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French and Indian War
As the French empire in North America expanded, it collided with the growing British empire. During the late 17th and first half of the 18th centuries, France and Great Britain had fought three inconclusive wars. Each war had begun in Europe but spread to their overseas colonies. In 1754, after six relatively peaceful years, the French–British conflict reignited. This conflict is known as the French and Indian War. -
Treaty of Paris 1763
War between France and Britain. British won the war with a surprise attack against Quebec. The war officially ended in 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Great Britain claimed Canada and almost all of North America east of Mississippi River. Britain also took Florida from Spain, which allied itself with France. Treaty permitted Spain to keep possession of lands west of Mississippi and city of New Orleans, which it gained from France in 1762. France got back control of only few island -
Proclamation of 1763
To avoid further costly conflicts with Native Americans, the British government prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Proclamation of 1763 established a Proclamation Line along the Appalachians, which the colonists were not allowed to cross. However, the colonists, eager to expand westward from the increasingly crowded Atlantic seaboard, ignored the proclamation and continued to stream onto Native American lands. -
Sugar Act & Colonist Response
Great Britain had borrowed so much $ during war, nearly doubled its national debt. 1764 Grenville prompted Parliament to enact law known as Sugar Act. It did 3 things: halved duty on foreign-made molasses in hopes that colonists would pay lower tax instead of risk arrest by smuggling, placed duties on certain import that hadn't been taxed before. Most important, provided colon. accused of violating the act would be tried in a vice-admirality court, colonists complained but act didnt affect them -
Stamp Act & Colonists Response
Parliament passed Stamp Act in 1765. It imposed tax on documents and printed items. May of 1765, colonists united to defy the law. OCtober 1765, merchants agreed to boycott british goods until act was repealed. March 1766, parliament repealed law but on same day passed declaratory act. 1767 parliament passed townshend acts -
Declaratory Act
Declaratory Act passed same day as Stamp Act was repealed. Declaratory Act asserted Parliaments full right "to bind colonies and people of America in all cases whatsoever." -
Sons of Liberty is formed and Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was one of the sons of liberty. Led colonists again to boycott british goods -
Townshend Acts & Colonists Response
Parliament passed townshend acts, named after Charles Townshend, the leading gov't minister. Act taxed goods that were importened into the colony from Britain. Acts also imposed a tax on tea. Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boycotted British goods again after this. -
Boston Massacre
March 5, 1770, mob gathered in front of the Boston Customs House and taunted the British sodliers standing guard. Shots fired and 5 colonists, including Crispus Attucks, were killed or mortally wounded. Colonist leaders quickly labled this conflict the Boston Massacre. -
Tea Act
British gave the East India Company special concessions in the colonial tea business and shut out colonial tea merchants. Colonists in Boston rebeled and dumped 18,000 pounds of East India Company tea into the Boston Harbor. 1773, Lord North devised the Tea Act to save nearly bankrupt British East India Company. Act granted the company right to sell tea to colonies free of taxes that colonial tea sellers had to pay. Action wouldve cut colonial merchants out of tea trade. -
The Boston Tea Party
1773, Lord North devised the Tea Act to save the nearly bankrupt British East India Company. Evening of december 16, 1773, large group of Boston rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and dumped 18,000 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
1774, Parliament passed series of measures that colonists call the Intolerable Acts in response to King George III's pressure. One law shut down Boston Harbor, another, the Quartering Act, authorized British commanders to house soldiers in vacant private homes & other budlings. General Thomas Gage, commander-in-chief of British forces in N. America, was appointed new governor of Massachusetts. To keep peace he placed Boston under martial law (rule imposed by military forces). -
First Continental Congress Meets
The committies of corresponence assembled the First Contingental Congress in response to Britain's actions (the intolerable acts). September of 1774, 56 delegates met in Philadelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights. They defended the colonies right to run their own affairs and stated that, if the British used force against the colonies, the colonies should fight back. -
Minute Men
Colonists is eastern New England towns stepped up military preparations after First Continental Congress met. Minutemen-civilian soldiers who pledged to be ready to fight against the British on a minutes notice-quietly stockpiled firearms and gunpowder. Spring of 1775, General Thomas Cage ordered troops to march from Boston to Concord, Massachusetts and seize illegal weapons. -
Midnight Riders: Revere, Dawes, and Prescott
Night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode out to spread word that 700 British tropps were headed for Concord. -
Second Continental Congress
May of 1775, colonial leaders called Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia to debate their next move. The loyalties that divided colonists sparked endless debages at the Second Continetal Congress. Some delegates called for independence, while others argued for reconciliation with Great Britain. Despite such differences, the Congress agreed to recognize the colonial militia as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander. -
Continental Army
Congress agreed to recognize the colonial militia as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
British general Thomas Gage decided to strike at militiamen on Breeds Hill near Bunker Hill. June 17,1775, Gage send 2,400 soldiers up the hill. Colonists held their fire until the last minute and then began to mow down advancing redcoats finally retreating. Colonists lost 450 men and British suffered over1,000 casualties. Misnamed Battle of Bunker Hill would prove to be the deadliest battle of the war. -
Battle at Lexington
April 18, 1775, midnight riders rode to spread word that 700 British troops were headed for Concord. April 19,British commander ordered minutemen to lay down arms and leave, colonists began to leave w/out putting down their muskets, someone fired, and the British send a volley of shots, killing 18 minutemen and 10wounded. First battle of Revolutionary War, only lasted 15min. British marched onto Concord, fell by the dozen, remaining soldiers went back to Boston. Colonists became Britains enemies -
Battle at Concord
