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John Locke is born
Born on the 29th of August, 1632 in Wrington in the United Kingdom. He was a philosopher and influenced some of the US founding documents. -
Charles Montesquieu is born
Born on the 18th of January, 1869 in Bordeaux, France. He was a French lawyer and philosopher and influenced the US Constitution and the American government. -
John Locke's death
He died in High Laver in the United Kingdom at the age of 72. -
Samuel Adams is born
He was born on the 27th of September, 1722 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a Founding Father and a political philosopher as well as a second cousin of John Adams. -
Martha Washington is born
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was born in New Kent County, Virginia. She married Daniel Parke Custis in 1749. After he died in 1757, she married George Washington two years later. She became the first First Lady when George Washington became president. -
George Washington is born
Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was a General and Commander-in-Chief during the Revolutionary War. He was the first President of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. -
Paul Revere is born
Born on the 1st of January, 1735 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a silversmith and a Patriot in the American Revolution. -
John Adams is born
John Adams was born on 30 October, 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was the first Vice President of the United States, the second President, and a Founding Father. His son, John Quincy Adams became the sixth US President. -
John Hancock is born
Born on the 23rd of January, 1737 in Braintree, Massachusetts. He served as the President of the Second Continental Congress and the first and third Governor of Massachusetts. -
Benedict Arnold is born
He was born on January 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. He was an Army General for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He felt that he didn't get enough credit for the work he did in the American Army, and left and joined the British Army. -
Thomas Jefferson is born
Born on April 13, 1743 in Shadwell Virginia. He was a Founding Father, the second Vice President of the United States, and the third President. -
Abigail Adams is born
She was born on 22 November, 1744 in Weymouth, Massachusetts. She became the second First Lady of the United States, when her husband, John Adams, became president. She was an unofficial adviser to him during and before his presidency. Her son, John Quincy Adams, became the sixth US president after her death. -
Currency Act 1
The Currency Act of 1751 restricted the creation of money in America due to the depreciation when too much money was issued during the French and Indian wars. -
Alexander Hamilton is born
He was born on the 11th of January, 1755 in Charlestown, Saint Kitts and Nevis. He was a US Founding Father and chief aide to George Washington. -
Charles Montesquieu's death
He died of a fever in Paris on the 10th of February, 1755. -
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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War, also called the Seven Years' War, happened between 1756 and 1763. The war was a struggle of Britain against France, Spain, and the Native Americans. Britain was trying to regain lands in the colonies from other countries. It succeeded in gaining Canada from France and Florida from Spain. -
The Royal Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 gave Native Americans protection against settlers. It restricted anyone from encroaching on Native American land and only select people were allowed to trade with them. This measure in the United States ended at the start of the American Revolution but for Canada it continued. -
Currency Act 2
The Currency Act of 1764 prohibited paper money to be used in the colonies to pay for public or private debts. The Currency Act of 1751 had only restricted it to public debts. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was a revenue raising act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. Royal assent was given on the fifth of April, 1764 and commenced on the twenty-ninth of September, 1764. It was repealed in 1766 and replaced by the Revenue Act of 1766. -
Stamp Act of 1765
The Stamp Act of 1765 received Royal Assent on the 22nd of March, 1765 and was commenced on the first of November 1765. It was repealed on the 18th of March, 1766. The act was a tax on the colonies which gave Great Britain more revenue. -
Quartering Act of 1765
The Quartering Act of 1765 was given Royal Assent on May 15, 1765. The act required that Americans house British soldiers. The Quartering Act of 1774 was an amendment to this original act. Both of these expired on March 24, 1776. -
Declaratory Act of 1766
The Declaratory Act was given Royal Assent and commenced on 18 March, 1766. It gave Great Britain absolute power over all colonies. Since it applied to other colonies other than America, it was not repealed until 1964. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a series of acts enacted in 1767 and 1768. They included the Revenue Act of 1767, the Indemnity Act, the Commissioners of Customs Act, the Vice Admiralty Court Act, and the New York Restraining Act. The purposes of these Acts were to gain more revenue, impose more taxes, punish New York for not complying with the 1765 Quartering Act, and have stricter trade regulations for the American colonies. The partial repeal of these acts were given Royal Assent on April 12 1770. -
Boston Massacre
On the 5th of March, 1770 colonist protesters gathered to protest to the British soldiers stationed in Boston. The British soldiers were stationed there to enforce an unpopular taxation from Great Britain. When a British soldier accidentally fired at the protesters, the rest of the soldiers started firing. Five people were killed during the Boston Massacre; Crispus Attucks, Patrick Carr, Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, and James Caldwell. -
Boston Tea Party protest
On 16 December, 1773 colonists from Massachusetts dumped 342 chests of tea from British ships into the Boston Harbour. This was a protest against the Tea Act of 1773. After this protest, the Intolerable Acts were created in retaliation. -
Minutemen
Minutemen were a special, smaller group of men than those who fought in the militia. These men fought in the militia but were younger, stronger, and more highly trained men that fought in special units. These special units were present during the revolutionary war. -
