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Jamestown
Jamestown colony was settled by one hundred male colonists who were sent ahead to conquer and establish. The colonists had sailed from England in three ships, sent by the Virginia Company in late 1606, and landed first at the Chesapeake Bay area but were attacked by Indians and fled. -
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first bicameral legislature in the colonies. -
The Mayflower and the Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower carried 102 people half of which were separatists.
The Mayflower Compact was an agreement to submit to majority rule. Signed by the men on the Mayflower before they left the ship for land. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Company had gained a royal charter the year before and was settled by a group of one thousand Puritan immigrants in 1630 and were led by Governor John Winthrop. The colony was envisioned as being a haven from religious persecution. -
Maryland
MAryland was granteed a rolyal charter in 1632 and was a proprietary colony by 1634. It was founded by Lord Baltimore and was meant to make money and serve as a haven for Catholics. -
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Pequot Wars
A vrey powerful tribe in the Connecticut river valley, the Pequot tribe was virtually wiped out by the end of the conflict. This war is known as the first serious conflict between British settlers and Native Amenricans. -
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was tried and convicted for heresy and she, and her family, were banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. She was teaching Antinomialism, or diredct revelation, in her home. Her teachings threatened patriarchal control. -
Delaware
Named after Lorde De La Warr. Was closely associated with Pennsylvania. -
Roger Williams
Was a young, popular minister in Salem, Massachusetts and argued that Indians should be compensated for land. In 1635 he was found guilty of preaching "newe and dangerous opinions". He was subsequently exiled and fled to Rhode Island. -
First Navigation Act
Passed while Cromwell was in office. No goods grown or manufactured could leave the colonies without being transported on British ships with a British crew. Thsese goods had to pass through England before being sent anywhere else. Imports also had to pass through England. -
Second Navigation Act
This act added to the first and forbade certain enumerated articles such as tobacco, sugar, dyes, and wool to be shipped anywhere except to England or some British plantations. -
The Carolinas
Named for King Charles II,the Carolinas were given to eight Lord Proprietors. The Carolinas were very agriculturally based, with a focus on rice, indigo, and tobacco. In 1712, the Carolinas spit into North and South Carolina. -
New Jersey
Land was given to aristocratic proprietors were given land by the Duke of York. When advertising to potential colonists, a representative government and freedom of religion were promised. -
Third Navigation Act
The acts of 1651 and 1660 are expanded on at this point. -
Pennsylvania and William Penn
William Penn, an aristocratic Englishman, was given land by the crown to pay off debts to his father. The land would turn into Pennsylvania. Penn advertised a Quaker colony that was toloerant of other religoins as well and no slavery. Penn also purchased land from the Indians and created a treaty with the tribes. -
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King William's War
War between Britain and France and theirt colonies in North America. The colonies were ravaged by Indians who had allied with the French. Britain gained land as a result of this war. The colonies were also noticed more. -
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Queen Anne's War
Durring this war, Britain gained Canadian territories, including Nova Scotia. As a result, British naval forces were dominant. -
Georgia
Georgia was founded by James Oglethorpe and was the last of the thirteen colonies. Georgia provided a buffer between the other British colonies and Spanish Florida. It had a diverse community and was a haven for debtors. -
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King Georges War
The cause was the War of Austrian Succession. France allied with Spain. In the colonies, New Englanders invaded New France and took Louisburg. At the end of the war, Louisburg had to be returned. This enraged colonists -
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French and Indian War or Seven Years War
Conflict between the British and the French. The defeat of the French in this war greatly decreased their influence in the colonies. -
Proclamation Acts
This act prohibited settlement west of the Appalachian mountains. The purpose was to maintain control over the fur trade, to redirect the population, and to mantain colonial control. The act was easy to flaunt and the colonists perceived it as temporary. -
Sugar/Revenue Act
The purpose of this act was to defray British debt. Set a tariff on sugar and trials for smugglers were moved to Nova Scotia where there were no juries. The colonists protested through non-importation agreements, petitions and grievances to the King, and revolutionary pamphlets.This was the origin of colonial unity. -
Currency Act
Clonial assemblies could not print their own money and colonists could only pay taxes in specie (gold or silver) -
Stamp Act
Stamps were required for all parchment, including playing cards. Violators would be tried in admiralty courts. Durring this time, the colonists were unified by their disagreements and they harrassed distributors. At this time, the Bodton Loyal Nine became the Sons of Liberty. Property dammage was mainly done as retaliation while non-importation agreements were continued. -
Quartering Act
This act forced colonists to allow soldiers into colonial establishments. The Colonial Assemblies would pay for all goods necessary for troops. The colonists were taxed by the Colonial Assemblies to pay for this. -
Townshend Acts
Was a tax on tea, glass, lead, paint, paper and other frequently used items. The act was mainly passed because Parliament wanted to add judges and officials to the British payroll. As a result the circular letters, a petition, started. Non-importation agreements were continued. -
Townshend Acts Repealed
All the Townshend duties were repealed except for tea tariffs. -
Boston Massacre
A conflict between British soldiers and Boston civilians. THe British soldiers fired on the civilians killing five colonists and wounding six more. -
Tea Act
Was meant to save the British east India Company from bankruptcy. The company was given a monopoly on the colonies. A three pence tax was levied but the price lessened. The act put other tea companies and smugglers out of business. -
Boston Tea Party
Boston radicals, disguised as Native Americans, threw 350 chests of tea into Boston harbor in response to British taxes on tea. This protest was organized by a radical group known as the Sons of Liberty. -
Intolerable Acts
