- Leisler was hanged for treason in 1691 after refusing to quickly surrender the fort to the new royal governor, and the Leislerian versus anti-Leislerian split shaped New York politics for decades.
- For APUSH, the rebellion is evidence for APUSH 2.7.B: colonists already expected self-rule and acted on it when imperial authority weakened, long before the 1760s.
- Pair it with Bacon's Rebellion to argue that late-1600s colonial unrest came from the clash between elite and ordinary colonists' interests.

## FAQs

### What was Leisler's Rebellion in simple terms?

It was a 1689-1691 takeover of New York's government by Jacob Leisler, a German-born merchant and militia captain, after colonists learned that England's Glorious Revolution had removed King James II. Leisler ruled in the name of the new monarchs William and Mary until a royal governor arrived and had him executed for treason in 1691.

### Was Leisler's Rebellion against the English king?

No. Leisler claimed to be acting for the new Protestant monarchs William and Mary against the leftover officials of the ousted Catholic King James II. The problem was that he refused to give up power fast enough when the crown's own governor showed up, which is why he was tried for treason.

### How is Leisler's Rebellion different from Bacon's Rebellion?

Bacon's Rebellion (1676, Virginia) grew out of frontier conflict with Native Americans and anger from landless former servants, and it pushed Virginia toward enslaved African labor. Leisler's Rebellion (1689, New York) was triggered by the Glorious Revolution and split the colony along Dutch-versus-English and anti-Catholic lines.

### Why does Leisler's Rebellion matter for APUSH?

It is specific evidence for Unit 2 learning objective APUSH 2.7.B, showing that colonists expected self-government and had internal ethnic and class divisions well before 1754. It also connects to the collapse of the Dominion of New England and the broader pattern of colonial pushback against tightened imperial control.

### Did Leisler's Rebellion succeed?

Not for Leisler personally. He held power for about two years, but he was hanged in 1691 along with his son-in-law. New York did get its elected assembly back under William and Mary, and Parliament later reversed Leisler's conviction, but the colony stayed bitterly divided between his supporters and opponents for decades.

## Related Study Guides

- [2.4 Transatlantic Trade](/apush/unit-2/transatlantic-trade/study-guide/UcqUNsSk8bGifGh838TY)

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
- [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`)
- [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`)

## Structured Data

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/leislers-rebellion#resource","name":"Leisler's Rebellion: APUSH Definition & Exam Guide","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/leislers-rebellion","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/leislers-rebellion#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-10-06T18:30:56.606Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"AP US History Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/leislers-rebellion#term","name":"Leisler's Rebellion","description":"Leisler's Rebellion (1689-1691) was an uprising in colonial New York in which militia captain Jacob Leisler took control of the government after news of England's Glorious Revolution and the collapse of the Dominion of New England, exposing ethnic, class, and religious divisions among colonists.","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/leislers-rebellion","inDefinedTermSet":{"@type":"DefinedTermSet","name":"AP US History Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What was Leisler's Rebellion in simple terms?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It was a 1689-1691 takeover of New York's government by Jacob Leisler, a German-born merchant and militia captain, after colonists learned that England's Glorious Revolution had removed King James II. Leisler ruled in the name of the new monarchs William and Mary until a royal governor arrived and had him executed for treason in 1691."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Was Leisler's Rebellion against the English king?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. Leisler claimed to be acting for the new Protestant monarchs William and Mary against the leftover officials of the ousted Catholic King James II. The problem was that he refused to give up power fast enough when the crown's own governor showed up, which is why he was tried for treason."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How is Leisler's Rebellion different from Bacon's Rebellion?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Bacon's Rebellion (1676, Virginia) grew out of frontier conflict with Native Americans and anger from landless former servants, and it pushed Virginia toward enslaved African labor. Leisler's Rebellion (1689, New York) was triggered by the Glorious Revolution and split the colony along Dutch-versus-English and anti-Catholic lines."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Why does Leisler's Rebellion matter for APUSH?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It is specific evidence for Unit 2 learning objective APUSH 2.7.B, showing that colonists expected self-government and had internal ethnic and class divisions well before 1754. It also connects to the collapse of the Dominion of New England and the broader pattern of colonial pushback against tightened imperial control."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Did Leisler's Rebellion succeed?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Not for Leisler personally. He held power for about two years, but he was hanged in 1691 along with his son-in-law. New York did get its elected assembly back under William and Mary, and Parliament later reversed Leisler's conviction, but the colony stayed bitterly divided between his supporters and opponents for decades."}}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"AP US History","item":"https://fiveable.me/apush"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Key Terms","item":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Unit 2","item":"https://fiveable.me/apush/unit-2"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Leisler's Rebellion"}]}]}
```