-
1706, Reverend Francis Le Jau
In 1706, Reverend Francis Le Jau arrived in the New World as a missonary. He found slavery, and was bothered by it. He baptized many enslaved people, but was not able to do away with it. -
1739, Stono Rebellion
A group of about 80 slaves rebelled and started a march for fort Mose, which was in Florida. The Spanish who controlled Florida said anyone enslaved by the English could be free there. The slaves killed about 20 white men on there way, but were ultimately defeated by the local militia. Most were killed, and others were sold to plantations. -
1750, Slavery
By the year 1750, Slavery had become legal in every colony in North America. -
1751, Currency Act
In 1751, The currency act was put into place because of paper bills. The board of trade wanted to restrict the paper because its value diminished quickly, and they thought gold and silver were better. -
1754, A French Diplomat
Leading up to 1754, New England and New France often quarreled. This fight turned bloody when George Washington and some British colonists killed a French diplomat. This encounter started the Seven Years' War. -
Period: to
The Seven Years' War
This war was fought between New France and New England. The French started out winning, with several victorious attacks like the attack on Fort William Henry in 1757. After the Battle of Hastenbeck in 1757, the French forced the Germans, who were allied with England, to surrender. Then England sent reinforcements to North America. It was only a matter of time until the French fell. The Seven Years’ War ended with the peace treaties of Paris and Hubertusburg in 1763. -
1758, Quakers take a stand
Quakers turned on slavery because they believed all souls are equal. In 1758, Quakers disowned members who participated in the slave trade, and later expelled those who owned slaves from their meetings. -
Period: to
Pontiac's War
A native prophet, Neolin, had a vision of his God that the land is for the natives only. Pontiac took his words to heart and started a six month siege on a British fort, fort Detroit. The Native Americans killed over 2,000 settlers before making peace. Pontiac met with William Johnson at Fort Ontario and settled for peace in 1766. -
1763, Royal Proclamation
This proclamation marked the Appalachian Mountains as the boundary between the British and the Native Americans land. -
1764, Sugar Act
The sugar act was a law that put taxes on the trade of sugar to ensure Britain made more money. -
1765, Stamp Act
Much like the sugar act, the stamp act was put into place to make Britain money. It put taxes on stamp exports and imports. The act was made specifically for the colonies. -
Period: to
The Townshend Acts, 1767-1768
The Townshend Acts were made to tax the English colonists. This law put taxes on tea, glass, lead, paint, and paper. The colonists saw this as an abuse of power. -
1770, The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred because a few British soldiers thought a mob was forming, so they shot and killed 5 colonists. This even was spread throughout the colonies. -
1773, Tea trouble
In 1773, a tea act was put into place. However, the colonists in Boston did not like it, so they posted guards at the ports to make sure the tea never left the ships until they returned to England. This worked, as they could not be taxed if the tea never left the ship. This inspired other to do the same, and several other cities had the tea dumped or never delivered. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War part 1
In 1776, the British moved many troops to New York ans drove the American troops out through New Jersey. Washington launched a surprise attack on Christmas day. This won them much needed supplies. In 1777, British general John Burgoyne went to go secure the Hudson river, but reinforcements did not meet up with him, so he was defeated. Meanwhile, Benjamin Franklin was trying to secure a French alliance. This victory convinced the French to help America. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War part 2
On February 6, 1778, a Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed. In October of 1781, Washington moved his troops down to Virginia trying to trap General Charles Cornwallis, who had settled in Yorktown to wait for reinforcements. Washington got there first and laid siege to the city, forcing Charles to surrender. This was the final straw, and the British surrendered. Peace negotiations took place in France, and the war came to an end on September 3, 1783. -
1776, Common Sense
Thomas Paine published his pamphlet Common Sense, which became very popular. -
The First President of the United States
in 1789, George Washington becomes the first president of the United States. -
The Second President of the United States
John Adams became the second president of the United States in 1797.