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The French and Indian War (1754-1763) was a North American conflict that was part of the larger Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France. It primarily involved clashes over control of the Ohio River Valley, with both sides gaining support from various Native American tribes. The war ultimately resulted in France ceding its North American territories to Great Britain.
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The Stamp Act of 1765 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. This tax was enacted to help offset the cost of maintaining British troops in the colonies after the French and Indian War. The act was met with widespread resistance from the colonists, who viewed it as a violation of their rights and a form of taxation without representation. -
The Sons of Liberty were a group of American colonists who formed in the mid-1760s to protest British rule and taxation, playing a key role in the lead-up to the American Revolution. They were a secret, often radical, organization that used various tactics, including boycotts, protests, and even violence, to challenge British policies. -
The Townshend Acts of 1767 were a series of British laws that placed taxes on goods imported into the American colonies, including glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. These acts also aimed to increase British control over colonial trade and governance, leading to widespread resistance and ultimately contributing to the American Revolution. -
The Boston Massacre was a deadly confrontation between British soldiers and American colonists that occurred on March 5, 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts. A group of British soldiers fired into a crowd of civilians, killing five and injuring several others. The event fueled growing tensions between the colonists and Great Britain, contributing to the American Revolution. -
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by American colonists against the British government that took place in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. This event is considered a pivotal moment leading up to the American Revolution. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord, which took place on April 19, 1775, marked the start of the American Revolutionary War. British troops marched to confiscate colonial military supplies, but were met by alerted Minutemen. After an initial skirmish in Lexington, the British advanced to Concord, where more militia converged, leading to fierce fighting at the North Bridge. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill, fought on June 17, 1775, was a pivotal early battle of the American Revolutionary War. Though a British tactical victory, it significantly boosted American morale and demonstrated their willingness to fight for independence. The battle, which actually took place on Breed's Hill, saw the American colonists inflict heavy casualties on the British forces. -
The Battle of Trenton was a pivotal engagement on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolution, where General George Washington and the Continental Army launched a surprise attack across the icy Delaware River, defeating the Hessian garrison in Trenton, New Jersey. This significant American victory boosted flagging morale after a summer of defeats, secured much-needed supplies, and set the stage for the subsequent American success at the Battle of Princeton. -
The Battle of Camden was a decisive British victory during the American Revolutionary War on August 16, 1780, in South Carolina, where British forces under Lord Cornwallis routed American troops led by Horatio Gates. The American army, weakened by illness and comprising many inexperienced militia, was heavily defeated, with over 900 men killed or captured and significant supplies lost. -
The Battle of Yorktown, fought from September 28 to October 19, 1781, was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and their French allies over the British forces, effectively ending major land operations in the American Revolutionary War. The siege of Yorktown, Virginia, resulted in the surrender of British General Lord Charles Cornwallis and his army, leading to peace negotiations and the eventual independence of the United States.
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The Three-Fifths Compromise was a deal reached during the 1787 Constitutional Convention where enslaved people were counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes. This agreement primarily benefited Southern states, giving them more political power in the House of Representatives and Electoral College despite the fact that enslaved people were not granted the right to vote. -
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a pivotal agreement during the 1787 Constitutional Convention that resolved the issue of representation in the US Congress. It established a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on proportional representation (population) and a Senate with equal representation for each state (two senators per state). -
A joint House and Senate Conference Committee settled remaining disagreements in September. On October 2, 1789, President Washington sent copies of the 12 amendments adopted by Congress to the states. By December 15, 1791, three-fourths of the states had ratified 10 of these, now known as the “Bill of Rights. -
The "Treaty of Paris" commonly refers to the 1783 agreement that formally ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States. However, there have been other treaties signed in Paris, including one in 1814 ending the Napoleonic Wars.