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John Locke
John Locke was a British philosopher in the 17th century. He was known for stating the natural rights of life, liberty, and property. This philosophy informed the Declaration of Independence. -
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Paul Revere
Paul Revere was a silversmith as well as a patriot. He is made famous in the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem depicting his Midnight Ride. Paul Revere’s ride was an epic ride on horseback to warn the colonists that the Red Coats were coming. His warnings allowed the colonists to be prepared to defend themselves against the British. -
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Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd U.S president. His three greatest achievements are viewed as being the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence and writing the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and founding the University of Virginia. He is responsible for many of the ways our Constitution guides our current government. He was also a slave owner, which interesting because he believed in Locke's natural rights. -
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Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams was John Adams' wife, but was smart and independent. She raised her four children mostly on her own. She wrote a letter to her husband, John Adams asking him to keep women in mind while writing the Declaration of Independence. Abigail is most famous for her advocacy of female education and rights, as well as being an advocate against slavery. -
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The French Indian War
The French and Indian War was between France and Britain. According to History.com, “When France’s expansion into the Ohio River valley brought repeated conflict with the claims of the British colonies, a series of battles led to the official British declaration of war in 1756.” The was expensive for the British which led to greater taxation of the colonists. These taxes and the limiting of westward expansion increased colonists' anger at the British which led to the Revolutionary War. -
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Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was born into poverty in the British West Indies. He worked hard and started to make life better for himself. He worked hard for the U.S constitution and he made a name during the Revolutionary War. -
Proclamation of 1763
After the French and Indian war ended, the British Declared the Proclamation, the reason for this being the British were wanting to tighten their control over the colonies. The Proclamation’s purpose was to appease the Native Ameircans. It stopped the expansion of the colonies in the West. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was British legislation that wanted to end the smuggling of molasses and sugar from the French and Dutch West Indies. It was also aimed at giving more money to the British Empire after the French and Indian War, because had depleted their economy. -
Currency Act
Because there was often a currency shortage in the colonies, many of the colonies had to print their own paper money in the form of Bills of Credit. There was confusion due to the fact that there were no regulations. According to ushistory.org, “Parliament passed the Currency Act, effectively assuming control of the colonial currency system. The act prohibited the issue of any new bills and the reissue of existing currency." This explains the Currency Act. -
Stamp act
The Stamp Act was passed to help the British pay for troops in the colonies during the French and Indian War. It required American colonists to pay for a stamp on most papers and other things. It was a tax imposed without representation which led to the growing disgruntlement of the colonists. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770, on King’s Street in Boston. According to History.com, it escalated quickly. It turned into bloody slaughter very fast and got out of control. It started when just one soldier was guardian of the King’s money and American Colonists showed up and threatened violence. Once the soldier fought back by hitting a colonist with his bayonet, everything went downhill from there. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest. It happened at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. It’s cause was that the Colonists were angry because the British were taxing them without representation. As a result, the colonists dumped 342 bins of imported tea into the harbor, escalating tensions between the colonists and the British. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress took place in 1774. It’s purpose was to talk about the Coercive Acts, which were the lengths taken by the British government to punish colonists. They were taken because people were resisting the taxes from the British. -
"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" Speech
This is a speech by Patrick Henry, which included the famous line "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death." Patrick Henry was sure that war was coming. The purpose of the speech was a warning against the British crown and to motivate the colonists to take action. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress happened after the Revolutionary War had started in 1775. It helped greatly to unite the colonies to fight for America’s independence from Britain. -
Battle of Concord
The Battle of Concord, along with the Battle of Lexington are what started the Revolutionary War. They took place on April 19, 1774. These battles started with British troops looking for hidden colonist weapons. -
Declaration of Independence
According to the History.com Editors, “The Declaration of Independence was the first formal statement by a nation’s people asserting their right to choose their own government.” This means that the Declaration of Independence was written because Americans wanted their own government. It also stated that men should be governed in accordance with the natural rights they are born with. -
French Alliance
The French Alliance was a military alliance between France and America. According to Primary Documents in American History, “... [the]Treaty of Alliance required that neither France nor the United States agree to a separate peace with Great Britain, and that American independence be a condition of any future peace agreement.” This shows that the French were important to America winning the war. -
Battle of Yorktown
The British surrendered to the colonists at the Battle of Yorktown. This was the last major battle of the war. The siege in the battle started with a cannon blow. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris is what formally ended the war. According to History.com, “In the Treaty of Paris, the British Crown formally recognized American independence and ceded most of its territory east of the Mississippi River to the United States, doubling the size of the new nation and paving the way for westward expansion.” The Treaty of Paris was a final step in creating a new nation.
