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The First Comprehensive Slave Codes
The House of Burgess (Virginia) passed its first comprehensive slave codes. These codes included such laws\rules that the children of enslaved women would be born into slavery, a slave owner could not be convicted of killing their slave, but any black man who struck a white man would be severely punished, a slave converting to Christianity would not lead to freedom, and owners could not free their slaves unless they were taken out of the colony. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a religious revival movement. With roots tracing back to 1711 when ministers published a anthology of sermons entitled Early Piety. The first revivals began in Congregational churches of New England and quickly spread to other religions. The leaders of this movement, preachers, used their power of speech to invoke fear into their congregations, especially Edwards. These revivals soon however became a victim of the preacher's success. -
Stono Rebellion
While planters were attending church, a group of around eighty slaves choose to rebel. They left their plantation, setting out for Spanish Florida under a banner that said "Liberty." While marching they burned plantations to the ground and murdered multiple whites. The local militia soon ended the rebellion killing the slaves or selling them to other plantations in the West Indies. -
Slavery Becomes Legal
In 1750, slavery became legal in every North American colony. While legal in every colony, each colony chose to treat slaves or practice slavery differently. Slavery becoming legal in every colony paved the way for the North American economic rise -
The Currency Acts
In both 1751 and 1763, the Board of Trade implemented the Currency Acts, restricting the usage of paper currency within the colonies. One of the reasons this took place, was because in 1690, Massachusetts began to use paper bills as money. these paper bills depreciated in value quickly, and greatly caused inflation. -
Seven Year's War
A war between Great Britain and the French, along with French-allied Native Americans. They fought over the boundaries of each of their North American territories. The French claimed victory in the beginning stages of the war partially because of the Native American force they had backing them. Spain soon entered the War fighting against Britain in 1762. The war ended with peace treaties of Paris and Hubertusburg in 1763. -
Royal Proclamation of 1763
King George III, who took the throne in 1760 created this proclamation. This decree forbade settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains in hopes of avoiding more wars with the Native Americans. However, the colonists did not like this, because they believed they had every right to the land because they fought alongside Britain during the war and helped win the land. -
The Sugar Act
Parliament continued to tax the colonies in hopes of soothing the rising rebellion. They implemented the Sugar Act which levied taxes on sugar and other household goods, they hoped this would prevent the smuggling of molasses in New England. This Act also led to the Stamp Act, and the Townshend Acts. -
The Stamp Act
This act passed by Parliament required many paper printed documents to be stamped to show that a duty had been paid. These items included: newspapers, diplomas, legal document, pamphlets, and playing cards. This created a direct tax on the colonists, which had never been done before. This act especially led to a bigger resistance of Great Britain and her control over the colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party, was in rebellion to the Tea Act passed by Parliament in 1773. Led by the Boston Sons of Liberty's Samuel Adams and John Hancock, dozens of men dressed up as Mohawk Indians and dumped 342 chests if tea into the Boston Harbor. This led many others in different colonies to do the same. -
The Revolutionary War
This was a long drawn out war, lasting almost nine years, this was the war that won America her freedom. The war did not necessarily begin with fighting but with colonists defying the unfair taxes that Great Britain placed on them. The real war front began when The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, officially declaring their independence from their homeland. -
Common Sense published
Thomas Paines's pamphlet Common Sense contained many revolutionary ideas that sparked the thought of freedom from Great Britain in the colonists, and soon paved the way to the Declaration of Independence. -
The United States was born
In 1776, The Continental Congress published the Declaration of Independence, in Philadelphia creating the United States of America, and no longer claiming ties with Britain. -
The United States Constitution
The United States Constitution stemmed from the Articles of Confederation. It patched up the weaknesses that the AOC contained. It is what the law is based off of, gives us our branches of government, and helps keep the Country running smoothly. Written by the 2nd Continental congress, they never intended to start fresh, but only revise the AOC.