Afte Lexington, British marched onto Concord where they found an empty arsenal. British lined up to march back to Boston when suddenly the march became a slaughter. 3,000-4,000 minutemen had assembled and fired on the marching troops. British soldiers fell by the dozens. The remaining British soldiers went back to Boston humiliated. Colonists had become enemies of Britain and now held Boston and its encampment of British troops under seige. -
Olive Branch Petition
By July, Second Continental Congress was readying colonies for war, though still hoping for peace. Most colonits felt loyal to George III & blamed bloodshed on kings ministers. July 8, congress sent king the so-called Olive Branch Petition, urging a return to "former harmony" between Britain and the colonies. King G rejected petition. He issued a proclamation stating the colonies were in rebellion &urged Parliament to order a naval blockade to isolate a line of ships meant for the American coast -
John Locke's Social Contract
John Locke was one of the key enlightenment thinkers. He contended every society is based on a social contract-an agreement in which the people consent to choose and obey a government so long as it safeguards their natural rights. If the government violates that social contract by taking away or interfering with those rights, people have the right to resist and even overthrow the government. -
Publication of Common Sense
Publication of Common Sense were the ideas of Thomas Paine. It was a widely read 50-page pamphlet im whice Paine attacked King George and the monarchy. Paine, a recent immigrant, argued that responsibility for British tryanny lay with "the royal brute of Britain." Paine explained that his own revolt against the king had begun with Lexington and Concord. -
Loyalists and Patriots
As war began, Americans found themselves on diff.sides of conflict. Loyalists-those who opposed independence & remained loyal to British king-included judges & govenors, as well as people of more modest means. Thought British were going to win & wanted to avoid punishment as rebels, thought the Crown would protect their rights more effectively than the new colonial gov't. Patriots-supporters of independence-drew numbers from people who saw political & economic opportunity in independent America. -
Declaration of Independence
Virginia lawyer Thomas Jefferson chosen to prepare final draft. Drew from Lockes ideas of natural rights, Jeffersons document declared rights of "Life, Liberty, and pursuit of Happiness" tobe "unalienable" rights-ones that can never be taken away. Declaration states flatly that "all men are created equally. Expressed common belief that free citizens were political equals. Didnt claim that people had same ability/wealth. Not meant to embrace women, Native Americans,or slaves. Adopted July 4, 1776 -
Redcoats Push Washington's Army Across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania
British attempted to seize New York as part of a plan to isolate New England. British sailed into New York harbor in summer of 1776 with force of about 32,000 soldiers. Included thousands of German mercenaries (hired soldiers) know as Hessians because many came from German region of Hesse. Continental army attempted to defend New York but in late August, the poorly equipped colonial troops retreated. By late fall, British had pushed Washingtons army across Delaware River and into Pennsylvania. -
Washington's Christmas Night Surprise Attack
By late fall, British had pushed Washingtons army across Delaware River into Pennsylvania. Desperate for an early victory, Washington risked everything on December 25, 1776. In the face of a storm, he led 2,400 men in small rowboats across the icy Delaware River. They marched to their objective-Trenton, New Jersey-and defeated a garrison of Hessians in a surprise attack. However, the British regrouped and in September of 1777, they captured the American capital at Philadelphia. -
Saratoga
General John Burgoyne planned to lead an army down a route of lakes from Canada to Albany where he'd meet British tropps as they arrived from NYC. The two groups would join forced to isolate New England from other colonies. While Burgoyne was fighting off colonial troops, he didnt realize fellow British officers were busy & werent coming. American troops surrounded Burgoyne at Saratoga where he surrendered on October17, 1777. As a result, French signed alliance w/Americans in Feb.& joined fight. -
French-American Alliance
French had secretly aided the Patriots since 1776, but the Saratoga victory bolstered France's belief that the Americans could win the war. As a result, the French signed an alliance with the Americans in February 1778 and openly joined them in their fight. -
Valley Forge
While the hopeful turn of events occured in Paris (the French making an official alliance with the colonists and joining in on the fight), Washington and his Continental army-desperately low on food and supplies-fought to stay alive at winter camp in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Over 2.000 soldiers died, yet the survivors didnt desert. Their endurance and suffering filled Washington's letters to the Congress and his friends. -
British Victories in the South
End of 1778, British expedition took Savannah, Georgia. In greatest victory of the war, British under Generals Henry Clinton&Charles Cornwallis captured Charles Town, S.Carolina, in May 1780. Early 1781, colonists continued to battle Cornwallis-hindering efforts to take Carolinas. The British general then chose to move fight to Virginia. He led army of 7,500 onto peninsula between James & York rivers and camped at Yorktown. Cornwallis planned to fortify Yorktown, take Virginia, and join Clinton -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
February 1778, in the midst of the frozen winter at Valley Forge, American troops began an amazing transformation. Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian captain and talented drillmaster, helped to train the Continental Army. Marquis de Lafayette also arrived to offer help. Lafayette lobbied France for French reinforcements in 1779, and led a command in Virginia in the last years of the war. With help of such European military leaders, the raw Continental Army bedame an effective fighting force. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
After learning of Cornwallis' actions, the armies of Lafayette & Washington moved south toward Yorktown. Meanwhile, a French naval force defeated a British fleet and blocked the entrace to Chesapeake Bay, thereby obstructing British sea routes to bay. By late September, about 17,000 French and American troops surrounded the British on Yorktown penninsula and began bombarding them day and night. October 19, 1781, Cornwallis finally surrendered. Americans shocked the world and defeated the British -
Treaty of Paris
Peace talks began in 1782. The American negotiating team included John Adams, John Jay of New York, and Benjamin Franklin. In September 1783, the delegats signed the
Treaty of Paris, which confirmed the U.S. independence and set the boundaries of the new nation. The United States now stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and Canada to the Florida border.
