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Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were passed to regulate colonial manufacturing and trade. However, they were not enforced and smuggling became a huge problem within Britain. -
French and Indian War ends
The end of the French and Indian War put Britain into debt which made them put taxes on the colonists. These taxes began the start to a lot of tension between the colonists and the British. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act put taxes on items such as newspapers and pamphlets. This new tax made colonists protest and their aggression eventually caused the Boston Massacre. -
Boston Massacre
Colonists began to throw snowballs with stones inside of them at British soldiers. The soldiers opened fire and killed five protesters. This caused an outrage from the colonists and they acted on this by throwing tea into the harbor which is known as the Boston Tea Party. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act enforced the tax on tea and gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales. This act eventually lowered the price of tea and continued the outrage of the colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
To protest the taxes on tea, colonists threw a cargo of British tea into the harbor. This caused Parliament to become aggressive towards the colonists and tension arose. The First Continental Congress was then called to discuss the matters happening between the two. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
These acts were meant to punish the colonists in Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party. They only created more tension between the colonists and the British soldiers which only pushed them closer to the beginning of the American Revolution. -
First Continental Congress
Representatives gathered in Philadelphia to discuss how to deal with the Intolerable Acts and the issues between Britain and Massachusetts. -
Lexington and Concord
"The Shot Heard Around the World!" The colonists and the British troops clashed and began the American Revolution. This caused the Second Continental Congress to form to hopefully put an end to this. -
Second Continental Congress
Met after Lexington and Concord to set up a Continental Army with George Washington. This helped create an army which influenced the Revolution to begin. However, after the war, the Declaration of Independence was created and cut all ties between the colonies and Britain. -
Declaration of Independence adopted
This document was heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideas and mirrored many of them within it. It spoke about popular sovereignty and other topics pertaining to citizens versus the government. Americans leaders pledged their lives to the cause of the United States. -
Battle of Saratoga
This was the first turning point within the war. The victory caused France, the Netherlands, and Spain to create an alliance with and aid the Americans. -
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Winter at Valley Forge
Troops suffered harsh conditions, but George Washington was courageous and kept the army together. The troops experiences at Valley Forge allowed them to persevere and gain a win at the end of the war. -
Battle of Yorktown
George Washington forced a British army to surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. This caused the destruction of Britain's war effort. -
U.S. Constitution written
The Articles of Confederation were seen as too weak, so a few leaders came together and created a more effective document. -
U.S. Constitution adopted
The Constitution was influenced by many Enlightenment ideas and thinkers. It created a federal republic and a series of checks and balances. It allowed citizens to gain freedom and protected their rights.