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In response to the Intolerable Acts, delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress. They discussed their concerns about British rule and agreed to boycott British goods. This meeting was an important step in uniting the colonies and organizing resistance. -
The Battle of Yorktown was the final major battle of the American Revolution. American and French forces surrounded British General Cornwallis, forcing him to surrender. This victory effectively ended the war and ensured American independence. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolution. British troops marched to seize colonial weapons, but colonial militias stood their ground. These battles marked the “shot heard ’round the world” and officially began the war between Britain and the colonies. -
The Olive Branch Petition was a final attempt by the American colonists to avoid a full war with Britain. The petition expressed loyalty to King George III and asked for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. However, the King rejected it, which pushed the colonies further toward independence. -
Thomas Paine published Common Sense in early 1776, and it quickly became one of the most influential pamphlets of the American Revolution. It argued clearly and boldly that the American colonies should declare independence from Britain. Paine’s ideas reached thousands of colonists and helped shift public opinion toward supporting full independence. -
the Second Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence. Written mostly by Thomas Jefferson, the document declared that the colonies were free and independent from Britain. It listed the colonists’ grievances and stated that all people have rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. -
The Articles of Confederation were the first written plan of government for the United States. It created a weak central government with limited powers, as the states were afraid of another strong authority like Britain. While it helped unify the colonies during the war, the Articles eventually proved too weak to manage the new nation. -
The Battle of Camden was a major defeat for the American forces in South Carolina. General Horatio Gates led a poorly organized army against the British and was crushed. This loss showed the challenges the Americans still faced in the Southern Campaign of the war. -
The Treaty of Paris officially ended the American Revolution. It recognized the independence of the United States and set the boundaries for the new nation. Britain also agreed to remove its troops from American territory. -
The Great Compromise was an agreement during the Constitutional Convention that solved a major debate over how states would be represented in Congress. It created a two-house legislature: the Senate (equal representation) and the House of Representatives (based on population). This compromise helped unite small and large states under the new Constitution. -
The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and it was adopted in 1791. These amendments protect individual freedoms like speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial. Many states agreed to ratify the Constitution only if a Bill of Rights would be added.