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The French and Indian War, also known as the seven years war, took place from the year 1754 to 1763. Conflict arose between the French and British over France's expansion of the Ohio River Valley causing battles that would lead to the British officially declaring war in 1756. During the peace conference of 1763, the British received territories located in Canada from the French and also Flordia from Spain. By receiving Flordia, it opened the Mississippi Valley up for westward expansion.
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Also known as the Plantation Act or Revenue Act, the Sugar Act was set in action by the British legislation in 1764. It was aimed towards putting an end to the smuggling of sugar and molasses from the French and Dutch West Indies. The other purpose of the Sugar Act was to help provide economical relief for the British following the French and Indian War.
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The Stamp Act was the first internal tax imposed directly on the colonists by the Britsih Parliament to help with their debt from the French and Indian War. It was an act that put a tax on all paper documents throughout the colonies. The colonists thought of this act as unconstitutional which led them to use mob violence in a way to intimidate stamp collectors into resigning.
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Beginning as a street brawl, the Boston Massacre was a deadly riot that took place in Boston, Massachusetts on King Street on March 5, 1770. What began as a mob of American colonists, also known as Patriots, taunting a group of British soldiers by throwing snowballs at them led to five patriots being killed and three were injured because one gunshot by a British solider led to other soldiers firing. The Sons of Liberty, a partriot group, advertise this massacre as a battle for American liberty.
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The Intolerable Acts, also known as Coercive Acts, were punitive laws or acts put in place by the Britsih Parliament after the defiance shown by the colonists during the Boston Tea Party. The four acts that were put in place were the Boston Port Bill which would close Boston Harbor, the Massachusetts Government Act which replaced the local government with an appointive one, the Administration of Justice Act which allowed British officials to be tried in other colonies, and the Quartering Act.
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The Battle of Lexington took place at dawn on April 19, 1775, on the town green. The colonists who were there to fight were heavily our numbered. On to this day, we are unsure of which side shot first. When the Britsih arrived in Concord, they burned whatever they found which led to the fire becoming slightly out of control. The British would fire first at Concord's North Bridge where the colonists returned the volley. This was known as the "shot heard 'round the world".
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The Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts was a battle where the American colonists' saught defeat by the Britsih. With being out-numbered by the British forces, resulted in the inexperienced colonial military with facing casualties against the enemy throughout the battle. This battle, however, did provide the colonists a boost of confidence that was needed during the Siege of Boston. Even though it is known as the Battle of Bunker Hill, it was fought nearby at Breed's Hill.
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Years before being appointed commander-in-chief, George Washington had fought in battles and/or wars, such as the French and Indian War. On June 19, 1775, George Washington was nominated by John Adams and was chosen over the other candidate, John Hancock, to be the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. This decision was based on the prior military experience he had while also bringing hope to the Continental Congress that a leader from Virginia could help the colonies unite.
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"Common Sense" written by Thomas Paine was a pamphlet that set forth his argument which was in favor of the independence that Americans were fighting for. It was originally published anonymously, but the pamphlet was an advocate for the American colonies and the independence they were wanting from Britain. It is one of the most influential pamphlets in American history and is given the credit for uniting the colonists and political leaders on the idea of independence.
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In North Carolina, the battle of Moore's Creek Bridge took place on February 27, 1776. It was a victory for the Americans as they had defeated British forces. This victory that the Americans just achieved, ended British authority in North Carolina while providing a boost to Patriot morale that was very important. This would lead to North Carolina becoming the first colony to vote in favor of freedom from Britain's reign on April 12, 1776.
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Written by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, the Declaration of Independence was a document that was approved by the Continental Congress and adopted on July 4, 1776. This document announced the separation of the 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain. Although we celebrate the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, the final separation was officially voted on July 2, 1776.
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The Franco-American alliance was formed during the Revolutionary War. It was an alliance formed by the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance in Paris by both the U.S. and France. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce recognized the U.S. as an independent nation while also encouraging trade between the Americans and French. The Treaty of Alliance provided a military alliance against the British while also having independence be seen as a condition for peace.
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The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States that was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. It was not ratified, however, by all thirteen states until March 1, 1781. One of the reasons the ratification process took so long is because of the arguing between Virginia and Maryland over land claims.
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The Battle of Yorktown, also known as the Seige of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German Battle, is when Charles Cornwallis, a British General Lord, and his army surrendered to General George Washington's American force and their French allies. This win that took place in Yorktown, Virginia, marked the conclusion of the last major battle of the American Revolution and the start of a new nation's independence.
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The Treaty of Paris of 1783 was the formal ending of the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay were the American statesmen who negotiated the peace treaty with representatives of King George III. The treaty has the British Royalty formally recognize the independence of America and surrender most of its territory east of the Mississippi River to the U.S. which doubled the size of the new nation. This helped create a path or way towards westward expansion.
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Shay's Rebellion lasted from August 1786 to February 1787, was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts as a response to a debt situation among the citizens and in resistance to the state government's increased effort to collect taxes both on their trades and individuals. The fighting of Shay's Rebellion took place around Springfield during 1786 and 1787. Shay's Rebellion also showed how precarious the future of the U.S. as if it continued to work under the Articles of Confederation.
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Written by James Madison in 1787, the United States Constitution was the fundamental law of the U.S. federal system of government. The oldest written national constitution still in use and is a landmark of the western world. This document defines the principal organs of government, their jurisdictions, and the basic rights of citizens. The author was heavily influenced by the country's experience under the Articles of Confederation and how it did not give enough power to the government.
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Taking place from May 25 to September 17, 1787, the Constitutional Convention was an event that drew up the U.S. Constitution. The convention was held at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, to modify or change the Articles of Confederation. All states responded to the invite except for Rhode Island. Some of the delegates that attended were George Washington, James Madison, and Ben Franklin. Out of 74 deputies chosen, 55 took part in the proceedings which 39 signed the Consitution.
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The Federalists Papers were published and written to help urge the American citizens living in New York to ratify the Consitution that was being proposed. Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, the authors of the Federalists Papers, argued that the lack of power that existed under the Articles of Confederation prevented the new nation from becoming strong enough to compete on the world stage. The 85 articles and essays were published on May 28, 1788.
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The Bill of Rights, written by James Madison, was the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution in the United States. They were put in place to reinforce the guarantees of individual rights and the limitations on the federal and state governments. It was adopted as a single unit on December 15, 1791.
