1700-1799 Timeline

  • First Slave Code

    The House of Burgesses Passed the first slave code regarding the children of slaves on plantations.
  • Francis Le Jau is Introduced to American Slavery

    As a missionary in Charlestown, Carolina, Francis Le Jau was introduced to the severity and intensity of slavery in America. He was made aware of how fast it was taking off, being less than 100 years old. This also stresses how prevalent it was in America, and what a disheartening scene it must have been.
  • The Walking Purchase

    The Penn family set aside approximately 1,200,000 acres to inhabit just north of the Delaware River. They forced the Lenape tribe to vacate it, and without help from the Iroquois tribe they had no choice but to comply.
  • Killing of a Rebellious Slave Law

    A new law was passed in the United States that said if a slave who was rebelling was killed it was not a crime. An even further part of this law stated that if someone were to kill any slave it would only be treated as a misdemeanor.
  • Slavery is Legalized

    In 1750, slavery became legal in every colony in North America though the practice looked quite different in each one.
  • Currency Acts of 1751 and 1763

    Due to problems such as counterfeiting and quicker loss of value, the Board of Trade restricted the use of all paper money. The aim of these acts was to encourage bartering and trade and hopefully dissolve the problems listed above.
  • Philadelphia Overtakes Boston as Center for Colonial Printing

    Philadelphia became the center for colonial printing after finally passing Boston. The main two reasons for this was the arrival of scholar Benjamin Franklin and the surge in German immigrants who requested for reading material in their own language.
  • Urban Cities Grow in BNA

    In the year 1775, the five largest cities in British North America were Boston, Newport, New York, Philadelphia and Charleston. Societal structures began to spring up in these cities, with a more distinguished working and upper class, thus setting the groundwork for future urban cities.
  • George Washington Presidency

    George Washington became the first president of the United States in 1789 and served until 1797.
  • Cotton Gin Invention

    With the rise of slavery and therefore a demand for cotton, Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin became one of the most popular and necessary inventions of his time, significantly reducing the time and effort needed for harvesting cotton.