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African Americans advocate for Emancipation
William Penn began monthly meetings for blacks advocating emancipation. -
First Seed Drill Invented
Jethro Tull was the inventor and an instrumental figure in English agriculture, pushing to imporve age-old agrarian practices by applying science and technology. -
War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession begins-the last of Louis XIV's wars for domination of the continent. The Peace of Utrecht (1714) will end the conflict and mark the rise of the British Empire. Called Queen Anne's War in America, it ends with the British taking New Foundland, Acadia, and Hudson's Bay Territory from France, and Gibraltar and Minorca from Spain. -
Piano Invented
Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian harpsichord maker is credited with the invention of the piano. -
Queen Anne's War Ends
The British won the Queen Anne’s War and concluded it with a treaty in 1713. They also gained control of many new areas in North America including Acadia, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay and St. Kitts island. -
The Yamasee War
By 1715, the British had established many colonies in North America. They also took over many of the lands of the Native Americans who resented them.This and many other factors led to the start of the Yamasee War. This war was fought between British colonists of South Carolina at one side and a number of Native American tribes at the other side led by the Yamasee tribe. The Native Americans destroyed a number of settlements and killed a large number of colonists. -
Joy to the World, published
Isaac Watts publishes "Psalms of David Imitated" a hymnal full of Davids praises converted to New Testament language. The song "JOy to the World" was originally meant as a praise song. -
Immanuel Kant born
He would go on to become one of the Central Enlightment thinkers. Kant, a German philosopher, was regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern Western Philosophy. -
The Carolina's become royal colonies
The North Carolina and South Carolina was originally established by independent British colonists. This meant that the government of the colonies was done by these independent colonists. But people didn’t like their government and by 1729, the British king purchased the colonies from the colonists. These colonies now became a possession of the crown and directly came under the British rule. -
Benjamin Franklin publishes Poor Richards Almanack
An annual publication that was created fo the purpose of promoting his printing business. -
The Iron Act
The British parliament passed the Iron Act in 1750. This act eliminated the taxes paid by Britain on the iron imported from its American colonies. It also said that the American colonies should not use iron for production and export it in raw form to Britain. -
Britain passes Iron Act
The British parliament passed the Iron Act in 1750. This act eliminated the taxes paid by Britain on the iron imported from its American colonies. It also said that the American colonies should not use iron for production and export it in raw form to Britain. The American colonies didn’t like the act because it stopped them from established production facilities on their own land. The Iron Act was one of the main causes that angered the Americans and led to the American Revolution. -
Lightening Rod Invented
Benjamin Franklin invented the Lightning Attractor or Franklin Rod as a part of his groundbreaking exploration of electricity. -
Frend & Indian War Begin
In 1754, the French and Indian War began. This war was fought between British colonies in North America and the French colonies as well as their allies. The war was mainly fought for the control of the Ohio River Valley. The French initially won many victories. Then in 1757, more soldiers arrived from Britain and the British colonists were able to defeat the French and their Indian allies. As a result, they gained control of the Ohio River Valley. -
Start of the French & Indian War
Resulted from an attempt by the Austrian Habsburgs to win back the province of Silesia, which had been taken from them by Frederick the Great of Prussia.
