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The War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European conflict triggered by the death of Charles II of Spain in November 1701. -
Seven Year's War
Britain and Prussia defeat France, Spain, Austria, and Russia. France loses North American colonies, Spain gives Florida to Britain in exchange for Cuba. -
The beginning of the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution began when agricultural societies became more industrialized and urban. The railroad, the cotton gin, electricity and other inventions permanently changed society. -
James Watt invents the Steam Engine
James Watt was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist who improved the steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1776. This made a huge impact to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both Great Britain and the rest of the world. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a riot that occurred on March 5, 1770. It took place on King Street in Boston. It began as a street brawl between American colonists and a British soldier. It quickly escalated to a bloody slaughter. The conflict energized anti-Britain sentiment and paved the way for the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest that occurred on December 16, 1773, at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. The American colonists were very frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” therefore they dumped 342 chests of British tea into the harbor. This event was the first major act of opposition to British rule over the colonists. -
The Declaration of Independence is approved
The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence. It was written by Jefferson in Philadelphia on July 4, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence. -
The French Revolution begins
The French Revolution was a turning point in modern European history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte.