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Mayflower
November 9, the Mayflower ship lands at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with 101 colonists. On November 11, the Mayflower Compact is signed by the 41 men, establishing a form of local government in which the colonists agree to abide by majority rule and to cooperate for the general good of the colony. The Compact sets the precedent for other colonies as they set up governments. -
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Independence
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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War, known in Europe as the Seven Year's War, ends with the Treaty of Paris. Under the treaty, France gives England all French territory east of the Mississippi River, except New Orleans. The Spanish give up east and west Florida to the English in return for Cuba. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763, signed by King George III of England, prohibits any English settlement west of the Appalachian mountains and requires those already settled in those regions to return east in an attempt to ease tensions with Native Americans. -
Sons of Liberty
The sons of liberty used force and violence to eventually force all British Stamp agents to resign and stop many American merchants from ordering from British trade goods. -
Quartering Act
The New York assembly refuses to compleetely comply with the quartering act. The significance of this event is that colonist were tired of the outrageous taxes, laws, and acts so they decided to do what they wanted and be independent. -
Boston Tea Party
About 8000 Bostonians gather to hear Sam Adams tell them Royal Governor Hutchinson has repeated his command not to allow the ships out of the harbor until the tea taxes are paid. That night, the Boston Tea Party occurs as colonial activists disguise themselves as Mohawk Indians then board the ships and dump all 342 containers of tea into the harbor. This was the defiance against the English crown and their treatment of the colonies in America. -
Colonist Weapon Depot
General Gage orders 700 British soldiers to Concord to destroy the colonists' weapons depot. -
Congress in Massachusetts
The Provincial Congress in Massachusetts orders 13,600 American soldiers to be mobilized. Colonial volunteers from all over New England assemble and head for Boston, then establish camps around the city and begin a year long siege of British-held Boston. -
Lexington and Concord
American militias defeat British troops in the battles of Lexington and Concord. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Two day engagement bewteen British and American forces. Americans had occupied Breed's Hill in order to protect the shipyard of nearby Boston. Thew next day the British attacked and siezed the hill, but took heavy casualties.