The purpose of these acts was to punish the colonists until they paid back all the money lost from the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Port Act had British ships block Boston harbor. Mass. Government Act shut down the original assembly and set up an Appointed Assembly. The Administration of Justice Act allowed the governor to send trials to Nova Scotia or England. The Quartering Act regulated and enforced the existing act. Quebec Act extended Quebec's jurisdiction into the Ohio river valley. -
First Continental Congress
A meeting in Philadelphia which 56 delegates from every colony, except Georgia, attended. The congress sent a petition to George III requesting the repeal of all regulatory acts since 1763 and informing him of the continued boycott of British goods. -
Lexington and Concord
British General Thomas Gage sent British troops to Concord to seize colonial arms stored there and to arrest any rebel leaders found. While on their way to Concord, the troops were stopped on the town green in Lexington. Shots rang out and 8 colonists were killed while 10 were wounded. The British troops marched on to Concord where they destroyed military stores and food supplies before colonists opened fire . The troops retreated to Lexington where they met reinforcements. -
Second Continental Congress
Met in Philadelphia and authorized the printing of paper money to buy supplies for war, established a commitee to supervise relations with foreign countries, and created a Continental Army. The congress also approved of and sent the "Olive Branch Petition" to George III. This was a final gesture for peace which failed when the king would not even receive the document. -
Bunker/Breed's Hill
Was a colonial victory and the final act causing Gage and his troops to leave Boston. -
Peace of Paris
the official ending to the Revolutionary War and recognized the colonies' independence. Gave US a western boundary stretching all the way to the Mississippi River. The British said they would evacuate Nirthwestern Troops. -
George Washington
George Washington was the first president of the United States. He is the only president to be voted in unanimously by the Electoral College. He also set the precedent of the president serving only two terms in office. -
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French Revolution
A revolution that America looked at as being similar to its own. It would later become very violent. -
France Declares War on England
The US gave a proclamation of neutrality instead of sideing with France. This ended up helping France even more because trade was still allowed and had not been blocked. This neutrality was not particularly respected even though Washington proclaimed the rights of neutrals which were fair trade and fair actions. -
Citizen Genet Affair
Genet was a frenchmantrying to recruit US citizens for the French army. Once Washington found out he was quickly kicked out of the country. -
Barbary Pirates
Pirates off the North African coast that were ransacking US ships. A bribe of 1 million dollars was given to the pirates so as to stop the attacks. These encounters led to the formation of the US Navy. Six ships were commissioned for the navy but only three were completed. -
Jay's Treaty
A war is about to break out . Britain agrees to leave northwest forts. It also gauranteed that the US would pay all debts owed to Britain from before the Revolutionary War. -
Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle against Miami Confederation. The US was successful and was led by Mad Anthony Wayne. -
Treaty of Greenville
Indians gave up and the treaty gave immense amounts of land to the US. It promised peace but this aspect of it was greatly overlooked. Signed at Fort Greenville. -
Pinckney"s Treaty
Gave the US right of deposit at port of New Orleans and also gave US control of some land in northern Florida. Treaty with Spain. -
John Adams Administration
John Adams is elected. He was unpopular as a person and believed in a strong executive branch. His Vice President was Jefferson. -
XYZ Affair
US delegates were sent to France to settle disputes. There were to meet with the head of the French government, Talleyrand. The delegates were met by three men who offered a monetary bribe for them to speak with Talleyrand. The US officials refused to pay. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Naturilization Act changed the years living in the US before you could become a citizen from five to fourteen. Alien Enemies Act claimed that residents of the US could be deported if seen as a threat. Sedition Act stated that it was illegal to criticize the government, it was heavily protested in Republican circles for its violation of the first amendment. Protests to the act came in the form of the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions which claimed that states should be able to nullify acts. -
Convention of 1800
Settled the undeclared war between France and US. It also declared the French alliance void and established a commercial treaty instead. -
Louisianna to Spainish
France retrocedes Louisianna to Spain. -
Marbury v Madison
This Supreme Court case dealt with the constitutionality of the Midnight Judges who were appointed by John Adams on his last day in office. The Jefferson Administration did not deliver the appoints and William Marbury sued in response. This court case established judicial review and made the Judicial Branch equal to the other two branches. -
Non-Intercourse Act
This act was just an embargo against Britain and France. It openeed trade significantly since citizens were allowed to train with other countries. -
Madison Precidency
Madison is elected president. He was known as a great statesman but a poor politician; he was not personal and was called "stubborn to the point of stupidity. Madison had previously served as secretary of state. -
Erskine Agreement
Erskine, England's foreign minister, says England will drop their orders of council if the US will drop the embargo. England goes back on this promise. -
Macon's Bill #2
This bill replaced the nonintercourse act and stated that if England or France dropped their trade restrictions first, then the US would trade with that country and maintain the embargo against the other country. This was the first bill to favor the British. Previously, the Embargo of 1807 and the Non-Intercourse Acts favored France. -
Madison Gives an Ultimatum
Madison gives Britain an ultimatum. A six month chance to drop the Orders of Council. Britian does not do so. -
New Restrictions on British Trade
Madison imposes new restrictions on British trade. -
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War of 1812
The US declared war on Britain in 1812. The reasons stated in the formal declaration of war were that Americans were tired of the Impressment of sailors on US ships that were seized by the British. The declaration also stated the violation of neutrality and the Orders of Council. The war would produce many heroes including former president Andrew Jackson. The war was fought on many fronts including the western border of the US, the border between the US and Cananda, the Great Lakes, and the sea. -
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent ended the war of 1812. Both England and the US made astronomical demands which were especially high seeing as neither side had clearly won. The treaty did not really serve any purpose other than to declare an end to the war and establish a convention system between the US and Britian.
