-
Post Office Act
The British Post Office Act of 1710 was created to improve the colonial postal system. With this act, a deputy postmaster general for the colonies was created as well as uniform rates for letter parcels. The British Post Office Act of 1710 was effective for all of the British colonies. -
Benjamin Franklin Postmaker
Franklin was announced postmaster of Philadelphia by the British Crown. During this time, post was mostly transatlantic correspondence consisting of official and commercial business. -
The Beginning of the Seven Years War
As a result of the war, Britain controlled French Canada and east of the Mississippi River. However, the war became a source of many American grievances, as Britain attempted to consolidate their controlled areas. -
English Dictionary
Samuel Johnson publishes the first English language dictionary. -
King George III
Following several decades of Whig administration, King George III ushered in the Tories. Tories thought that colonies should be submissive to their mother country, so this was a significant political shift for the American colonies. Previously, the colonies were largely left to their own devices in terms of governance. Several proclamations were issued during his reign, prompting the colonies to demand independence. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was the first attempt by Parliament to tax the American colonies directly, unlike prior legislation. Newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards all had to pay a new stamp tax under the Stamp Act. Previously, the colonies had paid Parliament through a combination of indirect and internal taxes. Because it immediately impacted most people's daily life, the Stamp Act sparked far more popular opposition. -
The Regulating Act and the Tea Act
Britain still needed money, so the two new acts were passed to help the struggling East India Company. The Tea Act permitted the firm to sell tea to colonists directly without having to pay the regular import tariffs. While the Tea Act did cut prices, colonists were opposed to Parliament granting a monopoly and sneakily increasing taxes. Later that year, resistance culminated in the legendary Boston Tea Party. -
The Beginning of the Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War began in Massachusetts when British forces came face to face with a town militia. The British battalions had hoped to grab supplies in Lexington and Concord, but were chased back to Boston instead. The Battle of Bunker Hill was the conclusion of a long siege of Boston. Ironically, at the time of the conflict, the Continental Congress had not yet declared war. -
The Declaration of Independence is Approved
The Continental Congress accepted the Declaration of Independence after more wrangling and rejection of British-American compromise. First and foremost, the treaty declared the American colonies' independence from Britain. The reasons for the colonists' continuous insurrection were also highlighted in the paper. The Revolutionary War was escalated to full-scale conflict after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. -
George Washington
George Washington becomes the first president of the United States of America.