The war also involved overseas colonial struggles between Great Britain and France, the main points of contention being the struggle for control of North America. -
Sextant invented
John Campbell invents the sextant, an instrument useful for finding longitude by measuring angular distance between the moon and a nearby star. It was also used on land and to find latitude at sea. -
King George II issues the Royal Proclamation of 1763
After the French and Indian War had ended, the King George II of Britain issued a Royal Proclamation. This proclamation was aimed at protecting the rights of the Native Americans. It said that the colonists should not settle on the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. Some colonists had been given land grants in that area, and this meant the loss of these grants. This angered the colonists and became one of the reasons why colonists eventually rebelled against the British rule. -
The Stamp Act Passed
The Stamp Act is passed; a British attempt to cover the costs of the 7 Years War (French and Indian War) and the stationing of troops in America led to the cry, “No taxation without representation.” -
Repeal of the Stamp Act
Parliament votes to repeal the Stamp Act, which had aroused rebellion in both Britain and America. On March 17: King George III approves the repeal of the Stamp Act. -
The Townshend Acts
Parliament enacts a series of taxes to replace the Stamp Act. -
Boston Massacre
A confrontation in which a group of nine British soldiers shot five people out of a crowd of 3-400 who were abusing them verbally and throwing various things, including snowballs. -
Amazing Grace written
John Newton, in Olney Negland writes one of the most beloved and popular hymns. -
First Black Baptist Church in America Founded
Silver Bluff, South Carolina Founded by Wait Palmer, a white connecticut minister and African American pastore George Liele. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of colonial patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians board three ships in Boston harbor and dump more than 300 crates of tea overboard as a protest against the British Tea Tax. This was the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonists. It showed Great Britain that Americans wouldn't take taxation and tyranny sitting down and rallied American patriots across the 13 colonies to fight for independence. -
First Congressional Congress Meets
In Philadelphia, with 56 delegates representing every colony except Georgia. Delegates would include Patrick Henry, George Washington and Samuel Adams. -
Colonial Flag flown
The First "Official" flag of the 13 colonies known as the "Continental Colors" Combined the British Kings Colours and the 13 stripes that represented the 13 Colonies, to symbolize unity. The Favorite design of George Washington he chose it to be flown at the formation of the Continental Army on New Years Day. -
Paul Revere Ride
Two lanterns are lit in the Old North Church steeple to indicate the British are crossing the Charles River, and Paul Revere begins his ride. -
Battle of Lexington & Battle of Concord
The famous 'shot heard round the world' marked the start of the American War of Independence. This persuaded many Americans to take up arms and support the cause. -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
The first offensive victory for colonists. This win secured the strategic passageway north to Canada and netted the patriots an important cache of artillery. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Fought at Breeds Hill. The Battle of Bunker Hill is an important turning point in the Revolution. Before this, the civil unrest was primarily an effort to bring the British authority back to the “salutary neglect” prior to the Stamp Act. The Battle of Bunker Hill, however, was proof that the Americans could hold their own and might even stand a chance of winning more than just the good graces of their monarch. -
Marine Corps Established
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Declaration of Independence ratified
The Second Continental Congress unanimously voted to separate from Great Britian, declaring the United States's independence. -
Articles of Confederation
An agreement of the first 13 states of the United States of America that served as its first frame of government. It was approved after much debate by the Second Continental Congress. -
Bi-Focal glasses Invented
Benjamin Franklin invented as he suffered from presbyopia, so he was "happy in the invention of double spectacles, which serving for distant objects as well as near ones, make my eyes as useful to me as ever they were." -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown, also called the Siege of Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War even though the Treaty of Paris, ending the war, would not be signed for another 2 years. -
Treaty of Paris
Signing in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States of America, officially ending the American Revolutionary War. -
Threshing Machine invented
Andrew Meikle invented the threshing machine to remove the outer husks from grains of wheat. Before the development of the threshing machine threshing was a very laborious process, done by hand with flails. By the 18th century it occupied about one-quarter of agricultural labor, providing employment to a very large number of workers.
My grandfather owned a steam powered threshing machine and toured with it when I was small child. -
Delaware becomes First State Ratfied
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Pennsylvania becomes 2nd State of the Union
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New Jersey becomes 3rd State in the Union
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Georgia becomes 4th State in the Union
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Connecticut becomes 5th State in the Union
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Massachusetts becomes 6th State in the Union
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Maryland becomes 7th State in the Union
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South Carolina becomes 8th State of the Union
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New Hampshire becomes 9th State of the Union
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Virgina becomes 10th State of the Union
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New York becomes 11th State of the Union
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The Judiciary Act of 1789
The first actions of the newly created Congress were to pass the Judiciary Act of 1789 that made provisions for the Supreme Court. It said that it would consist of a Chief Justice and five Associate Justices and they would meet in the nation's capital. The Judiciary Act also marked out the United States into circuits and districts. Three circuit courts were created. -
George Washington Inaugurated First President
The first inauguration was help on the balcony of the Federal Hall in New York City, New York. It was held nearly two months after the beginning of the first four-year term of George Washingtons Presidency.
It was 5 p.m. at Mount Vernon on April 14, 1789, when Washington received official notification that he had been unanimously selected by the Electoral College to be the nation's first president. -
North Carolina becomes 12th State of the Union
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Rhode Island becomes 13th State of the Union
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First U.S. Patent
Issued to Samuel Hopkins for a process of making potash, an ingredient used in fertilizer. President George Washington signed the first patent. -
Vermont becomes 15th State of the Union
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The Bill of Rights Ratified
Three Fourths of the States had ratified 10 of the 12 amendments adopted by congress. -
Kentucky becomes 15th State of the Union
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Cotton Gin Patented
U.S. Born inventor that revolutionized the production of cotton by greatly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. By the mid 19th Century, cotton had become America's leading export. -
Tennessee becomes 16th State of the Union
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The United States Army is Established