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Jamestown
This was Englands second attempt settling America (the first being Roanoke the "Lost Colony") Jamestown was funded by a joint-stock company, called the Virginia Company. The Jamestown colony almost went the same direction as the Lost colony because the settlers were English gentlemen many of whom never worked a day in their lives. The Colony only survived because Captain John Smith created a harsh law: "He who will not work shall not eat". Which was followed by the starving time. -
Pilgrims and Mayflower Compact
Puritan Separatists set sail for Virginia from England and settled in Plymouth. While on board, they signed the Mayflower Compact- very important because it asserted that the govt's power is derived from the consent of the governed and not from God. It is considered the earlies ex. of a consitiution in colonial America. -
English Regulation of Colonial Trade
The British govt placed a series of protective tariffs on imports taht might compete with English goods. Many tariffs, including the Navigation Ac ts, Townshend Acts and Stamp Act, were passed between 1651 and 1673 -
Bacon's Rebellion
Nathaniel Bacon wanted a piece of Virginia dominian Governer's fur trade, along with disgruntled pioneers who felt that the colonial government wasn't protecting them from the Indians, attacked Indian tribes and went after the governer by burning down Jamestown, but the rebellion dissolved when Bacon died of dysentery and the war between the colonists and Native American tribes was averted with a new treaty. The Rebellion is an early example of popular uprising in America. -
Great Awakening (1730-60)
A wave of religious revivalism exemplified by Congregational minister Jonathan Edwards who preached severe, predeterministic doctirines of Calvanism and became famous for his (graphic) depictions of hell and Methodist preacher George Whitefield who preached Christianity baced on emotionalism and spirituality (Evangelism) . -
Albany Plan of Union
Representatives from 7 colonies met to consider the plan which provided for an intercolonial government and a system for collecting taxes for the colonies' defence. Franklins efforts to unite the colonies failed to gain the approval of a single colonial legislature be cuase the colonists didn't want to give up conlrol of their right to tax themselves or unite under one legislature. Franklin then published a drawing of a snake broken into pieces, with the words "Join or Die." -
Proclamation of 1763
In response to the initial attacks of Pontiac's Rebellion, the British government forbid settlement west of the rivers running through the Appalachians, but the Proclamtion was issued too late, settlers had already moved west of the line. It agitated colonial settlers, who regarded it as unwarranted British interference in colonial affairs, following the Proclamation the British imposed a new series of restricts and marked the first step on the road to revolution -
Currency Act
This act forbade the colonies to give out paper money! Together with all the former acts, it caused a great deal of unhappiness in the coloinies and the residednts discared their view of British mercantalism and viewed them as attempts to control greater over colonies. Clearly, these acts were the end of Salutary Neglect and powst war economic depression. -
Sugar Act of 1764
Established a number of new duties like provisions aimed at stpping molasses smugglers. Even though Parliament had previously passed other acts aimed at controlling colonial trade and manufacturing. Violators would be arrested and tried in courts where one judge ussuded a verdict without a jury. Colonists thought the Sugar Act to be Parliament overstepping its authority and violating their rights as Englishmen. -
stamp act
The former ineffectiveness of colonial protests changed when the stamp act was issued. It was a tax aimed at raising revenue and also a broad-based tax that covers all legal documents and licenses. It effected everyone, especiall the literate and argumentative professions (lawyeres); and lastly it was a tax on goods produced in the colonies. The reaction was greater because of the preceeding protests, this is when aurgument "No taxation without representation" became the battle cry! -
Townshend Act
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Boston Massacre
Due to the Townshend acts, the British stationed troops in Boston to keep the peace but had the opposite effects. On one particular day confrontation resulted when a mob threw rock filled snowballs at a group of soldiers. The soldiers fired on the crowd, killed five, but the propaganda biasly suggests the soldiers had shot innocent bystanders. -
Boston Tea Party
Britain granted the British E. India Tea Co. a monopoly on the tea trade in the colonies and duties but the colonists noted that once again Parliament was imposing new taxes on them. In Boston, the colonist refused to let the ships unload and the governer refused them to leave the harbor. Thus, the Sons of Liberty dressed as Mowhaks and dumped the tea in the harbor. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party, Britain responded with the Intolerable Acts to punish the colonists. They closed the Boston Harbor except for essential trade and kept it closed until the tea was paid for. Also, it required the colonists to house British soldiers. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
This battle is called "The show heard around the world" because when the British army went to Lexington to confiscate arms, one of the minutemen fired a shot and triggered the battle. In Concord, farmers fought one of the powerful armies in the world to stop them from going any further. -
Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence "enumerated the conies' grievences" against the Crown and the government duty to serve the people. The duguments was sighend on July 4, 1776 and started the war for independence. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Article of Confederation was the first national constitution, it did not give the national government the power to tax or regulate trade, amending the articles required unanimous constent of ALL the states. It is obvious that the main idea was to prohibit the government from gaing too much power than to function effectively. -
Constitution
A new constituion was created because the federal government lacked authority under the Article. A constituional convention that lasted 4 months in which delegates grated a new government based on checks and balances, a method of 3/5 Compromise, the 3 brances of covernment and NO Bill of Rights. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights waa added in 1791 because ratification of the Constitution required the signature of 42 delegates. But the people were divided between Federalists (pro-Constituion) and Anti-Federalists, whom were thrown off by the absence of the Bill of Rights. -
The Revolution of 1800
The Revolution of 1800 was importand becuase of two reasons: a president was paired with a vice president he didn't want, thus the 12th Amendment which allowed the voting for a party. Secondly, the peaceful transfer of power form the Federalists to the Democratic-Republicans -
Bibliography
Danby, Pickering. "The Quartering Act." American Revoultion. 2009. Yale Lawschool. 10 Oct 2009 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/quartering_act_1764.asp Danby, Pickering. "The Boston Port Act." American Revoultion. 2009. Yale Lawschool. 10 Oct 2009 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/port_act_1764.asp -
bibliography
Danby, Pickering. "The Currency Act." American Revoultion. 2009. Yale Lawschool. 18 Oct 2009 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/curency_act_1764.asp Danby, Pickering. "The Sugar Act." American Revoultion. 2009. Yale Lawschool. 10 Oct 2009 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/sugaract_1764.asp Danby, Pickering. "The Stamp Act." American Revoultion. 2009. Yale Lawschool. 10 Oct 2009 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/stamp_act_1764.asp