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Zenger Trial
John Peter Zenger was a publisher and journalist in New york, and was charged with serious libel after voicing his opinions. This trial led to the premonition of freedom of the press.
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Albany Congress
The Albany Conference was a conference between 7 delegates of the 13 British American colonies in order to discuss their relations with the Native Americans and common defense measures against the French. Benjamin Franklin proposed that the colonies become one united colonial entity with a president appointed by the British crown. However, the plan was rejected because they were not favorable of the powers given to the British.
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Seven Years War
This war included the world powers of Britain, and the Bourbons (French and Spanish). These two powers disputed over the land in North America, specifically the Ohio area (this area was vital for further exploration). In the end, the British won, and the Treaty of Paris resulted.
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Treaty of Paris
WikipediaThis treaty, by Great Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal, ended the Seven Year's War, marking the victory of the British. Many of the overtaken lands during the war were returned, yet Britain took the previously French owned land, the land east of the Mississippi River, excluding New Orleans, and Canada. -
Pontiac's Rebellion
This war was waged when the Indian tribes of the Great Lakes, Ohio country, and Illinois country, led by Pontiac, were dissatisfied with the British rule. These Indians made an attempt to drive the British out of the region. They destroyed many British forts and killed many colonists, and this was one of the firsts that germ warfare was used. They were not successful of driving the British out but the British changed many of their policies for the better.
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Sugar Act
This act was passed by the British in order to gain revenue by placing duties on certain artifacts on the colonies and their plantations in order to pay off the national debt left from the Seven Year's War. It also made smuggling molasses a lot more difficult. -
Stamp Act
The stamp act was a tax imposed on the British colonies by Britain in order to help gain revenue from stationing troops in the Seven Year's War. It taxed all published documents and other paper documents. In response, the colonies created the committee of correspondence, a significant step forward in colonial unity.
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Declaratory Act
In the Declaratory act, Britain repealed the Stamp Act due to the revolts in the colonies. However, it also stated that Parliament's authority was the same in America as in Britain and asserted its authority to pass laws that were binding on the American colonies.
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Boston Massacre
In order to enforce unpopular legislature, Britain stationed many troops in the colonies, however, there was an incident called the Boston massacre in which some soldiers killed 5 unarmed men and injured 6 others. This was caused by the tensions leading up to the event, however this was also foreshadowing for the American Revolution as this event was used as propaganda in the colonies.
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Tea Act
This tax was meant to reduce the surplus of tea held by the financially troubled British East India Company in its London warehouses. Also, this was supposed to convince the colonists to purchase Company tea on which the Townshend duties were paid, thus implicitly agreeing to accept Britain's right of taxation. The opposition of this act eventually built up to the Boston Tea Party.
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Boston Tea Party
This event was a political protest in which the Sons of Liberty of Boston, Massachusetts threw tea off of a ship into the boston harbor. Those who opposed the tea act mandated themselves by objecting the taxes from representatives who had not been elected by themselves. This iconic protest is one of the major protests that led to the revolutionary war.
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Intolerable Acts
The intolerable acts were a series of laws by Britain that seriously outraged the colonies. The colonies felt as though when these laws were passed, it was in serious violation of their rights. It included: the Boston port act, the Administration of Justice act, the Quebec act, the Quartering act, and the Massachusetts government act.
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First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a convention of twelve colonies out of thirteen, in response to the Intolerable acts. The attendees considered an economic boycott of British trade, rights and grievances, and petitioned the king for a redress of those grievances. If changes by Britain did not satisfy their conditions, they planned on having another meeting.
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Second Continental Congress
The Second Congress, after the revolutionary war started and the battles of Lexington and Concord, met in order to manage the colonial war effort and move toward independence. It raised armies, directed strategy, appointed diplomats, and made formal treaties. This congress was synonymous of a national government for the United States.
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Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga was a fort built in northern New York by the Canadians and the French. During the American Revolution, the Green Mountain Boys and other state militia under Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured it in a surprise attack. Then, there were issues in command in where Arnold did not know that Hinman was supposed to take over.
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Lexington and Concord
These battles were some of the first of the Revolutionary war. The first shots were fired just as the sun was rising at Lexington. The objective of the march on Lexington was to capture some of the "rebels" who were organizing the minutemen to fight against the British rule. The objective for Concord was to capture and destroy stores of ammunitions.
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Battle of Bunker Hill
When colonial forces found out that British soldiers would be on their way to besieging Boston, they sent out troops in order to counter them. When British found out of the colonists new position, they enforced an attack. There were many casualties by the British, yet they won once the colonists ran out of ammunition. This was an incredible defeat for the colonists, yet the British had many, many casualties.
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Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was an attempt to avoid a full-blown war with Great Britain. The petition affirmed American loyalty to Great Britain and entreated the king to prevent further conflict. At first, the colonies were declared in rebellion, and the petition was rejected, although not having been received by the king before he declared the colonists as traitors.
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Common Sense
This enlightenment pamphlet by Thomas Paine was published in order to give reasons why the Colonial fight for independence from Britain was justifiable. This pamphlet was meant for those who were on the fence for independence.
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Virginia Declaration of Rights
The Virginia Declaration of Rights is sort of like a social contract theory. It was ratified on the 12th of June, 1776, and declared the inherent rights of man and right to overthrow an inadequate government.
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Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement that the thirteen colonies were separating from Great Britain, that they were individual states, and that they were at war with Britain. This declarance stated their greivances towards King George III, asserted their legal and natural rights, and right of revolution (social contract theory).
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Battle of Long Island
This battle was the first major battle after the Declaration of Independence, also, the new soldiers were unified under the newly declared national government. In this battle however, the American forces were forced to evacuate, but in good news, there were no casualties with this evacuation.
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Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
Also known as the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, this bill established religious freedom in Virginia and was written by Thomas Jefferson. It supported the first amendment.
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Battle of Saratoga
This battle was the turning point of the Revolutionary war. This defeat of the British showed that the strategy for suppressing the Revolutionary war was unsatisfactory.
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Valley Forge
On this day, the tired and weak soldiers under Washington's command staggered into Valley Forge, and found shelter in this refuge. However, there was a lack of food and disease spread easily from person to person that conditions were not very good. Even so, soldiers survived during the harsh winter conditions.
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Ratification of Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation served as America's first constitution, stating the USA as a confederation of sovereign states. There was a legislative power, Congress, who was the national power and the military, who dealt with foreign affairs, and was denied the power to tax the states.
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Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown decisive victory by a combined force of American troops led by Washington over the British who was commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis. This battle was the last major battle of the Revolutionary war and marked the victory of the Americans as the surrender by Cornwallis of his army prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the conflict.
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Treaty of Paris
In the Treaty of Paris, the British agreed to several things with Spain, France, and America. Spain regained Florida, France regained old territories and fishing rights in the New Netherlands region, and America obtained independence, got rid of stationed British troops, and fishing rights.
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Land Ordinance of 1785
Since Congress lacked the power to tax the states, in order to pay off the war from the Revolution, they passed the Land ordinance. To pay off the war, the intention was to sell land and territories west of the original colonies. This was important because it provided easily recognized land descriptions, which in turn contributed enormously to the orderly, peaceful occupation of the land.
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Northwest Ordinance of 1787
The Northwest Ordinance created the first organized territory of the areas south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi river. This was the result of new expansion of new sovereign states.
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George Washington's Inauguration
George Washington, followed by vice president, John Adams, was the first president after the ratification of the constitution. He was sworn in by the Chancellor of New York Robert Livingston.
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