The Boston Port Act
The Boston Port Act was given Royal Assent on March 20, 1774, passed by Parliament on March 25, 1774, and commenced on June 1, 1774. The act was a retaliation for the Boston Tea Party. The act closed all of Boston's ports, and didn't allow any ships to leave or arrive through the ports. -
The Massachusetts Government Act
The Massachusetts Government Act was given Royal Assent on May 20, 1774. The act commenced on June 1, 1774. The act gave the Massachusetts royally-appointed governor many powers over the people. -
Administration of Justice Act 1774
The Administration of Justice Act was commenced on May 20, 1774. The act gave royal officials special treatment in the legal system, a trial could even be called off if it might be 'unfair' for the British. -
The Quebec Act
The Quebec Act was given Royal Assent on June 22, 1774. The act set laws and procedures of governance in Quebec. This act was repealed in 1791. -
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First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies. They met between September 5, 1774 and October 26, 1774. They organized boycotts of British Parliament Acts, and petitioned to the King about the acts. -
"Give me liberty, or give me death" speech
The speech made by Patrick Henry with the famous finishing line "Give me liberty, or give me death!" was on the 23rd of March, 1775. It was an extremely powerful call to arms and encouraged the start of the Revolutionary War. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
On 19 April, 1775 about 700 soldiers from the British Army fired at 77 American Militiamen in Lexington. This was the Battle of Lexington. The colonists lost the battle, but the British Army moved on to Concord where the Militiamen fired on them on the North Bridge. Minutemen then arrived to help the Militia and the British were pushed back to Charleston Neck. These two battles were considered the first battles of the American Revolution. -
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Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met between 10 May, 1775 and 1 March, 1781 and comprised of delegates from the thirteen colonies. This Congress succeeded the First Continental Congress. They created the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17, 1775 the British defeated the colonists in the Battle of Bunker Hill, although most of it took place on Breed's Hill. With the colonists at the top of the hill and the British soldiers hiking up, they were an easy target. Many British soldiers were killed, however, as more kept coming the Americans ran out of ammunition and were forced to retreat. Because of the lack of ammunition, the British won the Battle of Bunker Hill. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document created by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, and Thomas Jefferson. It was signed by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence declared the colonies of the United States free from British and the king's control. -
Hessians
The British hired units of Hessian soldiers from Germany to help fight in the Revolutionary War. The first units arrived on August 15, 1776 and fought in almost all the Revolutionary War battles after that. -
The first Battle of Saratoga
On September 19, 1777 the British narrowly defeated the Americans. The British struck again on the 7th of October, 1777 with not as much luck. -
The second Battle of Saratoga
On the 7th of October, 1777, 18 days after the first battle of Saratoga, the Americans fought against the depleted British force and won. The British General surrendered ten days later. These battles, seen as the turning point in the war, convinced the French to take sides with Americans and became their ally. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States before the actual Constitution was created. It was created by the Second Continental Congress. It was ratified on March 1, 1781 and replaced by the Constitution on March 4, 1789. -
Treaty of Alliance signed
The Treaty of Alliance was signed on February 6, 1778 and made France an ally of America in the Revolutionary War. Britain declared war on France on March 17, 1778. -
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Battle of Yorktown
The Siege (or battle) of Yorktown was final battle of the Revolutionary war and was fought between the 28th of September and the 19th of October. In the final attack by the colonist on October 14th, capturing British defenses and forcing the British to surrender. This ended the Revolutionary War. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War and recognized America's independence from Great Britain. It was signed in Paris on September 3, 1783 and became effective on May 12, 1784. -
US Constitution
The United States Constitution was a document laying out the procedure of government and was created at the Philadelphia Convention. It replaced the Articles of Confederation. It was created on September 17, 1787 and was ratified on June 21, 1788. -
John Hancock's death
He died on 8 October, 1793 from unknown causes in the Hancock Manor in Massachusetts. -
George Washington's death
He died in Mount Vernon, Virginia on 14 December, 1799. Two days before his death, he started feeling sick after wearing wet riding clothes for a long period of time. The sickness eventually grew worse until he died on the 14th. -
Benedict Arnold's death
On the 14th of June, 1801 Benedict Arnold died from delirium in London. -
Martha Washington dies
Died in Mount Vernon, Virginia on 22 May, 1802 of a severe fever. -
Samuel Adams' death
He died on October 2nd, 1803 in Cambridge, Massachusetts from what may have been an essential tremor. -
Alexander Hamilton's death
He died in New York City on the 12th of July, 1804. He died in a duel with Aaron Burr, the third Vice President of the United States. -
Paul Revere's death
On May 10, 1818 Paul Revere died of Cancer in Boston, Massachusetts. -
Abigail Adams' death
Abigail Adams died on 28 October, 1818 in Quincy Massachusetts from a stroke. -
John Adams' death
John Adams died on the 4th of July, 1826 in Quincy, Massachusetts from a congestive heart failure. His last words were 'Thomas Jefferson still lives' although he had actually died 5 hours earlier. -
Thomas Jefferson's death
Thomas Jefferson died on the 4th of July, 1826, the same day that John Adams died. He died in Monticello Virginia from unknown causes.