-
The Stamp Act
King George became less popular in America with every tax he levied. American politicians began using the phrase "No taxation without representation", as a frequent battle cry. -
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were five harsh laws passed by British Parliament in 1774 meant to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party and other acts of rebellion. -
The Declaration of Independence
July 4, 1776, The Second Continental Congress adopted The Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, established by the United States of America as an independent nation, and consisted of John Locke's philosophy: Every person has three basic individual rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The government exists to protect these rights. If they don't, the people have the right to rebel. -
The Battle of Yorktown
In the war for freedom, the British had a superior navy, military, and weaponry. War was also relatively uncommon in Britain but that made them more inexperienced. America however, only had the fact that they were defending their homes, better knowledge of the terrain, and a possible French alliance making them the "underdogs" of war. -
The Treaty of Paris
Benjamin Franklin was the chief negotiator and ended up acquiring territory much larger than the thirteen colonies. This ended the American Revolution. -
The Constitutional Convention
When many Americans were unhappy with the weakness of the new government under the Articles of Confederation, people soon realized that America needed a whole new form of government and chose George Washington as presiding officer. The goals of the Constitutional Convention was to create a strong government while still allowing for some power to remain in the states. -
The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the US Constitution. -
The Election of 1800
In The Election of 1800 both candidates, (Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr) were seen as fairly bad options. To most people Burr seemed like the less extreme version of Jefferson because he didn't usually voice his opinion as much. In the end it was a tie that had to be broken by an endorsement by Alexander Hamilton.
