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End of the French and Indian War
The French & Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War, was between Britain and France in North America, The fight over the Indian lands in the Ohio Valley ended with The Treaty of Paris. France handed over the Louisiana Territory and all French land west of the Mississippi River to Spain. This left France with no territory in North America. -
Proclamation of 1763
King George III issued a formal public statement declaring white settlers were not to go into the Indian lands west of the imaginary line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains, from Canada to Georgia. This was created to try to keep peace with the Native Indians. -
Stamp Act of 1765
The British government, persuaded by George Grenville, imposed a tax on all American paper products, including newspapers, pamphlets, bonds, leases, deeds, licenses, insurance policies, college diplomas, and playing cards. -
Quartering Act of 1765
Parliament passed The Quartering Act, required the colonists to house the British soldiers. Britain felt since they were providing soldiers, the people in the colonies should house them. -
Stamp Act Congress
This meeting consisted representatives from nine of the American colonies regarding the Stamp Act. The was meeting held in New York and was called to organize a protest on the tax imposed by the British. It lasted from October 7 to October 25, 1765. -
Boston Massacre
The taunting of Hugh White, a British soldier guarding the Custom House, escalated as a crowd gathered and shouts of "kill him" were exclaimed. A group of British Soldiers arrived to help, but the crowds were chaotic. A soldier was knocked down and upon standing, he fired his musket. Others joined in and when the smoked cleared, five people were dead or dying, and eight others were injured. -
Tea Act of 1773
The British East India Company was in dire need of getting of approximately 17 million pounds of tea before it went bad. Parliament decided to pass the Tea Act of 1773. This allowed the company to ship the tea to America without paying any taxes. The idea was to help out the company so it would not go out of business, while selling the tea to the colonies cheaper than the illegal tea being imported. -
Boston Tea Party
Following the Tea Act of 1773, three British ships arrived in the Boston Harbor carrying the tea. Colonists had realized Britain was trying to sell cheap to to them while tricking them into essentially agreeing to accept Parliament's right of taxation. The angered colonists dressed as Indians and boarded the ships, dumping the 46 tons of tea into the harbor. -
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts 1774
Angered by the Boston Tea Party, Lord North was determined to punish Americans for their destruction of British property. The harsh laws imposed by Parliament were called the Coercive Acts. Included were the Boston Port Act, the new Quartering Act, the Impartial Administration of Justice Act, and the Massachusetts Government Act. -
First Continental Congress
After Britain imposed the Intolerable Acts, 56 delegates from all of the colonies, except Georgia, met in Philadelphia at Carpenter's Hall. The delegates formed a Declaration of American Rights over seven weeks, detailing the rights of Americans as British citizens, denying Britain's control over American's affairs. -
Battles of Lexington & Concord
British redcoats faced off with Minutemen, led by American Captain John Parker, in Lexington town square. The British attacked with their swords & 8 Minutemen were killed. Major Pitcairn led British soldiers to Concord & destroyed military supplies. The Minutemen encountered the redcoats leaving & killed about 12 of them. The scuffle alerted the locals, who grabbed their weapons & forced the British back to Boston. British learned the Americans were determined to fight for their freedom. -
Second Continental Congress
John Hancock led the Second Continental Congress, made up of some of the same members as the First Continental Congress. The Second Continental Congress managed the war efforts, worked towards independence, and operated much like the government the US lacked. They eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence. -
New York Campaign (Battle of Long Island)
Britain's plan was to seize control of New York and cut New England off from the rest of the colonies. The Battle of Long Island was an effort to do so and led to the defeat of the American army led by George Washington. Washington, however, did escape but did not give up. -
Battle of Princeton
The "ten crucial days" that followed the American's victory at Trenton on December 26, 1776 empowered a nation ravaged by defeats. Princeton was the second battle in two days and the Continental army did not fight another for almost six months as it was the last of Washington's winter triumphs. George Washington and his army defeated the British near Princeton, New Jersey. -
Battle of Saratoga
General John Burgoyne's strategy was to sneak into New York from Canada by the Hudson River and join together with Sir William Howe's troops. His plan was to isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. General Horatio Gates fought the British for three weeks before defeating them on October 17, 1777 at Saratoga. Burgoyne and his troops were trapped by the Americans and had to surrender for they had no access to food or supplies. -
Southern Campaign
The British thought the Northern states were too far gone to attempt to gain control over. They focused their efforts on the Southern states, thinking there was more of a Loyalist stronghold. The south actually had more of a civil war going on. The British was interested in the revenue generated by the southern rice, indigo, and tobacco. The brutal fighting of the southerners proved to take a toll on the British, as they were ultimately defeated in the south. -
Battle of Yorktown
The most important battle of the Revolutionary War, this battle went on for three weeks, even at night. British General Lord Charles Cornwallis and his troops surrendered on October 17 to Washington and his men at Yorktown, Virginia, ending the Revolutionary War. -
Constitutional Convention
George Washington led the group to come up with a new form of government. It was decided that each state would have the same number of delegates to serve in the upper house, while the lower house would consist of representatives from each state based on its population. -
Ratification of the Constitution
Five states - Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Georgia - were in quick agreement with the Constitution. Other states rejected it because it did not support basic political rights, Massachusetts being the main one. They were eventually promised immediate amendments and agreed to sign. It was agreed that the new United States Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. -
Articles of Confederation
An agreement by the thirteen colonies of how the newly independent America would be governed. The agreement put into writing the way things had been run since declaring independence. This agreement was adopted by a committee appointed by the Continental Congress.
