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The House of Burgesses passes one of the first slave acts
This slave act ensured that racial segregation would be instrumental in the life of the colonists. African Americans could be mistreated by their white enslavers with virtually no interference from the law. -
George Whitefield begins his revival meetings in America
George Whitefield was one of the key players in the Great Awakening, the religious revival movement that overtook America in the 1730s and 40s. -
The Stono Rebellion
This slave rebellion in South Carolina indicated the growing discontent among the American enslaved population. It also showed that African Americans were capable of coordinating a rebellion. This event resulted in the deaths of both enslaved people and white people. -
The French and Indian War
This conflict in North America was part of the larger conflict between European powers known as the Seven Years War. In America this conflict was a culmination of disputes over territories on the North American continent between the British and the French who had support from the Native Americans. After initial victories by the French, the British emerged victorious with the capture of Montreal. The war officially ended in 1763. -
Sugar and Currency Acts passed by Britain
The passing of these acts restricted paper money in the colonies and ensured that smugglers would not have trial by jury. For many colonists, this seemed to indicate a new pattern of increasing control and taxation. -
Stamp Act passed by the British
The Stamp Act was another form of taxation on the colonies, requiring that certain paper goods be marked with a special stamp. The colonists were angry because this was an internal tax, and they believed that Britain was continuing to treat the colonists as second-class citizens. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was the result of an confrontation between a British private and Boston citizens outside of the Customs House in Boston. When the confrontation turned violent, the British sent reinforcements to defend the private from a growing mob. In the confusion one of the British guards fired his weapon, and the resulting violence left five colonists dead. This event enraged the colonists leading to more animosity towards the British Empire. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party began when a group of colonists under the name the Sons of Liberty boarded a British ship in the harbor at Boston. The men dressed as Native Americans and threw 342 crates of tea into the harbor in protest of the British taxation on the colonies. In response, the British passed the Intolerable Acts, attempting to tighten their hold on the colonies. The British did not anticipate the rebellious response of the colonists. -
First meeting of the Continental Congress
In response to the growing taxation and control on the part of the British Empire, the colonies sent 12 delegates to the First Continental Congress. The delegates created several documents outlining their grievances against Britain as well as creating the framework for an independent government. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
This document officially declared the American colonies independent from the British Empire. -
Treaty of Paris officially ends the Revolutionary War
After being defeated at Yorktown, the British began peace negotiations with America. These negotiations resulted in the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War. -
Invention of the cotton gin
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a device which made harvesting cotton significantly easier. This invention helped give rise to the Cotton Boom in the South, an event that firmly cemented slavery as a part of the Southern culture and economy.