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This was a European and cultural movement in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Enlightenment emphasized reason, individualism, and human rights. Enlightenment thinkers believed that reason was the primary source of knowledge and that it could be used to solve social and political problems.
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The French Indian War went on for about 9 years. This war was a North American conflict within the larger Seven Years' War. It was mostly fought between Great Britain and France, as well with their respective colonists and Native American allies.
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The Stamp Act was a British law that imposed a direct tax on the American colonies by requiring them to pay a tax on all printed materials, represented by a stamp. Boston's Loyal Nine began planning opposition to the Stamp Act. They Taxed one penny per sheet. -
The massacre took place during a period of heightened tension between the British and the American colonists. A crowd of colonists confronted British soldiers outside the Customs House on King Street and which it escalated. Five of the colonists were killed. -
The Boston tea party started because of taxation without representation. These acts further increased tensions by taxing imported goods like tea, leading to protests and boycotts. Colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor as a protest against the Tea Act and British taxation. -
The Intolerable Acts, (Coercive Acts) refer to the same set of four acts passed by the British Parliament. The acts were a direct response to the Boston Tea Party, intended to punish Massachusetts and assert British authority. The acts backfired. -
The primary goal of the First Continental Congress was to meet and to address the Intolerable Acts, a series of punitive measures imposed by the British Parliament following the Boston Tea Party. It brought together delegates from twelve of the thirteen American colonies. This lasted over a month.
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The Battles of Lexington Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. Tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain had been escalating for years, particularly in Massachusetts, because of issues like taxation and representation. British casualties totaled 273 (73 killed, 174 wounded, 26 missing). Colonial casualties totaled 95 (49 killed, 41 wounded, 5 missing). -
This battle was the first major battle of the revolution. The battle is considered a moral victory for the Americans. The British won this battle. -
The Battle of Yorktown only fought for less than a month. Yorktown was a deep-water port. The battle led to peace negotiations that resulted in the Treaty of Paris, recognizing American independence in 1783.
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The treaty defined the boundaries of the United States. American fishermen gained access to fishing grounds off the coasts of Newfoundland and other British-Canadian territories. The treaty also stated issues like debts owed by Americans to British creditor. -
The Constitutional Convention went on for about 4 months. Rhode Island was 1 out of the 13 states that refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention was to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation.
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The Great Compromise proposed a bicameral legislature. The compromise was essential for the survival of the Constitutional Convention. They referred to the Great Compromise as the Connecticut Compromise -
The U.S. Constitution was officially approved and adopted, on June 21, 1788 (ratified). The constitution needed ratification by at least nine out of the thirteen original states to become effective. The impact of the ratification of the Constitution marked a significant turning point in American history, moving the nation towards a stronger, more unified government. -
A joint House and Senate Conference Committee settled remaining disagreements in September. On October 2, 1789, president Washington sent out copies of the 12 amendments adopted by congress to all the states. By December 15, 1791, three-fourths of the states had ratified 10 of these, now known as the “Bill of Rights.”